Have you ever visited a new country and wondered where to start?
Where to stay, where to eat ?
What places of interest you should see ?
Have you ever needed some advice on local habits and customs ?
Haven’t you thought that it would be a good idea to have at least one phone number so that you could hear a friendly voice on the other end, someone who could advise and, in case of difficulty, help out ?


THIS IS PURPOSE OF THE IWTC/ CIGV:

A club has finally been formed , worldwide, for people with a similar mentality to that which you have : very open-minded and firendly – wherever you travel, have a contact in the country through the IWTC/CIGV members – the names and addresses of these free-thinking people, are compiled in a booklet and available to all members of the IWTC/CIGV.


THE GOALS OF THE IWTC/CIGV:

1. To convene in an international association people who have visited a minimum of fifty (50) different countries – or between 25 and 49 for the members "A" (Aspirant). Also, a person less than 20 years old can be considered "A" members if he/she has visited a number of countries equal the age, with a minimum of 20 countries visited, on a total of 244.

2. To reconcile the great travellers of the five continents through a wide friendship, a mutual enthusiasm, an effecive and mutual help and allow them to establish productive dialogues of Peace and Friendship.

These goals were the criteria of the Great Traveller’s Meeting on 4 August 1982, held in San Juan (Puerto Rico), under the presidency of its founder, Dr Rached Trimèche, to materialise this association “Club International des Grands Voyageurs /International World Travellers Club”.

COVERAGE:

The IWTC/CIGV is represented in 171 countries. In a country with less than 10 members registred to the HQ cannot form a national club, and a coordinator is nominated by the President to liaise between members and the HQ.
For those loading the peripatetic existance that comes with our lot in life, it may be of interest to you to know that this international club for travellers (IWTC/CIGV) is based in Tunis, opened to everyone who has visited 50 countries or a at least 25 countries (A members – Aspirant).


WORLD CONGRESS:

The congresses have been held in:

Tunis 17 March 1984
Brussels 20 April 1985
Montreux 30-31 May 1986
Dakar 1-3 April 1987
Nice 27-29 October 1988
Luxmebourg 6-8 October 1989
Reunion 1-4 November 1995
Pisa 30-31 May 1992
Monaco 21-23 May 1994
Tozeur (Tunisia) 9-12 November 1995
Lugano 1-4 May 1997
Lisbon 12-14 November 1998
The 2000 Congress was held in the Mascareignes (Mauritius)
the 2001 world congress in Morocco
the 2003 was held in St. Barth in April 2003
the 2005 was held at Juan Les Pins - France May 2005

There is a yearly congress, announced to all the members in the IWTC/CIGV Newsletters.

MOTTO:

“Peace in the World” – “Paix dans le monde”.


QUID CIGV 2006 ?

The CIGV membership does not sum up to visit 50 countries to become a real member and to pay an international fee. After existing for 23 years and a presence in 181 countries, the CIGV, remaining an apolitical, non lucrative and non religious club.

PHILOSOPHY:

The Great Traveller is perhaps more than others able to go meeting the Other, to hold out his hand, to try to understand him and to penetrate his culture. The Cigevist will have thus a little more opening, Tolerance, Friendship and Love to spread. To Accept the Other as he is and to enrich from his difference!

CREDO:

Tolerance. More than ever !

SLOGAN:

« The dialogue of the Cultures».

The 245 CIGV countries speak more than 30 000 languages and more than 100 000 dialects, cover des tens of beliefs and have physical differences (remaining however sons of Lucie and Ramidus) from the small equatorial Pygmee to the tall blond Scandinavian, passing by the Papous or the Siberians and they live other political regimes from the beautifullest democracy to the blackest dictature.

However, these humans are all the same, no animals, no angels or no demons ! .

The Great Traveller, real Peace appostle is also a perfect « Ambassador of the dialogue of the cultures ». Il saura conjuguer écoute attentive avec tendresse et He will know how to combine careful listening with tenderness and compassion and embrace the universe of the Other with tactfulness and friendship.
It is this dialogue that leads us to our motto:
« Peace in the World »
and to our deep conviction : « Only Love will win! ».

We have an enorme chance to have been able to visit a «part of this world» and to have met luck and misfortune of thousands of people. This richness accumulated in us cannot stay locked up.

May our experience, even humble, offer Hope, Friendship and Peace to everyone, such as our magazine Astrolabe our last forum de Djerba based on dialogue of the cultures

May we help thus to break the infernal circle « injustice and frustrations that engender hate and terrorism » for a pacific coexistence among the people.