Special Event - September 11th Memorial Masaki Takahashi, chairing the panel discussion and two speakers; Jasna Bastic from Bosnia and American Susan Tuck Peace Boat, scheduled to be in Singapore on September 11th, commemorated the one year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon a day early. Those onboard reflected on the consequences of the incident and the US response, as well the causes of terrorist activity and how both government and individuals could act to bring about world peace. In the daily newspaper Japanese participants and international guests reflected on the question, "Do you think retaliatory attacks can eliminate terrorism?" while events included a discussion, hosted by panellists from five countries, a drama workshop and peace ceremony. Panellist Nicola Liscutin from Germany In the first event, Bosnian Jasna Bastic kicked off the discussion by emphasising the need to discover the root causes of terrorism and identify what makes people angry enough to sacrifice their own lives and the lives of innocent citizens. In contrast, American citizen Susan Tuck, whose son narrowly escaped being a victim of the World Trade Centre bombings, gave an account of how the attack affected her personally. She then talked about what she felt were the positive consequences such as strengthened patriotism as well as negative repercussions including an increase in prejudice and discrimination against minority groups, particularly Muslims. The following speaker, Nicola Liscutin observed how the declaration of unconditional support of the US by Germany and several other European governments affected democratic principles, undermining political autonomy and rendering public debate of the issue superfluous. She also stated that new surveillance laws and anti-terrorist measures, whose legislation was a direct result of the September 11th attacks, infringe the right to privacy of citizens and result in human rights violations of people detained as suspected terrorists. Ved Bhasin, founder of the Kashmir Times, argued that despite decades of terrorism in Kashmir and other conflict areas, America only recognised the threat of terrorism when US citizens themselves became targets. He declared that the retaliatory strikes initiated by the US in Afghanistan were destablising the area by sharpening internal conflicts and further polarising religious groups and that the War on Terrorism was merely a cover for America to establish its supremacy in the region. In conclusion, Cruise Director Takayoshi Kise spoke of the Japanese reaction to the incident, in particular the mobilisation of Japanese youth opposing US action in Afghanistan. He questioned the Japanese media neglect of these demonstrations and summed up by reflecting on how Japan could take on a role as an intermediary in a post-September 11th world. Panellist Ved Bhasin of Kashmir Following the panel discussion, questions from the floor focused on several issues, from the problem of state-sponsored terrorism to selective broadcasting and the role of the media in directing public opinion. Several of the panellists and audience members postulated that America acted in a unilateral fashion to protect its political and economic interests and expressed deep unease at the way in which the US and its allies were undermining internationally agreed upon laws and conventions. Concern was also expressed over the lack of interest in political matters on the part of ordinary citizens and the need for a willingness to learn about and gain a respectful stance towards others. Amongst the conclusions drawn were that aggressive retaliation and a lack of accountability cannot guarantee the eradication of terrorism and often lead to an escalation of violence. Furthermore, it is impossible to fight terrorism without addressing its causes, such as poverty, ignorance, disease and environmental degradation. In an ideal world, a dialogue should be created between groups of people on all levels, enabling political process to create a global civil society that can pursue a democracy of peace. The discussion raised several emotive issues and even as participants filed out of the venue, heated debate continued, with echoes of the arguments still to be heard round the ship a few days on. Peace Boat participants unite in a moment of silence On the evening of the 10th a Peace Ceremony was held, uniting participants, speakers and International Students in reflecting on how the world has changed since September 11th, 2001 and offering a message of hope for the future. International Students Zainab and Saptarshi spoke of the threat of nuclear war and how discrimination according to race and religion in Pakistan and India is destroying people's lives. They appealed for people to live in peace and let others live in peace. Members of Team Space display messages of peace collected in the Philippines To open the event a video was shown depicting the attack on the Twin Towers, followed by reflections on the terrorist attacks. However it was recognised that October 7th 2001, the date retaliatory strikes commenced, should also be remembered. Continuing the ceremony, P-Mac (the Peace Boat Mine Abolition Campaign), showed footage of the suffering of the Afghan people and talked about their fund-raising activities and campaign for land-mine clearance. Another group active on the ship and in port is Team Space, who presented a cloth containing messages of peace from Japanese-Philippine children before requesting members of the audience to add their own. Finally, a minute of silence dedicated to victims of terrorist action worldwide allowed the audience to consider the role we all can play in working towards peace. Peace Boat's 39th Voyage index