While we hitch-hike around the world, we also develop our ambitious Educational Nomadic Project, which counts with the institutional backing of the People’s Health Movement (PHM) This project implies the organization of photographic slides and conferences in schools, villages and neighbourhoods across the world.
The aim of these events is to generate empathy and intercultural understanding. By sharing updated images of everyday life of the countries already visited we display world hospitality and transmit the fact that a better world is not only possible but actually already exists. Also, when addressing high-school level students we install the concept of travelling as a method to acquire knowledge and plant the seed of curiosity. We never introduce ourselves as otherworldly heroes but rather show that travelling (not tourism) is at everyone’s reach.
We also intend to create links and global awareness. Nations living far from each other often share challenges and face the same enemies. Goat herders either in Northern Argentina or Afghanistan, farmers in Peru or Laos, equally defy draught or their landlords. The dwellers of this planet, ordinary people that will never make it to the headlines, have more in common than they think. The Educational Nomadic Project is our herald of human sameness and unity.
If this sounds too formal to you, let us tell you how the action evolves. Just imagine we show up in an Andean foothill village where nobody is expecting us, where nobody knows us. We step down of the truck that has driven us there, look for the local school, and explain our goals to its headmaster or teacher in charge. Next step we nail posters around town, drop by the local radio and invite the community. On the following day we are setting up our humble projector, shutting some windows so images gain more contrast, and showing the children our world, its hospitality, its problems and its silent heroes who enact innovative solutions.
We are grateful to the People’s Health Movement, who has donated the pocket projector enabling us to take the event to the furthermost locations.
This cultural project is only possible thanks to small donations of committed readers. Find the Pay Pal “Donate” button in the orange sidebar of the Blog and click to donate U$S 5.00 and keep Laura and me hitch-hiking the world, documenting and teaching. You can go further and become a featured supporter of the project by donating U$S 5.00 monthly. In all cases, if you donate, please e-mail us at acrobat_of_the_road@yahoo.com.ar to let us know your ideas and feelings about our dream!
