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.
REPORT: Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining loitering munitions matching the AeroVironment Switchblade 300 or the Anduril Altius-600, ‘Foreign Policy’ said Taiwan is seeking US-made kamikaze drones in an apparent concession to pressure from Washington to focus on asymmetric capabilities to defeat or deter a Chinese attack, Foreign Policy said in a report on Wednesday. Taipei has expressed an interest in obtaining AeroVironment Switchblade loitering munitions or other devices with similar capabilities, it said, citing four sources familiar with the matter commenting on condition of anonymity. The Switchblade 300 is a tube-launched drone designed for attacking ground troops, while its larger sibling, the Switchblade 600, could be used to destroy tanks and entrenched troops. Ukraine has utilized both systems extensively in its fight against
Police officers yesterday morning apprehended the prime suspect of a triple homicide case, after raiding the suspect’s hideout in Taichung. They transported the suspect to New Taipei City for questioning and recorded his statement last night. The suspect, identified as a 24-year-old man surnamed Chang (張), is believed to have used his hands to strangle his wife, surnamed Chen (陳), 29, along with his three-year-old son from a previous marriage and his wife’s mother, 69. The three dead bodies were wrapped in blankets when they were discovered inside their apartment in New Taipei City’s Sanchong District (三重) on Saturday. Chang was holding a
Hungarian Member of Parliament Tompos Marton said he considers Taiwan to be a better alternative to China as a strategic partner. Marton, who is the vice president of the opposition Momentum Party, made the remarks in an interview with the Central News Agency on Sunday. He draped a Republic of China flag across his shoulders to protest Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) visit to the capital city, Budapest, on Thursday last week, and openly voiced support for Taiwan on social media. He said in the interview that he wanted to remind the world that there were alternatives to China, and that “Taiwan has
A female physician at New Taipei City’s Shuang Ho Hospital was bullied and made to work for 32 consecutive hours by a senior colleague while pregnant before later having a miscarriage, an internal investigation found, the hospital said on Monday. The perpetrator has been removed from his post, the hospital said. The attending physician in the hospital’s Medical Imaging Department, identified by the pseudonym Y, earlier on Monday told reporters that she had been bullied by a male senior colleague who arranged shifts in her department. In January, shortly after she became pregnant, Y asked the department director if she could avoid overnight