Speak Up For Antarctica Now

The fate of our seventh continent is decided annually on occasion of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM). The yearly meeting is attended by representatives of the 54 member states of the Antarctic Treaty, invited Experts and NGOs. Amongst them, only the 29 decision-making countries (the so called “Consultative Parties”) have right to vote on the governance of what is unquestionably a Global Commons. Despite their crucial role in determining the future of our planet, ATCM meetings remain mostly unreported by media and the pressure for accountability to the national delegates is minimum.

This year the ATCM is taking place in Berlin between the 23rd of May and the 3rd of June 2022, with an inaugural speech by the German Secretary of State, Jennifer Lee Morgan.

While the meeting unfolds at the Estrel Hotel, the streets of Berlin have been taken over by an awareness campaign that calls to “#SpeakUpForAntarcticaNow”.

Launched by the non-profit agency for change UNLESS, “#SpeakUpForAntarcticaNow” is a call to action conceived to engage Berliners and planetary citizens to give a voice to our only continent with no indigenous population and create a constituency for a Global Commons which is vital for the survival of humanity.

While creating awareness on Antarctica’s pivotal role in the global ecosystem in defence of intergenerational justice, “#SpeakUpForAntarcticaNow” promotes the signing of three important petitions, that call to:
- Permanently ban hydrocarbon extraction in Antarctica now.
- Protect 3.8 million sq Km of Antarctic waters.
- Commit to international research stations in Antarctica.

On Friday 27th of May 2022 we joined a Rally for Antarctica at the Brandenburg Gate in collaboration with Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC), Deutsche Umwelthilfe, Greenpeace, Fridays for Futures, Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy and Scientists for Future.

Project Title:	Speak Up For Antarctica Now
Location:	Berlin
Year:	2022
Status:	In progess
Programme:	Avdocacy Campaign
Concept:	UNLESS with Carlo Barbante, James N. Barnes and Alan D. Hemmings
Contributing Photographers:	Shaun O' Boyle, Andrea Izzotti, Paolo Pellegrin, John Welles, James Morris, Emil Shulthess & Norbert Wu
Graphic Design:	Studio Vedet & HaugHaug
Supporters:	D-Air Lab, Fondazione Giuseppe e Pericle Lavazza & Ursula Stein
Rally Partners:	Antarctic Southern Ocean Coalition, Fridays for Future, Green Peace, the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy, Antarctica2020, Only One, SeaLegacy, Scientists for Future, Deutsche Umwelthilfe, AWIs4Future

Download Presse Release here

Photo Credits © Louis De Belle