[sustran] Gender and transport network - What next?

[Eric Britton]

Dear Friends,
 
I would like to share the following series of exchanges with you on a
topic and an activity that I believe to be of great importance to us -
both for the topic in its own right but also from what we can learn for
later application in many other areas of society and technology if we
can only get this one right.
 
For further background on this, I invite you to turn to the New Mobility
Agenda at http://www.newmobility.org and from there click the item to
the bottom of the left menu entitled ID/SD, and from there the
Gender/Equality link.  You'll see.
 
My hope in this? Is that I would like not only to draw this to your
attention but also hopefully recruit at least some of you to follow and
perhaps participate in this group search for a supporting structure. 
 
If you share your comments here for the time being, I will make sure
that they are forwarded t the GATNET group for the others to see.
 
Kind thanks,
 
Eric Britton
 
 
 
 
 
   Date: Sun, 9 Oct 2005 17:36:53 -0700
   From: "Eric Britton" <eric.britton at ecoplan.org>
Subject: Gender and transport group - What next
 
Fine start on an important issue and opportunity! And now let me see if
I can build a bit on the good points just made by Margaret and Pri and
perhaps which many of us have in the back of our heads. 
 
There is a broader pattern at work here and it is perhaps a good idea if
we get this in our sights first. I have been observing the world of
development initiatives from many sides since the late sixties (sob!),
and what I have noted is that the staying power is among the weakest of
their attributes. It seems as if after a few years and a project or two
in the direction of something that appears to be a worthy cause, say
gender and transport to take but one example of thousands, and then
poof! The sun sets, the energy flags, new people come on board and the
"old stuff" is considered to have had its day in the sun and on to new
and surely better. "Gender and transport? Sure great stuff. Real
important. We have done it." Pow!  End of problem.
 
Well the question that we appear to be asking ourselves collectively
here is: will we be satisfied with more of the same in this case? I am
glad to see a couple of us, but surly more of you as well, starting to
dig in their heels. Which leaves us with the question, where to from
here? We have to figure it out for ourselves because surely no one else
is going to do it for us.
 
I suggest not putting all our eggs into the basket with of good old
World Bank, but rather that we consider probing at least a full handful
of parallel tracks. To get us stated on this:
 
1.       UNESCO 
2.       The European Commission's program on Information
Society/Sustainable Development, and perhaps others yet
3.       UNEP - but who, where?
4.       The best of the bilateral aid agencies - namely those that have
learned the lesson of the importance of long term, in place commitment.
- GTZ, Danida, Sida and a few others come to mind
5.       The regional UN Economic Commissions, Banks and then the likes
of UNDP, UNCHR, Habitat, ITU . . . 
6.       And yes, the WB
 
If we put our heads together on this, I am confident that we can not
only come up with a fine long list to get us going, but also begin to
identify some of the possible people/ways of getting through to them.
 
Couple of quick points about how to proceed in this case some to mind:
 
*         First, to take simultaneously an inside/outside approach --
for us to locate our champions within each of these groups and to see if
we can bring them on board, and then give them credible materials and
ideas with which to work from the inside - all of which supported by a
recognized international "expert group" (I prefer the expression
invisible college) that by their qualifications and achievements in this
area command attention . 
 
 
*         The second key - and here you have just my personal prejudices
- is to continue what we have started to do here and focus the efforts
in terms of a varied, lively, competent and dedicated network of
individuals and groups who understand in death what this is all about.
(In the "old days" -- still sadly here in the minds of many - the
response to this kind of need - once all the conferences had taken place
and all the various reports been written on the subject - was to put the
old "edifice complex" into play. IN this case this would be creating a
permanent institution, fitting up a G&T building in Brussels or DC with
a permanent staff, a silver haired DG (me?), and a budget and turf to be
defended.  Nope. That one is part of the past.  Our key is the network -
and that is something we are already beginning to have in hand.
 
Finally I am copying this note to a handful of personal contacts in some
of these groups, and perhaps they may have some leads for us on this. If
so you have the thanks of us all.
 
