my future ocean- letter

location:jody's davenport abode, listening to key tapping and trains shuffling
environment: itchy, sick, relaxed, recooperating

My name is Sarah Fowler; I am an independent media artist who is very familiar with the work of Greenpeace, as i am currently employed with Greenpeace Canada. My commitment has stretched from ideological to financial when I became a frontline member in 2004. I am aware of current campaigns strategies and intend to make a feature length documentary about life on the seas and would adore a trip on the rainbow warrior. My best trait is to cross-pollinate art and awareness, inspiring activism. As a collaborative designer, I tell stories which expand perceptions, open lines of communication and act as catalysts for creativity.

Through my experiences I have applied skills which have shaped me into an ideal candidate for the position. I am ready to combine creative visions with dynamic actions. My campaign experience outside of Greenpeace includes organizing a fair trade chocolate petition (postcard signing) against Nestle. By being involved with the WIAM's One World's Film Festival I had the opportunity to act as a liason between "Hot Docs" and WIAM, thus building industry contacts and developing a set of best practices. While working as a MP's assistant, I balanced dealing with government officials and consituancy corresspondance. As the president of the board of directors at IFCO I became familiar with conflict resolution and acted as a spokesperson to the media. This role also allowed me to organize events in a community of near 200 independant artists. When I lived in Dr. Jane Goodall's house in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania I had access to a wealth of materials including conservation managment theories and human animal co-habitation techniques that helped me to give more informed talks to students on behalf of Roots & Shoots; JGI. Although I have produced many sorts of campaigning literature or propganda, I can attest to developing film promo materials for my own projects and would liken it to the process of boiling down an idea until it is at its most eye cathcing and recievable.

Whether verbal, written or abstract I love to express ideas, debate and negotiate a compromise acceptable to all parties. My leadership skills spawn from a strong vision of interdependence yet simultaneous integrates instinct, judgement, logic and team building. Although I am extremely flexible, I consider my organizing skills to be the most diverse and useful no matter the situation. My reasons for committing to Greenpeace's efforts to protect fragile marine ecosystem are based on the impressive track record of past campaigns and the sheer power a large organization can yield as being catalyst to change. I view Greenpeace International as a trans-global collective bargaining unit of 40 countries designed to work within the framework and negotiate towards healthier human management of the great depths. The respect of water, both salt and sweet leads me towards embracing it's symbolic peacefulness while still understanding the churning waves of discourse and civil disobedience.

I gather inspiration constantly and have found oceans to be a diverse foundation from which to build. I see life interwoven in the medium of water. My involvement with ocean issues, ecology and conservation stretches over the last six years and includes personal observations in the Pacific, Atlantic and most recently the Indian Ocean, along the coast of Eastern Africa. Most species studied were sand dwellers including hermit crabs and jelly fish. Studying migrations of specific species which were influenced by lunar pulls and currents thrilled me as I was introduced to things I had never seen before. My excursions included some fresh water scuba, observing the nest of the cyclids in Lake Malawi. Closer to home I have visited Roche Perce, Quebec and taken 8mm footage of whales. In St. John's Newfoundland I tried desperately to spot puffins, despite being there too early in the season. The fact that I have been casually studying French for nearly ten years sadly amounts to my best asset is lip syncing to Harmonium.

Nowadays I can be found in Toronto as I work in the door canvassing division of the fundraising program with Greenpeace Canada. I have a valid passport, drivers licence and have demonstrated my willingness to travel since I moved from London to work with Greenpeace in November. I am currently working in the evenings and just today, Saturday, I voluntarily hosted the Greenpeace information booth at a NGO fair during a University of Toronto Global Citizenship Conference.

My coordinates are found at the top of my included curriculum vitae. If you have any questions, please contact me.


Sincerely,


Sarah Fowler