Description :
This episode of Orality and Humanity is part of the European project Tramontana Network (Réseau Tramontana / Tramontana Network), co-financed by the European Union, which brings together actors from European mountain and rural areas to preserve, document and promote their cultural and linguistic heritage. In this programme, Jean-Paul Ferré presents the objectives of this transnational cooperation project, which involves partners from Portugal, Italy, Spain, the Basque Country, Poland and other European territories. The discussion focuses on the educational dimension of the project, particularly the creation of pedagogical resources based on oral testimonies, audiovisual archives and field research carried out among the inhabitants of Couserans and neighbouring mountain regions.
The programme highlights the development of educational materials designed to bring local memory and rural culture into schools. Jean-Paul Ferré explains that documentary extracts, pedagogical files and visual resources allow teachers and students to discover the voices of people from the territory and to compare their experiences with those of other European mountain communities. The episode then returns to the testimony of Jeannot Cabos from Batmala, recorded in the mountain refuge of Bordaou de Mounerre, where he recalls the traditional organisation of pastoral life, the seasonal movement of animals and the close relationship between humans, landscapes and livestock. His memories illustrate a world where the mountains were lived spaces, shaped by collective practices and shared knowledge.
The final part of the emission addresses the profound changes affecting mountain territories today. Jean-Paul Ferré and his guest discuss the decline of traditional pastoralism, the transformation of landscapes, the disappearance of agricultural practices and the challenges faced by small mountain communities. The example of Batmala cheese, whose reputation remains strong while its production increasingly depends on milk from outside the region, symbolises the tensions between heritage and modern economic realities. Through the Tramontana Network, the speakers underline the importance of solidarity between European rural territories and the need to preserve the human, cultural and linguistic richness of mountain areas.