Can a trishaw ride change the world?

Our teammate, Kristine Schaan (MA, NHA, CPG) at Cycling Without Age in Singapore is a gerontologist and has written a series of articles about how Cycling Without Age works with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Please note: To access each article, please scroll down inside each text box below and click on the post link underneath the picture.

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The aim of this internationally agreed agenda is to address the global challenges related to poverty, inequality, climate and environment, prosperity, peace and justice from 17 focus areas under the name of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Cycling Without Age wants to play an active role in this agenda. Our approach takes a starting point in our Guiding Principles and initially embraces specific targets of the Goals 3, 10 and 11. We acknowledge that the socio-cultural reality of our community of chapters is diverse upon location, and other Goals and targets might be selected according to the local context.  The SDGs in Cycling Without Age is a framework that facilitates the active participation of our community towards the Sustainable Development.

In CWA, generosity is the attitude that permeates in everything we do. We acknowledge that active generosity and active kindness are some of the values that create and spread happiness among people which contributes to glue different generations within the society. The impact of our initiative is aligned with three UN Sustainable Development Goals through the following points:

In CWA, slowness is the momentum, which is in contrast to the fast pace of modern societies. We acknowledge that by incentivizing slow life through our chapters, we generate a beneficial rebound into a society. The impact of our initiative is aligned with three UN Sustainable Development Goals through the following points:

Generosity in CWA contributes to the SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being. We address the target 3.4 –promote mental health and well-being- by rising up this attitude through the promotion of initiatives that directly results in the wellness of our participants.

Generosity in CWA contributes to the SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities. We address the target 10.2 – empower and promote the social inclusion of all irrespective of age – by promoting and giving everyone the same opportunities to be socially considered and welcomed to take part in this movement.

Generosity in CWA contributes to the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We address the target 11.2 – provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all – by promoting the volunteering use of the bikes for leisure purposes together with elderly people. Also, we address the target 11.b – increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion – by giving visibility and valuing the elderly sector towards the decision-makers in cities and communities.  

 

Slowness in CWA contributes to the SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.  We address the target 3.4 –promote mental health and well-being- by enhancing slow activities that will light up the importance of focusing on details that pass unnoticed on a fast-living daily basis.

Slowness in CWA contributes to the SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.  We address the target 10.2 – empower and promote the social inclusion of all irrespective of age – by leveling everyone’s speed around our main active tool,  the bike.

Slowness in CWA contributes to the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We addres the target 11.2 – provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all – by promoting the slow use of our bikes to condense the cycling experience among our passengers and pilots.  Also, we address the target 11.b – increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion – by maximizing the momentum in order to be politically and socially considered by local, regional and global decision makers.

 

In CWA, storytelling is the mean through which all synergies sprout between passengers, pilots and other organisations. We acknowledge that sharing stories merge people from all generations around this meaningful action. The impact of our initiative is aligned with three UN Sustainable Development Goals through the following points:

In CWA, relationships are the connection that materializes our dream. We acknowledge that by creating spaces where relationships can flourish, we contribute to encourage, strengthen and energize the connectivity within a local, regional and global community. The impact of our initiative is aligned with three UN Sustainable Development Goals through the following points:

Storytelling in CWA contributes to the SDG 3: Good health and Well-being. We address the target 3.4 –promote mental health and well-being- by giving all our participants a voice to be heard, which triggers a chain effect in the good health, mental health, and well-being that impacts directly into our community.

Storytelling in CWA contributes to the SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.  We address the target 10.2 – empower and promote the social inclusion of all irrespective of age – by motivating participants to tell their stories and, by this action, we widely give a seat to everyone willing to participate in our community.

Storytelling in CWA contributes to the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We address the target 11.2 – provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all – by providing a community with an accessible, safe, affordable and sustainable tool, as the bike is, that while having a ride, will empower the participants to share their stories. Also, we address the target 11.b – increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion – by sharing our stories globally through our platforms, we give them value and contribute to consider storytelling as an integrating policy and an inclusion plan.       

Relationships in CWA contribute to the SDG 3: Good health and Well-being. We address the target 3.4 –promote mental health and well-being- by setting up a scene around a bike that contributes to the cohesiveness of a community.  

Relationships in CWA contribute to the SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.  We address the target 10.2 – empower and promote the social inclusion of all irrespective of age – by encouraging the participants to meet and welcome others within their local community.

Relationships in CWA contribute to the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We address the target 11.2 – provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all and the target 11.b – increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion – by establishing institutional relationships with other organisations, partners and decision makers in order to promote the use of the bike, as the multi-purpose way as we do, and using the expansion of our network to make visible the elderly sector into the redaction of policies and plans towards  inclusion.

In CWA, Without Age is the reason of our dream and the spark that dynamites the social limitations associated to the age factor. We acknowledge that by making age not matter, we level all our participants in a  common arena. The impact of our initiative is aligned with three UN Sustainable Development Goals through the following points:

Without Age in CWA contributes to the SDG 3: Good health and Well-being. We address the target 3.4 –promote mental health and well-being- by showing elderly people that, no matter their age, they are an important part of a community, which directly contributes to tackle loneliness, depression and affecting positively mental health.

Without Age in CWA contributes to the SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities. We address the target 10.2 – empower and promote the social inclusion of all irrespective of age – by removing the age factor of all our activities, we include everyone to take part in our initiative.

Without Age in CWA contributes to the SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. We address the target 11.2 – provide access to safe, affordable, accessible and sustainable transport systems for all- by providing passengers and pilots a suitable bike which is specifically co-designed in collaboration with our partner manufacturers. Also, we address the target 11.b – increase the number of cities and human settlements adopting and implementing integrated policies and plans towards inclusion – by creating and spreading awareness about the consideration of the elderly sector among the local and regional decision makers