UNESCO Invites Lorenzo Bertelli to Become Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance
MILAN — UNESCO has invited Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group’s head of corporate social responsibility, to become “Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance.”
Bertelli joins the likes of Prince Albert II of Monaco, Jonas Gahr Støre, prime minister of the Kingdom of Norway, and Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, president of the Republic of Portugal, to name a few, who through the alliance “catalyze support for the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-30 through targeted resource mobilization, networking and influence,” said Prada Group in a statement.
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Bertelli was invited by UNESCO director general Audrey Azoulay — becoming a member of the Alliance is by invitation only, and based on dedication to the vision of the Ocean Decade. This was in recognition of Prada’s support of ocean literacy through its Sea Beyond educational program, as well as Bertelli’s personal vision and efforts to raise awareness of the role that the private sector can play in supporting ocean knowledge for sustainable development.
Bertelli attended the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris Thursday, where he participated in the UNESCO Partners’ Forum “Together4Impact” as a contributor in the Climate Change panel.
“I am delighted to accept this invitation to further amplify Prada Group’s commitment to protecting our ocean, through educating new generations on ocean literacy principles,” Bertelli said. “This is the main aim of Sea Beyond. We started this journey in 2019 and we can already see its positive impact in the enthusiasm, curiosity and passion of our young students. As a Decade Patron, I intend to foster cooperation between private companies and institutions and serve as an example, so that our collective actions can generate a far greater impact. There is still work to do and collaboration is essential to achieving collective goals.”
During the event, Bertelli said that “Ocean is a passion of the family and I am always inspired by it. UNESCO was the perfect partner to embrace a journey in supporting education, capable of fostering international connections, guiding us scientifically and helping the Prada Group to inspire young generations. This is what we are trying to do with the partnership we put in place under the Sea Beyond program, so that when young students will become prime ministers or scientists one day, they will know what to preserve.”
While admitting Prada faced many technical challenges with Re-Nylon and that the project started with UNESCO “was also very ambitious,” Bertelli said “the biggest challenge is definitely inspiring people. Culture is the most important tool we have to live better, to improve our lives, the coolest thing we have on hand.”
Since its debut, Sea Beyond has trained more than 600 international secondary school students. The third edition of the educational module will start in early 2024. The “Kindergarten of the Lagoon,” an educational program of outdoor lessons in Venice for children in preschool, was launched in January 2023 and has already reached more than 120 children. The second edition will run from this month to June, involving two Venetian schools for a total of 80 students.
Last June, the Prada Group announced its commitment to donate 1 percent of the proceeds of the Prada Re-Nylon collection to the Sea Beyond project, strengthening the partnership with IOC/UNESCO. An Ocean Decade Coordination Office will open in Venice and be responsible for the development of the program.
The Sea Beyond program has also been extended to support scientific research, such as the promotion of the discovery of black coral in Egadi Islands by marine biologist Giovanni Chimienti, and the development of humanitarian projects, both connected with ocean preservation.
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