News
Typhoon #12 Wakayama: End of Volunteer Activities
November 13, 2011
To support the Kumanogawa area of in Shingu City in Wakayama prefecture following the severe damage caused by the Typhoon No. 12, Peace Boat has been active in disaster relief in the area since September 13. While there was not a great deal of attention from the media to the situation in Wakayama, past volunteers from Ishinonaki and also many citizens from the Kansai region assisted the efforts. A total of 369 people put in 1735 volunteering days to help in over 100 situations throughout the area.
The local disaster volunteer center was dismantled on November 6, and the area is now recovering through the support of local volunteers.
For this reason, Peace Boat will no longer be sending volunteers to the region. Further reports will be uploaded in the future.
Thank you all volunteers and supporters.
TAGS: Disaster Relief • Kumanogawa • Relief • typhoon • Volunteer • wakayamaTurkey Earthquake Emergency Relief Donations
November 8, 2011
Many people lost their lives in the large earthquake that struck Eastern Turkey on October 23. The full extent of the disaster is not yet clear, however the number of deaths and injuries is predicted to increase greatly.
Peace Boat has started collecting donations for the purpose of providing emergency relief to people suffering in the disaster-affected areas.
Peace Boat representative Yamamoto Takashi, who already has experience with providing support after a large earthquake hit Turkey in 1999, has been in contact with local groups in Turkey already. More information will be provided as it becomes available.
Credit card donations to support emergency relief in Turkey following the earthquake can be made via this link. Please be advised that this site is only available in Japanese.
Peace Boat has also started street-collection of donations in support of people affected in Turkey.
These photos are of volunteers conducting street-collection of donations. 8,970 yen was raised in just 1.5 hours by the volunteers in front of Ikebukuro station. One woman from Miyagi Prefecture who gave a donation said, “We have received so much support ourselves that I want to help in any little way that I can.”
This kind of street-collection is the essence of volunteer work. Even if you cannot go to disaster-affected areas to help, you can still help people who are suffering by collecting donations like this. The more people that help, the more support we can give. If you would like to help in any way – whether it is with collecting donations for Turkey or with any other Peace Boat relief activities – please see here for more information.
Volunteer magazine “Ishinomaki Tsuushin”
October 28, 2011
The Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Centre has started a monthly magazine of information from Ishinomaki, to share with people who have joined volunteer activities in Ishinomaki to date.
Although only available in Japanese, the magazine is now available online here: “Ishinomaku Tsuushin – Omoi Tendenko”
Contents include how Ishinomaki has changed since the 3.11 disaster>
Behind the scenes of volunteers and the local community?
What are certain people doing now?
The magazine is being edited by comedian Fukushima Katsushige, who has appeared in this blog many times.
Mr Fukushima has been active for several months as a volunteer leader in Ishinomaki, and actually was awarded the 2011 WOWOW Scenario Prize this year!
On his own personal blog, Mr Fukushima writes that he hopes the magazine will be read not only by those who have volunteered, but also people who aren’t able to go to Ishinomaki themselves but want to contribute in some way, or are considering volunteering themselves – so for those who are volunteers in either mind or body!
The first edition of the magazine is now complete. On the front cover is a photograph from what is now a famous moment in Ishinomaki Peace Boat history – when there were 800 volunteers present during Golden Week.
The contents of this magazine can now be read online for free. From here, it will be published monthly for the next six months, available to purchase for 3000 yen (6 volumes, including postage).
Although it is only available in Japanese, we hope you will enjoy it! See here for more details.
TAGS: Fukushima Katsushige • international volunteers • Katsushige • magazine • Peace Boat • Volunteer • VolunteersLetter from Ishinomaki
October 14, 2011
Peace Boat received the following message of appreciation from Oginohama Junior High School in Ishinomaki city which suffered damage from Typhoon No. 15.
Yesterday and today volunteers from Peace Boat came and helped to clean up our school and the pathways surrounding the school following damage caused by the typhoon. At lunchtime today the students expressed their thanks to Peace Boat. We are very thankful to the volunteers from Peace Boat who helped us to thoroughly clean up the school.
This message appeared on the school’s homepage on September 29. Up until Summer vacation, this school was an evacuation center. In August Peace Boat helped to remove nails from the school grounds.
Lessons and after school activities are not quite running as normal yet due to damage suffered from the earthquake, tsunami and typhoon. The joyful shouts of the school children, however, are an important source of encouragement for volunteers. Volunteers will continue to work hard to create a safe environment where children can learn and play.
TAGS: cleanup • Disaster Relief • Ishinomaki • Japan • oginohama • Peace Boat • peaceboat • schoolMid-term report now available
The mid-term report for the Peace Boat Disaster Relief Volunteer Centre’s activities between March 11 – August 30 is now available in both English and Japanese.
We hope that all those who have been involved in supporting the relief and recovery activities until now will find this information useful.
Peace Boat Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Relief Mid-term Report （PDF, 32 MG, Japanese language）
Peace Boat Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Emergency Relief Mid-term Report (PDF, English language)
TAGS: Disaster Relief • Ishinomaki • Japan • report