Peace Boat brings message from Fukushima to Riga: Nuclear Free Now!

On Wednesday May 22, 2013, the Japanese based Peace Boat visited the port of Riga, Latvia with close to 800 participants onboard, including people from Fukushima. Peace Boat hereby invites interested media, NGOs and members of the public to join us on this occasion for a press conference and discussion onboard the ship.

What is Peace Boat?
Peace Boat is a Japan-based international non-governmental and non-profit organization that works to promote peace, disarmament, human rights, equal and sustainable development and respect for the environment. Peace Boat has carried out emergency relief operations following the triple disaster which hit Japan on March 11, coordinating over 18,000 volunteers in the disaster-affected areas. Peace Boat has been working closely with other citizens and experts groups to support citizens both remaining in Fukushima and those who have evacuated to other parts of Japan, and plays a leading role in the ever growing movement for Japan to learn from the lessons of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and move away from nuclear power to more sustainable forms of energy. Peace Boat is continuing to raise awareness of the ongoing situation in Fukushima, where the nuclear plant remains extremely unstable and approximately 160,000 people continue to live in evacuation both within and outside of Fukushima Prefecture, forced to live as internally displaced persons, with even their basic human rights neglected.

Voices from Fukushima
As part of this mission, Idogawa Katsutaka, former mayor of Futaba Town, will be joining Peace Boat as it travels though Europe. Futaba town was just three kilometres away from the Fukushima Daiinichi Nuclear Power Plant. When the earthquake and tsunami hit the east coast of Japan and caused a series of meltdowns and explosions at the nuclear reactors in March 2011, many local communities had to be evacuated due to high radioactivity. Mayor Idogawa was the only mayor in Fukushima Prefecture who decided to officially relocate his town's whole population and its administrative functions to outside the prefecture under his authority. The residents are still not able to return, and will not be able to for decades, if ever. Former Mayor Idogawa will share his experiences of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and its serious ongoing affects, and appeal about the continuing dangerous situation regarding radiation and health.

Program
Join us for a Press Conference and discussion onboard Peace Boat as it is docked at the port of Riga, Latvia on the afternoon of May 22, 2013. Details will be announced shortly, however due to port security requirements, prior registration is strictly required. We apologise for the inconvenience, however if you are considering attending please send the following information by email to Meri Joyce by May 18, 2013 (Saturday): Full name Nationality Date of birth Gender ID type and number (eg drivers license, national ID, passport – anything official with a photograph) Contact email and telephone number

Times and other details are subject to change – please refer to information provided by Peace Boat in advance.

Speakers

 * Mr Idogawa Katsutaka, former mayor of Futaba, Fukushima
 * Representative of Peace Boat
 * Mr Andrey Ozharovskiy, nuclear expert with Bellona

Contact
For any enquiries or further information, please contact:
 * Meri Joyce, Peace Boat International Coordinator, [mailto:meriATpeaceboat.gr.jp meri AT peaceboat.gr.jp]