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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE January 10, 2006
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| December 27, 2005 |
Peace Boat’s 52nd Global Voyage Departure from Japan |
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| Yuki Hirayama, Director of the 52nd voyage, makes a toast along with participants and onlookers as departure nears |
Hundreds of family and friends braved a cold winter afternoon at the Yokohama Port in order see off loved ones embarking on Peace Boat’s 52nd Global Voyage for Peace. Proceeding westward along a southern hemisphere route, the 195-meter long TSS the Topaz liner will make its way through the Indian Ocean, wrap around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa as well as Tierra del Fuego in the southern tip of South America, and cross the chain of Pacific Islands before heading back north towards Japan. |
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| Peace Boat participants ponder upon the amazing journey which lies just a few moments away |
During the course of the 95-day journey, Peace Boat participants will have the opportunity to explore global issues dealing with the causes and solutions for widespread poverty, harsh realities in the African continent – focusing particularly on its seemingly insurmountable debt as well as the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and the negative effects of the ever increasing global economy. |
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| Emotions run high as the ship slowly sails away |
Throughout the voyage, roughly two dozen guests will come onboard to share their experiences and give lectures that will tie such mentioned global issues with local actions. Ranging from artists to journalists, as well as university professors to grassroots activists, these guest educators will prepare Peace Boat participants to optimize their first hand knowledge earned during the 14 scheduled ports of call along countries of the Global South in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. |
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| Peace Boat staff members Joel Challender and Kasumi Futakami bid farewell during the departure ceremony in Yokohama port |
Approximately two-thirds of the 900 participants onboard the 52nd Global Voyage embarked in Yokohama Port’s ultra modern facility, on the outskirts of Tokyo. In addition, another 300 boarded in the port city of Kobe on the second day of the journey. Besides attending educational programs by visiting guest educators, participants also have the opportunity to partake in a daily host of workshops and cultural events organized by Peace Boat staff members. And for those interested in more formal and intensive education, Peace Boat’s Global English/Español Training (GET) language program as well as the Global University program – which can ultimately provide university credits to its students, are both available on a daily basis. |
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| Goodbye Japan, see you again in 95 days |
Even though most participants are Japanese citizens, the Peace Boat community comprises a wide ethno-cultural diversity among its population. Peace Boat staff members from a dozen different countries, will share the living space with its participants, while the 300 crew members who run the technical aspects of the voyage possess passports from about 20 countries. This latest journey continues to reflect Peace Boat’s philosophy of providing and facilitating a platform where multicultural grassroots exchange can take place in order to develop a higher sense of tolerance and understanding. |
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