Somme Battlefields for Peace

1MVictims of the Battle of the Somme
25nationalities
1HISTORY

Somme Battlefields for Peace

An ethical association of committed partners for meaningful tourism.

The department of the Somme is home to a wide variety of international First World War memorials. Having suffered badly as a result of the Great War, the Somme cannot forget her past and stand by and do nothing, faced with the many conflicts which continue to shake the world.

In the light of this, Somme Tourisme is looking to draw on Remembrance tourism to generate a movement of solidarity towards the countries affected by the present conflicts. As François Bergez, director of Somme Tourisme underlines, “Great War Remembrance in the Somme must serve a humanitarian cause, so that we never forget, and work together to appease suffering in war-torn countries today.”

And so the Somme Battlefields for peace project came to be.

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©Somme Tourisme - Laurent Desbois/Lwood

©Somme Tourisme - Laurent Desbois/Lwood

©Somme Tourisme - Laurent Desbois/Lwood

©Somme Tourisme - Laurent Desbois/Lwood

©Somme Tourisme - Laurent Desbois/Lwood

©Ronan Le Bideau

What:

Ethical finance – ethical tourism

The approach involves raising money from tourists visiting battlefield sites, and sending the funds collected to humanitarian NGOs or those specialised in reconstruction, thereby contributing to bringing peace to war-torn countries. “Somme Tourisme set the wheels in motion and would like to work hand in hand with professionals, associations and elected representatives of the department in the deployment of this charitable cause.”

Objectives: to appease suffering, to give hope to those populations which are still victims of terrible fighting and to bring a form of peace to warring nations.

The association has a global approach, aiming to improve the living conditions of the handicapped and vulnerable through a range of different actions: caring for the wounded, prosthetics and physiotherapy; the clearance of explosives left behind after a war; assisting returns to education or work; disease prevention; calling for changes in national law and international standards…

Humanity & inclusion

"Nothing is solitary, everything is connected." - Victor Hugo

©Somme Tourisme - Laurent Desbois/Lwood

©Ph Feret

How ?

A three-pronged collaboration

Somme Tourisme is working with the endowment fund “Essentiem” who have set up a special campaign for donations and the contributions of patrons. To begin with, for a 2 year period, Somme Tourisme wish that this dedicated fund be used to finance an NGO such as “Handicap International”, which works in war zones, bringing medical assistance and moral support to the victims.

Funds will be raised through different means : donation boxes, online participation, events and commemorations.

Somme Battlefields for Peace

Who are the actors involved ?

Collector partners

Committed and supportive, the Somme Battlefields for Peace partner-collectors are making a donation box available, including the Historial of the Great War, Somme 1916 Museum, the Underground City of Naours and the "P'tit train de la Haute-Somme", as well as tourist offices (Pays du Coquelicot, Avre Luce Noye, Territoire Nord Picardie, Pays de Parmentier) and hotels (Ibis Style Amiens Centre, The Originals Hôtel Amiens Sud, Hôtel Moxy, AK Hôtel Amiens). Somme Tourisme has also set up a partnership with the Zénith d'Amiens: an ecocup collected in the eco-collector donates 1 euro to Somme Battlefields for Peace.

Everyone is concerned by remembrance tourism and is hoping that the memory of the Great War can help the victims of countries currently at war. If you feel concerned by the approach, if you wish to know more and become a partner-collector for the Somme Battlefields for Peace movement : Please contact Léa Manot, remembrance tourism’s policy officer, +33 3 22 71 22 75, l.manot@somme-tourisme.com