[sustran] Appeal for help from disabled people in Bangkok

Eric Britton eric.britton at ecoplan.org
Sat Jun 19 14:48:25 JST 1999


Dear Friends,

This brings up an awfully tough and in many ways anguishing choice (which I
don't say so lightly: having my dear mother confined to a wheelchair for the
last couple fo years has served as a continuing reminder), to which perhaps
we at the Journal World Transport Policy & Practice could possibly make a
modest contribution.  Here is an idea.

We could begin to plot out a special edition for the year 2000 -- which is
given over to setting out an array of alternative activist, interventionist
strategies and guidelines -- with advantages, cautions and downsides
(thinking, for example, of some of the fallout of the US situation over the
last decade). Our rough model for this might be the special edition that we
are presently working to prepare on carsharing (see
http://www.ecoplan.org/carshare/).

Such a publication, jointly prepared by a group of leading transportation
activists and thinkers from around the world, could in turn be the subject
of translation and aggressive distribution around the world -- in an attempt
to provide a base of thoughtfulness, knowledge and perspective on the
subject.  It could then be used in support of conferences, demonstrations,
political campaigns, etc.  Moreover, if the entire process of preparation is
carried out in the interactive manner which we believe to be most
appropriate for this sort of thing (again, see the carshare stuff), the very
process itself can be a source of ideas, collaboration and resources.

This is a decision for our gray bearded editor in chief, the redoubtable
Professor John Whitelegg to take, but now he has an opportunity to react to
this in public.

On the other hand, this may be unnecessary or redundant, or otherwise
unwelcome.  Perhaps our colleagues here might share their ideas and
reactions to this right here?  That could help us take an informed decision.


Eric Britton

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