Wishtank
Peace Boat: A progressive form of travel
by: Astrid Lium
culture travel japan sailing volunteer volunteering
In 1983 a group of Japanese university students responded to government censorship of military aggression in Asia-Pacific with a determination to garner alternative historical accounts. Discouraged by the government’s attempts to deny military responsibility, particularly prior to and during World War II, the students chartered a ship, which they called Peace Boat, and sailed to neighboring countries in an attempt to initiate contact with individuals who were directly involved in and affected by the war and the actions of the Japanese military.
A result of that initial voyage was meaningful communication across national borders, encouraged and facilitated by human contact, thus promoting an international exchange, of sorts. The original focus of Peace Boat revolved around political issues in Japan and the country’s role in Asia-Pacific. Nearly a quarter century later, while the moniker remains the same, Peace Boat has grown and expanded into an internationally renowned peace movement and educational program.
Peace Boat embarks on three voyages around the world each year with 700-1,000 passengers on its “floating peace village.”
Around the world in three peaceful months
Since 1983, Peace Boat has embarked on 55 voyages, the most recent of which has just returned to its home port in Yokohama, Japan on February 11th. Peace Boat embarks on three global voyages per year, which last approximately 3 months, and one shorter trip around Asia. During each international voyage, the ship stops at an average of 15 ports and the participants onboard visit each destination for 1-3 days. The 55th voyage departed November 2, 2006 to run a northern hemisphere course, passing through the Suez and Panama canals en route, as well as making stops in Seychelles, Libya, Brazil and Venezuela.
The involvement in Peace Boat has grown exponentially, with a group of 700-1000 participants per voyage. The bulk of the group is comprised of individuals who each pay about $15,000 USD for the 3-month cruise, helping to keep the organization financially self-sufficient. According to Peace Boat representative Stacy Hughes, “Almost 100% [of the paying participants are] Japanese, though we are now working to open the Peace Boat experience to non-Japanese paying participants. Already there is a small but strong community of non-Japanese people onboard, made up of staff, volunteer language teachers, volunteer interpreters and guest educators primarily.”
Peace Boat strives toward a balance of inclusive participation and financial autonomy as an organization. “A very core part of the original philosophy of Peace Boat was sustainability, and independence from political or religious groups. Also, as Japan is not a society which traditionally donates money as in the west, it was all that much more important that Peace Boat be broad and inclusive, not only for the purpose of reaching more people with peace education, but to ensure financial viability and independence,” says Hughes. As a result, the organization charges participants on an individual basis, but also allows for flexibility in payment. The base price of the trip is often reduced through volunteer activities. According to Hughes, “On each voyage are at least a small handful of people who earn 100% of the base price in volunteer credit.”
Participants on Peace Boat are able to reduce the cost of the voyage through volunteer activities.
The organization is open to any prospective participants interested in the activities it offers. There is no screening process and, according to Hughes, “so far, we almost never have to turn people away, but do have enough to keep Peace Boat financially supported and sustainable. Only in rare times that we have a lot of extra capacity do we offer segment participation (such as a war breaking out that really dampens peoples interest in traveling).”
Global village
Peace Boat refers to itself unofficially as a “floating peace village.” The idea of using a boat as the vessel of transportation serves a multitude of purposes, both pragmatic and symbolic. With approximately 800 participants of all ages, backgrounds and nationalities on board, the environment of Peace Boat is that of a floating microcosm, encapsulating and promoting diversity in a neutral environment which promotes the crosscutting of boundaries.
A language exchange is one of the most salient ways Peace Boat encourages cross-cultural communication. The program offers full-time Spanish and English lessons on board, as well as shorter crash courses in various languages which will be encountered at some of the ports. Verbal communication plays an integral role in the immersion into any culture. Besides the formal classroom setting, casual language exchanges occur between participants naturally, especially as they establish a rapport with another on board over the course of the voyage.
Of equal importance are the non-verbal activities of Peace Boat’s daily agenda. As well as teaching English or Spanish on board, volunteers are also encouraged to contribute to the experience on the ship any secondary skills which they can share with others. As participants share their knowledge of and interest in activities like sports, dance, music and visual arts, the senses are engaged in ways which transcend spoken language.
Spreading the peace
The primary focus and philosophy of Peace Boat is that of peace education, which is reflected in various ways both on board and during the time spent at each port. Tourism does play a motivating factor in the planning of each voyage, but in a more alternative fashion. The destinations of each trip are based on socio-political considerations rather than commercial interests. Peace Boat strives to promote ecological and economic sustainability and provide peace education at each destination and during the travel time between ports.
One of the students was a beautician who made a project of painting another participant’s nails with the flags of the countries Peace Boat was visiting.
Peace Boat workers research each area on their itinerary and learn which items and resources are most needed. Volunteers then collect as many as these items as possible — which range from computers to shoes to school books — primarily as donations, from around Japan. This aspect of the voyage underscores global interconnectedness, adding another element of unity despite geographic, socio-economic and political lines of demarcation.
