Plastics in our Ocean: A micro or macro problem?

This event will promote co-learning and co-creation between all participants, in a highly participatory way, on the problem of plastics and microplastics in the ocean and their effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. From a European perspective, it will focus on how science and technology, industry, policy, and the societal factor can contribute to solve it.

The goal is to gather 20-30 participants from all across Europe with very different profiles and perspectives on the problem. Participants should be either affecting and/or affected actors of the problem and be motivated to find solutions to it collectively. The event will be structured and articulated to ensure that participants, by listening and talking to each other, learn about the proposed problem and work to identify realistic strategies to solve it, jointly. The depthof the discussion will be at two levels: (i) outreach level when sharing ideas/thoughts/information with all the community of participants, and (ii) more focused level when working with their specific community of stakeholders (i.e. plastic industry, fishermen, policy makers, marine scientists, civil society/citizens, etc.).

The final objective of the event is to “learn by doing” if, through open and democratic structured dialogue, complex challenges could be better understood and if “co-creation and co-solving” could serve as a tool in the quest for building responsible and responsive societies.

Place: 
Donóstia – San Sebastán, Spain
Date: 
01-02 Oct. 2019