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Keynote Plenary: When Hope Takes A Stand

With Ocean Robbins

Founder and Director, YES! —
“Helping Visionary Young Leaders Build A Better World”
Co-author, Choices For Our Future

 “The struggle for justice is as old as tyranny itself, and the longing for a world guided by love is as old as the human heart.  Thank you for joining in the ancient struggle to build a new world.”
— Ocean Robbins

We live in troubled times.  Yet each of us carries in our hearts a vision ofhow this world could be – a world free from the scourge of war and starvation, a world with a healthy environment, social justice and peace.  This presentation starts from the premise that part of the reason we are alive in these times is to bridge this gap, and to bring our world a little closer to the prayers and dreams that live within us.

Through stories, statistics, experiential exercises, and speaking from the heart, Ocean Robbins entertains, informs, inspires and empowers.  His presentations address such topics as:

• The state of our planet, and what we can do to make a difference (including our consumption choices, food choices, lifestyle choices and social interactions).
• Racism, social justice, and building a world that works for all of us.
• Cynicism, hope, and the possible future. 
• Inspiring stories of young people who are changing the world for the better. 
• The work of YES!, and some of the key ingredients in the organization’s 16 years of success.
• Adventures in building bridges across cultures and movements.
• Leveraging privilege for social change:  How we can unleash all that we have, and all that we are, on behalf of all that we love.
• How to bring sustainability and personal fulfillment into service.

This presentation illumines the links between the vital issues of our times, and leaves audiences more connected to what matters most to them, and to others who care both in their community and all over the world.

Ocean Robbins presentation at our environmental and social justice youth conference was the highlight of the weekend for many of our participants. His positive message and soulful, inspiring words reached deep into the hearts of the youth attendees. Numerous people told me that his talk was the most inspiring and moving thing they had ever heard. As conference organizer I couldn't have been more pleased!

— Daniel Carr, Conference Coordinator, Deep Green Global Training

Students talked about Ocean's presentation for months after his speech. He has a magical way of connecting with young people and his story deeply connects the social and environmental movement. Out of the 40 workshops and keynote speakers, Ocean made the greatest impact on the teenagers. Without hesitation, I recommend his service as a speaker or workshop leader. We found his participation to be an essential part of the conference’s success; we look forward to having him return as a speaker.

— Taylor Selby, Executive Director, Earth Care International, Santa Fe, NM

Ocean was our conference’s final plenary speaker and his message brought spirit into action in a way that was electrifying and inspiring to the room.  Many of our participants listed his talk as a conference highlight on their evaluations.

— Laura Cornell, Founder and Director, Green Yoga Association

I cannot thank you enough for coming to the Principia College campus.  What you had to say ignited inspiration in some people and fueled the fire in others.  People that had given up hope in activism because the task was too large have now returned to stand up for what they believe in.  More specifically, I was feeling "burned out" with the whole environmental issue and feeling like nobody was listening except for myself.  Now, I have newfound encouragement to continue with the fight for environmental respect and animal rights.  Thank you so much again for sharing your thoughts and words of hope and enlightenment.

— Lauren Chapman, Sophomore, Principia College, Elsah, IL

Ocean Robbins founded YES! in 1990 at the age of 16, and has served as its director since then. YES! has spoken in person to 620,000 students on high school and college campuses, held 90+ week-long gatherings for young leaders from 65 nations, and helped to inspire the  formation of more than 400 non-profit clubs and organizations working for  positive change.  Ocean is co-author of Choices for Our Future, has been a keynote speaker for dozens of conferences and hundreds of school assemblies, and has facilitated 40 week-long events and more than 50 workshops and retreats.  He has served as a board member for Friends of the Earth, The Turning Tide Coalition, The Omni Center, Creating Our Future, and EarthSave International. He was honored in E Magazine’s Kid Hero’s Hall of Fame, was selected by Utne Reader as one of 30 Young Visionaries, and has been recognized by both Time and Audubon magazines as among the heroes of the new millennium. He is father to River and Bodhi Robbins, identical twin boys born in 2001.

To contact Ocean Robbins about bringing him to speak for a conference, college or event, click here.To learn more about workshops offered by Ocean Robbins, click here.

I could spend hours listening to Ocean Robbins, and so could the 450 attendees of our recent conference.  Ocean is a brilliant speaker -- funny, touching, and wise beyond his years.  His talk was a moving and motivating experience.  Our feedback questionnaires from guests after the conference frequently listed Ocean as their favorite speaker.  We look forward to having him again at future conferences.

— Jeff Nelson, organizer VegSource Healthy Lifestyle Conference

I coordinated a high school environmental conference which brought together nearly 300 students leaders and teachers from more than 20 schools throughout Wisconsin.  Ocean Robbins was our keynote speaker and the student response to his presentation was tremendous.  On the conference evaluations, many people cited his talk as the best thing about the entire event. Ocean is an insightful and dynamic speaker who inspires people of all ages to become more active on behalf of the environment and their communities.  I would love to hear more from him any time.

— Deborah Engel-Di Mauro, Environmental Education Resources Specialist, Wisconsin Center for Environmental Education