Taking it personally
Charles Johnson and Paige Dobkin both participated in three Peace Boat voyages as volunteer Global English Teachers (GET). Their respective experiences in Tokyo began as English instructors at Aeon, a private ESL school. Through newspaper advertising and word of mouth, they learned of the opportunity to sail around the world and gain knowledge of global issues, international cultures and themselves.
Peace Boat docked at the port of Harumi in Tokyo
Wishtank: How did you first learn about Peace Boat?
Johnson: I heard about it from a co-worker while I was working as a teacher at Aeon [in Japan ]. He saw an ad for it in the paper and thought it would suit me.
Wishtank: What about the organization prompted you to get involved in this program?
Johnson: The chance to get to Africa. As an African American, I’ve always had a strong longing to go there, but it always seemed too far away. Beyond that, not just the opportunity to visit ultra-exotic places that I’d otherwise never get to, but to learn a lot about them before I do.
Wishtank: What did you learn the most from your involvement with Peace Boat?
Johnson: I learned a lot about myself. Living non-stop, 24 hours a day with people for 3 months forces you to face everything about who you are — whether you like it or not. Also, I learned a lot about the nature of people — for the aforementioned reason. Beyond that, observations of similarities everywhere reinforced that. Finally, I learned a great deal about what’s happening in the world, not only from the travels and lectures, but also from talking to the other teachers, passengers, and guests.
Wishtank: What was your most memorable experience as a Peace Boat volunteer?
Johnson: One time, a group of the English teachers had decided to make a “commercial” out on the top deck of the ship for the ship’s onboard TV station. We were more or less doing it to be stupid and funny, and at the time, it was really cold and rainy, so I didn’t want to go. I wanted to just stay in, but after a little bit of prodding, I decided to do it, despite the fact that everyone else on the ship had the sense to stay inside that afternoon. We went outside and the wind was blowing, and it was drizzling. I was pissed . . . until we got to the front deck and all of us let out a collective gasp. Looking out into the ocean we saw hundreds and hundreds of dolphins jumping, leaping, playing — everything — just as far as the eye could see. Ten or so of them were even racing the ship. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. A few minutes later the winds calmed and the rain passed, so we could really enjoy the shared experience. That, by far — and the amazing sunsets — was my best memory.
Peace Boat rests at night in Piraeus, Greece
Dobkin also initially learned about Peace Boat through word of mouth, and decided to expand her research.
Dobkin: About a month or two after we got to Japan, Charles told me that when we were done with out contracts at Aeon, we could apply to take a free cruise around the world. I thought it was a rumor, but when he sent me the link, I read more about it and realized that he was telling the truth. However, there is much more involved than a free cruise. It requires a great deal of work and personal commitment from the volunteers.
After learning more about the political and social goals of Peace Boat, Dobkin decided that joining the crew for a voyage would provide an alternative way to travel.
Dobkin: At first, I was highly interested in Peace Boat, but then I decided that it would be better to use the few months of traveling time I had on land in just a few countries (like in southeast Asia, for example), rather than spending the vast majority of the time at sea with only a few days here and there on land. However, Charles was on the ship at the time, sending out emails about what he was doing and where the ship was going. I did more research on the PB site and learned more about what they do politically and the way PB got started. I grew increasingly more interested and realized that I would experience things through a peace organization like this than I would if I traveled alone.
Wishtank: What is the primary way Peace Boat advertises its organization?
Dobkin: Peace Boat (PB) marketing, from what i can tell — given my limited knowledge of Japanese to recognized PB adverts — is done primarily through word of mouth and by posters that volunteers put around cities where there are PB centers around Japan. The volunteers get a certain amount of money off the cost of their voyage by putting up so many posters. Also, they have a Website, but I’m not sure how many people stumble across it rather than hearing about PB first and then going there, like I did.
This participant wore a kimoko as Peace Boat navigated through the inner passage of Alaska.
Wishtank: Who is Peace Boat’s target audience when seeking volunteers?
Dobkin: As far as volunteers go, PB is seeking politically active individuals who are aligned with their global vision and philosophy. Above all, they are looking for good teachers who bring creativity and energy to their lessons. Ideally, they want people who respect the cultural standards of Japan while at the same time aren’t afraid to make sacrifices for the betterment of the world. For example, on one voyage, about 10 volunteers (both men and women) shaved their heads to raise money for charity. It’s highly unlikely they were stiff and formal in their interviews!
Wishtank: How was volunteering for Peace Boat different than your experiences traveling alone?
