Minister of Maritime Affairs discussed the role of art and science at the Bauhaus of the Seas 'A fundamental part of the work by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs is to foster a[...]

The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Ricardo Serrão Santos, discussed the notion of mankind reconciling with the seas at the Bauhaus of the Seas conference held on 20 and 21 September, in Venice (Italy).

"Our way of life in the cities and land areas has gone into war with our seas. We need to turn this tide around, imagining the oceanic world through art and science", Ricardo Serrão Santos claimed.

The Minister of Maritime Affairs took part in the second stage of a movement born in Lisbon, under the New European Bauhaus, a European Commission programme to fulfil the Green Deal and whose most noteworthy projects will be allocated 85 million euros in 2021-2022.

"The fundamental idea behind the New European Bauhaus is to bring the dimension of fruition, sustainability and inclusion to daily life. In truth, a fundamental part of the Portuguese Ministry of Maritime Affairs is to create a close and daily relationship with the ocean, focusing on sustainability and connectivity, productivity, and health", Ricardo Serrão Santos added.

Nuno Nunes, professor at the Technical University and of the founders of the movement in Lisbon took part in the "Making peace with the sea" panel, as did Gyna Gylver, a Norwegian environmental activist that belongs to the NGO Nature and Youth and experts in architecture, design, and ocean science.

"We've been on a clear path in Portugal in terms of education and culture, with initiatives such as the Blue School, which transformed the relationship around 35,000 young people had with the sea. We are increasingly conscious of our emotional ties with the ocean and this is a mighty step, one that is also crucial on our new Horizon Europe Mission Starfish on healthy oceans", the Minister gave as an example.

Ricardo Serrão Santos recalled that Portugal has had a significant role in maritime diplomacy, namely with supporting the creation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 on the oceans in the UN 2020 Agenda, and he invited everyone to attend the UN 2022 Ocean Conference in Lisbon, co-hosted with Kenya.