The MARE Report: A Magazine for Seafarers' Welfare Professionals (2016) by NAMMA

A MAGAZINE FOR SEAFARERS’ WELFARE PROFESSIONALS

1 · MARE · 2015

2016

THE

Vol. 2, 2016

REPORT

Publisher JASON ZUIDEMA executivedirector@namma.org CONTRIBUTORS Byeong Lee, Paul Mooney, Michael Skaggs, Douglas B. Stevenson, Kaimei Zhang, Jason Zuidema PHOTOGRAPHY Louis Vest, Houston Pilots Association (Cover), Carleen Lyden-Kluss, International Labour Organization, Douglas B. Stevenson, Marsh Drege, Noah Leon, International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network, The Mission to Seafarers, Port Ministries International, All photos are copyright NAMMA unless otherwise noted. DESIGN & GRAPHICS Marie Cuffaro EDITORS Jason Zuidema and Michael Skaggs MARE Project Support

Worldwide Partnership

Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of The MARE Report or of NAMMA. Submissions are welcome. Publication is not guaranteed. For guidelines or queries: executivedirector@namma.org For other programs of NAMMA or more information on the organization, visit its website at www.namma.org

NAMMA, P.O. Box 460158, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33346-0158 President REV. MARSH L. DREGE NAMMA exists to provide a network for encouragement, training, and coordination of ministries that serve port communities in North America. THE MARE REPORT Â© NAMMA 2016 ISSN: 2380-5765 2

FROM THE EDITORS

Sailing into another year Now in its second year, The MARE Report is an initiative of the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) in partnership with the Mission to Seafarers and the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA). NAMMA’s core objectives are to connect, provide opportunities for training, and encourage seafarers’ welfare professionals in North America and with our partners around the world. The Report’s name (pronounced Mar-A) means “the sea” in Latin. Though produced in North America, we have designed The MARE Report to reflect conversations happening around the world. The stylized E also acknowledges that we live in an electronic age. Even if you are holding a physical copy in your hands, this magazine represents state-of-the-art printing technology and is produced alongside a wide network of social media. We hope this magazine will be informative and inspire its readers to become more involved in caring for seafarers, fishers and their families. DR. JASON ZUIDEMA, EDITOR

NAMMA, Executive Director

MR. MICHAEL SKAGGS, ASSISTANT EDITOR

NAMMA, Executive Assistant Doctoral Candidate, Department of History University of Notre Dame

To keep up-to-date with all our activities and find out how you can be involved in seafarers’ welfare, sign up for NAMMA’s email newsletter at executivedirector@namma.org.

CONTENTS SERVING CHINESE SEAFARERS Today more than a third of the world's seafarers are Chinese by DR. KAIMEI ZHANG

PAGE 4

NEW WINE IN NEW WINESKINS by REV. DR. BYEONG LEE

PAGE 9

"WITHOUT WHICH WE WOULDN’T HAVE AN INDUSTRY"

Interview with Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director, NAMEPA

PAGE 12

ICMA AND THE ILO by DOUGLAS B. STEVENSON

PAGE 14

"PREACH THE GOSPEL; USE WORDS IF NECESSARY" Lutheran maritime ministry in the United States

PAGE 16

MONTREAL Discussing challenges, planning success at the 2015 NAMMA Conference

PAGE 18

STATE OF THE PORTS Great Lakes seafarers’ welfare

PAGE 20

ADAPTING TO CHANGE IN MARITIME MINISTRY by PAUL MOONEY

PAGE 23

THE NETWORK GROWS As NAMMA’s calendar fills up, its members benefit

PAGE 27

THANK YOU! NAMMA’s partners

PAGE 31

34 2

SEAFARERS’ WELFARE AWARDS 2016 PAGE 32 COLLABORATION FOR SUCCESS Ship welfare visitor course online

PAGE 34

PHOTO: ISWAN

CONTENTS SERVING CHINESE SEAFARERS Today more than a third of the world's seafarers are Chinese by DR. KAIMEI ZHANG

PAGE 4

NEW WINE IN NEW WINESKINS by REV. DR. BYEONG LEE

PAGE 9

"WITHOUT WHICH WE WOULDN’T HAVE AN INDUSTRY"

Interview with Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director, NAMEPA

PAGE 12

ICMA AND THE ILO by DOUGLAS B. STEVENSON

PAGE 14

"PREACH THE GOSPEL; USE WORDS IF NECESSARY" Lutheran maritime ministry in the United States

PAGE 16

MONTREAL Discussing challenges, planning success at the 2015 NAMMA Conference

PAGE 18

STATE OF THE PORTS Great Lakes seafarers’ welfare

PAGE 20

ADAPTING TO CHANGE IN MARITIME MINISTRY by PAUL MOONEY

PAGE 23

THE NETWORK GROWS As NAMMA’s calendar fills up, its members benefit

PAGE 27

THANK YOU! NAMMA’s partners

PAGE 31

34 2

SEAFARERS’ WELFARE AWARDS 2016 PAGE 32 COLLABORATION FOR SUCCESS Ship welfare visitor course online

PAGE 34

PHOTO: ISWAN

SERVING CHINESE SEAFARERS Today more than a third of the world's seafarers are Chinese

by Dr. Kaimei Zhang

hina (meaning “mainland China” here) is an important, and rapidly growing, source of seafarers in the global maritime labor market. According to the 2015 BIMCO / ICS Manpower Report, China is the largest supplier of seafaring officers and the second largest supplier of ratings in the world. China recently formalized its participation in seafarers’ welfare by ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 in 2015; it will go into effect on November 12 this year. But as we consider the more than 400 seafarers’ centers that tend to mariners’ needs around the globe, we might ask ourselves how well they serve Chinese crews even as China has begun to express greater concern for seafarers’ welfare. Some of the challenges to meaningful and impactful service are substantial. From February to April 2016, NAMMA conducted thrice-weekly ship visits to Chinese seafarers in the Port of Montreal. Our interviews and research provided a great deal of thought-provoking information; we hope that some of the practical advice distilled from this project might help other centers better serve Chinese seafarers. Our research revealed several key differences among Chinese seafarers employed by the

state and by foreign companies; we also discovered several significant similarities. Taken together, these findings help provide a better picture of Chinese seafaring and offer several helpful guidelines for those involved in ministering to these Chinese men and women of the sea. DIFFERENCES AMONG CHINESE SEAFARERS The situation of Chinese seafarers differs drastically depending on whether the ships on which they work are foreign-flagged or owned by Chinese state companies. State-employed Chinese seafarers usually work under a very long contract of anywhere from five to ten years, divided into several duty tours of nine to ten months each; foreign-employed seafarers average only nine or ten months per contract. These two groups divide further along language lines. State-employed Chinese seafarers typically speak no English (except for officers) while foreign-employed seafarers mostly speak good, or at least functional, English. Another important difference is that state-employed Chinese seafarers work in a government-managed labor system. Those employed by foreign companies work in conditions familiar to Western seafarers, even if a whole crew is Chinese. Foreign-employed Chinese seafarers are paid more but do not get insurance or pension benefits from the Chinese government as state-employed seafarers do. Finally, because there is less oversight by the Chinese government, seafarers report that the social climate aboard foreign-flagged ships feels more open and free. On a larger scale, foreign-employed seafarers’ working conditions are more sensitive to the state of

PHOTO: NAMMA A Hong Kong flagged ship sails up the Mississippi river near Destrehan, LA.

the world economy. For example, in periods of growth it is easier for these seafarers to find employment. Conversely, during economic downswings, state-employed seafarers’ working conditions remain the same. They also enjoy several advantages that foreign-employed seafarers do not share, such as state-sponsored health insurance, a pension, incentives for first-time homebuyers, and more. In addition to these substantial differ-

ences, the groups share several common elements. All the seafarers we interviewed were born in China, all speak Mandarin as their first language, all share a cultural background, and all received maritime education in China. Most Chinese seafarers, either state- or foreign-employed, profess no official religious affiliation, although some will either practice or at least acknowledge a basic identification with Buddhism. Bearing these differences and similarities in mind, we can identify several barriers to communication between Chinese seafarers and the Western chaplains and other professionals that serve them. Chaplains

should learn whether a ship is state-owned or foreign-flagged before making a visit to better understand crew expectations, but many of these barriers exist regardless of the labor arrangements on board. BARRIERS TO SERVICE One of the most important questions asked during our interviews related to how seafarers perceived the seafarers’ centers they had visited. We sampled sixty seafarers across four ships and also held one focus group on a state-owned ship. Among the sailors we interviewed, more than 50 of them thought that seafarers’ centers are subsidized by the

local port authority. They were astounded to learn that, except for their tax-exempt status, seafarers’ centers do not receive government support. This kind of facility is rare in China, where a strong central government is in control of services like those offered in Western seafarers’ welfare centers. Furthermore, because of remarkable differences in political systems and cultural norms between China and the West, seafarers’ centers in general are neither well-known nor well-understood in China. Because of these stark contrasts between China and the West, one preliminary goal of caring for Chinese seafarers is to explain 5

SERVING CHINESE SEAFARERS Today more than a third of the world's seafarers are Chinese

by Dr. Kaimei Zhang

PHOTO: NAMMA A Hong Kong flagged ship sails up the Mississippi river near Destrehan, LA.

to explain what the shipping company or the Chinese government (these two often are indistinguishable) wants the crew to do. He sends observational reports to the Chinese government and publishes the ship’s official newspaper. He is also responsible for accounting, including the money spent on activities and food. On some ships, he also works as secretary to the captain. Between the master and the commissar, the ship is overseen by powerful authority figures. Because of this, state-employed Chinese crews are more likely to conform closely to a uniform culture aboard. They tend to obey orders from their leaders without question and are not encouraged to show their emotions publicly. They will greet visitors formally but typically will not engage them directly or answer their questions, instead deferring to the leadership in all matters. This does not mean that ship visitors have no role to play: despite the difficult cultural and political conditions aboard, seafarers enjoy interacting with foreigners! And although they may have little to say on board, the seafarers’ center can be a good place to talk to the crew in a more relaxed environment. Considering these conditions, we can summarize the obstacles to communication between Western chaplains and Chinese seafarers in three points: religious incongruity, political considerations, and relevance.

