The Biketour - the project for everyone interested in do-it-yourself (”diy”) environmentalism, culture, nature, community life and the art of travelling without engines - the exact opposite of an all-inclusive flight to the beach!
Moving all our stuff by sheer pedal power, we create an eco-mobile community building up strong connections between participants coming from different cultures and groups, as well as between ourselves and our hosts.
7th of July 2009 we will start cycling from Macedonia to Croatia, crossing Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We plan to start our tour on the Belgrade-Skopje train(!), and we will reach the MuM festival in Croatia, 28th of August.
The theme of the 2009 biketour is climate change and energy. In November, the biggest climate summit ever will be held in Copenhagen. The EU is negotiating its energy and climate package for this summit, which still will be far from sufficient to solve the climate crisis. Only, climate and energy policy in the Balkans is even worse! So now the risk is huge that non-EU South Eastern Europe will end up as the sink-hole for dirty energy production of the EU - with all their oil pipelines, nuclear- and coal-fired power, etc.
In the Balkans, national climate energy strategies are underdeveloped and still created in non-transparent processes. There is low public awareness on environmental issues, a weak civil society and many corrupt governments. The region urgently needs attention from all people who know about the issues of environment, especially climate change and energy, to raise awareness amongst the public and to governments.
The biketour visits interesting places on its way: alternative, environmental, artistic projects and communities, nature monuments and people who preserve them or resist environmental destruction. During the planning of our route, we will make links with local environmental activists, and see how they are fighting climate change, and to learn what’s going on with regional energy politics. Together, we hope to organise workshops on our way, help out environmentalists from the region by participating in their campaigns, prepare actions with local people, and make the 19th biketour a great ride!!
If you have contacts in the region or ideas, where to travel or whom to visit, do not hesitate to contact us!
If you’re thinking of coming along, the deadline for registering is 10th of June 2009, but well be flexible with you!
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