That's it from me on this today. I note with pride that I have stayed
within my one page limit, and so now I have to get off and hope that
some of you will do more and better with this.  For my part I am ready
to read, think and do what I can from here to make this work.  This is
far too good, far too important an initiative to let it peter out cause
someone got tired or forgot to remember. 
 
Eric
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Priyanthi Fernando [mailto:priyanthi at ukonline.co.uk] 
Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 6:08 AM
To: Gender and Transport
Subject: [gatnet] RE: The gender and transport group is no longer active
at the world bank
 
I agree with Margaret, though being in Sri Lanka and seeing the
scepticism with which the Bank is viewed by the different actors in the
south, I often wonder if we do not spend too much effort trying to
reform the World Bank - as a colleague once said, its probably easier to
change the world than change the World Bank!
 
The lack of emphasis in the World Bank  for gender and transport is also
the result of a lack of a champion within the World Bank (Michael
Bamberger and Jerry Lebo played a very strong part in maintaining the
momentum of the gender and transport thematic group) and possibly more
importantly, the lack of concerted pressure from outside, pressure which
in those days was exerted by the work of the IFRTD and others and
without which the Bank would not have invested so much money and time on
the issue.  
 
I was surprised at the high profile that the Bank's Transport and Social
Responsibility is giving to disability and suspect this is very much
because there is concerted pressure  exerted on the Bank by disability
activists, and also because mainstreaming disability has a greater
appeal to infrastructure and mechanical engineers!!!  
 
So yes, members of GATNET, suggest we go for it...
 
 
Priyanthi Fernando
 
64/1 Dharmapala Mawatha
Madiwela
Kotte
Sri Lanka
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Margaret Sybil Grieco-Kanbur [mailto:mg294 at cornell.edu] 
Sent: Sunday, October 09, 2005 1:28 AM
To: Gender and Transport
Subject: [gatnet] The gender and transport group is no longer active at
the world bank
 
Apologies for being off list for so long but as with us all, there were
pressing matters elsewhere to handle.
 
The world bank gender and transport group is no longer active, it has
been
subsumed under responsible transport with gender being listed below
disability.
 
The momentum and institutional standing that the world bank gender and
transport group gave the gender and transport agenda was critical.  As a
University teacher, I could use the site to give authority to the
subject matter.
 
The decline of the gender and transport group at the world bank is
undoubtedly the consequence of insufficient resources being allocated
there to properly maintain both gender and transport activities and web
site.
 
I believe that unless we get gender and transport recognised as a key
Area of transport planning then we are not only going in circles but
those
circles are taking us backwards.
 
It is clear that gender and transport are important across the range of
activities undertaken by the world bank: gender and transport
considerations have impact from the full range of activities from health
to wealth.
 
The institutional lead given by the bank was important.  The bank having
moved the spotlight on elsewhere it is important that either pressure is
put on the bank to regain the focus or an equally important
international or governmental body meet this need.
 
Suggestions for action?
 
Cheers
 
margaret grieco
professor of transport and society
napier university
edinburgh
 
and
 
visiting professor,
institute for african development
cornell university
 
and
 
visiting professor
department of mechanical engineering under the auspices of the centre
for
gender studies
technical university
braunschweig
germany
 
 
Subject: Bringing knowledge about gender issues closer to you.
 
Dear Friends,
 
I would like to draw your attention to the conference information and
the two replies from members of our little informal distance-dispersed
international team on matters of gender, governance, etc., in which they
indicate that they are not going to be able to make the trip to
participate for financial reasons. As your sweating moderator of the ICT
sessions earlier this year, I read about these probably most useful
conferences and workshops- and too the notes that come in from our well
qualified colleagues who could benefit from the exchanges but who simply
don't have the $$ to make the trip. This did not fell my heart with
joy.
 
