A tall ship for intercontinental solidarity!
We are dedicated to strengthening connections between social movements focused on climate justice and decolonization in Europe and Abya Yala1 (Latin America). Our goal is to acquire a tall ship and offer two transatlantic crossings each year, providing a platform for these movements to continue to learn from and support one another.
The ship will serve as a tool for social movements, facilitating delegation journeys, protests, and actions. Participating groups will collectively decide on the detailed routes and destinations in order to realize their own objectives and campaigns.
During the European summer we will offer educational trips with a focus on people developing the skills that help them to get active in issues that affect them personally.
Intersectionality is one of the principles we organize by: We strive for climate justice and decolonization, while being aware of other forms of oppression and the struggles surrounding them.
International exchange
Capitalism and Neocolonialism are global systems that wreak havoc on our planet. Not only do they exploit natural resources but they also devastate the social fabric of societies, particularly in the territories of Abya Yala. Our vision goes beyond providing a carbon free means of transportation: We believe in working for a world in which there is space for many worlds, which requires learning from and exchanging with collectives from different parts of the globe.
In many countries there are individuals and groups working against the loss of biodiversity, against land grabbing and for a economy of the common good (and for many issues more). As there are often large distances between them, personal exchange usually remains the exception. The fact that only very climate-damaging means of transport are available, especially for transcontinental travel, is an additional barrier. We know ourselves how enriching the exchange with other people who are committed to similar issues is, and therefore want to give more people the opportunity to do so with the ship and the transatlantic crossings. We want to be able to offer the first encounter voyages in November 2024 and April 2025.
The association
The ship will be owned by our registered non-profit association Bildung und Solidarität e.V. (Education and Solidarity). This way we will ensure that the ship will stay in communal ownership and will not become private property or a object of speculation again. You can find the statutes of our organization in German and in English (non-binding translation).
The ship
We are looking for a brig or brigantine with a length of 20-30 metres (LWL). In particular, a brigantine with its different sail types is ideal for us, as it can make good use of the broad reach of the trade winds, but is also suitable for coastal navigation. If we have the opportunity to buy a cheap schooner, it would also be an option for us to buy her and change the rigging. For reasons of safety and ease of maintenance, we are only looking for vessels with a steel hull and a draught of at least 2.5 metres.
We are in contact with the owners of some boats that match our ideas.
The summer schools
During the European summer, we will organize educational trips that focus on empowering people to take action for change.
Young people are disproportionally affected by the effects of the climate crisis and social injustices, but are frequently not involved in political processes, so some our trips will be specifically oriented to teenagers or young adults. The everyday life on a tall ship requires the cooperation and collaboration of everyone involved and is therefore a great environment to foster personal growth and cross cultural collaboration. By developing their own sense of agency, we believe that people can become agents for positive change in their communities and beyond.
A different economy
We advocate for an economy that serves the good life of all. We have come together to represent in diversity what unites us – the recognition that our different paths lead to a common vision: a democratic and needs-based society. Already there are many cooperations around the world which create solutions to housing, to food supply and to health care in structures which are not oriented to be profitable for the owners, but where the tools and spaces are owned by those who work with them and live in them.
With a ship which will be available to collectives and individuals who share our values we want to create a good in common property that will benefit the people and not individual shareholders.