The 2021 theme for the Day of the Seafarer is “a fair future for seafarers”. To mark the day, The NI will be casting the spotlight wider to extend the theme to include an exploration of the lives of seafarers and the impacts of being separated from family – on both the seafarer and those left at home. For this discussion, The NI has invited family members to join our speakers so that they can share their insights into being a seafaring family. They will talk of their pride and of the challenges they have faced over the years. This will be very much an open forum with audience members encouraged to share their experiences. The conversation, which will be led by The NI President Jillian Carson-Jackson who has been a longstanding advocate for professional mariners, will cover topics including: o What is the impact of having a family member at sea? o What are the aspects of being at sea with family ashore? o Public perceptions of Seafarers o Ship-shore communication o The importance of a fair future o Questions from the audience