From the Ship
Cultural Connections through Music - Peace Boat and AIMEC joint ceremony and concert
As the Pacific World was getting ready to sail from the port of Yokohama on December 14, 2023, a very special event was held onboard the ship. In cooperation with the Association for International Music Exchange for Children (AIMEC), local high school student volunteers from Kanagawa Prefecture presented musical instruments they collected to donate to communities around the world through Peace Boat's 116th Global Voyage. The musical instruments that Peace Boat will accept from AIMEC will be transported to South Africa and Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile) by ship, as part of Peace Boat's long-running United People's Alliance (UPA) Project.
The UPA project coordinates the delivery of support goods for sustainability to community partners in ports of call around the world. These goods, such as computers, school supplies and bikes are gathered by volunteers from across Japan and transported onboard the ship. Contributions reflect the actual needs of local communities, as determined through consultation with Peace Boat’s partner organizations. Peace Boat members personally deliver the goods to the community in question, with the objective of understanding the needs for, and use of, the goods and building friendships.
Following the donation ceremony which featured words from AIMEC's founder and representative Mr Iwai Kosuke, the students also gave a wonderful performance of three songs, commemorating the partnership and the departure of Peace Boat from Yokohama.
The ceremony was also attended by representatives of three Embassies who work closely with AIMEC and are dedicated to cultural exchange for peace and mutual understanding. Remarks were given by Mr Paul Siljeur, Counsellor (Political) of the Embassy of South Africa, Mr Daniel Kgasa, Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Botswana, and Ms Martha T. Kanu, Second Secretary (Political and Economic) of the Embassy of Namibia. Our sincere thanks to each of the Embassies for their attendance and ongoing partnership.
