Puro Orgullo: Azul Celebrates Multigenerational Latinx Ocean Conservation Leadership
This heritage month, Azul celebrates the multigenerational Latinx leaders in its #LatinosMarinos movement who are fusing their cultural conservation traditions and environmental justice values to create ocean solutions that benefit their communities.
Azul launched the Rising Leaders Initiative earlier this year to bring more Latinx community activists into ocean conservation to grow a more inclusive ocean justice movement.
Building on 12 years of ocean justice advocacy and policy successes and inspired by Azul’s Executive Director and Founder, Marce Gutiérrez-Graudiņš’ own experience of often finding herself to be the only Latina and Spanish-speaking person in discussions around ocean policy and coastal advocacy earlier in her career, the Azul Rising Leaders Initiative is the type of opportunity she and her team would have embraced when starting out in their careers.
“This program was not available when I started my career,” said Karla Garibay Garcia, Azul’s Senior Conservation Manager, “I had very little knowledge of the issue areas, I didn’t know what jobs I could even have in this space, hadn’t ever been surrounded by Latinxs speaking about these issues in Spanish, and hadn’t had the opportunity to connect with people doing what I am ultimately doing now. Participating in a program like this would have made me feel seen and welcome into the field. It could’ve helped me channel my passion to have had this type of exposure earlier on.”
Azul and its team has organized with community activists, Latinx leaders, and ocean justice advocates to build a strong community of #LatinosMarinos along the California coast, across the United States, and through organic international outreach over the last decade. Its leadership development program was a natural next step, as “now is the time to build a new generation of leaders who can celebrate their cultural heritage while creating ocean solutions that benefit their communities directly,” said Gutierrez-Graudiņš.
In total, 14 Azul Rising Leaders were selected to the inaugural cohort and provided a virtual training curriculum featuring experienced Latinx ocean leaders and a week of service and in-person programming in Washington D.C. to turn their virtual learnings into on-the-ground advocacy action.
“It is important to ensure our communities’ needs and demands are front and center in ocean conservation so we can provide a better future for generations to come,” said Azul Rising Leader Yulisma Martinez of San Diego, California.
Equipped with new learning resources, tools, and opportunities, this inaugural class of Azul Rising Leaders will only continue to inspire ocean justice solutions.
“It’s crucial to prioritize our communities’ needs and demands in ocean conservation,” said Gabriela Vara, an Azul Rising Leader from San Antonio, Texas. “Because, they are the ones directly impacted by changes in the marine ecosystem and can provide invaluable insight into effective conservation strategies.”
The inaugural class of Azul Rising Leaders pose with their graduation certificates at their graduation ceremony in Washington D.C. during Semana Azul. Photo Credit: Azul
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