General
The International World Bicycle Day 2022
Jun
Is it worth having one more special day on our calendars to celebrate Bicycles?
In 2018, the UN declared June the 3rd the International World Bicycle Day.
However, the International World Bicycle Day shouldn’t be confused with the Bicycle Day on the 19th of April or the World Cycling Day (aka WCD), on the 17th of September.
Sadly, it took the world over 2 centuries to recognize and appreciate the importance of bicycles in human development.
A million thanks to professor Leszek Sibilski and his students for the grassroots campaign that led to this resolution.
It must be the cycling and sports passion in Professor Leszek that fueled him to do something about bicycles.
Learn more about Professor Leszek the sociologist, track cyclist, and the originator of the International World Bicycle Day here:
The International World Bicycle Day Resolution
The resolution for World Bicycle Day recognizes the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle.
It also acknowledges the contribution of the bicycle to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Like many other UN declarations after 2015, this was mainly influenced by the UN development summit held in New York in September 2015.
Although the summit was on the success of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it led to the development of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the SDGs.
What are these 17 SDGs?
How Did it Happen?
As you might have guessed it is quite tedious to get any UN resolution passed.
As obvious as the importance of bicycles might seem, it took two and a half years of persistent advocacy headed up by the World Cycling Alliance (WCA), and European Cyclist Federation (ECF).
These two bodies tailored a report that showed bicycles relevantly contribute to 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (quite an overwhelming feat, isn’t it?).
The tailored report was quite simple but effective enough to move 193 countries to vote for the resolution unanimously.
Check out the full report here.
How to Celebrate the International World Bicycle Day?
- Organize or participate in bicycle events.
- Participate in or organize bicycle day awareness campaigns.
- Buy bicycle-related goods for yourself and for others.
- Give out bicycles to encourage others to use bicycles
- Organize bike riding lessons
- Give out bike memorabilia gifts or buy for yourself
- Buy or gift someone bicycle jewelry.
- Visit bicycle Museums
- Organize Bicycle history events in collaboration with museums and the like.
- Work with the World Cycling Alliance (WCA), see how here.
More ideas on how to celebrate the International World Bicycle Day are welcomed.
Make your suggestions or any other comments in the comments section down below this post.
