What a splendid eco-warrior is Jon Castle, the seafaring Friend who sailed into controversy last week in the waters around the Chagos Islands. He and Pete Bouquet, both of them past cap'ns of the Rainbow Warrior, were detained as they illegally sailed their boat Musichana around the island's waters in protest at the plight of the Chagossians.
Eye is somewhat uneducated in these matters. We have to admit ignorance of the calamity which befell the islanders and only really plugged into this when it was revealed that their lovely island had been used for rendition flights. But now Jon and Pete are bringing the shadier exploits of military personnel to a much wider audience.
We had a look at Jon's blog on the People's Navy website (this is the colour the chaps sail under) and find he is exactly how we pictured him, bearded and gnarled. He spent an idyllic childhood on Guernsey, before the global financial system got there, he tells us. The golden sands, birds, fish and flora all worked their magic on Jon, and matched up with his early dislike of unfairness and bullying, they were the catalyst needed to make him a determined friend of the earth.
'As I grew older I recognised injustice, hypocrisy among the powerful and rich, the underlying evil of power inequality and the many ways we fool ourselves for our own peace of mind, because we all like to think we are the good guys', Jon says in his blog.
Inspiration, he tells us, comes from 'ancient holy wells and great stones left by pagan ancestors, scattered across the sacred landscape, from Taoism, from the Friends of Bideford Quaker group, from living nature.'
We recommend a trip to Jon's blog on peoplesnavy.com and click on the 'cast' section.

Labels: boat, Diego Garcia, direct action