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Life Onboard |
LAST UPDATE
July 19, 2005
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| site design imagesparkle.com |
| September 17, 2004 |
In Pictures - Photo Tour 7 of Life Onboard |
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| Horie Sano speaks about growing up in Japan during World War II |
War Experiences
In order to think about what "peace" really means, Global University students organized
a series of informal talks where older passengers who have experienced war share their stories with
young people. Their testimonies ranged from descriptions of the frontline battlefields to their
struggles with everyday life as the war dragged on. Although the experiences related varied from
individual to individual, their concrete and detailed stories communicated to the audience that
war not only kills humans and destroys cities, but also leaves deep psychological scars in the affected
societies. For most of the young people onboard, it was a rare opportunity to listen to older people
talking about their war experiences, so the event drew a large crowd of people curious to not only
think about war and peace, but also to mingle with a different generation. |
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| Tim Wagner competing in the tournament |
On September 13th, basketball enthusiasts on board the 46th voyage organized a tournament on the sports
deck. A total of 16 teams and around 80 people participated in the competition as players. The teams
gathered for a opening ceremony and stretching exercises before separating into four blocks with four
teams each for preliminary group matches. The teams narrowed down to the top two in each group passed
on to a final knockout tournament. Before the final games, cheerleaders warmed up the growing audience.
Atsushi Mizoguchi, one of the basketball players who participated in the tournament, was disappointed
at being knocked out of the finals, but said that he really enjoyed the day. Shigeharu Miura, one
of the main organizers, said, "Because the basketball competition was held the day after port
it caused some trouble [due to people being tired], but finally many people enjoyed it. It was great
fun for me," Miura said. |
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| JT Boehm (L) and Felipe Ospina (R) |
Aquatic Ecologist JT Boehm and Marine Biologist Felipe Ospina share a love for the ocean and its creatures
- as well as a concern for the future of both. Together the pair presented the challenges of how to
feed the world's growing population, while addressing the reality of the oceans' collapsing fish stocks.
Boehm pointed out that for every pound of shrimp that ends up on a consumer's plate, ten to fifteen
pounds of unwanted sea life are killed. The average weight of a swordfish has steadily dropped from
270 lbs. (1960's) to 90 lbs. (1996), reaching a point where the majority being sold are juveniles
unable to reproduce before being captured. In light of these problems, he argues there is a glaring
absence of international regulations. Although gill net, trawler net, cyanide and dynamite fishing
have been outlawed, Ospina said fishing methods that damage corals and endanger marine populations
still abound. In 1976 the United States claimed exclusive fishing rights extending 200 miles from
their coast - largely because the world's richest fishing area is New England's Grand Banks. "Anyone
can go to international waters and fish as much as they want. But sometimes they don't find enough
fish, so they move to poorer countries that cannot protect their territory very well," Ospina
said. The pair highlighted aquaculture and aquaponic systems as efficient models for sustainable fish
farming, encouraging the audience to help support this process by eating certified fish. "We
have to leave our children enough food of good quality by changing our habits of consumption," Ospina
said. |
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| Kenshi Nakano talking about Guatemala |
In the middle of the long Atlantic crossing from Belfast to New York City Peace Boat took advantage
of the sunny weather and organized a Sports Day, an annual tradition for school students across Japan.
The ship split up into four groups by season of their birthday, with spring, summer, fall and winter
teams. The four teams competed enthusiastically in more than ten games, including a traditional mock
calvary battle called "Kibasen" in Japanese, a medley relay, tug o'war and group jump rope.
Each team also had a cheer performance. Members threw their personalities and energy into coming up
with creative ideas that they practiced for many days. Some teams danced, while others performed mini-comedy
skits. Young and old participants banded together and enjoyed cheering on their team mates, helping
the boat to realize the Sports Day theme of "One for all, all for one." The competition
was close to the finish, with the summer team finally capturing the Sports Day title by only ten points. |
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| Tug O'War on the back deck |
Kenshi Nakano, an NGO activist in Guatemala, spoke about that country's civil war and the region's
rich, but difficult history. Nakano gave an account of its current problems and the origin of the
civil war. Around a hundred years ago, the indigenous people had their land taken by the United States
and were forced to work in virtual slavery cultivating fruit plantations. Although outright slavery
is now illegal now, Nakano said it still exists in the economic exploitation of poor people, 90 percent
of whom are indigenous. Because of the peace agreement eight years ago, the army that had dominated
Guatemala was disarmed and the country gradually shifted into a new civilian government. However,
even now, former military leaders remain powerful and have blocked human rights and other reforms.
There is also an increasing amount of political violence such as threats, abductions and assassinations.
At the end of the lecture, one participant asked Nakano, "Can't indigenous people become government
delegates?" Nakano responded that "most of the Diet members are white people, moreover they
are promoting the extermination of indigenous people. Nevertheless, a few [indigenous people] are
members of city assemblies and they keep asserting their opinions." |
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Resources
Oceana Institute – www.oceana.org
Matine Conservation Biology Institute – www.mcbi.org
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Media Team Contributors:
- Tamiko Hirata
- Hiroyuki Katsuma
- Tim Wagner
- Aya Hiromura
- Tomomi Kusakabe
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