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THE 10 WORDS OF THE ‘TEN WORDS’ CARAVAN

It all began in 2002 with a single sentence. What if, through the ‘Ten-Word Game’ devised for French Language Week, every French speaker (or aspiring French speaker) across the globe were invited to ‘go fishing for the meaning of words, beyond their literal definitions, in order to showcase the richness and diversity that every human being carries within them’? A year later, the ‘Caravane des dix mots’ was born: an artistic and cultural initiative centred on the French language and linguistic diversity.

On 9 October 2006 – the centenary of Léopold Sédar Senghor’s birth – ‘Caravaniers’ from three continents launched the Bucharest Appeal for a Francophonie of the Peoples at the Francophonie Summit. Since then, in some sixty countries, artistic teams setting out to meet their fellow citizens have brought to life more than a hundred ‘Caravans of the Ten Words’, giving people a voice and sparking their imaginations.

For more than twenty years now, in rural areas and cities alike, in Europe and on other continents, the Caravane des dix mots has been showcasing the immense variety of the French language – the ways in which it is heard, spoken, understood, written and experienced. Values, beliefs, knowledge, the arts and ways of life: the project also advocates for dialogue, hospitality and multilingualism, thereby enabling a better understanding of this ‘diversity of cultural expressions’ which is so essential to the future of humanity.

It was only right to keep a record of such an adventure – one that is still ongoing! Hence this book, which brings together around a hundred images, as well as the reflections and testimonies of some twenty ‘accomplices’, reflecting the diversity of their regions, roles and commitments.

Long live the Caravan of Ten Words!