In partnership with the European Commission, RYD, African Road Safety NGOs and YOURS, the Caravane is a unique and exciting project that will begin its journey in Niger next week and head to 7 countries in North Western Africa disseminating information about road safety, training young people and working with locals to promote active road safety via a road safety caravan.
The First Caravan for Road Safety is taking place in countries part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) and aims to officially launch the “Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020” in the UEMOA and to promote youth participation in road safety and preventing road crashes in 7 African Member States!
The project is ambitious and unique and YOURS is proud to be partnered with the project hosting its online communications, social outreach and creating a legacy for the project via our YOURS style video trailers of the event as well as capturing the essence of the Caravane ‘live’ through out the project’s 60 day implementation.
As indicated in the map, the Caravane’s jouney is not a small one. Our specially fitted and adapted caravan will travel to 7 countries and bring road safety to these countries when it is welcomed with a specially organized concert and reception.
The site for Caravane is being hosted by YOURS at: www.youthforroadsafety.org/caravane and this will exist within the parametres of the YOURS website although updates from the ground as the Caravane reaches the 7 countries will be provided to us and a live updating of the Caravane site will take place through out the project’s implementation.
While the Caravane takes its journey seven countries who are all part of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA), the Caravane aims to prevent road traffic injuries by:
- officially launching the `Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020´ in the UEMOA region;
- promoting youth participation in road safety;
- allowing young Africans to share experiences and good practices in road safety;
- advocating for youth and road safety issues at high level officials;
- designing a common road safety campaign in the UEMOA region.
This project can also be read in conjunction with the EU Policy orientations for Road Safety 2011-2020 and with the European Youth in Action programme launched by the European Commission and called `Youth in the World´. Therefore two NGOs based in the European Union will offer their help and share know-how from good practices used in the EU (thanks to RYD) and worldwide (thanks to YOURS).
YOURS will be travelling to Niamey – Niger next week to meet with the partners of the Caravane project and update them on the latest plans to publicise the programme online as well instructions for the video shooting. YOURS is proud that we will train the conductors of the Caravane’s journey in Peer Education and elements of the YOURS – Youth and Road Safety Action Kit. This will give the facilitators extra skills when dealing with young people in Africa via the Caravane. As well as this, YOURS has already drafted the African Youth Declaration for Road Safety that the Caravane’s implementors will use as they enter the countries and meet with heads of state, ministers for transport and road safety.
This project will be an exciting and engaging one and we are looking forward to keepin you updated. We will start with a report from the Niamey launch next week including interviews with the key players in the Caravane.