6th Nov 2013 morning
was a wonderful experience in our school !
We had in our midst an amazing couple who have been travelling the world
with a message for peace and for the environment – Richard and Stani Velamond.
They set out in 1996 to traverse
the Americas from tip to tip – Alaska to Argentina – all for the love of
cycling. Along the way they realised how beautiful our planet is and how
insensitive we have become towards it. Everywhere they went, they met with weather
that was not usual for the time of the year - people talked about the weather
being unusual; this was before climate change had become an accepted fact. That’s when they decided they would travel
through all the continents to spread an awareness about peace and about the way
our actions have contributed to climate change.
They talked about their travels,
the places they’ve visited and the lifestyle they have adopted to minimise
their carbon footprints in every sense of the word. They also showed us slides
to bring out the contrast between the beauty of the planet and the scars which
are the creation of human action.
To date, they have cycled through
55 countries and are on their way out of India to return to France, Richard’s
native land and to the UK, Stani’s native land, at end of another two years
through the Middle East.
