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TOUR
LOGBOOK
17
- February 2000 - South China Sea
RAINBOW
WARRIOR COMING TO THE PHILIPPINES ON ANTI- POLLUTION CRUSADE
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Manila
- The Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace's flagship and foremost messenger
of peace and environmental harmony will be arriving in Manila next
week on the third leg of the Toxic Free Asia Tour. The famous sailing
vessel, which has also visited India and Thailand in the past two
months is expected to arrive on Tuesday, February 22 to continue
its global
tour against toxics pollution. |
"The
Rainbow Warrior is coming here to link up with local groups and communities
fighting pollution. We will be reaching out to the people to affirm
their rights and demands for a clean and safe environment, and engage
our decision makers about the necessity of clean production," said Francis
de la Cruz, Greenpeace toxics campaigner in the Philippines.
Aside from the Manila visit, the ship will have key stops in Subic,
Cebu and Bacolod to meet with local groups and communities, receive
dignitaries, host Open Days for interested citizens and students and
release findings of Greenpeace's scientific investigations on pollution
in the Philippines. This is the first visit of the Rainbow Warrior to
the Philippines.
| "In
the Philippines we are particularly concerned about the juggernaut
of toxic and dirty technologies now taking root in this country
and the fact that most of the solutions being offered to mitigate
our environmental problems are flawed and ineffective," said Greenpeace's
Asia Toxics campaigner Von Hernandez. |
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"Through the Rainbow Warrior, we would also like to sound the alarm
about the slow motion and life threatening pollution disasters happening
in the country such as the legacy of toxic and persistent poisons left
behind by the Americans in their former bases in Clark and Subic," added
Hernandez.
The Asian tour, particularly the Thailand and Philippine legs, is also
part of Greenpeace's campaign to bolster its presence in Southeast Asia,
considered by the 28 year old organization as a key arena in the global
crusade to save the planet.
After the Philippines, the Rainbow Warrior will be sailing onward to
Hongkong and Japan.
The wind-powered Rainbow Warrior has a long and rich history of international
campaigns for environmental justice. The very name Rainbow Warrior was
inspired by a North American Indian legend which prophesies that when
man has destroyed the world through his greed, the Warriors of the Rainbow
will arise to save it.
The new Rainbow Warrior replaces the original ship that was sunk by
the French secret service in 1985 amid worldwide protests against French
nuclear testing in the Pacific. The three-mast schooner was rebuilt
on the hull of the former fishing vessel "Grampian Frame " and was launched
on July 10, 1989 the anniversary of the sinking of her predecessor.
The oceangoing vessel which has traveled the world's waters is equipped
with the latest in electronic navigation, sailing and communication
equipment. Click on the Rainbow Warrior picture at
the top of the page to meet the crew and more info on the ship.
Feb
22 - Warrior greeted in Manila
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