Last week was bussy for the Galapagos Islands. A Galapagos sea-voyage of 100 people (including Sylvia Earle, Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton, Glenn Close, Elizabeth Banks, Steve Case, Ted Waitt, Bill Joy, Jackson Browne, Damien Rice, Chevy Chase, Jean-Michel Cousteau and 30 of the world's leading marine scientists) turned into an epic event that may have significant impact on global efforts to save our oceans and put the islands in the top of the international media once again.
This really "once in a lifetime trip" happened because the individuals and organizations on board chose to abandon the obstacles that often engulf nonprofit work, and engage in a process of emergent collaboration that is worth appauding.
Eight separate initiatives were kickstarted, aided by $15m in commitments from the individuals on board. These included:
* $1m to complete a package to protect the waters around Galapagos themselves
* $1.1m to launch a plan to protect the 1m-square-mile Sargasso Sea and commitments to raise a further $2.5m to see the plan through to success
* $350k to boost ocean exposure in schools
* $3.25m to commence a campaign to end fishing subsidies
* $10m to kickstart a new partnership to fund longer-term ocean projects
More at: TEDBlog
