Celtic Safari is a 4 week, non-competitive, politically active, and all-round good time bicycle tour through England Wales and Ireland; bringing young people from all over Europe, and ending at Ecotopia* 2002 in Dingle, Ireland.

Aims

The aim of the Celtic Safari Biketour is to promote the concept of sustainable transport, social and environmental justice, especially to young people. The tour aims to act as a catalyst, pressing for sustainable transport and “bottom-up” climate change strategies to be developed across Europe.

Celtic Safari is a trans-European project, with a grassroots approach. Instead of focusing on government and media attention, the tour and participants will engage and educate individuals, empowering them to make changes in their own lives and local communities.

Activities

En-route, the biketour will link with groups in order to present its vision to local communities and allow biketour participants to share experiences from their cultures and from the projects with which they are involved in their home countries. Biketour participants will also learn from grassroots groups and non-governmental organisations in the host countries.

Daily tasks: Cooking, clean-up, and making the camp-fire will be shared. This shared responsibility encourages a sense of community to develop. The organisation of the Celtic Safari tour, and resulting network, will be non-hierarchical, decisions will be made by consensus. Proposals will only be accepted when no participant in the tour objects to them. Arriving at consensus requires co-operation and negotiation. This non-traditional form of organisation will empower participants in the tour and members of the network, as everyone will have equal importance and an equal voice in all decisions made.

After the Tour

Through the establishment of a website and email community, partnerships, and friendships formed during the tour will continue subsequent to the event. At the conclusion of the biketour, participants will spend 5 days at Ecotopia* in Dingle, Ireland: Planning and networking for projects in their home countries, using skills and contacts developed during the tour.

*Ecotopia is an annual gathering of EYFA: European Youth for Action [www.eyfa.org]. People come to the two week-long camp to learn how to live in an ecologically-sustainable manner, through workshops and practical experience.

The biketour will be repeated in subsequent years to take place in other European destinations. The purpose of these annual tours will be to support local campaigns and communities, and expand the grassroots network.

Participants

Participants will be young people, and a few not so young, from all over Europe.

Anyone is welcome to join the tour as long as they are prepared to:

1. fully participate in the tour

2. bring a positive, fun, DIY attitude

3. cycle 50km a day.

See “How to join” for more information

Events

There are events being planned all along the route. However, we are always looking for communities, groups, camps, etc. to visit for a day or two. If you would like us to come and visit you, please email us!