By Bianca Haas, PhD
From 25-27 January 2023 Ocean Nexus fellows met for the first time since COVID-19 in Seattle, US. The aim of this three-day meeting was to learn the tool of policy analysis, facilitated by Dr Grant Blume and Dr Steve Page from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington. Policy analysis, different from policy research, aims to support decision-makers to make informed decisions about solving a problem (Dunn 2008).
The program was enriched by a lecture by Dr Jodi Sandford who gave a lecture about anti-racist policies, Dr Crystal Hall who talked about challenging disciplinary norms, and Chuck Sloan who gave tips about how to manage interpersonal conflicts.
The aim of Ocean Nexus is to “transform ocean governance so that oceans benefit everyone equitably in a culturally relevant manner”. Working with researchers from over 15 institutions, including ANCORS, Ocean Nexus is an important platform to elevate ocean equity. The intellectual framework of ocean equity, developed by the Director Dr Yoshitaka Ota, aims to combine different theories, such as critical race theory, post-colonial theory, or critical feminist theory.
Overall, more than 30 people came together, including fellows from the Ocean Voices program, to discuss and share ideas concerning ocean equity. These three days taught fellows new tools that will support their strive to achieve ocean equity.
All photos © Leah Huff, Ocean Nexus
References:
Dunn, W. (2008). Public Policy Analysis: An Introduction. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall.