And while they might enjoy the creature comforts of seafarers’ centers – WiFi access, coffee, recreation, and so on - they may not understand the additional services that a chaplain or other welfare professional can provide them. The 14,300 TEU containership CSCL Mercury in the Port of Rotterdam

and clarify the nature of seafarers’ centers. If Chinese crews know that the centers are not operated – and therefore monitored - by the government, but instead are supported by non-profit organizations, they are more likely to open up to chaplains, ship visitors, and staff to discuss their needs. The matter of religion also poses difficult problems. State-employed Chinese seafarers may feel reluctant to en6

gage with chaplains because their opinion of Christianity comes from government-approved literature that casts Christian culture in a negative light; this characterization is especially true of missionaries, which many seafarers perceive ship chaplains to be. And unlike their foreign-employed counterparts, state-employed Chinese seafarers have little other opportunity to see or experience Chris-

• Religious incongruity There are many philosophical schools in Chinese culture, but China does not have any single unifying belief system. Many Chinese seafarers will say they are Buddhists, but even Buddhism is a religious import into China. Furthermore, few Chinese practice Buddhism to the same degree and in the same manner that Christianity is practiced in the West. Put simply, no religion exerts as powerful an influence on Chinese culture as Christianity does on the West. Chinese seafarers are thus more likely to be wary of religion as a motivation for seafarers’ welfare, sometimes even suspecting ulterior motives. While some Chinese seafarers appreciate religion as an integral aspect of a culture foreign to them, it is most advisable to discuss religion initially at only the cultural or social level.

THE ROLE OF THE COMMISSAR AND CREW STRUCTURE ON CHINESE STATE-OWNED SHIPS It is helpful to understand the role of the commissar (sometimes listed discreetly as “purser”) on state-owned Chinese ships. One of the commissar’s chief duties is to foster good relations among crewmembers. The commissar also organizes “study meetings”

PHOTOS: NAMMA

Dr. Kaimei Zhang visiting Chinese seafarers in the Port of Montreal.

tianity from another perspective. They are often encouraged by the ship’s master and political commissar not to talk with chaplains. While unfortunate, this general suspicion of chaplains’ role and motives does not mean that ship visiting or ministry is impossible. However, visitors must proceed with caution when approaching a state-owned Chinese vessel. When a chaplain conducts a visit in this tightly-controlled environment, he or she would do well not to introduce themselves immediately as a chaplain, but rather to talk about the range of services offered by the seafarers’ center. On the other hand, foreign-employed Chinese seafarers are much more open to talking publicly. Having had more opportunities to observe Christianity, most of them understand the role of a chaplain. However, because of the strong influence of the Chinese government and cultural expectations even among foreign-employed seafarers, chaplains and other maritime ministry workers should show extra care when approaching any Chinese seafarer.

• Political considerations State-employed Chinese seafarers are careful to act in a “politically correct” manner, especially in front of authority figures. Reliance on local leaders (such as

PHOTO: Gabriel Fizer

the captain or commissar) is encouraged, so many seafarers will not seek help from outside organizations. This is complicated especially by the perception of seafarers’ welfare organizations as explicitly religious (and therefore even “more foreign”) organizations. In order to approach Chinese seafarers more effectively, it is crucial to adapt Western technologies, systems, and approaches to Chinese needs and expectations. Foreign ideas and structures often are appropriated by the Chinese by making a “Chinese version” that better corresponds to specifically Chinese needs; incidentally, this “Chinese version” is more easily manipulated for mass control by the central government. For example, WeChat is a Chinese version of Facebook. Facebook is thus not an appropriate or fruitful avenue for approaching Chinese seafarers since the vast majority of them have accounts on WeChat and are most active there. If a chaplain or ship visitor becomes active on WeChat, then he or she will become more visible and accessible. In order to reach Chinese seafarers, one has to go where they are to be found online: we cannot expect Chinese seafarers to use the Internet (or any tool or system) in the same way it is used in the West.

• Relevance Chinese seafarers are eminently practical people. Most of them see no need for religion, perceiving it as irrelevant and not useful to their daily lives. This means that one service available through chaplains – explicitly Christian ministry – frequently goes unrequested. On the other hand, seafarers are often interested in studying English, because English is a useful tool for them in the international maritime world. By offering them English conversation practice, chaplains will often find Chinese seafarers more open to communication. But as part of the process of meeting Chinese seafarers where they are instead of waiting for them to come to Western chaplains, basic Chinese language skills can go a long way toward better communication. Learning a few Chinese words and expressions can be an effective way to reduce the psychological distance between Chinese seafarers and Western chaplains. Chinese translations of seafarers’ centers’ newsletters are very welcome, especially when they are not just a translation but an adaptation to the Chinese cultural context. Despite real obstacles, there are many possibilities for building up meaningful communication between a ship visitor 7

PHOTOS: NAMMA

Dr. Kaimei Zhang visiting Chinese seafarers in the Port of Montreal.

• Political considerations State-employed Chinese seafarers are careful to act in a “politically correct” manner, especially in front of authority figures. Reliance on local leaders (such as

PHOTO: Gabriel Fizer

and Chinese seafarers. In addition to overcoming some of the above cultural and political barriers, there are more ways non-Chinese chaplains can establish some common ground to communicate with Chinese seafarers. For example, festivals have been an important part of Chinese culture for thousands of years. The Chinese New Year, The Lantern Festival, The Dragon Boat Festival and The Moon Festival are some of the most wellknown. They are all associated with historical episodes, legends, customs, and food traditions. By taking note of when these festivals fall, chaplains and visitors can offer a word of celebration and thus open one more door for communication. Among these festivals, the Chinese New Year is the most important; all Chinese seafarers celebrate it. On state-owned ships, the commissar organizes a series of activities for the celebration. Foreign-employed Chinese

seafarers also celebrate it, often with a New Year banquet. When chaplains visit a Chinese ship during the New Year, seafarers would welcome an acknowledgement of the holiday and perhaps even invite the visitor to join the celebration. Chinese seafarers are often interested in the local culture of port communities, as well. Tourist information, sightseeing tips and local shopping information are all welcome. Maps, public transportation schedules, lists of local stores and markets organized by topic, and some information about local food and drink will be appreciated and can serve as the starting point of a conversation. All chaplains and visitors who encounter Chinese seafarers are well-advised to find ways to relate to these men and women of the sea who are in as much need as the many other nationalities we encounter in our daily work. The situation is, of course, incredibly

complicated: the immense cultural divide between China and the West is made even more complex by the blend of state and foreign employment among Chinese seafarers. But by taking into account the differences and similarities raised by this reality, Western ministries can prepare themselves well for ministry to Chinese seafarers and become even more effective in this dynamic opportunity for service. X

Dr. Kaimei Zhang is Assistant to the MARE Project, where she has engaged numerous Chinese seafarers to understand how maritime ministry can serve them better.

New wine in new wineskins Seafarers’ ministry and changing demographics PHOTO: Byeong Lee

by Rev. Dr. Byeong Lee

Many maritime ministries are fond of recalling their own origins and histories of development. Remembering early days of tireless effort to get a new ministry off the ground can provide needed inspiration when encountering problems or difficulty. Reflecting on the past is important for reasons beyond nostalgia, though: how we carried out our work in the past impinges directly on what we do today. This confers a significant responsibility upon everyone in seafarers’ ministry, as we must consider how to tend to seafarers best in current conditions. In a sense, we are behind in the game. The late Roald Kverndal once noted that “the revolution in the maritime industry that was well under way in the mid-1970s has, by the turn of the 21st century, still not resulted in a corresponding paradigm shift in maritime ministry.” We can summarize that revolution in a few words: globalization and massive demographic change. In other words, maritime ministries often still operate, for a variety of reasons, with methods and strategies that have remained the same for decades, and they have not taken into account the changing demographics of the women and men they serve. Paul Mooney agrees, writing that “traditional approaches to seafaring community are largely obsolete.” Current conditions in shipping, resulting in far briefer shore-leave, call for greater emphasis on ship-based, rather than solely shore-based, maritime ministry. This necessitates a “seafarer-centered” approach, with

agencies ashore empowering the seafarers themselves to be “the primary agents of mission and ministry.” At the same time, in view of the major role of Asians in the globalized maritime workforce of today, they must play a far greater role in modern-day maritime ministry, too. This is not to say that ministries and organizations have not begun addressing these issues. Several NAMMA conferences have done just that. During the period I was doing research, in 2000, the annual conference in Corpus Christi took as its theme “The Changing Face in the Maritime Community,” through which the participants discussed the increasing number of Asian seafarers. The 2003 Oakland conference took a different approach, examining “Biblical Dialogue with Other Religions in Maritime Community.” These efforts, while admirable, have been unable to cope fully with the changed context of the maritime community because their approach largely has remained traditional. Furthermore, their focus on the seafarer as the “recipient” of maritime ministry has missed half the equation: the minister. Given the vast increase in Asian seafarers in the era of hyper-globalization and ever-shortening turnaround times, we must look to Asian-ethnic seafarers ministering among their peers at sea as the future of maritime ministry. Furthermore, they will need the support of Asian-ethnic Christians ashore. Yet again, the maritime ministry community is aware of these trends. But de-

spite NAMMA’s appeal for more proactive “Asianization” in December 1986, the pace of such involvement has continued to be slow. Today, the vast majority of all port chaplains worldwide still is white and Western. Modern non-maritime missions are already shifting from Western missionaries and strategies to models built around non-Western personnel and contexts. Maritime ministry is behind this modern trend. Considering current demographics – more than 75% of seafarers are Asian – a ministry predicated on traditional methods is increasingly irrelevant to a quickly-changing context. This prevents us from making ourselves an appropriate channel to preach the Gospel to the people whom God has entrusted to us. That must change. We need workers who know firsthand seafarers’ language, culture, and way of life. We must encourage the diligent recruiting of workers among Asian churches who know Asian ethnic seafarers best. Land-based mission offers good lessons. The main idea of church planting, for example, is that churches grow best in a setting where community members share values. Missiologist Harvie Conn writes “where the cultural symbols of a congregation are congruent with those of a local community, the gospel will receive an easier hearing.” A term that helps us understand this need is “homogeneous unit,” which is “a section of society in which all the members have something in common.” Donald McGavran first used the term in the context of a rural Third World mission 9

Dr. Kaimei Zhang is Assistant to the MARE Project, where she has engaged numerous Chinese seafarers to understand how maritime ministry can serve them better.

