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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
May 28, 2008
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| April 17, 2008 |
In Pictures – Photo Tour V of Life Onboard |
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Peace Boat participants enjoyed skies awash with more hues and shades of color than an artist’s palette might contain as the ship cut westward across South Pacific seas toward Oceania. |
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During an onboard event called “Peace Day,” people used different forms of expression to send prayers for peace, from dance performances to art exhibits, open discussions to movie screenings and message banners. The culminating event of Peace Day was an oral reading of war stories from World War II survivors on the 60th voyage, read by participants of younger generations. The event proved a good opportunity for people of all ages and backgrounds to share personal experiences and feelings, and to think together about the possibility of a peaceful future, free from war and violent conflict. Peace Boat also used this opportunity to introduce the Global Article 9 Conference in Tokyo on May 4th – 6th, 2008, which will act as an international forum to discuss the need to protect Japan’s peace constitution and to share its nonviolent principles.
To learn more about Article 9 and the Global Article 9 Conference, please visit: www.article-9.org / whynot9.jp |
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Richard Nahi joined the 60th voyage to introduce the culture and history of the indigenous Maori people of Aotearoa/New Zealand. Colonization and modernization have brought significant changes to Aotearoa, but Mr Nahi works to rebuild connections between Maori youth and their roots: both their cultural and physical roots to Aotearoa, a name which means “the land of the great white cloud.” Onboard, Mr Nahi also taught people how to do the haka, a ritual Maori ceremony of preparation. Once used to prepare warriors for battle, the haka is now performed at the beginning of tribal activities and sporting events. |
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While the ship sailed between Aotearoa and Australia, Russell Smith gave onboard lectures about the indigenous people of Australia, as well as live music performances on both the guitar and Yirdaki (Didgeridoo). Mr Smith works to help facilitate the creation of positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia through an programme called the Torch Project. The project’s work includes visits to schools in thirteen communities as well as the construction of relationships between rural and urban areas to allow the creation of theatre and cultural programs in resource-lacking rural communities. |
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90 people participated in the ship-wide GET (Global English and Español Training) Speech Contest, an event designed to challenge language learners to give speeches in their non-native languages. The event was open to everyone onboard, and both staff members and participants gave speeches in English, Spanish, French and Japanese. Topics ranged from nostalgic reminders of voyage memories to thought-provoking messages on controversial social issues, with a smattering of light-hearted humorous speeches in the mix as well. The winning English speech raised the questions of nationality and personal identity, challenging the audience to reflect on the meaning of nationality and the privileges assigned to different nationalities. |
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While the ship docked overnight in Sydney, Peace Boat welcomed 300 guests to an onboard peace festival, which included poetry, music, dance, film and photography presentations. The event began with an “acknowledgement of country” to show respect to the traditional owners of the land. Following presentations focused on the theme of peaceful resolutions to violent conflicts. Peace Boat gave taiko drumming, dance and haka performances, in addition to giving the guests a tour of the ship. Velocity Films presented a preview of the upcoming documentary film “Soldiers of Peace,” Iraqi poet Jamal al Hallaq delivered an emotion-filled reading of Arabic poetry, and Kurdish musician Veli Toprak performed on the tamboura, a lute-like, fretless stringed Asian instrument that produces a melancholic, harmonic drone. |
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