One step, one gesture, one sign
La Terre en Marche Earth is walking is the name of the project we initiated in France in November 2013. Is is precisely the meaning of the action we decided to accomplish. This action is the result of a long lifepath we took more than ten years ago and while constantly making common choices like: the powerful call for the human family, its complexity, its diversity, the thirst for the vast world, its beauties, its wounds, the intense search for meaning of our being here, of our existence.
But the creation of an association means that something more or different needed to be expressed.
This is how La Terre en Marche is born: out of necessity and hope at the same time.
A necessity because we felt discontent growing within us: in France, in Europe, as in many parts of the planet, the dialogue between people is undone. Issues like identity of nations, intercultural relations, crucial questions rising from the migration phenomenae divide our societies. Greed keeps on weakening concordia, mutual assistance, cohesion. In the name of this commercial avidity, Earth is being relentlessly and with no regrets plundered and massacred.
We felt like a "barrier of the heart" rising within. We saw the danger that this barrier become a wall.
Our conscience said no. NO to this state of facts! It became more and more obvious to us that we needed to go meet and hail other men on foot, like two pilgrims. We wanted to prove ourselves that it is possible, once we overcome our inner conflicts, our party pris, to step towards the other, with all our heart and our honour, to lay our hand on his shoulder and to feel that we share the same humanity.
That is the point where our search for meaning and common ideals met.
And hope was born.
We took the common treasure of humanity: we carry earth from the six continents in our bags. In sign of unity, in sign of respect. A humble, brotherly, deep, strong gesture.
It's high time for us to overcome fear, anger and vain criticism. It's time for us to walk in an attempt to retighten the links.
Coul this action bring a little more appeasement, trust, sain curiosity, kindness between people, between men and Earth! We dare wish for that.
But let's hand over to Earth now:
"Do not ever forget what I'm telling you : I am the one that feeds you, the one that holds you and the one you come back to. I am the Elementary Feeding Mother. You all possess me, you all share me, I am your common good, both material and spiritual."
Have a nice journey!
Act 2
Crossing Africa
Cette marche en Afrique change dans sa forme : trois marcheurs vont se relayer de pays en pays (le relais symbolique qu'ils s'échangeront sera leur bourse en cuir contenant la terre du monde entier), chacun effectuant une distance d'environ 1500 kilomètres pour accompagner Jérôme, Sabina et Enora, qui, eux, réaliseront la totalité de l'itinéraire.
Act 1
Silk Road
We shall symbolically leave from Venice, the city from where Marco Polo and his father and uncle left in 1272. Even if our itinerary will often coincide, it will however be different from theirs as we must adapt it to the nowadays conditions.
Project The Inca's road
La route des Incas : de Quito au lac Titicaca. Au cœur d'une formidable mosaïque humaine et culturelle, au contact quotidien des populations, nous allons poursuivre notre action : saluer à pied hommes, femmes et enfants qui participent au trésor du monde, mais aussi interroger l'humanité sur sa relation à la terre.
Expéditions pédestres
Partir avec La Terre en Marche, c'est possible ! Vous qui désirez vivre la Grande Aventure, prenez la route ! Partez saluer les hommes, partez saluer le monde, la terre du monde en partage! Plus qu'un itinéraire, un apprentissage. Notre volonté est de partager notre expérience unique du terrain et notre conception personnelle du voyage.
Marching from
Venice to Kashgar
Ever since their ancient origins and besides their commercial and military specificity, Via Ignatia (connecting Durres in Albania to Istanbul ) and the Silk Road have always been axis of exchange of culture and knowledge amongst peoples and civilizations over the European and the Asian continents. It is precisely this aspect that we want to emphasize during our adventure. By choosing to follow these…
We share
the Earth
We carry with us, in two small leather bags, soil from the 6 continents. Treasure of humanity, the common treasure to all of us that we share with people in all the countries we cross in sign of unity and respect between cultures. More precisely, our action consists in organizing ceremonies of exchange of the earth everywhere we have the opportunity to do it: spontaneously, with people…
With our partner
schools
Our action is mainly present in schools because we think that it is there where we build education that the simplicity and force of our message can be best heard. This walk can be the opportunity for the young to have a more confident perception of the world. We project to create an international exchange network between all the schools that will welcome us in all the countries that we cross and…
We walk to your encounter
Essential if not fundamental reason of our action: we remind the importance of exchange without any idea of benefit or rentability. We set out to be like two pilgrims searching for meaning: the meaning of dialogue, as deprived of commercial target as it is necessary, the meaning of meeting the other, as instantaneous as it is deep, the meaning of relating, in meeting different cultures, the meaning of gesture, as simple as it is well-intentioned, the meaning of being a host, in the duty of mutual respect.
To go, to leave, to walk for meeting the Other, otherwise yourself: let us not search for final answers, but discover a path where we can grow.