Eastern Bay swimmers will take to the ocean this weekend as part of an international movement promoting peace, unity and solidarity.

Members of Optimist Swim Group will join participants from 18 countries who are taking part in the global “Swim for Peace” event, which encourages people around the world to enter the water in a symbolic show of fraternity and hope.

The Eastern Bay swim will take place at Whakatāne Surf Club, Ōhope Beach on Saturday, with swimmers gathering for an 8.30am start.

Anne Bulley, from the Optimist Swim Group, said she was proud to see the Eastern Bay represented in the international initiative.

The group was formed 10 years ago as a fundraising effort to support families living in war zones and has since grown into a close-knit community built around friendship, wellbeing and a shared love of the ocean.

Many of the original members still swim together regularly and continue to support ReliefAid, the New Zealand-founded humanitarian organisation delivering aid to families affected by conflict around the world.

“As one of the group’s original members and now ReliefAid’s communications director, I’m reminded daily of both privilege and purpose,” said Bulley.

“The contrast between Ōhope’s peaceful waters and the beaches of Gaza, where children can no longer safely play or swim, could not be starker.”

Swim for Peace organisers say the movement is designed to be inclusive and symbolic, using the simple act of entering the water to send a universal message of peace and connection across borders.