Dobkin: While coming into Peace Boat with the same ideologies as the organization and the majority of the passengers, I was entranced by the learning that took place both in ports as well as on the ship — through discussions with my students and lectures given by guest speakers on board. In time, I began to realize that this was the essence of PB — the mutual learning, not just about English or what is served at a traditional meal in Argentina, but about the daily struggles that people around the world experience in finding food to avoid starvation or recovering from the physical and emotional wounds of war. What are the world’s first eco-refugees going to do when their islands are submerged because of rising seas caused by global warming? How did Eritrea win its brutal war for independence from Ethiopia while the soldiers spent part of their time teaching poetry and mathematics to children? I wouldn’t learn these things through traveling alone, but instead traveling with PB enhances the learning process; it’s not the traveling that’s the most important, but the learning that coincides with it.
Wishtank: Are there any particularly salient memories or stories that you’d like to share, which most shaped your experience with PB?
Dobkin: The first time I was in the Middle East was on PB. We sailed up the Red Sea to Jordan , a port in which I didn’t have a particular interest. However, there was a tour with a Jordanian partner NGO to visit a Palestinian refugee camp in the capital, Amman. I had long been interested in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, and the closer we got to Jordan , the more intrigued I got. We approached Jordan exactly at the time when it became public that the U.S. had been torturing Iraqi prisoners, so there was understandably some concern about bringing the “foreigners” (i.e. non-Japanese) on the ship to a primarily Muslim country, a neighbor of Iraq. The director of PB, Yoshioka-san, happened to be on the ship at the time, and we had a series of meetings with him to discuss our plans for when we arrived in the port city of Aqaba. At first we were told that even if we had signed up for the tour to the refugee camp (as quite a few of us had), it wouldn’t be safe enough to go.
The Atlantic was especially gentle this day.
The following day Yoshioka-san said he had again been in contact with the team dispatched to Jordan to prepare for our arrival, and they concluded that we could go on the tour. In fact, they encouraged us to do so, knowing we could be distributed among the Japanese passengers and not stand out too much. We were given one condition: the Americans would have to say we were Canadian, and the Brits would have to say they were Australian. The majority of us had no problem with this, but a few of our group members protested
the lie.
Finally, we agreed, some reluctantly, and Jordan became one of the most memorable ports. We learned about what we had only previously seen on TV or in the papers, breaking stereotypes that Palestinians are terrorists, and making friends from the refugee camp. Not only that, but I loved the hot, dry climate of the region, the Arabic foods like hummus and falafel, floating in the Dead Sea and walking around Aqaba on my own for an hour or two before departure without any problems. The departure from Jordan was the most difficult one I had on the three voyages I made around the world. I stood on the deck, watching the nighttime lights of Aqaba and Eilat in Israel , and the fewer lights from Saudi Arabia and Egypt , sad that I would most likely never have the opportunity to come back to Jordan. Now, I’ve been there four times, and have revisited the refugee camp because I have kept in contact with a friend I met on my first trip to Jordan.
Peace Boat anchored off the coast of Rapa Nui. The small island does not have a large port for ships to dock. The passengers took tender boats onto the island, which gave them a rare perspective of their vessel.
Wishtank: Do you have any advice to offer someone considering volunteering for Peace Boat?
Dobkin: Don’t do it because you want a free cruise around the world. There are stressful and unbelievably busy times. You cannot always appreciate the time at sea — at least not in the laid-back way that passengers do, because the teachers are always preparing for classes, doing extra activities for the teaching program, planning events to raise money for charity, working on their own events on the ship, running to meetings, etc. Also, there’s much much more to PB than simply going around the world. The political/NGO aspect is a major part of the experience and would affect the selection process. For example, if you know that you support imperialism and you doubt the existence of global warming, it’s likely the coordinators would recognize this in the interview and choose somebody who has volunteered for the conservation of wildlife instead.
Wishtank: Besides the 15–20 Global English Teacher volunteers, who else is on board Peace Boat voyages?
Dobkin: Besides the GET volunteers, there were also a few translators and guest speakers onboard. The majority of passengers are Japanese travelers who pay for the 3-month voyage, which, in large part, helps to finance Peace Boat projects. They pay less than they would for a regular vacation cruise and they participate in language exchanges onboard, as well as learn a great deal about international politics and sustainability. In my experiences, there were primarily two groups of travelers: students and retirees. The younger generation, in general, has more free time and fewer commitments than its middle-aged counterpart. They are in an ideal position to participate in a program like Peace Boat. Also, the retirees have enough time and money to invest in a 3-month trip.
A rare perspective
Disembarking
Over the last quarter century Peace Boat has emerged as a self-sustaining NGO in its own right. The personal interest in the organization lends itself to individual financial contributions of the passengers onboard. Also, income generated by Japan Grace, the travel agent in partnership with Peace Boat, goes back into the program to support activities provided by the organization.
Besides being a credible force in itself, Peace Boat also plays an integral role in an international network of peace-related affiliations, including the UN Social Council, Friends of the Earth International, Non-Violent Peace Force and World Peace Now, among a list of others.
Peace Boat’s main office is located in Tokyo, Japan and there are ten volunteer centers located at various locations across the country. The European head office is in Geneva, Switzerland. More information is available online at http://www.peaceboat.org. Also, Peace Boat representatives can be reached via email at . •
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