New wine in new wineskins Seafarers’ ministry and changing demographics PHOTO: Byeong Lee

by Rev. Dr. Byeong Lee

PHOTO: Byeong Lee

field, but if we apply this principle to the maritime community, then it will be effective for planting and developing new ministries. Our mission takes a more strategically advantageous position when seafarers meet people who come from the same country, who use the same language, who understand the same culture, and who share the same ethnicity. In many port communities, a key resource in this new demand on ministry is found almost next door. Asian churches and communities can assist ministries to Asian seafarers, directly bridging the worlds and the concerns of land-focused and maritime ministries. Ministries could consider pursuing volunteers, paid staff, or even consultants from local Asian churches for their inherent expertise, even if they do not consider themselves to be ministers in a traditional sense. The potential for connecting with seafarers is as important as it is unquantifiable: when Asian seafarers see people who come from their own country or who hail from similar cultural contexts, they can more easily communicate their needs, wants, and concerns. If the values they see in seafarers’ centers are congruent or consistent with those they know elsewhere, the Gospel message will seem more familiar, more accessible, and more relevant to their lives. To this point maritime ministry has approached its work from an entirely Western perspective, not taking into account the differing cultural contexts of those whom we serve. It is well, then, to remember the pivotal events recounted in Acts 2: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages…each one heard them speaking in the native language 10

of each.” Even though many centers rely on local religious associations or individual congregations for financial support, more direct involvement by the men and women who worship in those communities could be of even greater assistance. West Coast ports have been at the forefront of new efforts to minister to Asian seafarers and have embraced many of these new possibilities. One prominent example is the Port of Vancouver, British Columbia, where 2,500 merchant ships and 45,000-50,000 seafarers call annually. As in other ports, there are several denominational chaplains who work together, including Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Christian Reformed; the Korean International Maritime Mission (KIMM) offers support for Asian ethnic seafarers. This is where the contributions of local ethnic communities come to enhance maritime ministry. Byun Sang Ho, a lay Korean chaplain, was appointed as missionary by KIMM and sent to Vancouver. He also worked as an associate port chaplain at the local seafarers’ center. More practically, the local Korean community supports him financially. There are more than 45,000 Koreans in Vancouver, and Mr. Byun works with 20 of the 70 local Korean churches. Another example is Seattle, where three denominations (Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican) operated two seafarers’ centers from 1947 until last year. Rev. Won Jong Choi, the founder and director of KIMM, worked with these denominations starting in 1994. There are over 120,000 Koreans who live in the Seattle-Tacoma area and over 150 Korean churches. Rev. Choi cooperates with about

20 Korean churches in the area. A third example is Portland, where the Portland Seafarers’ Ministry has been serving 45,000 international seamen annually since 1975. Rev. Jong Sik Shin has represented KIMM there since 1990. There are about 20,000 Koreans and 50 Korean churches in the Portland area. Rev. Shin works with 10 Korean churches that actively support his ministry. The Port of Oakland has enjoyed the service of many local seafarers’ ministries: the Bay Area Seafarers’ Center (funded by the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York & New Jersey), the Apostleship of the Sea, the Seafarers’ Ministry of the Golden Gate, the Richmond Seamen’s Center, and KIMM. Though now retired, Rev. Captain Tae Suk Yang did significant work there for over a decade starting in 1999. More than 10 of the roughly 75 Korean churches in the area actively participated in Yang’s ministry. Though the last year has seen changes in the partnerships at work in Oakland, a Korean Presbyterian chaplain still serves the port on a regular basis. Finally, the Seamen’s Church Institute has served international seafarers in Philadelphia since 1843. Under the SCI umbrella, Catholics, Southern Baptists, and Koreans (KIMM) work together to tend to seafarers’ welfare. Korean-American cooperation began in 1992, when I, a former seafarer, arrived in Philadelphia. There are over 50,000 Koreans and over 150 Korean churches in the Philadelphia area. In one of the most diverse and rich environments, about 10 Korean, 6 Chinese, and 10 American churches support and are actively involved with the mission. The maritime ministry community must develop new, dynamic, and effective ways of reaching out to seafarers through cooperation between the traditional seafarers’ centers and prospective Asian chaplains, and between prospective Asian chaplains and the local Asian church community in port cities. But the possibilities – indeed the demands – of twenty-first century seafarers’ welfare go beyond the men and women of the sea from Asia. With the ever smaller amount of time available in port, which we cannot expect to increase, seafarers’ welfare ministries would do well to look to all ethnic groups in port communities to help ease communication and collaboration with seafarers of all nationalities. And just who these seafarers are is going to change. Because seafaring is an indus-

try dominated by women and men from the developing world, the ethnic makeup of seafaring will change as national and regional economies evolve in the global economy. Are we prepared, for instance, for an influx of African seafarers, or mariners from the Middle East? The Asian examples outlined above illustrate vividly new directions in maritime ministry; however, they are but the beginning of a long cycle of demographic change that ministries must be prepared to face with joy and energy. Those ever-shortening turnaround times bring us full-circle: embodying the “homogenous unit” by making the seafarers themselves ministers at sea. It is here, in training mariners to continue what assistance we can offer ashore while on long contracts at sea, that communicating smoothly and efficiently with seafarers of all nationalities is crucial. If we are to respect seafarers’ home cultures and tailor our ministries to them – especially when

those home cultures are non-Western – then we must equip them with the tools (be they literature, discussion techniques, conversation starters, or other materials) that make the most sense given the makeup of the crew they will serve alongside. The evangelist Matthew quotes Jesus Christ as saying “Therefore go and make disciplines of all nations”; surely this injunction applies not just to us as maritime ministry professionals, but also to those to whom we offer spiritual care when requested. X

Rev. Dr. Byeong Lee is Senior Chaplain, Seamen’s Church Institute Philadelphia.

This article is based on Chapter 8, “Ministry Development,” of Byeong Lee’s Westminster Theological Seminary doctoral dissertation. The chapter was edited by Michael Skaggs, NAMMA Executive Assistant, for publication in The MARE Report. For further reading, please see Roald Kverndal in the 2003 newsletter of the International Association for the Study of Maritime Mission (IASMM); Rev. Dr. Paul Mooney Maritime Mission (Boekencentrum, 2005); Harvie M. Conn, Planting and Growing Urban Churches (Baker, 1997); and Donald McGavran and C. Peter Wagner, Understanding Church Growth (Eerdmans, 1990).

PHOTO: Byeong Lee

Rev. Dr. Byeong Lee is Senior Chaplain, Seamen’s Church Institute Philadelphia.

An interview with Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association

of Morgan Marketing & Communications in 1999 and NAMEPA in 2007, Lyden-Kluss has played a key role in numerous maritime organizations. She is the Executive Director of New York Maritime, Inc. (NYMAR), development consultant for NAMMA, global press officer for the Women’s International Shipping

& Trading Association (WISTA), president emerita of the Propeller Club of New York and New Jersey, a co-founder of the Merchant Marine Policy Coalition, and a co-founder of the Consortium for International Marine Heritage. In February 2016 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) appointed her one of two Maritime Ambassadors for the United States on the nomination of the United States Coast Guard. She’s also held a 100-ton Captain’s license. Lyden-Kluss’s accomplishments begin to convey her passion for the maritime industry. As she put it during our interview, “I wake up every day thinking, ‘how can I make the industry better today?’.” She was offered such an opportunity at the 2006 MAREFORUM Conference in Greece. When she proposed a marine environment protection association (MEPA) for North America, she was told it could not be done; Lyden-Kluss told NAMMA “You can bet what happened next.” Utilizing her extensive network of contacts across the industry, Lyden-Kluss and co-founder Clay Maitland secured the support of shipping ownership, the US Coast Guard, and classification societies to form NAMEPA in 2007. NAMEPA forms part of the global effort to protect the marine environment. Just the year before NAMEPA was incorporated in October 2007, the MEPAs of Australia, Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, and Uruguay founded the International Marine Environment Protection Association (INTERMEPA). NAMEPA joined later, along with the MEPA of Ukraine. NAMEPA’s formal mission is simple: “save our seas.” Its approach to this mission is twofold. First, NAMEPA “engages industry, regulators, environmental groups, educators and the public by promoting sound environmental practices.” Second, it carries out this engagement by “educating seafarers, students and the public about the need and strategies for protecting global ocean resources.” With partnerships and alliances with a wide variety of organizations such

