Rally and Dance Party August 18, 2022, 2-7 pm EDT Dag Hammarskjold Plaza and virtually on Facebook Live On August 18, frontline communities, artists, and activists will hold a Global rally and dance party outside UN headquarters to celebrate the world’s oceans and demand that world governments make history by protecting them. The NYC event for the oceans will feature storytelling, fishy drag, iconic art by NYC artists, and collective joy for the ocean. Featured guests and performers include: Frontline Speakers Ngozi Oguguah (Ph.D.) - Ngozi is the Principal Research Officer with the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research in Lagos, Nigeria. Ngozi is anAn accomplished academic with over 14 years of experience researching marine biology, focusing on environmental pollution and its impact on human health. She is also involved in various local initiatives helping girls and women access science. Judith Castro - Judith Castro is from Cabo Pulma, Mexico, home to the oldest coral reef in North America. She comes from a fishing family, but 27 years ago, they decided to stop fishing and instead help to restore the Cabo Pulmo reef. The community Judith and her family areis part of asked the Mexican government to protect the reef, and as a result, tthe community succeeded. The reef is now a protected area and a marine national park. It has fully recovered and is now a global example of how successful marine conservation can be. Khairiyah Rahmanyah - Khairiyah is a student from Songkhla province in Thailand. Her home is 20 steps from the sea. When she was growing up, the sea was empty. Commercial fishing boats had taken all the life out of the sea. Her family, and many others, relied on the sea for their livelihoods, and commercial fishing had destroyed these. So Khairiyah and her community fought back, and they won. Their waters are now home to 184 species, and marine scientists believe their waters are perfectly healthy. But the government is now proposing to build a vast deep water port in her village. The community will fight back again, and Khairiyah will tell her story and continue her and her family’s fight for the oceans. Anta Diouf - Anta is the Secretary General of the women’s group of the Mbour/Mballing fishing town in Senegal and a member of the National Federation of Processors of Senegal. As fish processors, Anta and her community rely on the oceans for their subsistence. But industrial fishing and factory processing is killing her community. Shaama Sandooyea - Shaama, from Mauritius, is a marine biologist and activist who staged the first ever underwater climate protest in 2021 when she joined Greenpeace on a research expedition to the Saya de Mahla, the world’s largest seagrass meadow. Performers Hila the Killa - The Brooklyn-based Eco-Rapper will debut the "Oceans Treaty Anthem" to inspire change and demand a Strong Global Oceans Treaty Now! Grag Queen (Instagram) - The International Drag Icon, singer, and activist recently crowned Queen of the Universe will perform live. Gregory Corbino - The local queer NYC artist who makes immersive installations, sculptures, and performances will exhibit his art and engage attendees in building a 10-foot tall whale, 8-foot tall sturgeons, oysters, and fish from trash reclaimed from NYC beaches and rivers. Batalá New York - the premier all-women, Black-led percussion ensemble famous for their high-energy Brazilian-style drumming will lead the march past the UN building and perform throughout the rally. The Boxcutter Collective - The collective will host an art build from August 15- 17. Volunteers can join the project to make oceans-themed art 25 12th street in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Volunteers may join this project by signing up here.