I Need to Start Writing Again
By David Nickarz
I haven’t written anything in my blog for a while. I want to update you on what I’m up to and what I’m about to do.
I just spent a week at the Youth Activist Retreat in
There was some theory about non-violence, civil disobedience, media work and the dangers of activism. I used many of the actions that I’ve participated in as working examples of the theory. I offered the same workshop for three days and after the third one we did a mock action.
I thoroughly enjoyed the work and also helped with dishes and cleaning up.
There was one workshop that needs mentioning. It was the Sustainable Action workshop ran by Lindsay. Ironically, it was rushed because it started late and the bus was waiting for us, so it was cut short. It was also the workshop that the organizers and mentors needed the most. Activists are the most self-destructive folk out there—sad to say.
Next year I want to make an effort to incorporate this theme in all the workshops, maybe culminating in a final talk that ties it all together.
In June the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society officially announced plans to return to the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary to once again oppose illegal Japanese whaling activities. This will be the Sea Shepherd's fifth campaign to Antarctic waters, my third, and will be called Operation Musashi. Miyamoto Musashi is the legendary Japanese strategist who wrote the Book of Five Rings. For more information on this campaign, please go to www.seashepherd.org.
This could be the most important campaign for the whales. For the last two years, we have been able to prevent hundreds of whales from being slaughtered. This might be the year that we shut it down for good.
I’m heading to
I think Animal Planet will be filming the action again.
As you may have guessed, life on the ship can be extreme—joy and pain at the same time. Nothing compares to the beauty of the Antarctic waters, the wildlife and the remoteness of that wilderness. I’m looking forward to it.
