Free Hugs

Free Hugs or free Calin is an expression in English which literally means “free pressure” (or “free pressure”) and which indicates a consistent movement on behalf of an individual spontaneously to propose accodances with people in a public place. The person in search for these “câlins free” is generally provided with a sign on which he is written “ Free Hugs ”.

Since its creation in 2004, this concept, which aims at breaking with a certain moroseness, in particular in the great agglomerations, was propagated in the whole world.

History

The movement Free Hugs was born in 2004 in the shopping mall Pitt Street Mall from Sydney in Australia when Juan Mann (Pseudonyme), depressed by the fact of only finding itself and foreigner in his birthplace, holds up a sign with the mention “ FREE HUGS ”. The event is largely popularized starting from September 22nd, 2006, following the diffusion of a video published on YouTube. It makes take part individuals who étreignent themselves in a friendly way with the passers by. It is the example even of a not involved act of kindness.

The initiative of Juan led to a progressive increase in the number of people wanting to be pressures with other people (men and women) helping to distribute them. After a certain time, the guards of safety intervened to put an end to the movement, because Juan Mann did not have the 25 million dollars necessary to the insurance public responsibility for its actions.

Juan Mann and its companions then launched a petition to try to convince the authorities to let it continue its countryside without insurance. Its petition having gathered 10.000 signatures, it was authorized to take again the movement.

The music present on the video is " All The Same" the work of the Sick Puppies, an Australian group directed by Shimon Moore which met Juan Mann when he worked in Pitt Street Mall.

Juan Mann stated in interviews that the goal of its Free Hugs Campaign is not to obtain names, phone numbers, or go, but just to exempt spontaneous affection with others.

In France

Did the movement Free Hugs give place to a campaign in France organized by INPES against the Discrimination whose the people reached of HIV are victims? The countryside was diffused on television as from March 2007.

The movement with also taken again in France by various Internet sites like Free Hugs French-speaking people, Câlins Free, Calins Free by email or the site of the INPES against discrimination.

Photograph by http://archeologue.over-blog.com/

Free Hugs in other languages

Afrikaans: Gratis drukkies
Albanian: German Përqafime falas
: Gratis Arab Umarmung
: احضانمجانية ('aHDân majjâniyya)
Bulgarian: Безплатнипрегръдки (Bezplatni pregrëdki)
Catalan: Abraçades gratis
Chinese: 免費擁抱 (traditional)/免费拥抱 (simplified) (Hanyu pinyin miǎnfèi yōngbào)
Korean: 프리허그
Creole: Kroke gratis
Danish: Gratis Kram, Gratis Spanish Knus
: Abrazos gratis
Esperanto: Senpagaj Brakumadoj
Estonian: Tasuta kallid
Finnish (Finnish): Ilmaisia haleja
French: Câlins Free
Welsh (Cymraeg): Cwtsh amndt Greek Ddim
: Δωρεάν αγκαλιές (Dôréan anggaliès)
Hebrew: חיבוקיםחינם (Hibbûqîm Hinnam)
Hungarian: Ingyen ölelés
Indonésien : Pelukan Gratis
Icelandic: Ókeypis Faðmlög
Italian: Abbracci Gratis
Japanese: フリーハグズ
Javanese: Takdekep Gundulmu
Kirundi : Latvian Inyambirano k' ubuntu
: Lithuanian Bezmaksas apskāvieni
: Nemokami apkabinimai
Luxembourg: Gratis Emarmung
Malayan: Pelukan Percuma
Moroccan: Taanika Fabor
Dutch (Dutch): Gratis Knuffels
Nepalese: अन्कमालसित्तैमा
Norwegian: Gratis Klemmer, Gratis Koser
Ouïghour: Bikagha Kuqakhlash
Urdu: Galey Milna Muft
Papiamento : Gratis
Polish brazed: Darmowe Przytulanie
Portuguese: Rumanian Abraços grátis
: Russian Îmbraţişare gratuită
: объятия - бесплатно (Ob' iatiia - biesplatno)
Serb: БесплатниЗагрљаји/Besplatni zagrljaji
Sindhi: Pa-E-naked Bhakur
Slovak: Slovenien Objatie zadarmo
: Brezplačni objemi
High Sorabe: Darmotnej wobjeća
Swedish: Gratis Kramar
Tagalog (Filipino): Libreng Yakap
Tamoul : இலவசஅரவனைப்பு (Ilavasa Aravanaippu)
Czech: Thai Objetí zdarma
: กอดฟรี
Turkish: Bedava Kucaklama
Ukrainian: Безкоштовніобійми (Bezkoshtovni obiïmi)
Vietnamese: Ôm miễn phí

See too

References

Article of Sydney Morning Herald of November 6th, 2004
Article in the 20 Switzerland Minutes of November 19th, 2006

External bonds

Official site Free Hugs Campaign
Site of the countryside of the INPES against discrimination

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