peace boat logo HomesearchSitemapContact us
What is Peace BoatVoyagesActivities in PortPeace EducationProject TeamsAdvocacy & CooperationNews & PressGet Involved


Special Report LAST UPDATE July 12, 2005
site design imagesparkle.com
June 14, 2003 Departure of Peace Boat`s 20th Anniversary Global Voyage from Tokyo and Kobe!
image
Peace Boat's newly chartered vessel `TSS The Topaz', departing on what will likely be the most interesting travels of its 50 year existence
Jubilation and excitement lit up the faces of hundreds of people onboard Peace Boat's new passenger ship, The Topaz, when it departed Tokyo's Harumi Terminal on June 14 to begin Peace Boat's 20th Anniversary Global Voyage. A boisterous crowd whistled and cheered support for the sea of participants who lined the outdoor deck of the bigger-than-ever-before 195 meter Peace Boat.

From mid-June until mid-September, Peace Boat is carrying 800 people around the world spreading a message of international peace and understanding. Through educational activities, cooperative projects and advocacy campaigns both onboard and in 16 ports of call, people with different backgrounds and beliefs are provided with the space to come together and learn from one another.
image
Introducing the eight International Student Program participants. Along with an intensive peace studies program, they will undergo an equally intensive cultural orientation at the hands of over 800 'teachers' of Japanese culture over the next six weeks.First lesson: chopsticks!
Among the participants who range in age from two to 92 and are mostly Japanese, are over forty guest educators from countries including India, Egypt, Kenya and the United States. Specializing in various academic, activist and artistic pursuits, our guest educators help ensure that life onboard is a dynamic and invigorating experience, as well as facilitate important connections with NGOs and civic groups in various ports of call.

Joining the wealth of talented guests are eight young activists and NGO workers from Bosnia, Serbia, Pakistan, India, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus and the United States. From Tokyo to New York City, via ten countries, these bright personalities will participate in an intensive program in peace studies. On returning to their respective communities where there is significant need for peace-building, these young people will be better equipped to help effect positive change and cross-border cooperation as a result of their insight and experience gained through Peace Boat.
image
A future Peace Boat hopeful waving goodbye.In the background is a large quilt created over the last week by over 300 people to express a simple wish to people around the world; No War
Peace Boat's 41st peace-building passage promises to tap into the power of ordinary people at the grassroots level to help create a fairer, more peaceful world. Whether it is through Global University seminars while at sea, when delivering support goods for sustainability to a school in Kenya, or while learning first-hand about environmental protection in Costa Rica, Peace Boat is continuing its twenty year tradition of bringing people together for diverse and meaningful interaction all over the world.

Informative and regular reports from the ship will be posted online over the coming three months. Please check our website regularly for the latest update from onboard and on land.
border graphic border graphic
United Nations
border graphic border graphic

border graphic border graphic
Friends of the Earth
border graphic border graphic

border graphic border graphic
gpac logo
border graphic border graphic

border graphic border graphic
International Peace Bureau
border graphic border graphic

border graphic border graphic
World Social Forum
border graphic border graphic

border graphic border graphic
Peace Now Korea Japan
border graphic border graphic


What is Peace Boat? | Voyages | Activities in Port | Peace Education | Project Teams | Advocacy & Cooperation | News & Press | Get Involved | Home | Sitemap | Contact us