PHOTOS: Carleen Lyden-Kluss

At the 2016 Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA) Annual Shipping Conference, the conference’s organizers generously offered the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA) space for its own parallel sessions on seafarers’ welfare. NAMMA met with Carleen Lyden-Kluss, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA), to discuss how NAMEPA’s mission of caring for the environment influences the work of seafarers’ welfare. As one of the maritime industry’s best-known advocates, Lyden-Kluss knows that seafarers are the women and men “without which we wouldn’t have an industry.” The early years of Lyden-Kluss’s life foreshadowed her work for the betterment of the maritime industry. A native of Grosse Ile, Michigan, just south of Detroit, she grew up watching ships travel the Detroit River and sailed competitively on the Great Lakes. She later moved east to attend Wellesley College in Massachusetts. Lyden-Kluss got an introduction to the maritime industry through her former husband, who worked as a tanker broker, and later through her work in cruise ship marketing. After graduating from Wellesley with a degree in political science and history, she worked for Ogilvy & Mather, one of the largest advertising firms in the world. In 1995, Lyden-Kluss, who describes herself as “an idea person,” joined International Marketing Strategies. It was from here that her career in business and advocacy skyrocketed. In 1997 she, Jim Lawrence, and others founded the television program Shipping News, the first of its kind for the maritime industry. In 2003 she and Peter Larom of the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York and New Jersey organized the Alliance of Episcopal Maritime Ministries (where she was introduced to NAMMA). And in 2006, she organized the first observance of World Maritime Day in the United States. In addition to her founding and leadership

“Without which we wouldn’t have an industry”

as the US Coast Guard, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, Ocean Conservancy, the IMO, leaders in industry, and the National Marine Educators Association, NAMEPA gathers together stakeholders who are all committed to protecting the environment in which seafarers work day in and day out. NAMEPA is not alone in the effort to safeguard the planet’s maritime resources. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which went into force in 1983 and has been updated several times since, provides a legal framework for maritime environmental safety. But as MARPOL’s multiple annexes - on pollution by oil, noxious liquid substances, harmful packaged substances, sewage, garbage, and airborne emissions - attest, our understanding of how shipping interacts with the marine environment perpetually is evolving. While there are those responsible for studying these changes and others in charge of regulating them, NAMEPA’s job is to educate, spreading knowledge of marine pollution prevention and how industry and others can help to reduce it. The educational component of NAMEPA’s mission helps reconnect shipping and the general public. As Rose George publicized so well with her 2013 book Ninety Percent of Everything, most consumers remain entirely unaware of the crucial role that shipping plays in our everyday lives. NAMEPA bridges this gap in several ways. For instance, it helps students in K-12 classrooms learn about the marine implications of environmental problems by producing Educator’s Guides on marine debris, the environment, and the marine industry. NAMEPA also helps foster careers in the maritime industry and sponsors a Safety at Sea seminar. These educational programs also

(Top) Lyden-Kluss with Clay Maitland, Co-Founder of NAMEPA, and Niels A. Alund, Senior Vice President, West Gulf Maritime Association and with Jack Buono, President and CEO Seariver Maritime, Inc., an ExxonMobil affiliate

highlight a key distinction: while NAMEPA is a strong advocate for the betterment of the marine environment, as a 501(c)3 organization it does not engage in lobbying. Instead, the Association aims to educate and inform so as to create an atmosphere more respectful of the sea and reflective of the damage that has been and can be caused by practices that we mistakenly think stop at water’s edge. But NAMEPA also has a less formal mission that yields important results. As Lyden-Kluss describes it, NAMEPA is a “portal” between stakeholders in the maritime industry, serving as a consultative and connective network between organizations that can find common cause in the care of the ocean. It soon will open its Gulf Coast headquarters at the Houston Maritime Museum: the Port of Houston is a model of the good relationships that can exist between the many groups involved in the maritime

industry. NAMEPA, then, is a place where bodies like NAMMA, the US Coast Guard, and leaders in industry can come together and agree on practices, policies, and priorities that stand to benefit all. For example, Lyden-Kluss noted that NAMEPA has provided educational materials on MARPOL to ship visiting chaplains. These women and men can then help educate seafarers on the legal implications of environmental practices on board, informing the seafarers of their own responsibility - not just that of shipowners and officers - to care for the sea even when it might make an already jam-packed day more busy. This is important work, to be sure: seafarers are on the front lines of environmental protection, and so “they must be adequately trained” to ensure the safety of the sea. By fostering even closer relationships between welfare organizations, regulators, and industry, NAMEPA helps spread awareness of the interconnected responsibilities for marine stewardship. The health of the ocean is not solely the duty of environmental organizations, seafarers themselves, or industry. While maritime ministry remains hidden from sight for the majority of North Americans, even those in Christian denominations, care for the environment in general often is taken to be a moral imperative of the faith. In Genesis 1 we read “God saw everything that He had made, and indeed, it was very good.” Some of the largest faith organizations in North America have become vocal advocates for ecological safety. In April the National Council of Churches filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia in support of the Clean Power Plan. The Episcopal Church USA “strives to engage climate change litigation” at the local, national, and international level. And in his landmark 2015 encyclical on the environment, Laudato Sí, Pope Francis quoted his namesake when he wrote “our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us.” Precisely because so much of our planet is comprised of the ocean and so much of our global economy unfolds on the seas every day, care for the marine environment must be exercised by all. In NAMEPA, the sea has a powerful advocate and those who work for seafarers’ welfare have an important resource in assisting seafarers to care for their workplace. MS NAMMA thanks Carleen Lyden-Kluss for her time at the CMA 2016 conference and continued service to NAMMA. For more information, visit www.namepa.net.

An interview with Carleen Lyden-Kluss, co-founder and executive director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association

PHOTOS: Carleen Lyden-Kluss

“Without which we wouldn’t have an industry”

PHOTO: Douglas B. Stevenson Session to adopt the MLC, 2006 at the ILO in February 2006

ICMA AND THE ILO by Douglas B. Stevenson

The International Labour Organization (ILO), headquartered in Geneva, is a specialized agency of the United Nations that creates and monitors international labor standards in a variety of industries. Unique among UN agencies, it uses a tripartite structure whereby representatives from governments, trade unions, and employers develop and adopt its standards. In addition, several non-governmental organizations are accredited to the ILO. While they cannot vote at the ILO, non-governmental organizations make important contributions to the ILO by providing expert advice in developing stan14

dards and in implementing those standards operationally. For more than thirty years, the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA) has held consultative status with the ILO as a non-governmental organization. ICMA has provided and continues to provide to the ILO valuable insights and recommendations gained through its members’ experience in maritime ministry. From its very beginning in 1919, the ILO focused its attention on seafarers. From 1920 to 2001, the ILO adopted 68 maritime conventions and recommendations. In 2001, at the request of shipowners and trade unions,

the ILO began a project of consolidating and updating existing ILO Conventions and Recommendations into a new, single “framework convention” on maritime labor standards, finally called the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006). The project of consolidating all of the ILO maritime instruments was unprecedented in its ambition and scope. The ICMA Executive Committee recognized that ICMA’s collective experience and knowledge about seafarers’ lives and work would make a significant contribution to this momentous undertaking. The Executive Committee also appreciated that the project would be

very technical and that its delegation to the ILO, to be effective, must have expertise on the issues and provide a consistent presence. To achieve this, the Executive Committee established a Standing Delegation to the ILO in 2001. I was appointed the chairman of this new delegation. Through the many meetings convened to consolidate the ILO instruments between 2002 and 2006 to the project’s completion by the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention, ICMA was ably represented by its Standing Delegation, including Ken Peters from the Mission to Seafarers, Domingo Gonzales Joyanes from the Apostleship of the Sea Spain, Jaakko Laasio from the Finnish Seamen’s Mission, Chris York from AOS UK, and ICMA General Secretaries Berend Van Dijken and Juergen Kanz. Unlike the structure of the MLC, 2006, where regulations, standards and guidelines are vertically connected by subject matter, the first draft of the consolidated convention was horizontally organized by articles, regulations, and rules, making it very difficult to connect the topics addressed therein. The ICMA Standing Delegation prepared a comprehensive position paper that not only contained ICMA’s positions on the proposals but also connected the articles, regulations and rules by subject matter. Because of the ICMA position paper’s organization, many other delegations used it to connect the various issues being debated. They also became aware of ICMA’s views on the proposals. ICMA held three fundamental objectives throughout the deliberations: that the convention maintain seafarers’ welfare provisions contained in the other ILO instruments; that established seafarers’ rights, particularly their right to medical care, not be eroded; and that mandatory standards for port state control, catering and accommodations contained in ILO-147, the Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1976, be maintained. All of these objectives were accomplished in the final text of the MLC, 2006. In addition, thirty-one of ICMA’s other proposals were included in the Convention. The MLC, 2006 represents the most significant development in the long history of seafarers’ rights law, and ICMA played a significant role in developing it. In just one hundred pages, it provides a comprehensive statement that reflects both fundamen-

PHOTO: Douglas B. Stevenson Douglas Stevenson with Rev’d Cannon Ken Peters of The Mission to Seafarers representing ICMA at a recent meeting of the ILO.

tal, time-honored seafarers’ rights as well as modern shipping realities. The MLC, 2006 includes standards for conditions of employment, hours of work and rest, accommodation, recreational facilities, food and catering, health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection for seafarers, regulating recruitment and placement services, and flag State inspection systems. For the first time in any ILO Convention, the MLC, 2006 includes seafarers’ rights to shore leave - an ICMA proposal. In addition to its work on the MLC, 2006, the ICMA Standing Delegation has provided valuable contributions to developing the Seafarers’ Identity Document Convention, 2003 and the Work in Fishing Convention, 2007. The ICMA Standing Delegation to the ILO is now comprised of myself as chairman, Ken Peters from the Mission to Seafarers, Domingo Gonzales Joyanes from AOS Spain, and Jaakko Laasio from the Finnish Seamen’s Mission. In recent years, the ILO’s work in the maritime sector has focused on the Special Tripartite Committee that was established by the MLC, 2006 to keep the working of the Convention under contin-

uous review and on meetings to develop amendments to the Seafarers’ Identity Document Convention. The ICMA Standing Delegation continues to participate in these meetings and to provide the ILO with its unique perspective on seafarers’ and fishers’ lives and work. X

Douglas B. Stevenson is the director of the Center for Seafarers’ Rights, The Seamen’s Church Institute of New York & New Jersey and represents SCI on the Executive Committee of the International Christian Maritime Association.

