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Special Report |
LAST UPDATE January 23, 2006
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| December 29, 2005 |
Introduction to Peace Boat’s 52nd Voyage Global University Programme |
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| Maiko Morishita, Global University’s Coordinator for the 52nd Global Voyage, during a workshop |
Peace Boat’s Global University (GU) programme has evolved from a philosophy of recognizing the importance of interactive education and grassroots exposure methods. An intensive onboard course focusing on worldwide social, political, environmental and other issues, participants study some of these issues in-depth by learning from guest educators onboard, and participating in innovative exposure programs in ports of call. The course has gained such recognition, that several universities in Japan, Korea and Germany have rewarded students who complete the curriculum with academic credit. |
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| Guest lecturer Jonah Gokova leads a Global University seminar |
The content of the course changes according to the path of each global voyage. For instance, during the current voyage’s southern hemisphere route, the focus has been divided into two units, each relevant to issues faced by countries of the Global South.
The first unit, focusing on Africa, will explore the mechanisms which create, disseminate and prolong poverty, as well as the rise of civil society combating poverty. During this segment, Mr. Jonah Gokova, an economist and social activist from Zimbabwe, as well as Dr. Hayashi Tatsuo, member of the Africa-Japan Forum (AJF), will lead several GU seminars and lectures. The first unit will culminate with an exposure programme in South Africa: an opportunity for students to learn about and experience first hand the reality of poverty, and the struggle people are waging against it. Participants will be introduced to various civil society organizations, all applying varied approaches in working for a more equitable and peaceful society. |
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| Global University students during the orientation meeting |
The second unit, which will begin during the Latin America segment of the voyage, will focus on negative aspects of free trade agreements as well as positive alternatives. Using agriculture as a model, students will learn about Argentina’s soy plantations as a case study. While in port, the exposure programme will allow participants to experience personally the consequences of economic dependency on cash crops, environmental effects from single-crop harvests, and the role of transnational agribusinesses. In addition, the theme will be related to a Japanese context. As a country heavily dependent on food imports, Japan must address the issues of free trade and agriculture from a sustainable perspective against the context of ongoing World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. |
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| Dr. David Lucas, onboard from Yokohama to Singapore, explaining the procedures of his research method known as Folknography |
Besides the formal study units mentioned, GU participants will also be conducting a simultaneous research programme with peers from Ohio University, in the United States, who in turn will share their findings with another university in Hong Kong. The three courses will be using Dr. David Lucas’ research method known as Folknography. Such a process intends to provide a voice for common people; social groups whose cries for justice, peace and equality are largely ignored by the mass media. Folknography bases its premise on carrying out surveys in marginal communities and finding a way to expose the findings – whether using internet, written, or audio-visual methods. |
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