Greenheart

The organization is structured as a Non-Profit Organization (NPO) staffed mostly by volunteers, with a few commercial, and technical tasks charged to paid professionals. The organization is registered as a NPO in Japan and in France. The International Headquarter is currently in Tokyo, Japan.

The Greenheart Project is designed to act in concert with many other NGOs, as well as government agencies, foundations, and business to achieve common goals. We seek to complement existing, experienced organizations with our transportation, research, and publicity services to best utilize our first ship. Some of these partner organizations are integral to the project’s future operations in ports around the world. We will join coordinating organizations in each of the numerous ports along our route, in order to better understand and respond to local conditions and needs.

These coordinating organizations will be the planning and communications links between local groups and the ship. In return for these services, Greenheart will provide the free delivery of aid and relief supplies, a market for sustainably-sourced product, as well as a valuable publicity platform for education, campaigns, and fundraising.

The management of both regular ship operations and logistics adjustments will be done in close consultation with these partner organizations around the world. It is our policy to maintain mutually beneficial working relations with local and regional groups that share our goals. The ship’s crew will include one or two trainees from specific regions where Greenheart ship technology may be most applicable, providing feedback for future ship designs and application programs.

Progress to date

Design : We have been developing and promoting the project for a few years now, and have a set of concept drawings of the vessel which you can see on the various webpages. We have received advice and approval from numerous experts in the field of naval architecture. Professor Takeshi Kinoshita, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo has lent his support to the project, and is the head of the design project.

Finance : We have attracted donations amounting to over 65,000 Euros, which we have dedicated to the setup of the organization and the construction of the prototype vessel. We are in the process of applying for funds through a number of grant-making organizations and from the business world.

Network : We have also been consulting with NGOs that share our mission goals from all around the world to learn how we can best integrate our project into the broader Development, Fair Trade and Social Justice movements. Through activities such as our Poster Contest, networking trips to Europe and America, as well as extensive participation in events and conferences here in Japan, we are steadily connecting with the groups that will help realize the project and share its benefits. We are also involved with the wider movement of developing clean sea transport, working with like-minded groups in the development of trading links and a product labeling scheme.

Organisation : The preparation of our detailed organizational master document including operation and construction budgets, timeline, and specifics of the operations and activities involved, is nearing completion. We have already joined forces with a small fair trade enterprise called Sunship to co-operate in marketing and sales in return for a share of profits. We have built a core team of 8 dedicated designers, coordinators and managers who are cooperating with a growing group of active volunteers and supporters around the world.

Target : We are working on a schedule to have the first Greenheart ship in the water by the end of 2010.