Greenpeace
Greenpeace is an international environmental organization for a « green and peaceful world ». It uses non - violent confrontation to stop world pollution and protect biodiversity.It also encourages world peace and disarmament, and compaigns against nuclear missiles.
Beginnings.
Greenpeace (originally called »don't make a wave ») was founded in 1969 by a group of Canadian environmentalists. Its initial preoccupation was nuclear testing. In 1971, a small crew set out in an old fishing boat to protest against a US nuclear test explosion on the island of Amchitka in Alaska.
In 1962, the atoll of Moruroa in French Polynesia in the southern
Pacific ocean, was officially established as a nuclear test site by
France. Various infrastructures were built. The following year, the
French refused to sign the 1963 Ban Treaty which prohibited nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, in space, and under water.)
and kept on testing nuclear weapons (and not underground) and this, until 1996. Yet, in 1972, Greenpeace organized a first protest mission to the atoll of Moruroa and then continued to disturb testing on many occasions.
The Rainbow Warrior
In April 1978, the Greenpeace ship - the Rainbow Warrior - left London on her fist mission, to confront Icelandic whalers. After her first voyage, the Rainbow Warrior was used on missions to stop nuclear dumping, nuclear testing and the killing of whales, seals, and dolphins.
In July 1985, before a planned trip to Mururoa, the Rainbow Warrior was sabotaged with a bomb in Auckland harbour, New Zealand. A Greenpeace photographer was drowned in the incident. The French authorities admitted their responsabilitiy in the attack. In 1987, the Rainbow Warrior was sunk on the coast of New Zealand's North Island ,
Despite the opposition of the French government, the trial of the persons who sabotaged the ship was filmed. It is now allowed to be broadcast since Septembre 26th 2006.
The United Nations managed to find an agreement to re-establish peaceful relations between the two countries. Yet, France had to pay an 8 million dollar compensation to New Zealand.
Vocabulary:
a crew : un équipage
set out : se mettre en route
to keep on : continuer
to confront : faire face à
whalers : baleiniers
to dump : déverser
seals : phoques
drowned : noyé
compensation : indemnité
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