Logan prefers to remain a little mysterious. Not say too much. And leave the spotlight to the curious or interested who will participate on Saturday, March 28th in the first “Resilience Café” of the newly created association in the municipality, La Lanterne solidaire.
An association of mutual aid and citizen resilience that aims to develop the autonomy and composure of residents in the face of the unexpected (climatic, digital, material) through practical workshops and neighborhood solidarity, according to its Facebook profile. “La Lanterne solidaire is very linked to my personal background,” explains Logan, originally from La Réunion. “There is a lot of mutual aid among neighbors. I would like to import this culture of risk and mutual aid here. I had the revelation in La Réunion when an elderly isolated person told me ‘before we were all about sharing, and mutual aid between neighbors. Today, the world is changing and I am afraid’.”
It is in Hyères that this phrase resonates again with this military man, surrounded by his extended family. “What we wish for is to develop this culture of risk that is close to our hearts. The goal is not to create fear, but to maintain this aspect of sharing, mutual aid. It’s about citizen prevention.”
An workshop on March 28th
Hence the symbol of the lantern “which refers to the intergenerational bond. With the oil lamp of our ancestors, a time when we took things slowly, with natural mutual aid. The lantern not only lights up the person holding it but also others. Everyone can give a little light to their neighbor in the face of the daily unexpected,” emphasizes Logan. “We are not technical, we want to facilitate the work by talking to people, going to their homes, so they have the right reflexes, so they don’t put themselves in danger in the face of the unexpected. It’s a sharing of knowledge, of wisdom. We are not a survivalist group, we are about prevention, common sense,” he insists.
To launch the movement, resilience workshops will be organized. Saturday’s workshop will present the first actions of the association and enable discussion. “Everyone is welcome. The goal is to see who is interested, it’s up to each individual who wants to help. If they want to take the advice, they can. It’s informal, what matters is following the regulations of the prefecture, the municipality. We come as a complement. It’s about citizen prevention, sharing between neighbors, educational workshops. We don’t intervene directly, we are here to advise, so that the person can manage on their own. We bring knowledge so that the person can be autonomous. Ultimately: helping people, re-creating social bonds through mutual aid and helping isolated elderly people to feel less so. Bringing everyone’s knowledge, expertise, helps to build social ties,” emphasizes Logan.
There is no need to be a genius in a particular field, therefore. Just “be kind and want to help others,” he concludes.
Info: Facebook: La Lanterne solidaire or www.lalanternesolidaire.fr
Saturday, March 28th at 10:30 am at Brasserie Le Tocco in the Port of Hyères
