Today Archbishop Desmond Tutu visited us on the ship. In a whirlwind visit he talked with the crew, blessed the Esperanza, toured the ship, shared some tea and cake with us in the mess, and we presented him with a Greenpeace book and positive Energy t-shirt as a gift from the crew.

Archbishop Tutu joined with Greenpeace in wishing for a clean, peaceful and nuclear free world as the Earth Summit begins in Johannesburg.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu speaks to the crew of the MV Esperanza in Cape Town [play] Archbishop Desmond Tutu blesses the MV Esperanza [play] [transcript]

Crew Diary

Mike, Radio Operator, MV Esperanza

I'm now into my last twenty-four hours on board the Esperanza, which has been my home for over five months now. Yes, that is a long time to be on board, and since I joined in March, back in Scheveningen in the Netherlands, I have been part of campaigns and actions on forestry, climate change, and more recently plutonium shipments and the WSSD. I often try to think which campaigns are the more satisfying to work on, but really there is no answer to that. Ultimately they all come down to one basic thing - the powerful individuals and corporations who are forever putting profits and self-interest before people and the common good.

Sailing on these ships, we get to see the best and the worst of what the world has to offer. Sometimes they are very simple things. I can't convey how wonderful it is to be able to watch albatross or storm petrels playing in the air currents around the ship, hundreds of miles from land, or to see dolphins cavorting in the bow wave without a care in the world. But we also have to witness pollution on a horrendous scale, or see birds and other creatures dying in nets, or families stricken by miscarriages, congenital abnormalities and senseless mortality. Sometimes it can be very dark and bleak, and easy to believe there is no hope left. It's at times like that when an unexpected rainbow, a kind word or a wordless gesture from a crewmate, or some amazing glimpse of the terrible beauty of the sea, can make all the difference, remind you it is still a world worth fighting for, and worth living in.

It has been a particular pleasure for me to be able to sail on the Esperanza, after spending a few weeks last year working on the conversion project helping to build up the radio room into an efficient communications centre. Part of the radio operator's responsibility is to ensure that the photos and video footage of our actions can reach the outside world. During our recent meeting with the shipments of MOX we also had on board five journalists, each of whom had their own specific communications requirements. At times it was very hectic, different deadlines to meet, different ways to communicate the story. The phones were steaming, the satellite link was almost constantly in use, the website was updated every few hours. Then when we see the headlines we know that it has all worked, the world is able through us to bear witness to the ongoing crime that is nuclear power and the proliferation of weapons-usable materials. I play one small role in an organisation which has drawn together committed and dedicated individuals from around the world, each with their particular gifts and talents to offer. But for each one of here, there are many many more lending their weight to our presence.

And on my final morning I was honoured to meet Desmond Tutu, a man who has stood as a light against some of the worst darkness the world has endured. To hear his words of support and appreciation was both humbling and inspiring, and a reminder that we have to be constantly vigilant against abuses of people and our world.

It's a sad day for me, to be leaving the ship, and all the friends I have here, but at least I feel I have helped to make a difference. As Archbishop Tutu said to us, the day will come when we see some positive changes in the world, and know that we have made a contribution to that. May that day come soon.

- Mike