Written by: Jane Cathrin Særsten Jünger

Filmmaker and ocean advocate Jahawi Bertolli has been appointed the moderator of One Ocean Summit during the One Ocean Week in Bergen in April. With a background in international documentary projects and experience from the One Ocean Youth Panel, he will ensure engaging conversations about the future of the ocean.

Bertolli grew up in Kenya with the ocean as his closest neighbor and playground. His passion for snorkeling eventually turned into underwater filmmaking, and his underwater films became award-winning documentaries. Bertolli has collaborated with the BBC, National Geographic, and UNEP, and his films have been shown at the Smithsonian and at the UN headquarters. Bertolli is not only a filmmaker. He is a voice of the ocean - someone who brings to us the science of the ocean and the culture of those who live close to it.

A global voice of the youth

Jahawi has previously been part of the One Ocean Youth Panel, and in recent years, through his work as a filmmaker, he has inspired many young people to take part in discussions about the future of the oceans. Now he is stepping up as moderator for the entire international summit in the traditional Håkonshallen, which the program committee is confident he will do very well. Bertolli's ability to build bridges between generations and cultures is important in ensuring that the discussions in Bergen bring out different perspectives on this year's main theme: A safe and predictable ocean.

Why Jahawi Bertolli?

Bertolli is known as a good communicator; he tells stories that touch people, make them care, and inspire them to take action themselves. Bertolli is also interested in the ocean as culture, not just nature, and has been an important contributor in giving a voice to various local communities living along the coast of Africa who see how climate change is altering their resource base year after year. In addition, he is skilled at highlighting young perspectives and is committed to creating dialogue. Bertolli's main focus is on people, stories, and solutions, and with him as moderator at the One Ocean Summit, we can expect a summit that not only sets the agenda, but also sets our hearts in motion.

Bergen becomes the center for discussions about the future of the ocean

One Ocean Week is an annual event in Bergen that highlights the crucial importance of the ocean for sustainable development from a global perspective. The week is packed with conferences, seminars, workshops, exhibitions, school activities, and public events, bringing together stakeholders from research, business, politics, education, and civil society. One Ocean Week is part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade) and is organized by One Ocean, Bergen, Norway, a collaboration between The City of Bergen, Vestland County Municipality, and the University of Bergen.