4 October 2006

Farah - Campaigner

I am an Oceans Campaigner with Greenpeace Holland, I carry a Dutch passport - but really, am a citizen of the world.

Why are you on this expedition?
I joined the Esperanza as the international woman of mystery. No seriously, I was asked to join the team as the International Oceans campaigner, particularly to push the story of over-capacity, capacity migration and illegal fishing in Europe.

Have you been on a Greenpeace ship before?
Just before joining the Esperanza on this tour, I was onboard the Arctic Sunrise as lead campaigner. We were in the North Sea taking on reefers (transport vessels) carrying illegal cod from the Barents Sea. We took action against a Russian reefer called the Mumrsinskiy, which came to Eemshaven in the Netherlands for offloading. We had 9 activists chained to the ship; the latches and crane to prevent the offloading of fish until the Dutch government could confirm the legality of the catch.

I have also been on the Rainbow Warrior in Hong Kong for Onboard Campaign Training.

How or why did you get involved with Greenpeace?
I have always wanted to work for the environmental movement and have always supported Greenpeace's commitment to non-violent creative confrontation to expose and prevent environmental crimes. Prior to joining the NGO world I worked as an environmental consultant primarily for industry. In this role my job was to manage my clients' environmental liabilities and I often felt very uncomfortable with the compromises I had to make with respect to the environment in order to make my client happy. Although it was a great learning experience, my 5 years in consultancy reinforced my motivation to join Greenpeace, which I pursued with persistence until I got in!

What was your best experience with Greenpeace so far?
I have had many good experiences with Greenpeace, but probably the most rewarding one was when I was running my campaign in the Netherlands and taking action against an illegal reefer. Despite the weeks of hard work and lack of sleep prior to the action, the adrenaline from leading an action was amazing. It is also a great feeling to know that there are so many volunteers and activists out there willing to be on the front line to support your campaign.

And who knows, the best experience may be yet to come on this tour. We have only just embarked on our second leg and I have good hopes for the weeks ahead.

What do you like most about your work on the ship?
There are many good aspects to being on the ship, but I'd have to say that the location for this tour has to top it all! We are cruising the Pacific - one of the most beautiful places on earth. Everytime I look out of the porthole, I look out over a stunning deep blue ocean that stretches for miles. Knowing where I am in the world makes me feel lucky.

And least?
We have only just started this second leg of the tour, so I can’t say I miss much yet from home, but what I like least about being here is the lack of space for movement. I miss running and going places. After only two days we’re already making jokes about where to go for lunch and our Pacific stroll after meal times – which involves rounds on the deck.

The worst thing for me at the moment though is the fact that there is a stomach bug going round the ship and almost everyone seems to be affected. I just hope it doesn’t get out of control - not very pleasant in such a small space…

If you had three free wishes, what would those be?
Personal or job-related? Let me see… I wish for this leg to be successful, that we bust some pirates and really shake governments to urgently address the fact that the Pacific is being plundered. At this exact point in time, I wish for a HUGE vanilla ice cream smothered in lot's of yummy honey! And last but not least I wish for a green and peaceful future ;-) – yeah yeah – Greenpeace’s mission statement.

What is your favourite place on the ship?
Anywhere on deck that captures the warm Pacific sea breeze and that is out of reach of any smells from the ship – so either the bow or the heli-deck.

Why this place?
The Pacific breeze is a warm and embracing one. Never too hot or humid and always with a soft touch. I spent some time in Hawaii, and being out on deck feeling the breeze brings back some good memories. Also it’s good to be outside looking out over the very realm that you’re trying to protect: the Ocean.

If you were not on the Esperanza at this moment where would you probably
be instead and what would you be doing?
Well, its 06.48 on a Wednesday morning back in Holland, which means that I would be asleep at this time. I would probably get up at around 08.30, do my morning routine and head out to the office. So nothing special.

What personal connection do you have to the ocean (if any?)
I grew up by the ocean, mostly in Scheveningen, The Netherlands, but also in Gabon (West Africa), Hawaii and St. Andrews in Scotland. I love the ocean and feel very strongly about protecting it. It’s a largely unknown world and we’re destroying it before even learning about it. To me the ocean is the most powerful force on earth. We should be respecting it rather than abusing it.

Did you bring anything special for spare time ?
My birthday has just been and my friends got me an MP3 player that’s takes up to like 9000 songs! The evening before I left they gave it to me with some 600 songs on it and I look forward to discovering all the tunes that are on it!

Anything else you'd like to say?
If anyone has actually read to this point on the page, and is interested in my one take-home message then here it is: Join us and become an ocean defender. Also do your bit and educate those around you about the threats the world’s oceans face and what we can all do to help mitigate them.

   

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Comments

Posted by: Marina at October 8, 2006 6:23 PM

Posted by: sandra at October 13, 2006 7:49 PM

Posted by: rita at October 24, 2006 2:17 PM

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