Cycling Advocacy
In December 2008 and January 2009 climate advocates together with an NGO ‘Transport alternatives’ conducted a series of trainings on ‘Cycling Advocacy’ in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Dnipropetrovsk.

The training aimed at creating a local movement of cycling active citizens, who will effectively develop a cycling culture in the region. It involves such broad areas as making the bike a popular means of transport, sticking to the rules of the road, and creating modern cycle paths amongst other things. By developing a cycling culture we will contribute to the improvement of our environmental situation through a decrease of CO₂ emissions and will support citizens’ active involvement in the public life of their city. A long term goal is the setting up of an all-ukrainian network of bike activists.

A newly created network will be encouraged to grow throughout all the cities of Ukraine. This will be supported by a manual which introduces general concepts about facilities for cyclists such as cycle-paths, cycle signs and road markings, and which shares successful experiences of other countries and the role of the public.

For further information please contact cyclingua@gmail.com.

Car free day
Climate advocates from Ukraine joined cyclists to support Car free day in Kyiv on 21 September 2008.

Some of them were riding in polar bear costumes to highlight the danger of polar bears becoming extinct due to global warming. The slogan of the bike ride was ‘Kyiv is the city of parks, not parking lots’.

The 26 km-long ride in Kyiv took place in the pouring rain, but a press conference, climate change photo exhibition, eco-quiz and concerts by Ukrainian youth music groups, were just some of the rewards participants could look forward to after finishing their ride. Unexpectedly, musicians from the Absdolts band borrowed the polar bear costumes of our advocates and began an improvised performance with environmental slogans and stories.

The first Car free day was a real success thanks to a huge amount of enthusiasm from the climate advocates and other organisers as well as the further action plans it managed to generate, despite the weather!