Congratulations to all the winners of the Art for Road Safety Challenge! Big up to Rital Khasawneh for winning the challenge on Egypt Week, the team of Musa Ssempebwa, Patrick Musoke Hillington, Ronald Kushemererwa, and Steven Kyalire Fred for Uganda Week, and Pierre Sada Sarr for Senegal Week! The winners were selected young people from all over the world through the Global Youth Coalition’s Instagram account. The submission with the most likes/views wins the challenge for the respective week.

Last June 15, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety and TotalEnergies Foundation launched the Art for Road Safety campaign- the first art challenge for safer mobility in the African continent. The campaign was set in Egypt, Uganda, and Senegal. 

From June 6 to July 22, the Coalition featured different artists every week to raise awareness on road safety issues that include the dangers of speeding and the importance of wearing a helmet. 

The first week featured Ahmed Fathy (Elna2ash), an internationally celebrated graffiti artist. The challenge was to recreate his piece that shows the dangers of speeding with the tagline “life has no reset button”.

Rital Khasawneh from Jordan won the first-week challenge by recreating Elna2ash’s graffiti in a drawing where she illustrates a vehicle and the damage it could get with every increase in speed the driver takes. Rital was awarded some art supplies.

The second week featured Sylar Robert Ssempijja, a dancer, breakdancer, choreographer, and teacher. The challenge was to recreate his dance to the song Yambala Helmet produced by Youth Arts Movement Uganda. The challenge received submissions from different parts of Africa, both with individual submissions and group submissions.

The winner for Uganda week was a group submission by Musa Ssempebwa, Patrick Musoke Hillington, Ronald Kushemererwa, and Steven Kyalire Fred. The group each received a motorcycle helmet for gathering the most views and likes during Uganda Week. 

The final week featured Dieynaba Sidibé (Zeinixx) – the first female graffiti artist in Senegal who is internationally known for her mural work that highlights women empowerment. The challenge for Senegal week was to recreate Zeinixx’s mural that emphasized the importance of low-speed streets. The mural featured a large 30 sign that is reflective of this year’s theme for the 6th UN Global Road Safety Week – #StreetsforLife – which advocates for 30 km/h streets worldwide.

The winner for the Art for Road Safety challenge, Senegal Week, was Pierre Sada Sarr. He received a bike kit and a graffiti kit.

The objective of the art for road safety challenge was to get more young people in efforts to promote road safety and get more young people involved through an artistic intervention like graffiti, drawings, and dance. 

With this, young people can take ownership of road safety issues in their areas and become local ambassadors in the most creative and original way possible.

WATCH ART FOR ROAD SAFETY CAP OFF VIDEO 

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the official global launch of the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021 – 2030 along with its Global Plan. 

We republished the article here: 

In September 2020, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/74/299 “Improving global road safety”, proclaiming the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030. WHO and the UN regional commissions, in cooperation with other partners in the UN Road Safety Collaboration, have developed a Global Plan for the Decade of Action, to be released in October 2021.   

The Global Plan aligns with the Stockholm Declaration, by emphasizing the importance of a holistic approach to road safety, and calling on continued improvements in the design of roads and vehicles; enhancement of laws and law enforcement; and provision of timely, life-saving emergency care for the injured. 

The Global Plan also reflects the Stockholm Declaration’s promotion of policies to promote walking, cycling and using public transport as inherently healthy and environmentally sound modes of transport. Progress made during the previous Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020 has laid the foundation for accelerated action in the years ahead. Among achievements are inclusion of road safety on the global health and development agenda, broad dissemination of scientific guidance on what works, strengthening of partnerships and networks, and mobilization of resources. This new Decade of Action provides an opportunity for harnessing the successes and lessons of previous years and building upon them to save more lives.

DOWNLOAD UN RESOLUTION FOR IMPROVING GLOBAL ROAD SAFETY

On 21-22 October, IRF will be hosting its annual autumn conference online under the theme “Innovation: Charting Pathways to Sustainable Mobility”. With fast-growing populations leading to significant urbanisation, the demand for new transport infrastructure is predicted to see massive growth in coming decades. The new challenges: the increasing expectations of businesses, service users, and the public and the need to reduce carbon emissions and waste.

The International Road Federation (IRF) is a global, independent, not-for-profit organization with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Active since 1948, IRF is a membership-based organization, representing leading corporate and institutional players drawn from the road and mobility sectors worldwide. Its mission is to promote the development of roads and road networks that enable access and sustainable mobility for all. Its approach is centered on key strategic components of knowledge transfer & information sharing, connecting people, businesses, and organizations, and working with policy & advocacy. 

Its annual conference titled Innovation: Charting Pathways to Sustainable Mobility means finding innovative ways to fulfill the need of building new roads, maintaining, upgrading, and operating the existing road network while aligning these actions with the provisions of the Paris Agreement – targeting lower greenhouse gases – and those of the SDGs looking for an equitable, safe and sustainable mobility for all.

Our collective task: create a truly safe, sustainable, and efficient multi-modal transportation system. For this to happen, we need to learn to think and do things differently.

The arrival of new digital technologies is enabling efficiency improvements in existing transport systems, as well as making them more user-friendly and sustainable. Integration across transport networks and modes is driven by the growing ability to make real-time system data and information available to operators and users.

None of the extraordinary mobility changes we are witnessing would be possible without proper infrastructure. Yet transforming mobility requires more than just technology and infrastructure. Transforming mobility requires innovation on all fronts: in the way we think, we plan, we design, and we deliver and manage transport systems.

