Parley for the Oceans addresses major threats towards our oceans, the most important ecosystem of our planet.
We believe the power for change lies in the hands of the consumer – given we all have a choice – and the power to shape this new consumer mindset lies in the hands of the creative industries.
Artists, musicians, actors, filmmakers, fashion designers, journalists, architects, product inventors, and scientists have the tools to mold the reality we live in and to develop alternative business models and ecologically sensible products to give us earthlings an alternative choice, an everyday option to change something.
To succeed, we need to find ways to synchronize the economic system of humankind with the ecosystem of nature. And make environmental protection fiscally lucrative for pacesetting major companies.
Parley has been created to accelerate a process of change that is already in progress. No other big movement in the history of humankind has developed faster than the environmental cause. We want to make sure we are fast enough to meet the ultimate deadline and turn the ship around before we lose a treasure we have only just started to explore and still don’t fully understand: the fantastic blue universe beneath us — The Oceans.
Captain Paul Watson
Millions of sharks end up on prestigious restaurant tables as shark fin soup. Whale sanctuaries get looted for exclusive dog food. More fish are eaten by house cats than by seals while hundreds of miles of drift nets vacuum clean the sea. Anything wrong with that? After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea and the supermarkets are stacked, right?
Not for long, if we believe the scientists. 90 percent of big fish have vanished from the oceans since 1950. By 2050, 90 percent of the world’s coral reefs will be gone. The next 10 years are the most pivotal for our future.
Diminishment of biodiversity in our Ocean is the single greatest threat to the survival of humanity. With diminishment of species in the oceans comes diminishment of the quality of life for humanity. What are the causes of this continuing mass extinction and imminent threat to our collective survival?
Our disconnect from nature and overconsumption of resources are the primary threats, and they bring chemical, oil, noise and plastic pollution. Global warming, ocean acidification, overfishing, agricultural run-off...
The threats are many, but so are the solutions.
Dr. Sylvia Earle
Everything starts with inspiration. Therefore every Parley is a curated gathering with a dedicated topic, presented by Parley Speakers to a carefully selected audience. The talks are meant to give an overview of the State of the Oceans in general, to present a specific cause, and to get the support for a related initiative or project.
Once there is serious interest to support the cause and collaborate, or to join an existing project or initiative, the Parley team helps to get things moving by developing an individual idea or concept, connecting potential partners, and moderating the collaboration process. We shape ideas from conception to reality, from a good intention to the finalization of an agreement and actionable strategy.
The signature on an agreement is the official kick-off for each partnership and project. The Parley team supports our collaborators by translating needs and ideas to each partner, managing expectations and keeping the partners on track with a realistic roadmap. The success of a collaboration lies in its implementation. We measure our progress by what we achieve together, our impact.
Fabien Cousteau
The first Parley was hosted by artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel at his Palazzo Chupi in New York. A select group of guests came together with the shared mission of sounding the alarm on the importance of protecting the world’s oceans. The aim of the discussions was to brainstorm how the creative industries could lend support to and cooperate with leading global non for profit organizations, in order to raise awareness and fund operations.
Parley in Berlin addressed the rapidly growing threat of plastic waste in our oceans and raised discussions on solutions for retrieving the waste and recycling it into new products. Influential creative figures from across multiple industries—spanning art, film, music, and fashion to product design, architecture, technology and science—came together, along with ocean sentinels who dedicate their lives to the protection and conservation of the oceans.
Parley “Oceans. Climate. Life.” was held at the United Nations, on the occasion of the High-Level Meeting on Climate Change convened by the President of the General Assembly. It aimed to raise awareness on critical conversations leading up to COP21 in Paris, where the international community is expected to deliver a new, ambitious agreement to protect present and future generations from the negative impacts of human activity on the planet—and on the oceans.