25 June 2012 marks the second international Day of the Seafarer. On that day, IMO is asking people around the world to use social networks to highlight just how important seafarers are to everyone on the planet, as they transport all over the world those vital items, commodities and components which are so vital to all our daily lives.
So, on 25 June 2012, the Day of the seafarer, we ask you to tell the world, through your social media connections, about an object in your daily life that you can’t live without, and which came by sea. Take a photo, write a description, record a song, make a film, whatever you prefer: and then just post it on the social platform of your choice and add the campaign slogan: “thank you seafarers”.
Seafarers leave their homes and families, often for long periods to ensure that essential items and commodities on which our lives depend arrive safely at our homes.
So show the seafarers of the world – and your friends, too – your appreciation of the extraordinary services they render every day of their professional lives, under demanding and sometimes dangerous circumstances. Day of the Seafarer is an innovative campaign that harnesses the power of social media to raise awareness of seafarers and their unique role. Everyone, regardless of where they live, can join the campaign online.
So, on 25 June, you can join in by:
- Sharing your post on Facebook, if you have pictures, videos or any special message, please share them on our wall.
- Sending us a message @IMOHQ and @SeafarerDay using hashtag #thankyouseafarer
- On pinterest, you can pin a picture of your chosen object with the caption “Day of the Seafarer”
We invite participants to download the toolkits available here and join the campaign:
- Facebook.com/IMOHQ
- Twitter.com/IMOHQ (@IMOHQ)
- Twitter.com/SeafarerDay (@SeafarerDay)
- Pinterest.com/IMOHQ
- Youtube.com/IMOHQ
25 June of each year is the “Day of the Seafarer”, recognizing the invaluable contribution seafarers make to international trade and the world economy, often at great personal cost to themselves and their families.
Governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners and all other parties concerned are invited to promote and celebrate the Day in an appropriate and meaningful manner.
The Day of the Seafarer was first celebrated in 2011, following its establishment by a resolution adopted by the Conference of Parties to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, held in Manila, Philippines, in June 2010, which adopted major revisions to the STCW Convention and Code.
The Day of the Seafarer has now been included in the annual list of United Nations Observances.
In 2011, the celebration took the form of an online campaign, in which IMO asked everyone to voice their support using social networks. On the Day of the Seafarer, we asked people around the globe to say “Thank you seafarers” on Facebook, via tweets, by posting a video on YouTube, discussing on LinkedIn, or even writing an inspirational blog.
The Day of the Seafarer provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the world’s 1.5 million seafarers for the unique and all-too-often overlooked contribution to the well-being of the general public, and we would like to do it using as many social media networks as possible.
By generating interaction on the web about seafarers, we want to show respect, recognition and gratitude to seafarers everywhere. The universal outreach of social media will raise awareness of the vital role that seafarers play in the world economy and, in many respects, in sustainable development, enabling ships to carry than 90% of world trade safely, efficiently and with minimal impact on the environment.
The Day of the Seafarer is also an opportunity to educate the public about issues facing the modern-day seafarer – issues such as piracy. But, most importantly, it is the occasion for us, the world, to say “Thank you, seafarers.”
Source: IMO
Officer of the Watch 
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