To Nadia-Leïla Aïssaoui
and Nacéra Aknak Khan,
with tenderness for Algeria.

Dear Gues,

How beautiful this issue is! You have done a remarkable job and it gave me great pleasure to work with you on the illustration of this fourth issue of Caravan. Your genius stands out on every page and delights us enormously. And what can we say about this masterpiece done for the cover! It’s all of Algeria symbolized here, with its twisted past, its willing present and its unified and responsible future. It is a powerful message combining goodness and beauty that you have sent us. Even before this issue was printed, we had already reproduced this painting on posters, T-shirts and postcards which, without any doubt, will be the rage next summer in the streets of Barcelona and elsewhere.

We owe you our apologies for the delay in bringing out this issue - your issue - of Caravan, but our reasons are good and amply justified. Firstly, we had to modify the layout, take your advice and free ourselves from the constraint of symmetrical columns that we used to place our illustrations within, in order to do justice to your works.

Then, you already know that my return to Europe after three years in India, two in Korea and one in Malaysia, was not without its problems. Besides my shifting, I had to re-adapt myself to this culture that I had almost forgotten. The editing of Caravan is therefore, henceforth based in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) even if its team of course remains decentralised and the printing continues from Dehra Dun. In Europe, it was impossible to find this handmade and ecological paper, that is so pleasant to the touch, and a printer so competent and devoted. In this, India in indispensable.

Another reason for our delay. We were impatiently awaiting the conclusions of the first meeting of the new International Facilitation Team of the Alliance that took place in Barcelona from the 12th to the 17th of September (see report). Caravan was present there. It was indeed a wonderful meeting of a superb team, one of whose primary characteristics to me, seemed that of humility. The Alliance took a giant’s step there, organising itself in a clearer manner while avoiding the trap of falling into too formal a structure, fully recognising and assuming its decentralised character and diversity, opening itself out greatly, as is its vocation, to other citizens’ movements, offering space for exchange and strengthening, etc. In short, here was an open and willing group that gives the Alliance a more welcoming aspect. We cannot but encourage all the allies from participating in the programme proposed for the coming two years that would conclude on the solstice of 21st June 2001.

What is the place of Caravan in this new and essential stage of the Alliance? We will continue in our momentum, even more motivated and better organised. At this time of celebrating our first anniversary, we are overflowing with enthusiasm and projects that I wish to share with you. But let me first put forth some of Caravan’s philosophy to you.

Its starting block is an idea as old as existence: travel is a pleasure and meeting another being is happiness as long as the approach is made without preconceptions. We hope to reveal new horizons where we can contribute towards our mutual benefit.

Caravan is the fruit of a vision of the Alliance that is considered to be a network of incredible wealth where revelations are made by first hand observation and by giving the allies a forum to speak about their ideas and transforming experiments; this is done without restricting ourselves to authorised and recognised "experts", who are often adept and brilliant with their words but sometimes disassociated from their own realities and closed within their system of thinking. In four stages of the Caravan, we have offered more than 150 allies spread out over 50 countries the possibility of sharing their points of view and presenting their initiatives in their own words. This was achieved thanks to the collective work of the entire team. This issue, prepared in Algeria, especially owes a lot to Mira Chalal, Caravan’s correspondent for the Maghreb, who was able to unearth moving and precious articles from the locals that put forth the idea of an Algeria that is finally rediscovering the path of peace and legitimate pride (see Oasis of the Alliance).

Likewise, through the two dossiers, one focusing on the drafting of an Earth Charter (see articles) and the other, an excellent report on the extremely disturbing situation with regard to fishing resources and the battles of small scale fishermen (prepared by Sophie Nick, see Sea & Fisherfolks), Caravan pursues its mission and confirms its raison d’être by being the kind of forum where inter-cultural dialogue takes place on the primordial issues of the 21st century.

Finally, Caravan would be nothing without the central place devoted to art. The texts would be quickly forgotten on dusty shelves of libraries if they were not marvellously illustrated by an artist invited from the country visited each issue. This choice proceeds from a superior idea that I have hesitation in mentioning here for fear of diminishing the magic, all the more so as any power that is too sure of itself will shortly lose its way. Bishop Labayen from Philippines, set us on the track by quoting from the philosophy of Carl Jung for whom symbolic imagery is the first language of the psyche. (Caravan N°2). Let us also listen to the Kenyan artist John Kariru (Caravan N°3) who, inspired by Rodiek, tells us why art is so essential, when, as it once again becomes an integral part of people’s lives, it helps in restoring the lost harmony between human nature and the mind and rises above to counter the determinism and rationalism of modern civilisation. Let us read, time and again, as suggested in the review Mbui of Amant People’s Theatre (Caravan N°2) the Ugandan poet Okot p’Bitek who, a few days before his death in 1982, published an essay with the provocative title "Artist the Ruler" where he states what should perhaps not have been revealed "The artist proclaims the laws (of society) but expresses them in the most indirect way possible; using metaphors and symbols, images and fables. The artist sings and dances the laws..." It is accomplished artists who create and preserve the bearings and ideas that model the lives of people in society. They form the conscience of their times by "responding intuitively and deeply to what happens, to what has happened, and what will happen." In short, they are the rulers of their societies.

It is high time that art be granted again its primordial status of precursor to social changes, to let live and create true artists, that our societies in their mediocrity contrive to stifle, to reintegrate art into our cities and our lives, as an alternative to the "pervading, violent, sexist and consumerist cultural production" that monopolises most of the media the world over.

Well, I have already reached the end of my allotted space for this editorial without having yet spoken of our future projects... Never mind... We will speak of them another time. There is no hurry for the one who knows where it’s going... Be warned though that we are preparing a surprise: a catchword for the Caravan adventure! We love surpassing ourselves and surprising you with this very feat!

See you soon. A warm hug to you and Mira.

Philippe Guirlet

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