The French government considered the atomic bomb to be critical to the defense of their nation. Unfortunately the power that comes with possessing a weapon of such astonishing destructive ability has a way of blinding people from what's right. The bombing of the first Rainbow Warrior is a good example of that.

What do you think of the stance of nuclear-free countries - like New Zealand, 20 years on?
I believe that the nuclear-free countries have made the right decision for the future of the environment. Hopefully twenty years from now many more countries will have followed their example.

What do you think makes a 'Rainbow Warrior'?
I think there are three things:

It is something the symbolizes the struggle to save our fragile world.

The people who run it, whether they be the people who drive the boat, the people who cook the food, or the people who work on shore to support the ship. Without the people, the ship is just a lot of floating steel.

The name! "Rainbow Warrior" just fits so perfectly with the whole philosophy of the ship. It grabs your attention and it doesn't let go, and eventually it just becomes part of you.

Abri, Assistant Radio Operator, from South Africa