About

About Us

Peace Boat US works to build a culture of peace and sustainability around the world by connecting people across borders and creating opportunities for learning, activism and cooperation. We achieve this through programs in which people from the US and around the world participate in voyages onboard the Peace Boat, our Japan-based partner organization and one of the most unique and creative peace-building initiatives in the world.

Programs combine learning, activism, advocacy, and travel, enabling participants to learn first-hand about global issues such as war, environmental degradation, gender violence, and other issues. Participants experience grassroots peace-building efforts to find non-violent, creative, and constructive solutions, from local communities to global advocacy networks.

The components of Peace Boat US are:

Experiential and Travel-based Learning Programs

Peace Boat US programs give you access to global experts, travel opportunities, learning spaces and the experience of a lifetime. We work with academic institutions to create custom programs for groups of students, ranging from one week to a full voyage of approximately 100 days, which combine onboard learning with on-the-ground experience and action in the countries we visit. Participants meet local communities affected by global problems and support them in developing creative and constructive solutions at the grassroots level. We also extend a warm welcome to travelers of all ages and backgrounds who are interested in any combination of life-long learning, travel, adventure, activism and immersion in Peace Boat’s unique community onboard that is mainly Japanese with a small and vibrant international contingent.

Please see our Programs page to learn more.

Advocacy Campaigns on Critical Issues

Peace Boat US partners with a wide range of organizations to work on critical global issues, including sustainable energy, disaster relief, and the abolition of war. Our office is located across the street from the UN, enabling close communication with a wide number of international and local agencies and NGOs. Underlying Peace Boat US’s campaigns and programs is a commitment to socially and environmentally sustainable tourism, and we are always striving to improve our practices, experiences for participants, and the quality of our relationships with local partners and communities around the world.

Please see our Projects and Campaigns page to learn more about our work.

Organization

Peace Boat US was founded in New York City in 2006, inspired by the belief that the opportunity to experience a Peace Boat voyage – peace-building around the world through people-to-people connection and cooperation – should be available to as many people as possible in the US and around the world. Since then Peace Boat US has organized a number of programs onboard the Peace Boat and advocacy campaign actions. Peace Boat US is a non-profit and non-governmental organization with a vision of creating a culture of peace around the world, one person-to-person learning experience at a time.

Peace Boat US’s director is Emilie McGlone, who is supported by a team of staff, interns, and volunteers.

A six member Board of Directors reflecting deep experience in academia, activism, international affairs and diversity of backgrounds actively supports Peace Boat US programs through networking, program development assistance, organizational guidance and other areas. They are:

President: Rachel Armstrong (Peace Boat – Japan)
Cora Weiss (Hague Appeal for Peace – New York City)
Tom Shostak (Ohio University – Ohio)
Kathy Matsui (Seisen University – Japan)
Stacy Hughes (Mediator – California)
Kanae Doi (Lawyer – Japan)
Yoshioka Tatsuya (Peace Boat – Japan)