Association for the preservation of Bonjour in marine ecosystems: APBEM
A new association, APBEM, was born.
Like other environmental protection organizations, it was a small group of friends who first set up this association. Surfers to be precise. They realized that, over the years, just like the Dodo on Reunion Island, the sea flea in the Landes region and certain marine mammals, a new species is threatened with extinction on the Aquitaine coast: the Bonjour!
Domesticated by man since the dawn of time, on French surf spots, it has nevertheless become quite rare.
Here is a testimonial from Miki Dorade, a founding member of the association:
“I’ve traveled a lot, particularly in Africa, where people are extremely sociable, talking to each other, smiling at each other, obviously greeting each other. This creates a fulfilling ecosystem, in which Bonjour plays a key role. I went back to live in France, more precisely in Hossegor, where I’m originally from, and on the sidewalks, Bonjour had completely disappeared. But what surprised me most of all was that surfers also ignored it when they came across it in the water.
So I tried a little experiment, taking the initiative to say hello when I arrived at a spot on the oars. But it soon got out of hand. I’d say hello to a surfer and, every other time, I’d get a mute mouth in the middle of a closed, sometimes slightly scornful or haughty face. So, just as I’d come in all peace and love, I rephrased my Bonjour, this time shouting. Now I was getting an answer, but in a way I was being forced. Bonjour, the gentle and benevolent creature, was definitely in trouble!
On other occasions, the Bonjour was greeted with suspicion, like a manoeuvre to steal priority from other surfers. You almost had to justify yourself! Or as a weakness, the norm being to offer the world a hard, closed face, a sort of cowardly intimidation parade to mark one’s territory. As a result, the gentle Bonjour wearer was met with a stingray face, a body language that was anything but welcoming.
I could see that, on my own, I was going to exhaust myself in a vain crusade, so I talked to my friends, who were also a little saddened by the phenomenon, and we decided to work collectively to reintroduce the Bonjour to our surf spots”.
In concrete terms, what more are you doing, collectively, to achieve this goal?
“Well, when we arrive at a surf spot, we explain our approach, why we say hello, why it’s useful, the idea of a virtuous circle that starts with politeness, that kind of basic stuff that we’ve forgotten over time. We give priority to educational action.
We also take action upstream, by raising awareness in schools, so that young surfers learn courtesy and how to live together. We also organize poster campaigns, showing photos of oiled Bonjours, for example. Sometimes it’s a bit shocking, but it’s important to get people to react, to raise awareness”.
Citizen actions
Let’s hope that the public authorities will support this association in its civic action, as it has already partnered a number of organizations, including W’re not arrogant froggies (WNAF), as well as the famous Surfwearfondation.
On June 24, during the beach litter pick organized by Surfwearfondation in Capbreton, APBEM will be releasing around 50 Bonjours. Let’s hope they don’t get shot on the spot! To reacclimatize, the Bonjour needs a hospitable environment, otherwise it feels “re-accompanied to the border” and won’t come back.
Long live APBEM, or rather “Bonjour”!
