The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) is a coalition of 468 non-governmental organizations in 100 countries promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This landmark global treaty was adopted in New York on 7 July 2017.
A group of young leaders from states on the front line of climate change and marine degradation joined Peace Boat's 95th Global Voyage in Barcelona on September 22 as a part of a new programme to highlight these crucial issues and build momentum for climate action and the Bonn 2017 UN Climate Change Conference (COP23). These young women and men between 19 and 26 years of age are from the regions of the Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean and Caribbean.
On October 15, Peace Boat returned again to New York with The Floating Festival for Sustainability, a celebration of the Sustainable Development Goals, and the importance of education, partnership and youth engagement. The links between peace and sustainability, and oceans and climate, were highlighted by a diverse range of speakers and performers, including the Peace Boat Ocean and Climate Youth Ambassadors.
A group of young leaders from states on the front line of climate change and marine degradation joined Peace Boat's 95th Global Voyage in Barcelona on September 22 as a part of a new programme to highlight these crucial issues and build momentum for climate action and the Bonn 2017 UN Climate Change Conference (COP23).
Thirty-six participants from 11 countries joined the 95th Global Voyage from Yokohama to Yangon to be students on the Global University Special Programme, a short-term educational programme conducted in English.
On August 13, 2017, under a hot summer sun, Peace Boat set sail from Yokohama to embark on its 95th Global Voyage. The ship, the Ocean Dream, will pass through the Suez and Panama Canals as it travels around the world visiting 23 ports in 19 countries across Asia, Europe, and North America.
Guest Educator, Tom Ken Yamamoto, travelled on Peace Boat's 94th Global Voyage for Peace and Sustainability from Acajutla, El Salvador to Honolulu, Hawaii. A fourth-generation Okinawan who lives in Hawaii, he is a past president of the Hawaii United Okinawa Association (HUOA), an organization that preserves and promotes Okinawan culture, arts and history. While the 94th Voyage docked in Honolulu, Tom led a group of participants to Hawaii Plantation Village, where the group were able to view replica houses of those who immigrated to Hawaii to work in the sugar plantations, particularly in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
As Peace Boat's 94th Global Voyage for Peace docked in Stockholm on June 2, 2017, a symposium was held onboard Peace Boat's ship to raise awareness of the High Level United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Four Iranian victims of chemical weapons used during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s joined Peace Boat's 94th voyage from Piraeus, Greece to Valencia, Spain. While onboard they shared their testimonies and Peace Boat participants learned about the effects of using such weapons and how their impact is still felt today. After the consequences of chemical weapon use during World War I, the 1925 Geneva Protocol was established which prohibited their use in war. However, the Iran-Iraq war saw Iraqi forces use chemical weapons not only towards military personnel but also civilians.
Panisara Skulpichairat (Poy) was one of the first guest educators onboard the 94th Peace Boat voyage, joining the ship from Yokohama to Thailand. A Sexuality Issues and Transgender Activist, Poy spoke onboard about sexuality and work to improve transgender rights in Thailand. In her lecture, ‘Transgender in Thailand', Poy began with an introduction to the basics of sex, gender and sexuality.
April 12, 2017 saw the start of Peace Boat's 94th Global Voyage for Peace. Departing from the port of Yokohama, the voyage began with an official departure ceremony. This gave an opportunity for participants to say goodbye to loved ones and mark the start of the circumnavigation around the globe.
Amory Lovins and Judy Hill Lovins live in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, US, 2200 metres above sea level. Affectionately referred to as "the banana farm" by the pair—after the tropical fruits grown in their greenhouse—their home is the embodiment of their shared values: to use energy efficiently, reduce one's carbon impact on the planet, and live in harmony with nature.
