Peace Boat, a Japan-based non-governmental organization (NGO) known for its efforts to promote world peace through luxury liner cruises, is kicking off its 46th Peace Voyage with Taiwan as its first stop, the organization's representatives said at a press conference yesterday.
The trip is being sponsored in Taiwan by the Peacetime Foundation. Peace Boat is known for its educational global sailing voyages, on which passengers promote messages of peace and interact with local NGOs and people to increase collaboration for peace worldwide.
This summer's three-month trip will mark the 46th Peace Boat global voyage since the organization's founding in 1983. The trip's title is "Olympic Truce 2004," reflecting the organization's hope of bringing an end to conflict around the world.
Historically, explained Peace Boat executive committee member Mari Kushibuchi, the original Olympics were a time when all the Hellenic nations came together in a truce, and all conflict between the countries was suspended for the duration of the games.
With this voyage, Kushibuchi said, the organization hopes to inspire people to put an end to violence, in the spirit of the ancient Olympic games.
"There has been a great amount of violence in the world recently, with the constant battling in Iraq and in Asia.
"We hope this voyage can spread a message of hope and reconciliation," she said.
Taiwan was chosen as the first stop of the voyage because of its importance to the stability of Asia, said Kushibuchi.
"The state of the relationship between Taiwan and China has a strong impact on peace in Southeast Asia. We do not believe that it is reasonable to use military force to invade Taiwan, and we encourage non-profit organizations in Taiwan and in the region to promote peaceful solutions," said Kushibuchi.
Both Peace Boat and Peacetime Foundation representatives stressed that NGOs have an important role to play.
"Taiwan's hands are tied when it comes to foreign and cross-strait relations politically, but NGOs have a lot of power, because our position is more flexible," said Peacetime Foundation executive director Chien Hsi-chieh.
Peace Boat decided to work with the Peacetime Foundation because of their similar pacifist goals, the groups said.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS