Turning awareness into action
Collaborate, Act, Respond and Empower – C.A.R.E
The ocean is the blue heart of our planet – a living system that connects all beings and is a vital mechanism which supports the health and livelihoods of us all. With research, science and our current age of information technology most of us have been made aware of the rapidly declining states our eco-systems.
We now have to RESPOND and ACT.
Like individual drops, we so often feel powerless when it comes to our own ability to impact meaningful change. We may think ‘What difference is a single straw going to make?’. On the contrary, at Ocean Pledge we believe in the power of the individual. We believe in COLLABORATION and our ocean inspired projects aim to empower and nurture change from deep within.
Through the collective of individual drops of actions we will co-create the groundswell of positive change, shifting paradigms and turn the tide on single-use plastic, throw away culture for good.
Join us in turning the tide, because your actions mean you C.A.R.E
OUR OCEAN INSPIRED PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophy is based on C.A.R.E
Our ocean inspired projects are geared toward turning awareness into action, to shift the paradigms in perceptions and behaviours which contribute to our throw-away culture.
We use our three pillars to bring about these shifts:
- Restaurants
A unique solution to mitigate waste at source within the food and beverage sector. The Ocean Pledge Restaurant Programme is a membership based programme providing education, alternatives and best practice guidelines to owners, staff and patrons. Sign up here.
- Education
Education underpins all we do. We develop, collate and customise content for our youth programme, as well as adults and corporates. We also present to organisations. For events we offer best practice guidelines, consultation and campaigns.
- Research
Data driven insights inform better solutions. We conduct research based on human behaviour sciences to provide consumer insights needed to inform strategy and drive change.
Our ongoing #oceanpledge campaign encourages people to take small steps in their own lives (by signing their #oceanpledge), while measuring overall success and uptake.
Our Digital Platform
Our digital platform provides foundational support to our programmes. It enables us to gamify, scale and measure the impact and reach of our programmes.
Members of the restaurant programme, staff and learners all have access to the shared resources and educational content on the platform. The platform also becomes home to the Ocean Pledge community where one can interact, learn and find solutions for change.
Actionable Insights
We believe that data unlocks the key to understanding shifts in human behaviour. Using technology facilitates data aggregation to inform actionable insights.
MEET OUR TEAM OF
Ocean Guardians
Working together to Co-create change
Diony Lalieu
Founder
Motto: “It’s not for me, it’s for the sea”
“The ocean is the life force, the blood that connects us all. We are not at all separate from the ocean, because that which impacts the ocean ultimately impacts us too. If we could understand the deep interconnectedness between all living systems, we would be in awe of the impact of our actions, and the collective power we have to heal the sea.”
Diony is a Research Psychologist with 20 years of experience in conducting consumer research into large national and multinational brands across Africa. Diony is interested in understanding human paradigm shifts and how the language of marketing can help to restore health to our oceans.
Dorette Oosthuizen
Co-founder
“Busy-ness has allowed us to unknowingly accept a culture of convenience and throw-away. we as human beings actually do have the intellectual capacity and technological advantage to re-create our world, our planet, our home. Perhaps if we turn our focus and attention to the wellness of our planet we may yet find the satisfaction we all search for”
Dorette has been working in the corporate sustainability sphere since 2011. Her focus is on assisting companies with the development of greenhouse gas inventories, development of training materials, facilitation of training workshops and co-creating sustainability strategies with clients. Dorette has a BA in Environmental Management. Her talent with numbers and her scrupulous attention to detail and systems based focus is our massive asset.
Fleur Heyns
Director
“My passion for the ocean is purely selfish – having enjoyed the Cape Oceans almost daily, I cannot imagine the thought of them not being protected and preserved. We need to take collective responsibility NOW to prevent further demise of our oceans”.
Originally trained as a biochemist, Fleur moved on to have an illustrious corporate career in Investment banking. She developed and then sold Global Trader (South Africa’s first on-line stockbroking portal, now know as Easy Equities). In 2007 she pivoted into the realm of impact investing in which she secured seed funding for resource efficiency and to help “intermediaries” match impact capital to impact opportunities. Realising the misalignment and lack of data within impact investment arena, she went on to co-found a data intelligence platform, called ‘Proof of Impact’, which makes impact data accessible to maximise return on investment. Fleur’s strength lies in making objective decisions and ascertaining. Fleur brings along an objective, data driven mindset and the consideration of more innovative ways to finance the activities Ocean Pledge will commit to.
Verity Price
Media and marketing
My mother taught me to “always try and leave everywhere you go, a little better than you found it.” When it comes to our planet, I truly believe the only way we can turn the tide is if every human started to live their life like that. Every bit of awareness adds up to action and action is where the difference is made. I am passionate about helping people wake up to their potential to be part of the change with the choices they make every day. From what we buy, to how to dispose of waste, the power is in everyday people’s hands to have a positive impact.”.
