In Toulouse, a party to raise awareness of international solidarity
On Saturday July 2, the “Festival of Solidarity” took place in Toulouse. There was something for everyone: concerts, plays, escape games and fun workshops on solidarity followed one another throughout the day. We slipped incognito into this event organized by volunteers from the CCFD-Terre Solidaire de Midi-Pyrénées.
10am
At the Prairie des Filtres in Toulouse, it is already 30 degrees. Stands, marquees, a large stage and banners are installed in the park. CCFD-Terre Solidaire volunteers dressed in orange are completing the final preparations and reviewing the intense program for the day one last time. They were more than 130 volunteers to organize the event. Postponed for the first time because of the health crisis, the Solidarity Day can start, after a year of waiting. The 60 years of the association could finally be provided with the public.
Upon our arrival, our gaze falls on an imposing map of Peters. It invites us to see the world from a different perspective. Contrary to the usual maps, this one represents the real surface of the continents and places in the North the countries traditionally shown in the South.
Entering the park, we see stands, games, the main stage where exchanges with our partners, concerts, dancing and scenes will take place all day long.
On the “Food Sovereignty” stand, a first group of passers-by take part in a quiz. SAccording to you, which region is most affected by hunger? Sub-Saharan Africa may seem like the obvious answer, but it’s really Asia Pacific. We are not at the end of our surprises, the various workshops that will follow will help us to deconstruct our received ideas and to learn more about food in the world.
Not far from there, on a bookstore stand, we meet François Roméo, who has come to talk about his book “Mon chemin de migrant”. When he was very young, he left Cameroon, his native land. In the different countries he has traveled through, he tells us that he suffered numerous physical injuries in prisons for migrants or during refoulement at the borders. In Gao, Mali, he participated in the creation of the “Migrant House”, a partner organization of CCFD-Terre Solidaire. Today in France, he has chosen to become a volunteer for our association, he fights to fight against stereotypes and for migration to be “a choice, not a fatality”.
1 p.m.
After a sandwich break in the catering area and an artisanal ice cream, the walk continues. A young volunteer hands us a basket and invites us to pick 2 possible missions that allow us to help save the planet. We let ourselves be tempted by the proposal.
The first piece of paper says “indicate your doggy bag at the restaurant”. Bringing home leftovers is becoming more and more common. But having the idea of taking an empty tupperware while going to the restaurant is not so obvious. It is however a simple action. We’ll try to think about that next time!
We pick a second piece of paper, “buy from local producers”. Ouch.. more difficult. The budget can be a real obstacle. Without any lesson or guilt, the voluntary exchange with us on our difficulties. It offers us, for each problem, several alternatives. Less consumption, but better quality. Don’t drastically change your diet overnight. Do it slowly, at your own pace so as not to give up. The advice is flowing and we leave more motivated than ever, with solutions adapted to our constraints.
©CCFD-Terre Soldaire
©Francois Thiercelin
A few steps away, an actress is performing an outdoor play. She has given herself the perilous mission of explaining global warming to young and old alike in a humorous way.
The bet is largely successful. The audience grows as the acts progress, laughter is heard in the park, all generations are involved and take part in this wacky and playful show.
4 p.m.
The workshops persist and the wealthy visitors, the volunteers seem tireless.
Which of these chocolates is fair trade? What pollutes the most among all the elements on this plate? In which of these areas is there the most migration between countries? The subjects are diverse and varied. We learn new things every time we meet.
Further in the park, children laugh and happily bang on tom-toms. The musicians give percussion lessons and help them progress in rhythm all together. Opposite, the older ones also have fun by participating in a committed escape game. They look for clues and proofs to succeed in deciphering the enigmas they encounter.
We hear a volunteer chanting from the main stage: “this freedom of movement which seems normal to us today, is a real obstacle course for others”. These words echo our exchange with François-Roméo earlier today.
6 p.m.
The workshops gradually end and the crowd moves to the main stage. The concert can begin. For nearly an hour, the public dances, claps and moves to the rhythm of the dancers’ choreographies. The children, glued to the stage, try to imitate them and let themselves be carried away by the music.
It is on this friendly and festive moment that this beautiful Solidarity Day ends.
So… when is the next one?