PHOTO: Douglas B. Stevenson Session to adopt the MLC, 2006 at the ILO in February 2006

ICMA AND THE ILO by Douglas B. Stevenson

PHOTO: Douglas B. Stevenson Douglas Stevenson with Rev’d Cannon Ken Peters of The Mission to Seafarers representing ICMA at a recent meeting of the ILO.

“Preach the Gospel – use words if necessary”

At the turn of the century, Dr. D. C. Berkemeier of Mount Vernon, New York, learned about ministry among seafarers in Germany. Berkemeier set about raising funds from New York churches and accumulated enough to bring a German pastor to Hoboken, New Jersey, creating the Society for the Care of German Seamen. In 1907, this German Seamen’s Mission bought the building at 64 Hudson Street in Hoboken to care for Germans calling at the port. During World War I German immigrants fell under suspicion. American authorities arrested the society’s then-pastor, the Rev. Hermann Bruckner, in 1917, interning him and the rest of the German seafarers on Ellis Island until 1919. World War II saw the mission fall under close scrutiny again. After the war, shorter turnaround times pushed the German Seamen’s Mission to prioritize ship visiting rather than residential services. In 1974 the Mission embraced a formal denominational affiliation, joining the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Lutheran Church in America. Ministers founded Lutheran Advocates for Maritime Ministry in 1981. This body 16

Emigranten Haus, 1873

coordinated ministries from the Port of New York all the way around the American coast. Seafarers' & International House absorbed LAMM in 2014, which had also absorbed the German Seamen’s Mission in New York in 2012. These shifts made SIH the remaining institutional voice for Lutheran maritime ministry in North America. The present state of Lutheran maritime ministry is far removed from its origins on the Hoboken waterfront. Several trends suggest ministry restricted to seafarers of a given denomination, or viewing maritime ministry only as providing religious services onboard, likely will enjoy little success moving forward. In maritime ministry’s early years, the presence of strong state churches in seafarers’ home countries meant ethnic and denominational ministry often overlapped substantially. In the specific case of historically Lutheran German sea-

farers, explicit faith profession often has disappeared. Journalist Markus Spieker estimated in 2009 that perhaps only 3 or 4 percent of Germans regularly participate in Christian worship or church-affiliated organizations, despite a very high nominal association with either Catholicism or Protestantism. The Rev. Arnd Braun-Storck, a Seafarers’ & International House chaplain, said “Germans are very secular” generally; as such, this group looks more for the services side of chaplaincy rather than pastoral care. BIMCO’s recent quinquennial report noted that China and the Philippines are the top two producers of seafarers in the world, meaning Roman Catholics (over 80% of Filipinos are Catholic), Buddhists, and atheists now dominate the seafaring trade. Braun-Storck notes that Francis of Assisi offers advice (even if apocryphal) from the thirteenth century: “Preach the Gospel; use words if necessary.” The Rev. Marsh Luther Drege, Executive Director of Seafarers’ & International House, puts it more succinctly: North American Lutheran maritime ministry today “encourages people to have a ministry of presence.” Drege says such a ministry means starting a ship visit not with “Do you need phone cards?” but rather “Here I am.” He calls those practical supplies and services “the icing on the cake.” “We have a valuable thing we can offer people that doesn’t have anything to do with the practical,” Drege argues. “The cake itself is being on the ship, accompanying seafarers at mealtimes or during a break, just being available.” Braun-Storck agrees, working to develop relationships from the low-stakes encounter of supplying practical assistance. The Rev. Heike Proske, Executive Director of the Deutsche Seemannsmission outside of Germany, takes a simpler route: “Here I am. We can talk.” Proske believes the simple act of conversation can help combat the intense feelings of isolation that the nature of life aboard ship engenders. Drege describes it

Top left clockwise: Seafarers' International House, Marsh Drege, Arnd Braun-Storck, Sigrid Erickson, Ruth Setaro

PHOTOS: NAMMA

Maritime ministry goes back some two centuries in North America. How Lutherans have contributed is a complicated story owing to the nineteenth-century trend of founding numerous ethnic immigrant organizations. 1860 saw the establishment in New York of Das Deutsches Emigranten Haus; thirteen years later, the Church of Sweden’s Seafarers’ & International House worked with this German Emigrants’ House to help assist and shelter both migrants and seafarers.

NAMMA thanks the Revs. Arnd Braun-Storck, Marsh Luther Drege, and Heike Proske, who contributed their time and expertise to this article. For further reading, see Sarah Pulliam Bailey’s article “Germany’s ‘Cold Religion’” in Christianity Today, November 9, 2009; BIMCO / ICS’s Manpower Report 2015; the archived Web site of Lutheran Advocates for Maritime Mission at lammworld.org; and the histories of the German Seamen’s Mission written by Clint Padgitt and Herbert Patzelt.

even more simply, saying chaplains are well-positioned to remind seafarers “they are they not alone. They are seen. They matter.” Organizational relationships, as in the past, remain confusing today. Even before Seafarers’ & International House absorbed it, the German Seamen’s Mission of New York was not related to the Deutsche Seemannsmission; nor does the DSM maintain any formal association with the North American Lutheran ministers active in seafarers’ ministry today. The future, however, may prove more connected. All involved in seafarers’ ministry are painfully aware of the challenges of increasing financial difficulty, more complex regulations, and even deciding what services to provide. Given these hurdles to effective maritime ministry, closer relationships, vibrant networks, and shared knowledge all would contribute to the betterment of seafarers’ welfare. The Rev. Braun-Storck long ago cleared one hurdle to effective ministry by gaining clinical pastoral education (CPE). His “ministry of presence” thrives on intense reflection and explicit preparation for the daily work of maritime ministry. Programs drawing other potential ministers into maritime ministry might equip men and women with similar knowledge; partnership between the Deutsche Seemannsmission and American Lutherans might even enable personnel exchanges for mutual educational experiences. Regardless of the practical moves welfare organizations make in the future to stay relevant, shared experience, mutual reinforcement, and collaboration represent the way forward for maritime ministry. MS 17

“Preach the Gospel – use words if necessary”

Emigranten Haus, 1873

Top left clockwise: Seafarers' International House, Marsh Drege, Arnd Braun-Storck, Sigrid Erickson, Ruth Setaro

PHOTOS: NAMMA

2015 NAMMA CONFERENCE

MONTREAL The international seafarers’ welfare meeting discusses challenges and planning success

rom September 29 to October 2, 2015, delegates gathered in Montreal for the North American Maritime Ministry Association’s (NAMMA) annual conference. The conference gathered more than 120 participants—a record number—from a wide spectrum of non-profit organizations and industry leaders to discuss the challenges of seafaring life and new initiatives to confront those challenges. The annual conference is a great occasion for NAMMA to gather its more than 50 port-based non-profit organizations from across North America; in this case, the conference especially included the seafarers’ centres in many of Canada’s major ports. Because most of these centers (or “seamen’s clubs” or “missions,” as they are often called) are independent non-profits, NAMMA has worked for many years to strengthen the network with annual and regional conferences and professional development tools. The Association has a very active online presence, with numerous high-quality resources to help seafarers’ welfare organizations excel in their care of mariners. The presence of a number of international delegates and strategic funding partners made the Montreal conference a milestone in NAMMA history. Partners from the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA), including the Apostleship of the Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, Sailor’s Society and German Seamen’s Mission (Deutsche Seemannsmission)

were all present. Furthermore, partners from the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), the ITF Seafarers’ Trust, the UK Merchant Navy Welfare Board, Seafarers’ UK, and the TK Foundation all participated with enthusiasm. Many of these partner associations represent the shipping industry and labor at their highest levels. Two themes dominated the conversations heard around the Montreal gathering: first, how do port-based seafarers’ welfare centers use new, web-based technology to improve their work? The conference saw the launch of a number of new communications initiatives, new projects that will help seafarers connect both with the services they want ashore and with their families back home. Indeed, the seafarers’ centers in North American ports continue to be the top provider of telephone and Internet connections for most crews. As ports and shipping companies think further about their responsibility to provide Internet access while on board, seafarers’ welfare groups can provide specific information about those needs and model a wonderful track record of success. The second topic of conversation – and the real theme of the conference – was service to seafarers and their families. Many of those attending the conference have experience at sea or with a family member at sea. A number of speakers helped understand what sacrifices seafarers make for families and what those of us who benefit

PHOTO: Noah Leon Participants gathered at the historic “Sailor’s Church” in Old Montreal for the opening session of the conference

The presence of a number of international delegates and strategic funding partners made the Montreal conference a milestone in NAMMA history.

from their sacrifices might do in return. No doubt, volunteering at a seafarers’ center is a great first step. What better way to say ‘thank you’ to seafarers who bring us 90% of our goods than being a volunteer at a centre? Yet, as we learned at the conference, not all seafarers can go ashore and the cost of communication by telephone or Internet is still very high for them. The conference heard from a SIM card company executive, a leading ship chandler, and several other key Internet-based communication leaders on the technical challenges and future

possibilities in the industry. The many chaplains and ship visitors gathered were happy to hear that new developments in this field will continue to help seafarers connect more closely with their families. Above all, it was to the Association’s benefit that the conference was again in Canada. The majority of NAMMA’s members are in the United States, but the many partnerships between Canadian ports, industry, and seafarers’ welfare organizations show leadership in the field for our Southern neighbors. The conference hotel was within walking distance of the

Mariner’s House of Montreal; all conference participants visited there at some point during the week. All remarked on the beauty and functionality of the space, the dynamism of the staff, and how well the organization is run. Indeed, the supporters of the Montreal Seafarers’ Centre should be proud of this peer review – the organization’s work and support base is a beautiful accomplishment! JZ The 2016 NAMMA Conference will take place in Portsmouth, Virginia, with the assistance of Seafarers’ Agencies of Hampton Roads.

