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SCHOOL LECTURESdownload PDF
MELANESIAThree months on board the brig Zebu sailing with the whole world in the pacific ocean
When I passed Raleigh International's screening they gave me a list of itineraries to choose from. I decided on the Pacific Ocean. Twenty-two of us left from Australia on board an old, 25-metre sailing ship, the brig Zebu, to explore the Melanesia, Caroline and Mariana Islands.
In the beginning we concentrated on the physical endurance tests we had to undergo; our silent and heroic fatigue separated us and united us. Then, as we worked together, we gradually adapted to the new conditions and our tensions dissolved in a marvellous rapport. Liberating, uniting and genuine. Every evening under the stars - how close they seemed - we recounted the stories of our lives as we sailed along, rocked by the sea.
RALEIGH INTERNATIONALFounded in London in 1984 under the patronage of Prince Charles to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the British landing in America, Raleigh International was meant to last four years. But the excellent results prompted its founders, the explorer John Blashford Snell and an international team of scientists, to extend it for a lifetime. What
does it involve?
INFORMATIONMore detailed information on how to participate in Raleigh International will be provided during the talk. Realeigh International • Raleigh House 27 Parsons
Green Lane London SW6 4HZ
DEBATE”That’s the way I am..”
Dear childrenWhat can we do to know ourselves?
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When I was 18 I was in love with the sea. I always felt free when
I thought of its boundless space. There was a mysterious peace in its
continual, tireless motion... I was very keen on sailing and going
underwater with breathing apparatus.
I had never been in a sailing ship
before but I was sure that the sea would not disappoint me. Men and
women, in shifts, were to sail this majestic vessel with its 15 sails
and 105 ropes. The sailing course started immediately, the same day
we arrived in the port of Cairns from all over the world.
We discovered, accepted, and respected
each other for what we were. No longer heroes or heroines. Ordinary
people on this earth. On this sea. It was strange, but from then
on, the colours of the sky and water, the seagulls, the dolphins,
the wind, every inhabitant of the islands and Venus at dawn,
began truly to exist. Clear and limpid. No longer covered by the
complicated and tortuous shadows of our mind...
These
voyages, under the banner of environmental protection and community
aid to needy populations, help young people to evolve in many ways.
They gain greater self-confidence, discovering skills they never
knew they possessed, and understand and accept their limits. They
learn to work with people from every country, every culture and
every social class... They thus begin to realise that they are
part of the universe and no longer the most important person in
the small world from which they come. The adventure offered to
young people by the founders of Raleigh International constitutes
a preparation for the much longer and more difficult adventure
of life. Enthusiasm, curiosity, courage, willingness to adapt and
a good pinch of humility are indispensable for beginning. All the
rest then follows naturally.
No particular qualification is needed
to participate in Raleigh International. The initiative is open
to all if you are aged between 17 and 25 years and speak English.
You must also pass the physical and psychological aptitude tests
of Raleigh International's Italian Committee and, finally, find
a sponsor willing to pay £2,200
and the air ticket to reach the destination chosen by the participant.