Rainbow Warriors and Doers

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Pete Willcox on board the Rainbow Warrior in Whangaroa. © Greenpeace/Walsh

Pete, you were skipper of the Rainbow Warrior when it was attacked in Auckland harbour in 1985. You must have mixed feelings about coming back here to commemorate the it, twenty years later?

Hey, any excuse for a party dude!...Twenty years ago was not a happy time for us. I am enjoying seeing a number of old shipmates who I have not seen in years.

What do you think of the stance of nuclear-free countries - like New Zealand, twenty years
on? Have things gotten better?

New Zealand seems as strong as ever in its no nukes policy. That was one of the things that made it special to be here 20 years ago. Obviously, we need countries like New Zealand more and more today than ever.

In your opinion, what makes a 'Rainbow Warrior' - in terms of individual
activists?

Anybody who DOES anything. Whether its recycle, write their legislator, get involved with a group. There are so many people who are making commitments to live on the earth as if they want to continue doing it for generations. In 2000 we did a Toxics Free Asia tour. We saw people in India, Thialand, Philipines, Hong Kong and Japan who were aware that we need to change the way we are living on the planet. It was a real rush to see that so many people on the planet were aware, and trying to do something to change things. A Rainbow Warrior is a doer.

Pete Willcox - Skipper of the Rainbow Warrior, from the USA

 

 

 

 

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