26
Mar 2013
PBV’s President Takashi Yamamoto and Programme Officer Yasuhiro Ueshima participated in the “Drill for Rescue Activities by Volunteers inside/outside of Shizuoka Prefecture” (2nd & 3rd March 2013).
06
Nov 2012
Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Centre Programme Officer Maho Takahashi participated in the Training of Trainers (ToT) for the “Sphere Project” held between October 20-26 in Seoul, Korea. The Sphere Project sets minimum standards in humanitarian response for NGOs and NPOs, aiming to improve the quality and accountability of actions taken during disaster response.
10
Aug 2012
Peace Boat has been providing support to residents of temporary housing including publishing a community paper, cultivating vegetable gardens, making benches and planters, and more. Communicating with the residents is one of the most important things in understanding the needs for such projects.
This is a report on “Ocha-kko (tea parties)” which Peace Boat has been organizing as a space for communication more than 600 times throughout the different communities of temporary housing in the city of Ishinomaki.
01
Aug 2012
This is a report on Peace Boat’s disaster relief activities after the heavy rain and flooding in Takeda City, Oita Prefecture, Kyushu.
At midnight on July 20, 5 days after the Peace Boat advance team entered Takeda City, 9 staff members including the first volunteer team arrived at the site together with materials and equipment for relief work. They then began to meet with staff members of the local Disaster Volunteer Center run by the Takeda CIty Social Welfare Council, and launched relief efforts for mud shoveling and cleaning.
17
Jul 2012
We have heard voices from Ishinomaki such as “please spread the word to the volunteers who helped us, about the vegetables that have grown so big.” It’s been months since our last report, and we would like to share the latest story about the “vegetable gardens we helped cultivate.” Peace Boat has been helping people in Ishinomaki cultivate vegetable gardens since November 2011.
09
Apr 2012
The first fishing experience programme was held in Sudachi/Fukiura, Ojika Peninsula. The first day was action packed, ranging from an excursion to the Ishinomaki Fish Market, trying gill net fishing, removing oyster shells, a study tour around the community, and exchange with the local fishermen, while the second day was Wakame seaweed harvesting offshore! Participants also participated in workshops entitled “considering the future of the fishing village.” Although the progra,,e was only one night and two days, participants absolutely fell in love with Sudachi/Fukuira. This programme is a new initiative in uncharted territory of “volunteering,” which we hope will provide an opportunity for many people to consider the future of fishing villages in the Tohoku area.
09
Apr 2012
Peace Boat is this year carrying out its 50th voyage around the world, having also conducted many voyages throughout Asia and the Pacific. During Peace Boat’s 73rd Global Voyage, which departed Japan shortly after the disaster last year, a photo exhibition was held at each port of call to communicate the damage in Ishinomaki and surrounding area, and the activities of volunteer. This report shares some of the disaster relief related activities carried out together with partners in ports around the world – here in Barcelona, Spain.
30
Mar 2012
A report on the opening of the national high school baseball tournament, in which the Ishinomaki Technical High School was selected for the first time to participate. A public viewing was set up at the Aitopia Shopping Mall/former Coop Miyagi, where local residents and volunteers joined together to cheer on the team.
27
Mar 2012
Ishinomaki Technical Highschool (Ishiko) appeared in “the 84th National High School Baseball Championship”, a spring championship at Koshien where heated competition is still taking place.
This was the first time for Ishiko to appear in the National Baseball Championship. Although both their school buildings and facilities were heavily affected by the disaster, leading to poor conditions for training, they managed to win second place in the prefectural championship. Not only playing baseball, the team also was helping the rehabilitation and reconstruction of their community including mud clearance. In late January, a great surprise was delivered to them – an invitation to the national championship in a special “21st-century selection” slot.