Verity, a previous singer/songwriter is an acclaimed and award-winning professional speaker and facilitator who focuses on innovation and strategy. Verity spoke at TEDxCapeTown in 2018 on why we should embrace inconvenience if we wish to save our planet. She was recently crowned the Southern African Prepared Speaking Champion, winning this title out of 199 clubs in the country! We are proud to say that Verity is the Voice of Ocean Pledge. She is instrumental in driving the Educational pillar of Ocean Pledge and hopes to build strong voices for our ocean into the future.
Pavitray (Pavs) Pillay
Director
“Our oceans are the lifeline to a healthy planet, but the oceans are in trouble. We need to bring back that awe, wonder and respect we once had for the oceans, because if you respect something, you will take care and protect it. I firmly believe that every person can make a difference and help to chart new ways to make things better for our oceans and the wellbeing of all.”
Pavitray holds a BSc (University of Witwatersrand) with majors in Zoology and Archaeology and an Honours and MSc degree in Marine Biology from the University of Cape Town. Pavitray has been working in the marine science, marine science education, training and communication sector for many years. She has lived and worked in Namibia, Angola and SA on a UNDP/GEF funded marine program and at the Marine Research Institute (UCT) as the scientific and communication officer. Pavitray joined WWF-SA in 2015 as the Southern African Sustainable Seafood Initiative (SASSI) manager working on how to use behavioural science and effective communications to shift consumer choices of seafood so as to help transform the seafood market in SA. She now fulfills a new role as the behaviour change lead, which looks at how behavioural science and insights can be used more widely in the environmental space to help to influence and shift human behaviour.
Ambassador
Documentary maker
“I believe that we are called to look after the earth and everything in it. I aim to inspire people to follow their passion/ dream (live deeply) but to be mindful of their daily consumer choices when doing so (tread lightly). This means thinking twice before consuming anything, by asking questions such as ‘ do I really need this?’, ‘where does this come from?’, ‘what will happen to this when I am finished using it?’. I’m passionate about the ocean, about the development of youth through education and I love to inspire lives through living my story. I believe it is our mandate to help others. I have a talent and aim to use this gift to enable sustainable change through my love of swimming”.
Sarah is a physiotherapist and runs a practice in Durban North at a multi-disciplinary centre. She is also an open water swimmer, motivational speaker, Pilates instructor, a retired National swimmer and an advocate for the plight against plastic. Sarah is also the CEO of Breathe Conservation and an ambassador for Plastic Oceans International.
OUR TEAM OF OCEAN CONTRIBUTORS
Shani Judes
Entrepreneur/ business advisor
Rhys Carr
Business advisor
Nicole Bohm
Business mentor/ strategist
Romy Chevallier
Policy researcher on climate change and communtiy resilience
LEGAL ADVISORS
Kathinka van Eeden
Aimee Thorne
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTRIBUTORS
OCEAN PLEDGE AMBASSADORS
Verity Price
Ted-X speaker, Ocean pledge Ambassador, corporate strategist and change agent www.tapresults.co.za
Born out of a TEDx talk, this keynote speaker and songwriter is helping organisations to rethink their relationship to single use plastic and empower staff to collaborate and find creative solutions for reducing plastic in head offices and in business offerings. As a lateral thinking expert with a passion for making positive changes in businesses, Verity explores the opportunity for innovation and creativity that this crisis is presenting, and how we can disrupt our ways of doing things in order to give our future a chance.
Alfonso Peters
Former street-kid, now pro-surfing family man, whose life turned around through a connection with the ocean
For Pro-Surfer Alfonso Peters, the ocean represents a second chance at life. Alfonso was born and raised in the notorious gang-lands of the Western Cape.
Having lost his dad at an early age, Alfonso, like so many other troubled kids in these environments lost his way and began meddling in drugs and crime, eventually living on the streets of Cape Town. Yet against all odds, Alfonso managed to turn his life around and rise above his pain. When fortune struck and a social worker extended his hand, Alf rose to the occasion and shook it. With some serious commitment he was returned to school and introduced to surfing. From this point, Mother Ocean took him under her wing and he never looked back. Alfonso now surfs competitvely across the world and shares his Ocean Stoke with thousands of learner surfers as well as children much like he once was to whom he teaches lifes lessons through the grace of the ocean’s waves. Alfonso’s story of hope and optimism and the way he turned adversity and challenge into a positive for all is just what the ocean currently needs, which is why we asked Alfonso to be an ambassador.
Tasha Mentasti
Founder of SurfTherapy PTY
“The ocean is my sanctuary, a place for healing and a place for fun. The ocean has taught me so many valuable life lessons – how to be in the present moment, how to be patient while waiting for the swell and how to overcome my fears and believe in myself. The ocean makes me feel grounded yet weightless at the same time. The person I am today is thanks to the ocean. As an intrepid surfer girl – I am committed to using my voice to help educate people about how to refuse, reduce and reuse single-use plastic at the various surfing events I am involved with.”
Tasha is an MC, event coordinator, MC, and founder of Surf Therapy, an organization which provides a platform that enables adaptive surfers to find their ‘stoke’.
Jack Mantis
using vocal waves to save our oceans
At Ocean Pledge we believe in the power of the individual and the impact that can be made through daily choices.
Sir David Frederick Attenborough