28
Jul 2011

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Notice of cancellation of volunteer activities during Obon period

Notice of cancellation of volunteer activities during Obon period

The affected areas will soon observe the first Obon holiday period since the March 11 disaster. (Obon is a Japanese Buddhist custom to honour the deceased spirits of one’s ancestors.)
In respect of the feelings of the local community, Peace Boat has decide not to organise volunteer activities during the August 13 – 16 Obon period. We apologise for the inconvenience for those who were planning to volunteer during their own Obon holidays, however thank you very much for your understanding and cooperation at this important time for the people of Tohoku.

27
Jul 2011

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UK Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne visits Ishinomaki

Jeremy Browne MP, Minister of State at the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office and British Ambassador to Japan David Warren visited Ishinomaki on July 10.
After meeting with officials at the City Hall, Mr Browne then visited Peace Boat’s Central Kitchen in Ishinomaki together with Mayor Kameyama Hiroshi and Ito Shuki, Chair of the Ishinomaki Disaster Recovery Assistance Council (IDRAC) in order to see the actual activities to support survivors and the recovery of the affected areas.

25
Jul 2011

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New poetry book raises funds for relief efforts

A new poetry book by Welsh writer based in Yokohama Jon Mitchell has been published this week, with all sales going to support Peace Boat’s ongoing relief efforts in Tohoku. “march and after – poems from tsunami country” – chronicles life in Japan following the 3.11 earthquake, and is available in limited edition hard cover and e-book version also. See here for more details.

21
Jul 2011

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Gambarou Tohoku: International Volunteer launches fundraising project

A volunteer from the UK has launched a project to sell tshirts designed by the children of Minato Primary School in Ishinomaki, with all funds going to Peace Boat’s disaster relief activities – see more details here.

21
Jul 2011

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July 24 event: Nigerian Community in Japan Supports Disaster Recovery Efforts through Peace Boat

July 24 event: Nigerian Community in Japan Supports Disaster Recovery Efforts through Peace Boat

The Nigerian Community living in Japan raised over 2 million yen in donations, designated to be sent via Peace Boat to support the purchase of necessary items for temporary housing in Onagawa, Miyagi. On July 24 at the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Centre in Tokyo’s Takadanobaba staff and volunteers involved in the relief efforts will gather and report about the activities.

14
Jul 2011

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“Ban-chan night for Students” – event in Tokyo, July 20

“Ban-chan night for Students” – event in Tokyo, July 20

With summer vacation coming up soon, the role of student volunteers is extremely important. Yet despite this, the number of student volunteers is unfortunately still quite low.
A group of university students who have volunteered in Ishinomaki are organising an event on July 20 for fellow students to gather and discuss how they can contribute to the recovery efforts, in cooperation with Peace Boat. As a special guest, Mr Bandai Yoshinobu will come from Ishinomaki to share with students his own experiences.

13
Jul 2011

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Letter from Ishinomaki: “…in the past few days the flowers have come to full bloom…”

We live in an area which received much damage by the tsunami, however thanks to the volunteers we are now able to live in our own house. The first time volunteers came, the flower bed in our garden was totally covered in mud, however by their last visit the flowers were starting to come through.
The reason that Ishinomaki is now able to be making moves towards recovery is thanks to the great energy that was given to us by the volunteers helping with the clean up. Thankyou so much.

12
Jul 2011

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The pool cleaning is complete!

Yesterday’s post reported about volunteer activities to clean a local swimming pool of mud – which has now been completed!
Even for staff who have been in Ishinomaki for months and seen the great efforts of volunteers in many places throughout the city, it was a huge surprise to see the pool – which had been so filled with mud – cleaned in just two days.
The majority of the volunteers who participated in this cleanup effort were in Ishinomaki on the short-term programme – showing what can be achieved through teamwork in even a short volunteer stay.

11
Jul 2011

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The start of summer – pool cleaning

Peace Boat volunteers are working to clear mud from the local swimming pool, joined together by local children and their parents, who frequented the pool before the disaster and are now looking forward to its reopening this summer.

10
Jul 2011

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Supporting the recovery of the fishing industry – Oshika Peninsula

As northeast Japan is a major fishing area, the tsunami threatened the livelihood for a majority of the population.
In the face of having their boats and fishing areas destroyed, local fishermen and women are now facing the difficult choice of giving up their work or trying to once again continue. Upon request, Peace Boat is now undertaking efforts to help to support those who have decided to stay in the area and continue to try to fish, through helping to gather the different equipment such as nets, ropes and buoys that were dispersed and damaged by the tsunami.

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