Sunday, September 25, 2011

Peace Boat volunteer appeal

Just got another email from Peace Boat: it sounds like they are struggling to find enough volunteers to keep their operation going. The general use campsite appears to be shutting down at the end of the month, so more ad-hoc operations (eg) might also find life difficult (PB has accommodation in a couple of disused buildings). So this might be more or less the last chance for anyone who has been thinking that they ought to get around to it. PB makes it very easy, they provide all transport (to and from Shinjuku), necessary equipment and even almost all food on payment of a nugatory ¥1000.
Over five months have passed since the earthquake and tsunami of March 11. Volunteers continue to be vital for the recovery process for the people of Tohoku. Their presence not only supports the physical recovery of the towns but also gives the local community the encouragement to rebuild. Peace Boat has been working hard to build a strong relationship with the people of Ishinomaki since March 17 to ensure that all volunteer work matches their needs and requests. We hope you will be able to take the time to show the people of Ishinomaki and Onagawa that they have not been forgotten.

PB's info about volunteering is here with details of the current planned trips. Actually conditions are rather less harsh than indicated - feel free to email or comment if more specifics are required.

2 comments:

Shibui said...

Er... It's nice that they are encouraging volunteers, but isn't Peace Boat well known for a certain political agenda?

James Annan said...

From wikipedia:

"Peace Boat (ピースボート Pīsu Bōto?) is a global non-government organization headquartered in Japan established for the purpose of raising awareness and building connections internationally among groups that work for peace, human rights, environmental protection and sustainable development."

If you are looking for a pro-war and anti-environment group to work with, I'm afraid I can't help you :-)