2015 NAMMA CONFERENCE

MONTREAL The international seafarers’ welfare meeting discusses challenges and planning success

PHOTO: Noah Leon Participants gathered at the historic “Sailor’s Church” in Old Montreal for the opening session of the conference

The presence of a number of international delegates and strategic funding partners made the Montreal conference a milestone in NAMMA history.

STATE OF THE PORTS With close to fifty ports and numerous other private facilities, the Great Lakes see some of the most important shipping traffic in North America. Shipping on the Lakes serves a key role in sending several natural resources to the world market, along with bringing in many tons of cargo for American and Canadian markets. All that traffic has to be carried by someone, and that means that the Great Lakes are an important place for seafarers’ welfare ministries. But whom those ministries serve, and where they are on the Great Lakes, is far from uniform. The circumstances of seafarers’ welfare differ enormously whether one is in the United States or Canada, whether a given port caters primarily to freshwater or oceangoing ships, and who crews the ships involved. 20

To gain a broad perspective on this network of ports along the inland seas, NAMMA spoke with Steven Fisher, Executive Director of the American Great Lakes Port Association, who lobbies in Washington, D.C. on behalf of port authorities. Fisher likened the role of port authorities to that of airports: while they are aware of the evolving relationships between ship labor and ownership, they have little involvement in the matter. Local port authorities often are aware of the good work being done by seafarers’ welfare groups – Fisher specifically mentioned the Twin Ports Seafarers’ Centre in Duluth, Minnesota and the International Seamen’s Center at Burns Harbor. One aspect of Great Lakes shipping that differentiates it from coastal ports is the close mixing of oceangoing vessels (or “salties”)

PHOTOS: Flickr

Great Lakes seafarers’ welfare

with ships that mostly ply freshwa- One aspect of ter. The distinction is important. Many of those freshwater ships are Great Lakes shipcrewed by American or Canadian ping that differentinationals, often with substantial union protection that goes above ates it from coastal and beyond the provisions of the ports is the close Maritime Labour Convention, 2006. As Fisher pointed out, this mixing of oceanmeans that seafarers’ welfare minis- going vessels (or tries typically have little presence in ports that cater only to freshwater “salties”) with ships ships. Those ships’ crews very of- that mostly ply ten operate on fixed routes, on set schedules with short turnaround freshwater. times, and in good working conditions. They are usually paid much more than their foreign counterparts on ships flagged outside the United States or Canada. Perhaps more importantly, they are able to spend much more time with their families than long-contract, foreign crews on salties. Monsignor Thomas Snyderwine, Port Chaplain at Erie, Pennsylvania, said this is a real gap in seafarers’ welfare: with so little time in port, it is difficult to provide support to freshwater crews who might be in real need of emotional or spiritual assistance. So in the freshwater ports that predominate on the American side of the Lakes, the needs of American or Canadian seafarers differ greatly from the needs of those men and women from far and wide who call at saltwater ports. The balance of seafarers’ welfare falls to Canadian ministries, then, as many of these ports are along the St. Lawrence River. Even when ships come as far inland as Lake Ontario, their key stops are Canadian and they will not often transit the Welland Canal, the gateway to most American Great Lakes ports. In some ways, the picture is a bit rosier for saltwater seafarers. Canadian ministries abound in Québec City, Montreal, Toronto, Sept-Îles, Toronto, Oshawa, and beyond. And as Fisher explained, many of the ships transiting the St. Lawrence will make multiple stops along the way, so seafarers will not always need to leave the ship to resupply or call home every time they arrive in port. But when they do need or want the services offered by seafarers’ welfare ministries, there is an abundance of “good old-fashioned Canadian hospitality” available, as Deacon Derek Skelton of the Apostleship of the Sea put it, to address their pressing needs. All of this means that along the Great Lakes, seafarers’ welfare is characterized by a grand trade-off. American and Canadian national crews usually work with generous contracts, fixed routes, ample time with family, and the citizenship that makes debarking relatively simple. But these factors restrict the demand side of seafarers’ welfare, which in turn makes fundraising and staffing extraordinarily difficult in freshwater ports on the Lakes. The gap between welfare needs and national bodies like the American Great Lakes Port Association, as Steven Fisher acknowledges, is understandable to an extent: the needs of freshwater seafarers do not seem to be as pressing for those of oceangoing crews. For the latter, there are more centers, more chaplains, and more support available. NAMMA counts among its members many key centers along the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence Seaway, including several Mission to Seafarers outposts, Apostleship of the Sea chaplains, and the intrepid, down-to-earth ministry carried out by lone rangers like Arthur Taylor at the Welland

Canal Mission. With this good “supply,” though, there is an extremely heavy “demand.” Even on those ships that adhere closely to the Maritime Labour Convention, the unavoidable isolation of life at sea necessitates a place to unwind, call home, and simply get off ship for a bit while in port. As with most non-profit organizations and ministerial programs, the answer to redressing both side’s needs seems to be more: more funding, more personnel, and more awareness of what seafarers need. NAMMA hopes that publications like its annual MARE Report, events such as the yearly NAMMA conference and parallel sessions at professional gatherings like the Connecticut Maritime Association, and the increasingly close connection between member centers will contribute to that more and begin eliminating the “grand trade-off” of Great Lakes seafarers’ welfare. Fortunately, this ultimate goal does not mean that good work is not being done at present. Quite the opposite: from Halifax to Duluth, seafarers’ welfare centers (both members of NAMMA and otherwise) ensure that the women and men who carry ninety percent of the world’s cargo have a warm welcome – many times literally so – no matter when or in what condition they arrive. The Mission to Seafarers, a ministry of the Anglican Church dating to the early nineteenth century, carries a great deal of this weight. With centers at Halifax, Saint John, Quebec, Montreal, the Southern

PHOTOS: Flickr

Great Lakes seafarers’ welfare

PHOTO: NAMMA Staff of the Montreal Seafarers’ Centre

All the way at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, Marshal Bundren runs a one-man show at the International Seamen’s Center servicing Burns Harbor, Indiana.

NAMMA is grateful for the support of SeafarersUK, who sponsored the project for which this article was originally written.

PHOTO: Marshal Bundren Chaplain Marshal Bundren with a seafarer in Burns Harbor, IN

Ontario region, Windsor, the St. Clair River, and Thunder Bay, the “Flying Angel” rarely is far from seafarers in need. Mission chaplains and volunteers stand ready with a place to relax, much-needed supplies, and a chance to call home for a few minutes and catch up with family not seen or heard from in weeks or months. The numbers speak for themselves: in 2014, the Halifax Mission alone provided transportation to nearly 3,000 seafarers, either to the center itself or to nearby destinations. Independent and collaborative centers provide crucial services to seafarers, too. A sterling example is Mariners’ House in Montreal, where an Apostleship of the Sea chaplaincy, the Christian Reformed tradition Ministry to Seafarers, and the Montreal Mission to Seafarers come together to visit ships and welcome seafarers to the House. Those combined efforts brought over 12,000 seafarers to Mariners’ House in 2014. Indeed seafarers’ welfare is an ecumenical project all the way from the organizational level down to the everyday tasks of transporting mariners and making sure the coffee stays hot. A few hundred miles northeast, far up the Rivière Saguenay, Denis Côté and a group of dedicated volunteers maintain a center, visit ships, and transport seafarers to replenish supplies when ships call at La Baie. All the way at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, Marshal Bundren runs a one-man show at the International Seamen’s Center servicing Burns Harbor, Indiana. Relying entirely on the generosity of donors, Bundren is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. He 22

plies an enormous stretch of the lake and sometimes drives all the way to Chicago in service to seafarers. When asked, seafarers often give near-universal acclaim for the work of the ministries that tend to their needs while in port. Those needs might include something as mundane as a few games of ping-pong or as momentous as meeting a child for the first time via Skype. But we must beware romanticizing life at sea. On the best of contracts, seafaring is isolating, monotonous, and dangerous. At times, service as a seafarer entails the rough and tumble of crew disagreements and a painful uncertainty about when one might hear from family or see a friendly face again. Even as we debate how “the 1%” should fit into our societies and economies, most remain ignorant that maritime shipping carries “the 90%” of all transported cargo, as Rose George put it in her aptly titled book Ninety Percent of Everything (2013). Seafarers’ centers step boldly into this gap between needs and services, between knowledge and ignorance, by ministering to the happiest and the most needful crews alike. The chaplains, staff, and volunteers that run centers up and down the St. Lawrence and the Great Lakes offer a constant reminder of Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Matthew: “I was a stranger, and you took me in.” MS

ADAPTING to CHANGE in

MARITIME MINISTRY by Paul Mooney

In many ways both shipping and maritime ministry are fields that demand close attention to change: without flexibility and a willingness to adapt to new circumstances, members of both industries are bound to fail. The MARE Report itself is a vivid example: I am writing this article on a smartphone while sitting in a hotel room in Shenyang, China. Seafarers around the world often find themselves in similar situations, and some can sit in their cabins or elsewhere on board ship and communicate easily with family and friends at home. Even for those who do not enjoy such connections at present, inevitably the day is coming when this mode of communication will be normal and affordable. The impact of the revolution in communications technology has already been felt in the world of maritime ministry and, as usual, the effects of such changes are felt more in some places than in others. The work of maritime ministry at any particular time has had to respond to the near-constant developments within shipping. If we consider some key changes in the industry just since the foundation of the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA), they seem almost overwhelming: containerisation; flagging-out; multi-national, multicultural, multi-faith crews; larger and larger ships; piracy and other security developments; and the list goes on. But seafarers’ ministries have responded to this array of challenges with a flexibility strengthened by a unity that encompasses diversity in organisation and outreach. This very real achievement is tempered by some of its costs, however: there is hardly a port in the world where you can avoid passing a place that was once a busy seafarers’ centre or beloved mariners’ church no longer in use. Recent changes and new demands on maritime ministries often make me think of those chaplains in the 1880s in the then-Missions to Seamen who were faced with the difficult and sometimes heartrending transition from a ministry to seafarers afloat to a land-based ministry of ship visiting on the docksides or running seafarers’ institutes. Those who had been inspired by John Ashley’s ministry of 23

PHOTO: NAMMA Staff of the Montreal Seafarers’ Centre

All the way at the southern tip of Lake Michigan, Marshal Bundren runs a one-man show at the International Seamen’s Center servicing Burns Harbor, Indiana.

