Sign the Faith in the Ocean Declaration

The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns joined an international multi-faith declaration on our spiritual charge to care for and protect our oceans. The declaration will be presented to the United Nations Ocean Conference to be held in Nice, France, in June of this year.

The declaration emphasizes the profound spiritual relationship between humanity and the ocean. It observes the threats we have levied against the ocean through our commodification and exploitation. The declaration calls for Spiritual Practice, Realignment of our relationship with the ocean, Education, Community Engagement, Policy such as the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, Partnerships between faith leaders, scientists, academics, and policymakers, and an Integrated Approach to environmental issues, aligning efforts across UNFCCC, CBD, Plastics, and land degradation and desertification initiatives.

The organizers of the declaration have now opened up the statement for members of the public to sign. Signatures are collected up through Earth Day, April 22. Click here to sign the declaration as an individual.

Acknowledging the ocean’s connection with other critical concerns such biodiversity destruction, climate change, plastic pollution, land degradation and desertification, massive species endangerment and extinction, threatened mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrass, we support a holistic, comprehensive, integrated, gender-responsive, and human rights- and ecosystem-based approach to ocean care.