REGISTER HERE

To celebrate International Youth Day, the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety launched an interactive and artistic live stream last Friday, August 13, called “No More Youth Tokenism!”. The event highlighted the fact that the success of different global initiatives could not be achieved without meaningful youth participation through young leaders, decision-makers, and other global leaders.

International Youth Day 
The theme of International Youth Day 2021 is, “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”, with the aim of highlighting that the success of such a global effort will not be achieved without the meaningful participation of young people. It has been acknowledged that there is a need for inclusive support mechanisms that ensure youth continue to amplify efforts collectively and individually to restore the planet and protect life.

To support this message, the Global Youth Coalition led a live steam event that featured dynamic conversations and artistic expressions that presented and discussions different ways on how youth could meaningfully participate in transforming our realities, especially road safety and sustainable mobility, intersect within them, willing to achieve human and planetary health. 

No More Youth Tokenism
Hosted by award-winning UK journalist, Nelufar Hedayat, the live stream delivered dynamic conversations and artistic interventions that presented and discussed the experiences of young people when it came to meaningful participation in areas like health, road safety, climate action, and inequalities. 

The youth panel shared what it was like for them to get involved in all stages of decision-making while also shedding light on the challenges they faced as a young person leading the change within different organizations.

Through an intergenerational dialogue with representatives from global organizations, the perspectives of youth and experienced leaders on youth tokenism were further elaborated on and contextualized within development through the global goals.

From the perspective of their organizations, young leaders shared what they are doing to ensure meaningful youth engagement. Leaders from the Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety, Restless Development, YOUNGO, and the IFMSA – International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations all shared their experiences about how they were empowered to lead the change in their communities and regions.

“Through the Coalition, I managed to connect with young people from different countries around the world. I have managed to use the assets to benefit from the tools that the Coalition provides ” – Sana’ Khasawneh, Global Youth Coalition 

Secretary-General of the UN Youth Envoy, Jayathma Wickramanayake, also shared a message for young people everywhere, saying that today’s generation of young people had the opportunity to be the largest driving force to create meaningful change. 

Throughout the session, different artistic interventions were also presented. 

The Global Youth Coalition for Road Safety supports its members to make the best impact in their respective communities and regions by providing them with resources, opportunities, platforms, partnerships, and more. 

Join our efforts to achieve the road safety targets presented in the global goals through the Global Youth Statement and to meaningfully engage and involve youth by signing up! 

JOIN THE GLOBAL YOUTH COALITION

The Coalition’s official anthem, “Claiming It!” produced by Youth Arts Movement Uganda was officially released last Friday, August 13, during a live steam event called “No more youth tokenism!” for International Youth Day. The song features Uganda artists Hawa Nanjobe Kimbugwe, Kwagala Esther, Profet aka “Prince of Africa”, K. Mukwaya Meshack aka “Vann Mesh”, and “Words of Wake”. Watch the video and read the lyrics here:

VERSE 1
I am more than just a statistic,
Thanks to my existence, the entire society can now be optimistic about the future.
But, with all these road crashes, how do you expect me to get to my future? Ah.
My father used to say work hard and make your life an easy one,
But the road to my destiny is not an easy one,
They say that life is what you make it,
But how will I make it when decision-makers won’t let me be a participant!

I can see what is happening to mother nature,
Climate change is all around me,
I don’t need a lecture, (NO)
I don’t wanna seat back,
I wanna take charge, All I need is opportunity
It doesn’t take much!

CHORUS
These streets are my only hope, to the future-
Will you walk with me
Stand with me, Coz- I won’t stop claimin it
Stop blamin me!
Youth Voice – [Mehn] Claimin it
Safer roads- [Yo] Claimin it
Safe Space, Safe Space
Claimin it, clean air- [Whaat!] Claimin it
Stop blamin me, there’s no planet B!
Safe roads, safe roads -Claimin it,
My dreams Yooo
Claimin it x3

VERSE TWO
Zebra crossing
Zafuuka decoration,
Kiki ekili mweno nation.
Kuby’enkozesa yekubbo
Abavvuzi n’abasabazze
Amateeka kukubbo
Nago gakwasibye
Maama Africa
Okusanyawo Obutonde
Kutema tabbi gwe kw’otudde
Abavubuka nadala abakyaala twetaaga participation Mukukola decision
Ez’eno generation.

BRIDGE:
Cos, we are the youth of the world, We need our voices to be heard, We’re working together,
To make the earth better, with good roads to ride on, Clean air to breath in,
A better place for you and me-

VERSE 3:
We need a seat with the leaders,
Not on the side with cheers,
Our influence is bigger than older Fears! 
That’s why we drive on the road on full gears, 
Over million youth parish it all brings tears,
Climate change, save our green earth space,
Young minds can combine to save our race,
Ecosystem is all at stake, Emissions from cars not given us a break! 

The youth don’t drive so clear,
No seat Belts on, Slow Down-
Speed Kills out there!
Give us a chance to speak,
We can articulate the facts,
Work with us more,
We can surely reduce the deaths!

WATCH IYD LIVE STREAM EVENT 

Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) and Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) has launched the Safe Urban Environments Program for Young People – their first-ever Youth Safety in Urban Environments Competition! This global competition is open to young people globally, with a particular focus on Colombia, Ecuador, Ghana, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam aged 15 – 20 years old. It will run from 3rd – 19th  August 2021.

The Safe Urban Environments Program (SUEP) is a brand-new initiative proudly led by Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation, in partnership with ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, hosted by Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, with the support of Fondation Botnar.

The SUEP ultimately aims at achieving a two-fold impact: that the urban environment itself is safer for young people but also that young people themselves feel safer in their environments and urban contexts.

MORE DETAILS HERE