[sustran] Re: "make GATNET a part of IFRTD"?

[Tanya Haslehurst]

>From: "Eric Britton" <eric.britton at ecoplan.org>
>Reply-To: eric.britton at ecoplan.org,Global 'South' Sustainable Transport 
><sustran-discuss at list.jca.apc.org>
>To: <gatnet at dgroups.org>
>CC: Marinke.vanriet at ifrtd.org,'John Whitelegg' 
><j.whitelegg at btinternet.com>, tanzarn at yahoo.co.uk,mg294 at cornell.edu
>Subject: [sustran] "make GATNET a part of IFRTD"?
>Date: Sat, 18 Nov 2006 13:16:40 +0100
>
>*	To confirm that we have the correct email, would you be so kind
>as to click the "Reply" link to this note. Kind thanks. Now the text:
>
>Dear Marinka and dear Gatnet friends,
>
>Hmm. I am not sure that I am entirely comfortable with this proposition
>Marinka (copied below) s. Since I am quite possibly quite wrong again,
>let me nonetheless see if I can in a few words clarify to this wonderful
>group and friends why I feel this way.
>
>For better or worse, we do have a model. And I for one like it quite a
>lot. What I have appreciated about our Gatnet family is precisely its
>wide open, personal and uninstitutional or hierarchical structure. My
>own expression for this is a "self-organizing collaborative network". I
>like the idea of IFRTD, ITDP, Dgroups, the Bank, the TRB, Wuppertal
>Institute, the Journal of World Transport Policy and Practice,
>University of Pretoria, and any other of the players on this scene,
>including us here at The Commons: Open Society Sustainability Initiative
>by the way, pitching in and lending a hand to forward our common,
>heart-felt concerns, namely the Gender, Equity and Transport agenda..
>Lending a hand certainly yes, but "taking it in hand"? . . .  I would
>say possibly not.
>
>I for one would hesitate before changing our basic independent flat
>model with no one in charge. I like the idea of 95 independent,
>responsible, at times and quite justifiably ornery citizens (though I
>would like it even more if we were 5 or 10x that) in a couple of dozen
>countries who get together when and as they can to share ideas,
>information, projects and invitations for collaborative action in our
>chosen patch. And it's great to hear that you at the IFRTD are proposing
>to do more with this structure and potential for change. But perhaps not
>by changing or corralling it. And least not quite yet.
>
>Our approach here at The Commons over the last couple of years of
>working with all of you on this, has been to see how we might pitch in
>and improve communications and open sharing. To this end we set up our
>little open forum at http://www.gatnet.net/ which supports and tries to
>build on, support and extend the basic Dgroups model (which by the way
>could certainly be much improved by more thought and improvement). But
>again, our idea here is to deepen, broaden, energize and support. And
>only that!
>
>Other views on this?  Other proposals for next steps?  More projects.
>More events. More interaction. More new ideas that are going to carry
>the day. More funding (which we can then figure out together how to
>use). Visible prizes and awards for path-breaking work. Yes, indeed.
>Let's talk about our common future.
>
>Strength in numbers, diversity, independence of views. . . and
>communication. ;-)
>
>Eric Britton
>
>PS. BTW is there any recent news on progress being made a set of special
>numbers of the Journal of World Transport Policy and Practice to support
>Gatnet and the cause? And while we are hat it, this is an invitation to
>see the latest numbers of the Journal at www.wtransport.org, including
>the new Sustainable Mobility: Seen to the Year 2030
><http://www.ecoplan.org/library/wt13-1.pdf>  issue. This is, I truly
>believe, one of the many solid foundations that we can put to work for
>the cause. Among many.
>
>PPS. I am taking the initiative of sharing this with a quite sizeable
>group of people who have over the last several years exchanged views and
>information with either the Dgroups forum or corresponded directly with
>me here. I am doing this via blind copies just in case the spammers
>capture this note, but what I would suggest is that you respond to the
>group or alternatively to me as you prefer. I will then attempt to make
>sure that these ideas and suggestions get passed around.
>
>
>		-----Original Message-----
>		From: Marinke van Riet
>[mailto:marinke.vanriet at ifrtd.org]
>		Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2006 8:07 PM
>		To: Gender and Transport
>		Cc: 'Maria Gutierrez'
>		Subject: [gatnet] IFRTD's Executive Committee
>
>		Dear friends,
>
>		IFRTD's Executive Committee meeting will be held from
>November 27-29 in London. As the highest governing IFRTD body the EC