NAMMA is grateful for the support of SeafarersUK, who sponsored the project for which this article was originally written.

PHOTO: Marshal Bundren Chaplain Marshal Bundren with a seafarer in Burns Harbor, IN

ADAPTING to CHANGE in

MARITIME MINISTRY by Paul Mooney

men and women of the sea presents another level of cultural transition, just as adapting to ministry for multicultural crews did in the past. Changes in maritime ministry have not been motivated only by external developments, however. With prayerful hearts, we can see also the presence and inspiration – literally the “in-breathing” – of the Holy Spirit in adapting maritime ministry. When Zebedee Rogers was moved to respond to the tears of a sea captain at a prayer meeting in Rotherhithe; when the Thames Revival was initiated; or when John Ashley’s pondering how the islanders in the Bristol Channel would get an opportunity to go to church, clearly the Spirit moved among us and brought forth real change. In the last case, the Mission to Seafarers was born. More recently, those who attended the consultation in Rotterdam that led to the formation of ICMA knew they were living a moment of kairos, but little did they realise the magnitude of changes in the seafaring world for which God was preparing them. If truly we believe that God is the lord of history, then we know that God operates in and through the global innovations and developments in seafaring as well as in and through the individual encounters and simple questions entailed by the need to drastically rethink models of maritime ministry. A Roman Catholic mission scholar once described a missionary as a flexible opportunist with the mind of the church. Perhaps in more ecumenical circles we can speak of flexible opportunists with a mind for the kingdom: if we have the right mind we can be sure that God will present us with opportunities to serve the kingdom ashore, afloat and even in the expanding realms of the digital world. X visiting ships at anchor in the Bristol Channel, sailing in his cutter from ship to ship, were not impressed with the word from headquarters to give up their tried and trusted methods of ministry and move to the docksides. In 1856, the Missions to Seamen Afloat, at Home and Abroad had been founded to continue and develop a ministry that was to be exercised primarily afloat. However, in the space of a few decades, times had changed. Ships spent much less time at anchor in port, steam cranes and rail connections were well-developed and even sailing ships were a mixture of iron and wood with auxiliary engines to hoist sails. The redoubtable Reverend Robert Boyer, first Superintendent of the Missions to Seamen, and those around him recognized the signs of the times: the ministry of the Missions to Seamen would have to adapt to changed circumstances. 24

And adapt it did. We can have great sympathy for the chaplains who gave up their beloved boats. A few ministries to ships at anchor still remain, as do a few seafarers’ hotels from a later era: as in other fields, no one size fits all in maritime ministry. In all cases, we can see moments when ministry is ripe for a change. Some of these needs are obvious, such as those spurred by technological innovations and new commercial arrangements, as well as changes due to political and social factors. It can often be more difficult to discern changes in society and the evanescent spirit of the times. We know that the so-called millennials now coming into the seafaring workforce are quite different in their attitudes and expectations from previous generations. For those of us from older generations, making connections and forming bonds with these

Paul Mooney is Dean of Ferns, The Cathedral Church of St. Edan, Church of Ireland. Mooney received his doctorate for a thesis on maritime ministry from the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Brussels, Belgium—published as Maritime Mission (Boekencentrum, 2005) —and has served as port chaplain in Korea, Belgium and Ireland. PHOTO: L. Vest, Houston Pilots Association

THE NETWORK GROWS As NAMMA’s calendar fills up, its members benefit AUGUST 2015 – VISITS TO BOSTON AND NEW YORK

It was a pleasure to be out among the members of NAMMA on the East Coast. From Por tsmouth to Boston, Newpor t to New York, NAMMA’s members demonstrated the great diversity and commitment that make our network strong. While at New England Seafarers’ Ministry in Boston, Executive Director Stephen Cushing was training new volunteers on how to fill out properly the forms seafarers must complete to send money and receive packages. SEPTEMBER 2015 – VISIT TO SOUTHAMPTON, UK

On this visit, Executive Director Dr. Jason Zuidema participated in discussions on adopting the Sailors’ Society Ship Visitor mobile application across the worldwide seafarers’ ministry network. Paul Langham of Sailors’ Society oversaw a test period for the app that lasted over the winter months, with feedback coming in from around the world. OCTOBER 2015 – NAMMA CONFERENCE – MONTREAL, QC

Welcoming Apostleship of the Sea-USA, ICMA and many others, the NAMMA conference featured seafarers’ welfare leaders from around the world. Marissa Oca of the Gig and the Amazing Sampaguita Foundation delivered a magnificent keynote address on the care of seafarers’ families in the Philippines. OCTOBER 2015 – NORTH AMERICA WORLD MARITIME DAY – LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, MD

Welcomed at The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS), this year’s World Maritime Day gathered educators from around North America and the world to discuss the future of maritime training. A keynote presentation was given by Admiral Paul Zukunft, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard.

PHOTOS: NAMMA

NOVEMBER 2015 – ICMA TRAINING WITH ISWAN – GDYNIA, POLAND

ICMA organized a trial of a hybrid training program that combined online lessons with a week of in-class sessions. The collaborative nature of the program was highlighted with a combined session on seafarers’ welfare with ISWAN. Students were treated to the warm, local hospitality of Fr. Edward Pracz, including a weekend getaway to the beautiful Kaszuby seafarers’ retreat center. 27

THE NETWORK GROWS As NAMMA’s calendar fills up, its members benefit AUGUST 2015 – VISITS TO BOSTON AND NEW YORK

PHOTOS: NAMMA

NOVEMBER 2015 – ICMA TRAINING WITH ISWAN – GDYNIA, POLAND

MARCH 2016 – OPENING OF NEW PALM BEACH SEAFARERS’ CENTER

DECEMBER 2015 – OPENING OF NEW SEAFARERS’ CENTER IN PORT ALBERNI, BC

After having operated as mobile chaplains for many years, a new seafarers’ center opened in the por t of Palm Beach. Thanks to the perseverance of Aaron Hoffman and a dedicated team of volunteer chaplains, the ministry will now be able to give visiting seafarers a place to relax and enjoy the stop in the Por t of Palm Beach.

Though some seafarers’ welfare organizations have existed in North America for generations, it is refreshing to see new centers begin. Rev. Curtis Korver served as an intern in the Montreal Ministry to Seafarers’ Center 20 years ago and has served in other ministries for many years since. After relocating to serve a local church in Port Alberni, British Columbia, Rev. Korver realized that a seafarers’ center could serve real needs. The new center opened its doors in December and continues to serve seafarers visiting the port!

MARCH 2016 – CMA PARALLEL SESSIONS ON SEAFARERS’ WELFARE

The organizers of the Connecticut Maritime Association Shipping Conference once again made available space for NAMMA to organize a parallel session on topics in seafarers’ welfare. This year’s meeting was convened under the banner of the MARE Project to discuss seafarers’ welfare in a digital world. Speakers talked about new initiatives in professional development, communications, and mobile applications, all with a view to better serving seafarers.

JANUARY 2016 – LAUNCH OF MARE PROJECT

The MARE Project proposes new solutions to the current challenges of seafarers’ welfare worldwide. Sponsored by the Mission to Seafarers, the project has launched a number of initiatives, including The MARE Report and MAREVision, a digital signage solution. A key focus of the project this year was to learn how to better communicate with Chinese seafarers, driving research conducted by MARE assistant Dr. Kaimei Zhang.

APRIL 2016 – ANCHOR HOUSE GALA – PORT MANATEE, FL

FEBRUARY 2016 – PARTICIPATION IN HOUSTON SCHOOL

It was rewarding to see par tnership in action when Anchor House in Por t Manatee invited Seafarers’ House Executive Director (and NAMMA Vice President) Lesley Warrick to give the keynote presentation at their annual fundraising banquet. NAMMA was fur ther privileged to have connected Anchor House with videographer Noah Leon, who produced an excellent promotional video (Chaplain Trish Alligood talks to a seafarer during the filming in this photo).

The Houston International Seafarers’ Center has hosted a Maritime Chaplain training school for more than 40 years. Endorsed by ecumenical partners in NAMMA and the Apostleship of the Sea from the beginning, this training school brings together all the resources of the thriving Port of Houston,Texas. Students this past year came from across the United States and Canada. FEBRUARY 2016 – VISITS ON GULF COAST

The US Gulf Coast is home to an ever-expanding number of terminals and maritime-related companies. February meetings took Executive Director Dr. Jason Zuidema from Brownsville, Texas, on the border with Mexico, to Pascagoula, Mississippi. Each seafarers’ ministry showed great creativity in responding to the challenges of building its capacity, but also amazing dedication in service to seafarers. The warm welcome from staff and supporters – like that of Chaplain Andreas Lewis and the board of the Brownsville Seafarers’ Center (pictured here) – shows the vibrancy of seafarers’ welfare across the region.

