Pushy power, funky vibes, and the odd fair-trade chocolate bar: Otesha on a mission to inspire our young people

Media Release

A crew of nine inspirational young adults will be cycling through Bargo on 3rd of April 2010 with a mission to inspire youth to think about sustainable consumption in their everyday lives. On arrival in Bargo the bike riders will have covered 1200kms of their 1300km journey.

The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainability launches their East Coast Tour at the Sustainable Living Festival in Federation Square, Melbourne on the 19th of February. The tour will take them to regional schools along the South East Coast of Victoria and up through the Sapphire Coast to Sydney.

Since 2000, The Otesha Project (Aus.) has pedaled across Australia educating youth and raising awareness about environmental sustainability and social justice issues. Otesha is the Swahili word for ‘reason to dream’ and is the underlining philosophy of the organisation. The Otesha crew combines theatre performance with interactive workshops to empower high school students to consider their life choices to ensure a positive and sustainable future.

Current consumption behaviours in Australia have far reaching consequences that are both unsustainable and inequitable. The negative impacts of these practices usually affect the most disempowered people in society, including young people who now face an uncertain future. For Rachael – tour coordinator – the experience of the bicycle tours is fulfilling on many different levels:

“I’m thrilled to be on tour bringing this important project to regional schools. These tours are the perfect way to inspire youth to be the change of the future. Also it’s just a great and fun experience shared by everyone involved.” she says.

The tour participants from all over Australia have spent the past six months working hard collectively to plan the tour and create the three interactive workshops focusing on some of the major sustainability issues concerning youth: Consumer Choices, Culture Jamming and Food. As well as the workshops the tour will also present their hilarious ‘Morning of Choices’ theatre performance, which encourages the audience to consider their own choices made during an average morning.

The Otesha Project (Australia) is seeking support from your community; any donations of food would be welcomed, and we’d love to engage with other sustainable community initiatives, so please contact Kate Tucker at info@otesha.org.au.

Notes to Editors:

• The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainably – reason to dream

• Currently seeking support as our 9 cycle team members come through your town:

East Coast Tour (19 February – 9 April).

• Contact:

• Email: info@otesha.org.au

• URL: www.otesha.org.au

Pushy power, funky vibes, and the odd fair-trade chocolate bar: Otesha on a mission to inspire our young people

Media Release

A crew of nine inspirational young adults will be cycling through Bargo on 3rd of April 2010 with a mission to inspire youth to think about sustainable consumption in their everyday lives. On arrival in Bargo the bike riders will have covered 1200kms of their 1300km journey.

The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainability launches their East Coast Tour at the Sustainable Living Festival in Federation Square, Melbourne on the 19th of February. The tour will take them to regional schools along the South East Coast of Victoria and up through the Sapphire Coast to Sydney.

Since 2000, The Otesha Project (Aus.) has pedaled across Australia educating youth and raising awareness about environmental sustainability and social justice issues. Otesha is the Swahili word for ‘reason to dream’ and is the underlining philosophy of the organisation. The Otesha crew combines theatre performance with interactive workshops to empower high school students to consider their life choices to ensure a positive and sustainable future.

Current consumption behaviours in Australia have far reaching consequences that are both unsustainable and inequitable. The negative impacts of these practices usually affect the most disempowered people in society, including young people who now face an uncertain future. For Rachael – tour coordinator – the experience of the bicycle tours is fulfilling on many different levels:

“I’m thrilled to be on tour bringing this important project to regional schools. These tours are the perfect way to inspire youth to be the change of the future. Also it’s just a great and fun experience shared by everyone involved.” she says.

The tour participants from all over Australia have spent the past six months working hard collectively to plan the tour and create the three interactive workshops focusing on some of the major sustainability issues concerning youth: Consumer Choices, Culture Jamming and Food. As well as the workshops the tour will also present their hilarious ‘Morning of Choices’ theatre performance, which encourages the audience to consider their own choices made during an average morning.

The Otesha Project (Australia) is seeking support from your community; any donations of food would be welcomed, and we’d love to engage with other sustainable community initiatives, so please contact Kate Tucker at info@otesha.org.au.

Notes to Editors:

• The Otesha Project (Australia): Cycling for Sustainably – reason to dream

• Currently seeking support as our 9 cycle team members come through your town:

East Coast Tour (19 February – 9 April).

• Contact:

• Email: info@otesha.org.au

• URL: www.otesha.org.au

If anyone can help these girls with donations of either money or food they would be extremely grateful!

Help Improve Cycling in Australia

Damien Azzopardi is  a final year Industrial Industrial design student studying at the University of  Technology Sydney in NSW. He is currently doing his final year dissertation paper on ‘Cycling in Australia’. The purpose of the paper is to identify design needs in the recreation industry of cycling, and to develop it into a design project based on the research for my major project next semester.

I’m a cyclist myself and  I’m hoping to somehow improve cycling in some way shape or form, and if I am going to understand what cyclists needs or wants are, then I’ll need to get feedback from cyclists. I’m hoping you will be able to help me get some feedback from cyclists. My research relies heavily on the kindness of others to spare me some of their time,

If it is at all possible i was hoping you could circulate the below link for my 5min Survey to any willing members. Or if not to your members, just to yourself and any friends or family who also cycle. I don’t need a vast amount of responses, but the more i get the richer my report will be.

This is the Survey Link
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=19epa37rDRxe3VEbDIOGFQ_3d_3d

Thanks for your time!
Damien