A sailboat for intercontinental solidarity!
The Quelili collective is dedicated to strengthening connections between social movements in Europe and Abya Yala (Latin America). At the beginning of 2025, we acquired the Epicure, a 13 meter steel ketch that will serve as a platform for struggles related to climate justice and decolonization.
Capitalism is a global problem that requires a global response. Our ship will facilitate delegation journeys, protests, and other actions, without relying on the fossil fuels that made the current global order possible. Participating groups will collectively decide on the detailed routes and destinations in order to realize their own objectives and campaigns.
If you want to participate in this project or have an idea where the ship should go, please get in touch!
Capitalism and Neocolonialism are global systems that wreak havoc on our planet. Not only do they exploit natural resources but they also devastate the social fabric of societies. Our vision goes beyond providing a carbon free means of transportation: We believe in working for a world in which there is space for many worlds, which requires learning from and exchanging with collectives from different parts of the globe. Intersectionality is one of the principles we organize by: We strive for climate justice and decolonization, while being aware of other forms of oppression and the struggles surrounding them.
Many groups and individuals are working against the loss of biodiversity and land grabbing, and towards an economy of the common good. Around the world, cooperatives are trying to rethink housing, the food supply, and health care in ways that do not profit the few, but serve the many. As there are often large distances between these projects, personal exchange can be difficult. For intercontinental travel, often the only available means of transport are damaging to the climate. We know how enriching the exchange with other people committed to similar issues is, and want to give others the opportunity to do so. We first crossed the Atlantic with our ship, the Epicure, in April 2025.
The Epicure will serve as a tool for social movements, facilitating delegation journeys, protests, and actions. Participating groups will collectively decide on the detailed routes and destinations in order to realize their own objectives and campaigns. The ship is owned by our non-profit association Bildung und Solidarität e.V. (Education and Solidarity). It will stay in communal ownership. You can read the statutes of our organization in German and in English (non-binding translation).
The Epicure is a steel ketch (2 masts) a little over 13 meters long. These features make it a sailboat that meets our requirements: steel for reliability and safety, and two masts to support our boat-circus project. The ship will also serve as a platform for shows and performances, delivering a message of change and decolonization to both children and adults.
The ship is currently in the Caribbean. In October / November, we will sail to Belém in Brazil for the COP30. There is still space on the boat for people that want to join.
