[sustran] Re: Brainpower needed

[Car Busters]

Dear Paul and Eric,

Re: the idea of an international car-free day, we at Car Busters have
been thinking just that.  We are currently in the process of seeking
grants to help launch a world car-free day, the idea being that we use
the money to create posters and advertising that is available for use
by local groups (giving an international "look" to the event) but that
local actions are organised by local groups.  We have a listserve
which would be available for use for communication and coordination
between groups and individuals.
Our idea was to focus on the day not just as a one-off (appease the
conscience) festivity, but as a day to go-car free and don't stop.
Publicity materials such a poster and website will include tips and
suggestions to aid personal change to a more sustainable lifestyle
beyond the one-day event, and useful contact information for those
wishing to join those working to reduce traffic and pollution, and
associeted car-related problems all around the world: local groups &
campaigners, professional advisors & policy makers etc.
The aim is to link this day to the already planned European car-free
day of 22 September.  However, as this will be a Friday, we felt that
it suffered too much from the probablitiy that people (regular
commuters) would simply take a long weekend rather than explore the
alternative modes of transport - walking, cycling, public transport.
So, we thought to move the day forward to Thursday 21 September.  With
the emphasis on going car-free and not stopping, if the European day
takes place the day after this global one, then it would not matter
but rather emphasize the idea that this is not just a publicity stunt
or "one off" but a serious proposition.
The aim of the day would also be to "awaken" those who had not
considered this problem for themselves.  A sophisticated campaign
utilising the media, posters, a television advert (from Adbusters), a
web site (with downloadable posters and materials) and advertisements
placed in various publications, would endeavour to counter the image
of the car as created by car industry advertisers (sexy, sporty, high
status, provider of freedom, etc.) and focus on the car's true affects
(pollution, environmental destruction through road construction and
resource extraction, illnesses and deaths in our cities, the loss of
community space, etc.).  The website would include posters for
download by local groups for reproduction in their own cities which
could be specifically targeted at groups / individuals who feel that
life without a car is either beneath their status or too difficult for
their lifestyle (business executives, single parents with young
children etc.)

I would be very glad to hear your comments on the above.  The idea is
very much in its infancy at this time, and has not fully incorporated
lessons to be learned from Bogota.  I agree that a change of name
could have a positive impact in seeming more inclusive, but believe
that words such as "reduction" "relief" etc. should not be used, as it
gives an opt out clause to too many people.  The ultimate aim of the
day is to be car-free.  Similarly, traffic is a difficult word, as
people, cyclists, horses etc. are all part of "traffic".  We don't
wish to see a day with no traffic, we wish to see a day of alternative
traffic (alternative to cars, taxis and the other big polluters) but
even a name suggesting non-motorised transport day would be
inappropriate as part of a car-free day's aim is to encourage people
to explore public transport such as busses, trains and trams.  Given
that finding an alternative name to Car-Free involves so many
diffculties and pitfalls perhaps there is sense in keeping the name
that already has had publicity, growth and success?

I await your comments with eagerness!

Deborah.
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Tel: +(420) 2-781-08-49 ; Fax: +(420) 2-781-67-27
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-----Message d'origine-----
De : SUSTRAN Network Secretariat <sustran at po.jaring.my>
À : sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Cc : alt-transp at flora.org <alt-transp at flora.org>;
carfreeday at egroups.com <carfreeday at egroups.com>
Date : Friday, March 03, 2000 9:36 AM
Objet : Re: Brainpower needed


At 17:28 2/03/00 +0100, tabnet wrote:
>We are trying hard to arrange some high profile, successful
follow-ups to
>last week's impressive Bogotá  Car Free Day experience, including in
North
>America.  This note concerns a specific problem we face if we are
ever going
>to make some near term inroads there.  Here's the problem that we
need your
>help with.

1. Some more name suggestions:
Traffic Reduction Day
Less Traffic Day
Traffic Free Day
(trying to get away from just 'car' since in this part of the world
traffic
is a lot more mixed than in europe or north america).


2. Another Follow-up suggestion.

Is it time to organise (unilaterally declare?) an INTERNATIONAL "car
free"
or "traffic free" or "traffic reduction" (or whatever) day??????

As Eric has appealed, it would need a catchy name that conveys a
simple
idea yet captures the range of possibilities - from pro-walking,
pro-cycling, pro-pedicab, pro-public transport, anti-air-pollution,
anti-traffic - the fact that we believe that cities and towns can have
BETTER TRANSPORT WITH LESS TRAFFIC.

This might be a nice project to give a sense of common purpose to all
the
multifarious advocates of change all over the world all working in
various
ways to achieve equitable transport systems that engender better
health,
safety, choice, access and ecological sustainability.  Each local
group
could organise events and together we could really capture the
attention of
the international media and alert everyone that this movement really
has
some momentum. Events could include, but not be limited to, many
simultaneous "car free" days all over the world.

If there is any enthusiasm for this idea then a few of us could form a
work
team to make it happen.  Any volunteers?

Paul



A. Rahman Paul BARTER
Sustainable Transport Action Network for Asia
and the Pacific (the SUSTRAN Network)
P.O. Box 11501, Kuala Lumpur 50748, Malaysia.
E-mail: sustran at po.jaring.my
URL: http://www.malaysiakini.com/sustran (under construction)

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