Special Report LAST UPDATE August 17, 2010
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August 2, 2010 70th Global Voyage Departure Ceremony – Around the World in 80 Days
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The Oceanic, anchored in the Port of Harumi in Tokyo, awaits Peace Boat’s community to sail round the world in 80 days.
'Around the world in 80 days' is not merely fiction as depicted in the classic 1873 Jules Verne novel or the 1957 film with the same name. For Peace Boat, it is being realised on the 70th Global Voyage. This is an anniversary journey since Peace Boat organized its first voyage 27 years ago, evincing the continuous effort to build a culture of peace and effect positive social and political change in the world. The Oceanic, home to Peace Boat’s 70th Global Voyage, will be navigating the globe on a journey of 40,000 km, traversing the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. From Tokyo, it will take 991 participants, aged between 1 and 93, to 19 ports in 17 countries. This voyage also marks Peace Boat’s first visit to Nicaragua since its first global voyage in 1990, where a range of events including a peace festival and delivery of medical relief goods will be held.
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Inoue Nao, the charismatic Cruise Director, welcomes participants to a memorial journey filled with unforgettable memories and life changing experiences. Photo: Kameda Urara
On this floating peace village, it is the people that make this voyage possible and worthwhile. The participants are joined by Peace Boat staff including an international team of volunteer English and Spanish language instructors and interpreters. Their life onboard will be enhanced by a diverse group of guest educators that will be sharing their knowledge and experiences. From Harumi port in Tokyo to Da Nang, the first port of call, guests including a survivor of the Viet Nam War, a Japanese adventure journalist, the founder of a self-sufficient village, and many more will keep a the environment vibrant. The dynamism of this community is the drive that will enable them to accomplish all their dreams and hopes. As stated by Voyage Director Inoue Na in his welcoming speech, “No matter how much money you have, how much time you have, if you do not have the energy and passion, you cannot go on a trip around the world.”
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Peace Boat Co-founder Yoshioka Tatsuya, H.E. Mr Saul Arana, Ambassador of Nicaragua, and Mr Andres Ballesteros, Charge d'Affairs a.i. of the Embassy of Cuba, share a toast with a crowd of farewell wishers gathered to see the ship off.
Such people-to-people connections do not stop onboard. Participants will cross borders to put a human face to the realities of various countries. At the ports of call, they will engage in cultural and educational exchanges with local communities, a once in a lifetime opportunity that will enrich their lives immensely. Tracing the history of the Viet Nam War, visiting a home for street children in Morocco, meeting the indigenous people of Panama, apathy or lack of knowledge fades and the world is united. To encourage this spirit of solidarity among nations, representatives from the Embassies of Cuba and Nicaragua, two of the five Latin American countries to be visited in this voyage, sent off participants with a warm message, welcoming everyone to their countries and extending an invitation to learn from their society and to fully enjoy the many wonderful traditions and customs.
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Multicolored paper ribbons floated in the wind as The Oceanic slipped out from Tokyo Bay and headed south towards Da Nang, the first port of call on the 70th Global Voyage.
With a toast in three languages, ‘Kampai, Cheers, Salud,’ and in the midst of farewells and new beginnings, the 70th Global Voyage has set sail for the open seas. This voyage around the world will be a special one with the launching of two innovative educational programmes that tackle crucial social issues and build upon the constant interaction with people from different generations and backgrounds to overcome them, an environment unique to Peace Boat. The “Global School” will provide a group of 30 Japanese youth first-hand experiences of ‘human diversity’. Participants who have experienced various social difficulties in Japan, including hikikomori (acute social withdrawal) or bullying, will learn communication and social skills through workshops, language classes, programmes in ports and volunteer activities upon returning to Japan. The Non-Smoking Program, supported by the Japan Association Against Tobacco, will support those who wish to quit smoking. Informative sessions, counseling activities and regular checkups will assist participants to persevere in the fulfillment of this effort.