In the run up to the 8th International Aquarium Congress (IAC), 9th to 14th September at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, students participated in the “Voices for the Future of the Oceans” video conference.
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The event was in keeping with the theme of the 8th IAC: “The global aquarium community: sharing experiences and collectively inspiring change”.
Students at the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, the hosts for the IAC, were able to talk to peers at the Institut Océanographique (Monaco), Monterey Bay Aquarium (Monterey, USA) and Nausicaá, Centre National de la Mer (France) about the role of aquariums.
Russell Stevens, the Aquarium’s Head of Education, said, “The video conference was a dream come true for me. It was a powerful and groundbreaking opportunity to involve the youth in the IAC. Not only did it provide an opportunity for young people around the world to share their concerns and ideas regarding the future of the oceans with one another, but it also provided them with a platform to make their voices heard by the leaders of the aquarium community. This has set the tone for the entire congress, with its themes of sustainability and inspiring change.”
The video conference was sponsored by Kathea, Comtel, Vox Telecom and and Pick n Pay. A synopsis of their discussions and resolutions is to be presented at the 8th IAC plenary on Monday 10 September 2012, by Cape Town’s Nina Lawrenson.