>will adopt the strategy 2007-2011, which has been developed through a
>year-long participatory process. Some of you have been actively involved
>in this as GATNET members in particular or IFRTD members in general. The
>draft document and more information on the process itself are available
>through http://www.ifrtd.gn.apc.org/new/about/strat.php . Obviously in
>the new strategy we will continue to advocate for gender mainstreaming
>in the transport sector and during the EC we will have a one-day
>workshop on operationalising the strategy and brainstorming on specific
>advocacy strategies for achieving the gender mainstreaming component. .
>
>
>		I am sure that most of you remember that last year we
>had an election process through this discussion group to nominate one
>member of GATNET to represent the Gender and Transport CoP at the ECM in
>Stockholm. Nite Tanzarn was elected and did an excellent job. We had
>hoped to do something similar this year but unfortunately due to budget
>constraints could not invite an additional person to represent GATNET.
>However the IFRTD Latin American network elected Maria Gutierrez from
>Peru to represent the Latin American region, a committed gender and
>transport specialist and member of this group. Maria participated at the
>Gender and Transport Conference in South Africa in August 2006 where she
>presented a paper on gender and rural roads in Peru. To make sure GATNET
>is still represented we have asked Maria to do a similar presentation at
>the ECM.
>
>		I would like to apologise for not being able to go
>through the same process again and I appreciate your understanding. We
>are hoping that next year we will be able to have an election process
>the GATNET community and are in fact looking to make GATNET a part of
>IFRTD's official governance structure.
>
>		Thank you so much and you will be able to read more
>about the proceedings of the EC at www.ifrtd.org <http://www.ifrtd.org/>
>
>
>		Regards,
>
>		Marinke
>
>		Marinke van Riet
>		Executive Secretary
>		International Forum for Rural Transport and Development
>		Web sites: www.ifrtd.org
>		www.ruralwaterways.org
>		www.mobilityandhealth.org
>		Email: Marinke.vanriet at ifrtd.org
>
>		"The IFRTD is a global network of individuals and
>organisations working together towards improved access and mobility for
>the rural poor in developing countries"
>
>
>
>		-----Original Message-----
>		From: jeff turner [mailto:jeffreymturner at hotmail.com]
>		Sent: Friday, November 17, 2006 4:22 PM
>		To: Gender and Transport
>		Subject: [gatnet] RE: IFRTD's Executive Committee
>
>Marinke
>
>Thank you for the information
>
>You said: " We are hoping that next year we will be able to have an
>election process the GATNET community and are in fact looking to make
>GATNET a part of IFRTD's official governance structure. "
>
>Particularly welcome the idea of continued involvement of GATNET in the
>administration of your organisation and would love it if other
>organisation involved GATNET in their administration in the progressive
>way you do. Would very much like to hear more about your ideas for
>governance of the GATNET community and in particular your thoughts on
>the need for an election process, and whether you envisage some
>secretariat resources being available for GATNET for which there is a
>need to have an elected governance structure. I would also like to think
>we can have a debate about governance structures GATNET should have
>amongst GATNET members at some stage in the future.
>
>Thanks again and look forward to hearing of your EC meeting
>deliberations
>
>Best wishes
>
>Jeff
>
>Jeff Turner Transport & Social Development Consultancy Ltd
>2 Parkside Ave
>Leeds
>LS6 4JD
>Tel +44 113 2781994
>


>--------------------------------------------------------
>IMPORTANT NOTE to everyone who gets sustran-discuss messages via 
>YAHOOGROUPS.
>
>Please go to http://list.jca.apc.org/manage/listinfo/sustran-discuss to 
>join the real sustran-discuss and get full membership rights. The 
>yahoogroups version is only a mirror and 'members' there cannot post to the 
>real sustran-discuss (even if the yahoogroups site makes it seem like you 
>can). Apologies for the confusing arrangement.
>
>================================================================
>SUSTRAN-DISCUSS is a forum devoted to discussion of people-centred, 
>equitable and sustainable transport with a focus on developing countries 
>(the 'Global South').

_________________________________________________________________
Be the first to hear what's new at MSN - sign up to our free newsletters! 
http://www.msn.co.uk/newsletters