An invitation to:

- Invest in or sponsor

- Influence the specification of

- Participate in the operations of

- or otherwise support

The GAIASHIP Project

Introduction:

The word 'ship' in English has two meanings:
 

• as a solitary noun, a 'ship' is any large sea-going vessel
• as a suffix, '-ship' signifies a state, condition or quality (as in friendship or partnership), an art or skill (as in leadership or, appropriately in this case, seamanship) or a sense of community (as in township).

 

Thus the name of our project, GAIASHIP, represents both meanings:

• It is the name of a unique cruise ship, intended to sail around the world acting as a catalyst in the creation of better cross-cultural understanding and tolerance and the search for solutions to common problems.
• It also represents a community embracing all the qualities and skills aimed at protecting the global environment and improving the human condition.

 



Why GAIASHIP?

GAIASHIP combines the twin aspects of a single vision:

• the commercial, which sees the cruise industry taking another evolutionary step towards a new vision of successful cruise ship design and operation.
• The idealistic, which wishes to protect the environment and improve the world we live in. The concept of the peace ship should be seen in this context.

 

GAIASHIP is intended to embody a completely new vision of cruise ship design and operation, combining leisure, self-enrichment and a global cultural experience.

 

 

In the 1970s one company, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), therefore instituted a 'New Experiences' people-to-people program, aimed at giving cruise passengers a meaningful experience of meeting the people in the ports of call, and vice versa. The then New York Times travel editor Paul J. C. Friedlander acclaimed the program as a remedy for cultural disparity.

 

This vision is now being extended to GAIASHIP, whose passengers and visitors will be offered an extensive program under which they can expand the range of their knowledge, experience and interests.

 

Sir Arthur C. Clarke

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Portrait of Sir Arthur C. Clarke by Charles Adams, Science & Society Picture Library, London

Sir Arthur has been an early and enthusiastic supporter of the GAIASHIP project.  You can read his letter of endorsement here.

Please continue to learn more about GAIASHIP by clicking on the 'next' button below, or click on any of the links below.

 

Thank you for visiting the GAIASHIP website, and please visit us again very soon.

 

 

~ Home and Intro ~ A world forum ~ Two ships named GAIA ~ Special activity centers ~ Organization and finance ~ Participants ~ GAIASHIP characteristics ~ Weblinks ~ How can you get involved? ~ Contact information ~ News ~

 

For more information contact

 

The Gaiaship Foundation

 

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Oslo, Norway, 2002

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