21
Nov 2012

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Overnight disaster drills at schools

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, overnight emergency drills are being held at 180 high schools throughout Tokyo.

Peace Boat has been invited to participate and give lectures at drills held at three schools, most recently the Momijigawa Public High School in Tokyo.

The Board of Education hops that such drills “will not only help students learn to be able to take care of themselves during an emergency, but also help them to be able to play an active role contributing to society, such as through supporting evacuation center operations.”

15
Nov 2012

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Peace Boat support following Guatemala Earthquake

A severe earthquake of M 7.4 struck the western region of Guatemala on November 7, causing great damage throughout the region, including the loss of over 50 lives. Although more than a week has passed since the disaster, many citizens are still suffering greatly, with a total of 1.2 million people thought to be affected. A Peace Boat staff member travelled to Guatemala on November 12, 2012 to survey potential support for the relief efforts continuing in in San Pedro, San Marcos and surrounds. This visit and support is being conducted in coordination with the Guatemalan NGO CEIBA, a partner organisation of Peace Boat.

12
Nov 2012

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Peace Boat begins disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy

The Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Centre (PBV) has dispatched two coordinating staff members today (November 12, 2012) to consider and begin potential support for the ongoing relief efforts in New York and surrounds following Hurricane Sandy.

Messages of support and donations have also been generously provided by the citizens of Ishinomaki City, expressing gratitude and solidarity in turn to the people of the United States who provided so much material and emotional support to those affected by the March 11, 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

06
Nov 2012

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International Standards for Humanitarian Aid: HAP and Sphere

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.

31
Oct 2012

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Volunteer Interview – Anbai Yuhiro

Originally from Iwate Prefecture, Anbai Yuhiro now lives in Tokyo. He has volunteered in each of the three prefectures that make up the Tohoku region, and he currently volunteers in the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Centre office in Tokyo.
It has been over a year and a half since the disaster struck Eastern Japan, and many volunteers have been involved in the relief efforts in the disaster-affected region, as well as many others searching for ways to get involved in rebuilding the future of Tohoku. Mr Anbai, the subject of this interview, is one of them. We asked him about his reasons for continuing to volunteer, and why he started to volunteer in the first place.

22
Oct 2012

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“Intro to Disaster Volunteering” Begins!

Peace Boat is proud to announce the launch in September 2012 of the Disaster Volunteer Training programme, designed to help prepare for future disasters. This is a four-step program composed of both introductory and intermediate-level courses.

By hosting these classes around the country and offering online certification, we hope to provide as many people as possible with the opportunity to learn these skills and knowledge.

12
Oct 2012

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Ishinomaki Musical “A COMMON BEAT”

Create a musical with 100 people in 100 days!

At the Peace Boat Centre Ishinomaki, people are now talking about rehearsals for a musical which is going to be performed in Miyagi in January next year.

This musical programme was set up by the NPO Common Beat. After the disaster struck last year, the group has been arranging ‘volunteer buses’ to take many of its members to volunteer in Ishinomaki.

The musical which they will perform, COMMON BEAT, was originally started by a non-profit group in the US. As young people from all over the world came together to perform the musical, they learned about each others cultures and lives. It has since come to be used in international-based education.

The next aim of Common Beat, which has thus far carried out programmes onboard Peace Boat and sent volunteers to Ishinomaki, is to carry out the first Tohoku Project on January 19-20, 2013. Since it was difficult to find a suitable venue in Ishinomaki, it will be performed at Taga City’s Culture Centre, also in Miyagi Prefecture. The important thing in starting out with this project was to get local people in Ishinomaki to become interested in joining the cast. Working with the Peace Boat Centre in Ishinomaki, central members of Common Beat have gone to Ishinomaki many times to give trial performances at local events and festivals.

30
Sep 2012

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Making commercials for the Onagawa “Chime of Hope” Shops

The Chime of Hope Shopping Center was opened on 29 April this year on the grounds of the Onagawa High School, consisting of 50 shops. Peace Boat has been working together with the local community, volunteers and other groups to create commercials of the various shops in the centre. as a way to disseminate more information about the recovery process in Onagawa.

19
Sep 2012

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Australian volunteer Paul Bilney – in Ishinomaki four times

Mr Paul Bilney tells us, “I’m back here in Ishinomaki!”

Paul first came to Ishinomaki all the way from Australia in April last year soon after the disaster struck. A veteran international volunteer, Paul he has now joined Peace Boat’s disaster relief efforts four times, playing an important role in the reconstruction process of Ishinomaki and support of survivors.

01
Sep 2012

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Northern Kyushu Flooding Relief Activity – Interview Report

Peace Boat provided relief activity for the flooding in northern Kyushu between 15 July – 10 August 2012, in Taketa City, Oita Prefecture. 41 volunteers (with a total of 212 volunteer working days), together with many individual volunteers, visited the local disaster volunteer center run by the Social Welfare Council (hereafter referred to as “SWC”) scooped mud out of the houses and facilities, as well as cleaned the roads and street drains.

Upon completion of the volunteer activities, Peace Boat staff member Suzuki Shoichi who was in charge of the local coordination interviewed Mr Mizuno Masaya, the head of Kujyu branch of the SWC.