Japanese peace boat arrives tomorrow

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

A Japanese boat which promotes global peace will arrive in Honiara tomorrow.

The visit of Japan-based International NGO Peace Boat, also known as MV Ocean Dream, is part of 56-day Oceania voyage to promote grassroots exchange and education about global issues.

According to Japan Grace Co Ltd, passengers will visit WWII memorial sites such as Bloody Ridge and Mt Austin, while others will visit tourist attractions including Bonegi Beach, National Museum and National Parliament.

One group will visit Kakabona Village to experience Solomon culture and tradition, where they also hope to impart a few Japanese cultural norms to the villagers in return.

These activities will be carried out with cooperation from many local partners from both public and private sectors.

“The passengers look forward to meeting warm and hospitable people of Solomon Islands,” the Japan Grace Co Ltd said.

Moreover, a delegation from Peace Boat, on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and including Hiroshima atomic bomb survivor Mr Miyake Nobuo and ICAN Ambassador / former Australian Senator Scott Ludlam, will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Solomon Islands, Hon Mr George Milner Tozaka.

“We hope to congratulate the Solomon Islands for being among the 122 states that voted last year to adopt the historic UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and share our message encouraging signing and ratification of the treaty.”

Peace Boat, a unique non-profit organisation, was founded 35 years ago by university students in Tokyo.

Since then it developed into an international NGO with United Nations consultative status with an influential presence in Japanese civil society and the global peace movement.

It organises three global voyages and two regional voyages each year, and to date has carried more than 60,000 participants to over 100 countries onboard a total of 95 voyages.

As a committed campaigner for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Peace Boat’s ship has since 2016 been sailing with the Global Goals logo on its hull, and conducting activities related to the SDGs in each of the ports it visits.

Peace Boat also conducts activities with 2017 Nobel Peace Prize winner the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) around the world, and the ICAN logo is also featured on the ship.

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