Special Report LAST UPDATE August 11, 2010
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July 23, 2010 Changing Perspectives 2 – Becoming a Global Citizen
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Kamigatakuchi Asami (bottom left) had dozens of lessons with her GET class under the guidance of English teacher Eleanor Rowley (centre).
During Peace Boat's 69th Voyage, more than 800 participants travelled around the globe, visiting 20 countries across five continents. This experience caused their perspective to change as they came in contact with people of countless nationalities throughout the trip. They learnt from a range of guest educators who held lectures and workshops on a wide range of issues, including sustainability and nuclear disarmament. In addition, numerous programmes were held throughout the voyage which helped participants learn about how they can strive to become a global citizen. Three people participating in some of these programmes were interviewed at the beginning of the journey to see how their perspectives changed by the time they returned to Japan.

Kamigatakuchi Asama learnt English as part of the Global English/Español Teaching Programme (GET). She joined the voyage partly because of her late father's wish that she learn about foreign cultures through travel. In her first interview, she said that her goal was to be speaking full sentences in English by the end of the voyage so that she could obtain work outside of Japan. Ms Kamigatakuchi took part in three terms of English classes during the 69th Voyage and her improvement is clear. Recently she gave a speech at a competition where GET students were asked to speak in a foreign language for two minutes. Ms Kamigatakuchi found learning a second language during this voyage to be an invaluable experience. She used what she had learnt to communicate with local people in each country, and said that she succeeded in learning more about English and the world because of the GET Programme. "I didn't have an opportunity to be exposed to English so I'm grateful for the opportunity to be speaking with so many people born in English-speaking countries," she said.
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Suzaki Shota spoke about Global University during a feedback session at the end of the voyage. His shirt was painted by children when he visited a slum area in La Guaira in Venezuala.

The Global University Programme returned from hiatus and made a dramatic impact during the 69th voyage. Students in this programme learnt about a wide range of issues relating to countries visited throughout the journey. At the beginning of the trip, Suzaki Shota said that he joined Global University because he felt disconnected with the harsh realities faced by many people around the world. The 21-year-old would like to become an English teacher and saw Peace Boat as a useful way to learn more about foreign countries.

Mr Suzaki said that Global University taught him things about the world that he would never have experienced through any other institution. He was part of three exposure tours which took place in Jordan, Denmark and Venezuela. Mr Suzaki said he was most touched by his experience in Jordan. On this excursion, students spent two nights with with Palestinian refugees who had been ousted from their traditional homeland, before meeting victims of the Iraq war who were suffering from exposure to depleted uranium munitions. Mr Suzaki said that he had earlier bought a fundraising badge which would help these Iraqi victims, without thinking about the effects of his actions. But upon speaking to the victims, he learnt that his actions, no matter how small, had the power to change lives and affect the world. "Only after speaking to these people and hearing their stories, did I realise that my donation would really help to improve their lives."
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Moon Ji Young (second from left) participated in a range of exchange programmes including one in Ireland where she learnt about conflict resolution from guest educator Eamon Rafter (centre).
This journey marked Peace Boat's third Global Voyage for a Nuclear-Free World: Peace Boat Hibakusha Project. As part of this campaign, a group of Hibakusha, the Japanese term describing atomic bomb survivors, travelled with Peace Boat to give testimonies at each port. The group also led programmes onboard the ship to teach participants about the threat of nuclear weapons.

Moon Ji Young joined this programme because she wanted to learn more about the plight of the Hibakusha. She said that as a young girl in South Korea, she was never taught about the experiences of the Hibakusha and did not realise that so many people were affected by the atomic bombings. The 23-year-old used the 101-day trip to speak with the Hibakusha and learn from their stories. She is studying sociology in Seoul and said that working with the Hibakusha has made her more interested in Asian history, culture and politics. "This experience has taught me that I must study more about the region in which I live," she said.