APRIL 2016 – ICMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING – ROME, ITALY

ICMA was welcomed by Bishop Joseph Kalathiparambil, Secretary for the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples (which includes the Apostleship of the Sea). The ICMA Executive Committee discussed the many strategic issues that are critical for its future success. ICMA was founded in 1969 and continues to bring together seafarers’ welfare organizations from across all denominations to foster cooperation and encourage common projects.

MARCH 2016 – CARIBBEAN SEMINAR – FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

PHOTOS: NAMMA

APRIL 2016 – DEVELOPMENT OF MAREVISION SOFTWARE

PHOTOS: NAMMA

Caribbean islands have hosted many seafarers’ welfare organizations in the last several decades. This year, NAMMA decided to host a meeting in Ft. Lauderdale – a home port for many of the cruise ships in the region – to discuss ways to improve seafarers’ welfare in the area. We were privileged to host speakers from the US Coast Guard, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Sailors’ Society, Mission to Seafarers, AOS-USA and the Port Welfare Project of ISWAN.

One of the initiatives of the larger MARE Project is to develop digital signage technology that can be used on any screen connected to the Internet and is easily programmable. In April we tested beta versions of the new software in multiple NAMMA locations. This new technology will allow seafarers’ centers to communicate up-to-date and important information with seafarers visiting their centers. 29

MARCH 2016 – OPENING OF NEW PALM BEACH SEAFARERS’ CENTER

DECEMBER 2015 – OPENING OF NEW SEAFARERS’ CENTER IN PORT ALBERNI, BC

MARCH 2016 – CMA PARALLEL SESSIONS ON SEAFARERS’ WELFARE

JANUARY 2016 – LAUNCH OF MARE PROJECT

APRIL 2016 – ANCHOR HOUSE GALA – PORT MANATEE, FL

FEBRUARY 2016 – PARTICIPATION IN HOUSTON SCHOOL

APRIL 2016 – ICMA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING – ROME, ITALY

MARCH 2016 – CARIBBEAN SEMINAR – FORT LAUDERDALE, FL

PHOTOS: NAMMA

APRIL 2016 – DEVELOPMENT OF MAREVISION SOFTWARE

PHOTOS: NAMMA

MAY 2016 – NATIONAL MARITIME DAY

National Maritime Day in the United States is observed every May 22, the date in 1819 when the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia, on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power. After a morning ceremonial observance at the Maritime Administration headquarters (during which Sr. Joanna Okereke, National Director of the Apostleship of the Sea, invoked the opening blessing), many maritime leaders headed to the National Press Club where NAMEPA held the seminar “Safety at Sea.” NAMMA President Rev. Marsh Drege was a seminar panelist, arguing that maritime ministries are crucial precisely because they “see” mariners in ways that many others in the industry or wider society do not.

ALSO THANKS THESE PARTNERS

JUNE 2016 – LONDON VISITS AND LAUNCH OF SHIP WELFARE VISITOR COURSE ONLINE

The Merchant Navy Welfare Board of the UK contracted with NAMMA to provide an online version of the Ship Welfare Visitor Course. The course is designed to give basic training in safety and best practices for ship visiting to new volunteers and staff in seafarers’ welfare organizations around the world. The course was launched officially in London with the support of the MNWB. NAMMA is grateful to all involved in the production of the course, especially videographer Noah Leon and Chaplain David Rozeboom. JUNE / JULY 2016 – PORT MINISTRIES INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE – PORT CANAVERAL, FL

Port Ministries International is a group of over 50 evangelical chaplains globally that meets annually for encouragement and to discuss ideas for collaboration. This years’ theme,“Horizon: Envisioning the Future of Port Ministry” resonated with a number of the projects and programs with which NAMMA and so many other members are involved. The conference was an uplifting experience, illustrating the benefits of partner networks building on each other’s strengths. With support from the ITF Seafarers’Trust, NAMMA sponsored 10 summer internships in ministries across the United States and Canada. Beyond providing much-needed personnel replacements for chaplains on vacation, the program also helped new individuals learn the skills necessary for long-term success in seafarers’ welfare. Training occurred on-site, through weekly GotoMeeting conferences, and special sessions at the NAMMA conference. AUGUST 2016 – NAMMA CONFERENCE – PORTSMOUTH, VA

This year’s conference is in Portsmouth, next to the Port of Virginia. The deep water harbor—the deepest on the US East Coast—shelters the world’s largest naval base; a robust shipbuilding and repair industry; a thriving export coal trade; and the sixth largest containerized cargo complex in the United States. In May 2016, NAMMA Executive Director Dr. Jason Zuidema visited Portsmouth in advance of the conference to meet with the dedicated volunteers of the Seafarers’ Agencies of Hampton Roads. 30

PHOTOS: NAMMA and Port Ministries International

SUMMER 2016 – INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

MAY 2016 – NATIONAL MARITIME DAY

ALSO THANKS THESE PARTNERS

JUNE 2016 – LONDON VISITS AND LAUNCH OF SHIP WELFARE VISITOR COURSE ONLINE

PHOTOS: NAMMA and Port Ministries International

SUMMER 2016 – INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

AWARDS

THE WINNERS ARE... Judges’ Special Award Duckdalben International Seamen’s Club Shipping Company of the Year Anglo-Eastern Ship Management and MF Shipping Group Port of theYear Bremerhaven Seafarers’ Centre of the Year Stella Maris, Barcelona Dr. Dierk Lindemann Welfare Personality of the Year Award (organization) Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP) Dr. Dierk Lindemann Welfare Personality of the Year Award (individual) Reverend Stephen Miller ISWAN Executive Director Roger Harris with the best view in the house at the Day of the Seafarer celebration

Seafarers’ Welfare Awards Day of the Seafarer 2016 Manila The winners of ISWAN’s International Seafarers’ Welfare Awards 2016 were announced on June 24 at a high-profile ceremony held in Manila. The ceremony was part of ISWAN’s celebrations in the Philippines for the IMO Day of the Seafarer. The awards were presented by IMO Secretary General Mr. Kitack Lim to seven recipients who have provided exceptional services for the welfare and wellbeing of seafarers. 32

n receiving the award for Welfare Personality of the Year, Stephen Miller paid homage to the world’s seafarers: “It was a great honor to receive the Dr. Dierk Lindemann Welfare Personality of the Year Award. Most of us who work with seafarers each day appreciate the sacrifice that each crew member makes, in leaving family and friends for many months at sea, sometimes with long periods of no communication with home. All this to bring us the essentials we need to live our lives as we would wish.” The Welfare Personality of the Year Award is named after Dr. Dierk Lindemann who passed away on March 17, 2014. Dr. Lindemann served as the Shipowner’s Group spokesperson at the ILO and took a lead role in the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention. Roger Harris, ISWAN Executive Director, said of the evening: “It has been an honour to hold the awards here in the Philippines, home to a large number of the world’s seafarers. All of tonight’s award winners and shortlisted candidates have made a great contribution to improving the lives of seafarers, and we are delighted to be able to celebrate with them.” X

PHOTOS: ISWAN and The Mission to Seafarers

AWARDS

PHOTOS: ISWAN and The Mission to Seafarers

Collaboration for success

The Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) is pleased to offer a redesigned, online version of their Ship Welfare Visitor Course, which is now available at shipwelfarevisitor.com. Though the two-day in-class version will continue to be offered in the UK, this online course will be available to all seafarers’ welfare professionals affiliated with the MNWB, including members the Apostleship of the Sea UK, Sailors’ Society and The Mission to Seafarers in addition to all member societies of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) and the International Christian Maritime Association (ICMA). Candidates will receive a certificate endorsed by the MNWB and their own society upon successful completion of the course. The new online course was produced on behalf of the MNWB by a team assembled by Dr. Jason Zuidema of the North American Maritime Ministry Association (NAMMA). Dr. Zuidema serves as Executive Director of NAMMA, chair of the Professional Development Committee of ICMA, and as the voluntary society representative on the International Port Welfare Partnership Project of ISWAN. The ship welfare visitor course equips ship visitors and seafarers’ welfare personnel with a basic appreciation of protocol, security, safety, 34

and other issues related to port facilities and visiting ships. By the end of the course participants are able to provide an overview of shipping and seafarers’ welfare organizations and practice personal safety while visiting port facilities and ships. The course is delivered in seven sections: six online units and a seventh, practice session under supervision in a port. Each online unit has an opening reading, a core lesson video, a ‘Going Deeper’ reading module that explains certain ideas in greater detail, suggestions for further study, and a final quiz. An introductory video for the course, along with eligibility information, is available at shipwelfarevisitor.com. Captain David Parsons, Executive Director of the MNWB, remarks, “Port areas and ships are full of potential hazards and

boarding a vessel also requires an understanding of crew issues and protocols. This course comprehensively addresses these and other key topics and we are pleased to offer it to those maritime organizations with a vested interest in seafarers’ welfare.” Dr. Jason Zuidema, Executive Director of NAMMA and the producer of the online course, said, “it was a pleasure to create this course with a team of dedicated and talented individuals. Videographer Noah Leon, web developer Austin O’Brien, and assistant Michael Skaggs were among the many who ensured that the MNWB online course is truly exceptional. Seafarers’ welfare works best when partnerships are formed; working together with the MNWB on this course bolsters the commitment to safety and success of ship visitors and centre staff worldwide.” The Merchant Navy Welfare Board manages 16 port welfare committees around the United Kingdom and Gibraltar to monitor and support welfare provision for both visiting and resident seafarers. It also provides support services for maritime charities including training courses, evaluation studies, port information leaflets, projects, lobbying, and capital grants. X

PHOTOS: SWVC

Ship welfare visitor course online

THE

Vol. 2, 2016

REPORT

Worldwide Partnership