ECOCARE Wrap-Up and UN Ocean Decade Blue Catalyst (bLYSs) Kick-Off

Abstract

This report documents the International Workshop on Empathy, Compassion and Care, organised to celebrate the completion of ECOCARE (HKDIR UTF-2020/10084) and to reflect on the many connections established over the past five years of the project, between Norway, Brazil, and beyond, through research and education on water rights and governance. The event took place on 24–25 September 2025 at Árdna, the Sámi cultural building of UiT The Arctic University of Norway. The workshop was led by Margherita Paola Poto, Giulia Parola, Emily Murray, Youna McGowan, and Annamaria Bonomo, and was attended by over twenty participants. Structured over two days, the programme followed the three pillars of ECOCARE, Empathy, Compassion, and Care, as the keys to re-read participatory rights (access to information, participation, access to justice). The two-day programme consisted of three interactive one-hour sessions exploring the interactions between emotions, law and water and the implications of applying empathy, compassion and care as a legal methodology. These sessions provided opportunities for participants to connect through positionality exercises, co-creation, food and storytelling.  Throughout the workshop, team members collaborated in groups to co-create activities, fostering creativity and exchange. The event concluded with the launch of the newest UArctic Project, the Ocean Decade Blue Catalyst (bLYSs) (580512127). The second day was dedicated to some concluding remarks and ways forward on care, followed by a series of presentations by Brazilian researchers and students. The outcomes of the workshop are expected to extend beyond the event itself, with a scientific publication planned for 2026, fostering international partnerships and inspiring the continuation of the impactful work initiated by ECOCARE.