May I venture the thought that given that it is after all 2005 and that
since we have in hand pretty much everything that is needed to
virtualize if not all, at least a great deal of these sessions it really
should be given a major priority? The truth is that people who are
working on gender issues, and particularly in the field which after all
is the only place that all this stuff goes on, are spread out over the
globe and that by and large they are at best only marginally financed.
But these contacts and exchanges are important for them and their work.
Well . . . 
 
What to do?
 
Well, on the one hand - and bearing in mind that the New Delhi session
is afar all taking place at this minute and that Manila is just a few
short weeks away - we have to reach beyond these two projects and think
about next steps in practical terms. The fact is however that we have
in hand today the technologies and tools that are needed for anyone to
be able to do a pretty good job at virtualizing their conference so that
not only the results but also the on-going process can be shared - not
only in terms of papers, etc. but also in more immediate real time (or
close to it) terms. 
 
1. To get at least a first feel for some of the tools that might
be put to work to do the job, let me point you to our little
www.xmobility.org site which provides a
quick first summary of the cheap (often free) and effective tools that
we use on a daily basis in our own international work. That is only a
start of course but should at least serve to give you a feel for the
sorts of things we might now be looking at together. 
 
2. Then and quickly a bit of ancient history. Our first stab at
something along these lines was something called The Zero Emissions
Strategy Conference which opened its virtual doors on Friday the 1st of
August, 1997 at http://ecoplan.org/zero-ems/ As you will see if you
drop in to the site we ran this with the assistance, funding and inputs
from the UN University in Tokyo, the French Ministry of Environment, and
several others contributors and players. (Perhaps that is a formula for
next steps here, with 2005 players of course). Bearing in mind that that
was no less than eight generations ago according to Moore's Law (not yet
repealed) it provided a pretty effective forum for discussions and
exchanges. And a lot has happened since.
 
3. Also by way of backdrop, I can also point you to a program here
at The Commons which is just now being revived, in part precisely for
these purposes, which you will be able to visit in first draft from via
www.xability.com . You will see the links to
our work together over these last months - as well as a lot of room for
progress. Stay tuned.
 
I wonder where we might take this discussion next. For starters it would
be good to hear from all of you - and perhaps your networks if you think
there might be interest there. At the same time I am sharing this note
with two high officials leading ICT programs at the European Commission
and UNESCO, with the thought that they may have some inspiration or
guidance (might we dream of support) to get the first couple of pilot
projects up and going. You, I am sure will have other contacts, and it
would be good, if you think it useful, if we can also bring them into
this conversation.
 
What's the message of all this? Simple really . . . We can do it if we
chose to.
 
Eric Britton
 
-----------------------------------
Annexes:
 
* Times Foundation & Centre For Social Research Workshop on
Gender Sensitisation on October 7, 2005 in New Delhi
 
 
* Training on "Making Governance Gender Responsive (MGGR)",
October 23-29, 2005 at Manila, Philippines
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: kyarimpa peninah [mailto:pkyarimpa at yahoo.co.uk] 
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 12:03 AM
To: Gender and Transport
Subject: [gatnet] Re: Training on "Making Governance Gender Responsive
(MGGR)", October 23-29, 2005 at Manila, Philippines
 
Thanks so much for the invitation and information. Unfortunately I have
received the information a bit late and will not be able to raise the
funds to attend the course. Otherwise it is a very relevant course to
me and would have so much loved to attend funds permiting.
 
Best Regards
 
Peninah Kyarimpa
 
Uganda
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Hassan Wunmi [mailto:reachaoh at yahoo.co.uk] 
Sent: Friday, October 07, 2005 12:24 AM
To: Gender and Transport
Subject: [gatnet] Training on "Making Gender Governance Responsive"
 
Dearie,
 
Thank you for this information it is a very useful one but unfortunately
the fund for registration and travelling is a big issue and I might not
be able to make it but I hope a better chance can be available for
people like us to have materials on the topic in a later time.
 
Thank you and remain blessed.
 
Wunmi Hassan
National Centre for Technology Management
Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife
Nigeria.
+234-8034241874
 
 
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