Running for Sea-Watch – Connecting Personal Commitment and Professional Responsibility

In March 2026, I’ll be running the Berlin Half Marathon. It’s a personal challenge, but also a way to support something that deeply matters to me: the humanitarian work of Sea-Watch.

Sea-Watch is a civil organisation that rescues people in distress in the Mediterranean Sea, where thousands risk their lives every year in search of safety. Their crews provide emergency aid, medical assistance, and a voice for those who are too often ignored. They stand for something very simple and very fundamental: human rights, dignity, and the right to life.

From sustainability to solidarity

As someone working in sustainable tourism and event management, I spend much of my time helping destinations and organisations strengthen their sustainability strategies, setting goals, engaging stakeholders, and aligning with frameworks such as the GSTC Criteria, ISO 20121, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In all of these frameworks, one principle appears again and again: responsibility. Responsibility towards people, towards the planet, and towards future generations. But sustainability doesn’t stop at climate footprints or certifications. It’s also about how we act as individuals, the values that shape our decisions and the way we choose to engage with the world beyond our immediate professional context.

That’s where this run comes in. Running for Sea-Watch connects the personal with the professional. It reminds me that sustainability and human rights are inseparable. Environmental and social responsibility both aim for the same outcome: a more humane and balanced world.

A symbolic step – but a real contribution

The Berlin Half Marathon is one of Europe’s largest running events, with more than 30,000 participants from around the world. Every runner brings a story. Some run for their health, some for the joy of movement, and some for a cause. For me, it’s both a physical challenge and a way to draw attention to an issue that too easily fades from public view.

Running is, in a sense, a metaphor for persistence. It’s about endurance, rhythm, and belief in small steps leading to a greater goal. Supporting Sea-Watch through this run is my way of taking one of those steps, small in scale, but part of a much bigger picture of global solidarity.

Why Sea-Watch

Sea-Watch operates independently and relies entirely on donations. Their ships and crews are often the only line between life and death for people stranded at sea. They provide emergency aid, medical support, and document human rights violations in one of the most politically charged regions in the world.

For me, this organisation represents the practical side of humanity: not slogans, but action. Sea-Watch stands where compassion meets competence and where hope needs logistics.

Linking sustainability and human rights

In discussions about sustainability, we often talk about environmental impact, circular economy, and carbon reduction. But the social dimension of sustainability is equally critical. Tourism, for example, depends on the wellbeing and dignity of people, travellers, workers, residents, and communities. The same ethical principle applies when we look at migration and humanitarian crises.

If we claim to work towards a more sustainable world, it must include human rights at its core. Supporting Sea-Watch is a reminder that sustainability is not just a professional framework, it’s a moral compass.

How to support

I’ve created a small fundraising campaign for Sea-Watch, and every euro donated goes directly to their life-saving missions at sea. Donations help maintain their ships, medical supplies, and rescue operations. Each contribution, no matter the size, helps sustain their work in the Mediterranean and keeps attention focused on the humanitarian aspect of European borders.

If you’d like to learn more about Sea-Watch or support their work, you’ll find my campaign page here:
👉 Charity run for Sea-Watch.

A personal reflection

Preparing for the Berlin Half Marathon has also reminded me how interconnected effort and purpose can be. Training takes consistency, patience, and trust in long-term progress, qualities that mirror the sustainability work I do with destinations and event organisers.

Whether it’s running or implementing a sustainability strategy, both are about discipline, persistence, and shared motivation. And both have an element of hope, the belief that effort, even on a small scale, can create meaningful change.