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ECF Joins the Celebrations for #WorldBicycleDay 2019!  

For this year's World Bicycle Day, ECF is launching a photo contest! 
Follow these rules and your pictures might be selected to be the face of the European Cyclists' Federation!
1. Take a picture showing 'How the World Looks from the Seat of your Bike'
2. Post it on your social media account on June 1st, 2nd and 3rd
3. Use the hashtags #ECFphotoContest, #WorldBicycleDay, and #Joy2Bike
4. Tag and follow us (@EuCyclistsFed)
5. Be ready to see your name and picture on the homepage of our website and every 2 weeks on our newsletter!

Disclaimer: By entering this contest you agree that the European Cyclists' Federation might use your picture(s) for our communication activities. We commit to always credit your work. 

Here are some examples of what your photo(s) could look like:

World Bicycle Day encourages UN Member States to devote particular attention to the bicycle in cross-cutting development strategies. The first World Bicycle Day was on June 3rd 2018 following the UN Declaration. 

This year, World Bicycle Day is all about going back to what makes people love cycling in the first place. We are inviting people to 'Enjoy the world from the seats of their bicycles' and share their personal experiences of joy. That’s why this year we’re going bigger, braver and further. The World Cycling Alliance prepared a comprehensive toolkit, including posters, social media headers and activation ideas, focused around the simple joy of riding a bike. Feel free to download the toolkit and adapt it to your own campaign!

World Cycling Alliance

The World Cycling Alliance is a diverse mix of global bicycle advocacy leaders who represent expert, time-tested organizations on each continent.

The work of the World Cycling Alliance is global. One key area of focus is partnerships with influential organizations that operate worldwide, such as the United Nations, World Bank and Organisation for International Cooperation and Development. Another priority is sharing best practices, research, and statistics with groups working to improve bicycling all around the world.

“Our main mission is to promote cycling as a mode of transport for the benefit of people worldwide and the bicycle as a unifying, global symbol that is accessible to all” says Raluca Fiser, President of the World Cycling Alliance.

 

ECF & the Founding of WCA

WCA started as an ECF initiative to build a global network of non- governmental organizations with a substantial interest in promoting cycling. The main objective of the network was not only to advocate for cycling as a means of transport within international institutions – but also to promote and support the exchange of knowledge, expertise and co-operation of cycling associations and organizations worldwide.

The decision of the ECF board to create the World Cycling Alliance was taken during Velo-city 2013 in Vienna. The European Cyclists’ Federation proposed the creation of a World Cycling Alliance as a center of coordination, a platform of knowledge exchange and a strong advocacy voice targeting international organizations. Other organisations represent sports and industry on a global level, but there is nothing equivalent for daily and leisure cycling. Cycling associations from all continents showed their interest to be part of a World Cycling Alliance and requested from ECF to take the lead.

The World Cycling Alliance was launched at the Velo-city Global conference in Adelaide at the end of May 2014 and is gearing up to become a major cycling advocacy network of NGOs  on the world stage. The WCA wishes to unite NGOs with a substantial interest in cycling and give them a voice in international institutions, but also act as a platform for exchange of expertise, sharing of best-practice, and cooperation between organizations with a common purpose: promoting the use of the bike. 

Click here for Bernhard Ensink's Presentation on the Current State of WCA, 11 June 2018 WCA AGM Rio de Janeiro

  • ECF decided to draw a roadmap to the founding and launching of WCA. An important step was to participate in the World Urban Forum 7 from UN Habitat in Medellin, Colombia (8-11 April). There, ECF organised a networking event to present WCA to the world and it was a big success. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with UN-Habitat, solidifying the growing need for ECF to further develop cycling worldwide.
  • The WCA network was founded on 29th of May 2014 in Adelaide and launched by ECF Secretary General and acting WCA Secretary General Dr. Bernhard Ensink at the closing ceremony of Velo-city Global 2014 in Adelaide, Australia (30th May).
  • The Annual General Meeting of ECF in Dublin on the 26th of April approved the proposal to found and to launch the WCA at the Velo-city Global 2014 in Adelaide based on the also approved Terms of Reference. These Terms call for the establishment of an International Steering Board that will oversee the development and governance of the Alliance. There is an inherent concept held withing these Terms that, being a worldwide network, its governance must also come from all four corners of the planet. As such, it is required that one steering member per continent is member of the Steering Board.

 

ECF, WCA and the World Bicycle Day Campaign

ECF & WCA called for the creation of a UN designated #WorldBicycleDay as far back as 2016! Bicycles already promote so much good in the world: from increased health, to environmental benefits and sustainable economic growth, the humble bicycle has almost unmatched potential for growth. The call for action was translated in multiple languages!  ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, ARABIC, RUSSIAN, HINDI, MANDARIN, PORTUGUESE, GERMAN, DUTCH, ITALIAN, JAPANESE, GREEK, BASQUE , TURKISH

Further information and interesting links