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Our press release
January 23, 2009: Roughly
636 days and [16,307]
kilometers ago (about [10,192] miles), Somayeh
(Nasim) Yousefi and Jafar Edrisi, an Iranian
couple, set off on a round-the-world cycling
trip to raise environmental conservation
awareness and promote peace.
Nasim and Jafar hope to inspire people to care
for the environment as well as each other.
As Nasim explained in BBC and CNN interviews,
“We have two objectives: one is to plant sapling
trees around the world to help the environment,
and the other is to convey a message of peace
and friendship to the countries we visit.”
To date they have planted 70 trees along their
global greenbelt, and have also done
presentations in schools, participated in peace
rallies, and visited wildlife refuges.
Computer engineers by profession, both Nasim and
Jafar are also avid rock-climbers with a passion
for nature, and have worked as climbing
instructors and eco-tour guides in Iran.
Although physically fit, Nasim and Jafar spent
two years training and saving to prepare for for
this self-funded international adventure. When
it was time to go they quit their jobs and sold
many of their belongings, expecting to be away
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from home for two years.
After purchasing bicycles and gear, their
remaining funds took them only as far as
France, but because their positive vision
moves the people they meet, Nasim and Jafar
have been receiving support along the way
that enables them to continue this ambitious
journey.
Their bicycles are weighed down with
clothing and equipment that they have been
carrying since leaving Tehran on April 29,
2007. Because they are self-sufficient and
only sleep in their tent or in homes when
invited, the couple’s estimated travel costs
are only about U.S. $1 per km, or about $30
per day, including food and equipment
maintenance.
Nasim and Jafar have made many new friends
while developing support networks in
different countries. Even so, Jafar admits,
“We are concerned about where to sleep at
night, about safety and other issues – as
one of our friends said, ‘the easiest part
of the journey will be the cycling,’” he
smiles.
By the time they return to their home in
Iran, the cyclists will have ridden
approximately 20,000 kms (nearly 12,500
miles). To date their journey has taken them
through Iran, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France,
Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, the U.S.A.,
Canada, Japan, South Korea, China, India
and Pakistan
where they are currently
riding to head back their
homeland Iran.
To follow Nasim and Jafar’s bi-lingual blog
(Farsi and English), subscribe to their
email list, or contribute financial support,
visit their website at www.rmc4peace.com –
“r m c” stands for “rock-climbing,
mountaineering, and cycling” … for peace.
Jafar adds, “We cycle for peace because we
don’t want war to be experienced by any
children in the world.”
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