JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

liralen42's past comments

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  liralen42Jul. 31, 2008 - 09:31AM JST

  There is no reason to accuse volunteers of not being altruistic just because they get something in return. The people who volunteer work extremely hard because they believe in creating a culture of peace and want to contribute to something that truly makes an impact on people's lives. Since voyages around the world on any cruise ship can be economically prohibitive, it may be the only way for people who do not have a large income to be able to do a trip like this.

  Granted, the visits to the ports may not be so long, but Peace Boat activities in port and on the boat, where the the bulk of the voyage takes place, expose people to issues and countries that they may have never thought about before. It is a springboard for people to do something in the future and gain some first hand experience. They can build upon this experience and return to different ports in the future if 1-2 days is not long enough.

  Granted, there are many passengers on the cruise, however, the staff make concerted efforts to make guest lecturers accesible to the passengers by creating groups who will help the lecturers during their visit. This is all voluntary. People who join a voyage can make what they want to out of Peace Boat. Just because some people do not get as involved and enjoy shopping does not mean that the motives of Peace Boat should be questioned.

  Typical ports may include Singapore, Vancouver, and New York, but the possibilities for passengers to utilize alternative tourism are endless. Plus they learn about the country and issues before visiting so they can approach their trip with a more critical mindset. Take a look at some itinteraries and you will see that the boat does touch many ports of call that you would not expect out of an ordinary cruise liner.

  On another note, if you are curious about one of Peace Boat's actions to abolish nuclear weapons, take a look at this project:

  NGO Peace Boat will this autumn invite 100 hibakusha of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to join its global journey around the world (at no cost), and over the 3 month (28 August – 8 December, 2008) sea voyage share their experiences of the atomic bombs with people around the world.

  (http://www.peaceboat.org/english/nwps/pr/arc/080703/index.html)

  Posted in: Peace Boat encourages grassroots interaction

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