The Globalization Charter: When Cahors became “Cahors Mundi”

In February 1949, in a café in downtown Cahors, two men crafted a text that would carry their ideals far and wide. Robert Sarrazac, a former member of the Resistance, and Louis Sauvé, a humanist doctor, finalized what would soon be called the Charter of Globalization.

Délibération du conseil municipal de Cahors du 30 juillet 1949

A fraternal and united declaration

Born in the effervescence of the post-war period, this charter is intended as an ethical and civic response to the danger of total war. It affirms a vision of the world based on solidarity, peace, and universal brotherhood.

“Our security and well-being are linked to the security and well-being of all the cities and towns of the world.” — Article 1, Charter of Globalization

This vision took shape in Cahors, the first town to officially adopt the Charter, on July 30, 1949, under the leadership of Mayor Jean Calvet.

An unprecedented popular consultation

From July 21 to August 12, 1949, the people of Cadur were called upon to vote. Result:

• 70% participation,

• 59% of votes in favor,

Massive support for this humanist project. Thus was born the proclamation: CAHORS MUNDI — City of the World.

From Lot to the world: a contagion of the ideal

Cahors's gesture snowballed. Neighboring towns (Figeac, Gourdon), then two-thirds of the towns in the Lot region, quickly followed suit. On September 30, 1949, the Lot General Council passed a motion calling for the gesture to be extended to the entire territory.

239 of Lot's 330 municipalities signed the charter within a few years. And the momentum soon spread beyond France's borders. More than 1,000 municipalities around the world now support the Charter, from Japan to Chile, including villages in Europe and Africa.

One word, two worlds: “globalization” yesterday and today

In 1949, the word “globalization” did not mean what it does today. It was a political and cultural desire to connect peoples through peace. What the Charter proposed was a world of cooperation, not competition. A world of civic engagement, not financial deregulation. In a world where international tensions and economic inequalities are worsening, Article 1 of the Charter resonates with striking lucidity. The Lot, a small rural territory, was able to anticipate, as early as 1949, the challenges that the 21st century continues to pose.