Ecotopia Biketour Wiki - User contributions [en]

Lessons learned

2008-09-24T12:41:45Z

Jannekebarten:

- '''Actions'''

Some of the actions we did in 2008 were very unsatisfying. Our local contacts did not take the time to explain the group in detail what he action was about. The actions were often not very well prepared and it was unclear what the role of Biketour was. Sometimes we were just hanging around (eating icecream…) while the local persons were having heated discussion with people on the street and we had no idea what it was all about.

''How to improve'': better a few good and well prepared actions than many ill-prepared actions. If not well prepared beforehand, maybe better no action at all. (although not everybody will agree on this I guess)

- '''Distances and planning'''

Niklas: One of the ideas from the evaluation was NOT to bike less kilometers as a cycling day is a cycling day, anyway. Instead, we should have three days of intense cycling in a row, without meetings that are not really urgently necessary - and than more than just one rest day, but a real rest day to relax, play volleyball, have time to talk to each other etc. PLUS a kind of workshop / learning day together with a local community or initiative to learn from each other and the communities we pass PLUS action days - but these together with local people that know the situation and from who we were able to learn about the local situation before. Combined action-workshop-rest days yield neither successful actions, nor nice workshop nor do they enable us to really relax.

''How to improve'': separate days for cycling, resting, actions and workshops. Also obviously: distances not too long (depending on climate, mountains etc.), and no longer than 3 days of cycling in a row.

- '''Consensus based decision making'''

One of the basic points of how Biketour is functioning, but also a major frustration. Halfway Biketour 2008 we had an evaluation meeting. One of the most important outcomes was the inefficiency and waste of time of the circles. So it is very important to try to make them better, because it is a frustration for many people during Biketour!

I think it is important to realise that consensus based decision making does take time. Think about it when making a planning, every few days has to have an extended circle.
On Ecotopia we came to the conclusion that these extended circles, where there is more time to talk in depth about certain topics, are important. For example, the topic of sexual harassment only was discussed at Ecotopia, after Biketour was finished. Only then it became clear how many of us (that is, the female part) had negative experiences in Turkey. If we would have had opportunity to discuss this before, perhaps we could have taken better measures as a group. Concluding: time for communication during Biketour is important, but it should be concise and efficient.

''How to improve'':

The measures we came up with in the midterm evaluation:

- Have short circles every day only for route and tasks, and longer circles every few days

- Delegate tasks to groups! Not everybody has to discuss the planning of the day or the route, a small group can discuss it and propose something. The rest should trust that group and mostly agree.

- Have a training (best at the beginning of Biketour) on consensus based decision making, and what it means: more than just hand signs.

- '''Organisation'''

Yolanda: we need to find one NGO host organization in one of the countries of next biketour before nov and I reaaaaally think it is superimportant to apply for EVS before 1 nov. If you really care about the sanity of this EVS person....
If there would be any problem and it is not possible to do it in time we can still ask for EVS before 1 jan (start 1 may) but then it should be 2!!! persons taking this job.

''How to improve'': start organisation on time

- '''Women’s Biketour'''

This is a funny idea some girls had on the way. Because… why is it often/always the guys who cut the wood, make the fire, fix the bikes, lift a bike over a fence…?
Are women comfortable to get help, or do they sometimes feel a bit pushed aside? Is it nice that somebody is helping you, or is it affecting your self-confidence to be able to solve your own problems? Why do some girls feel better when a girl is explaining them, than when a guy is just taking it over?
An interesting idea was to organise a women’s Biketour. It could for example be the first week of Biketour: only for women. But actually I doubt if it’s really going to happen, if anyone really wants to organise this.

Main Page

2008-09-24T12:36:55Z

Jannekebarten: /* Last years tours */

==Welcome to the Ecotopedia - the wiki of the ecotopia biketour==

'''Roll up! Roll up! It’s the great Ecotopia Biketour 2008 extravaganza!
'''

'''Where?''' Bulgaria and Turkey (from Sofia to Sarikum)

'''When?''' 2nd July - 14th August

'''What?''' The Ecotopia Biketour is a mobile community that appears for
several weeks each year in a different part of Europe and provides an
environmentally acceptable way to reach the Ecotopia gathering
(http://eyfa.org/ecotopia, http://www.ecotopiagathering.org/) or simply
to cycle in interesting places. Along the way we meet local groups
working on ecological or social issues and support their activities.

'''Why?''' Learning new things, keeping fit, seeing new places, promoting
cycling, meeting new people, supporting local environmental groups...

'''Who?''' If you’re interested in environmental issues, willing to take an
active part in the group, and you have a bicycle, then Ecotopia Biketour
might be just the thing for you. Biketour is suitable for people of most
cycling abilities, and accommodation is usually in tents. Participants
are responsible for tasks such as preparing meals, washing up and since
we don’t have a support vehicle, we also carry our own equipment in bike
trailers. Participants pay a small participation fee graded according to
country of residence and are expected to take part in decision-making
during the tour.

'''For more information: '''

Search this wiki with the box on the right side of every page

Check our website at http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net

Join the biketour mailing list at:
https://lists.eyfa.org/mailman/listinfo/biketour

Or e-mail yolanda (at) ecotopiabiketour.net

extra remark:
*If you are interested in joining the biketour it is wise to check now if you should arrange a new passport (your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date you enter Turkey) and/or visa (can take up to 30 days to arrange). Informative websites to check about visa are: Ministery of Foreing Affairs Turkey: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/sub.en.mfa?cc4e437c-6769-4d79-9017-10b63c651224 Ministery of Foreign Affairs Bulgaria: http://www.mfa.bg/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4794&Itemid=243 Ministery of Foreign Affairs Serbia: http://www.mfa.gov.yu/Visas/VisasR.htm
Don't forget to check if you need visa (or passport, instead of id-card) for the countries you will pass on the trip to Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey if you travel by train/bus/car/ bike… If you have any questions concerning Visa arrangements or if you need an invitationletter to get one, please send an email to yolanda (at) ecotopiabiketour.net

===Information===
*[[What is bt]]?
*[[Frequently asked questions]]
*[[Route]]
*[[Map]]
*How to [[join]]
*[[Background info]] on local struggles in Bulgaria and Turkey which Biketour 2008 can support

===Organizing next biketour===
This is a self-organized tour!
No club, no ngo, no political party. Just some people following an idea - since 1993! In 2008 we will cycle [[Bulgaria]] and [[Turkey]] - here are some ideas about the [[route]] and [[map]]. 
 The following is old text (with some fixing for now): 
Does this appeal to you? and do you want to do your share of bt-organizing? 
The best is you to come to the [[nextmeeting]], online or in real, to get an idea of the people and tasks, or browse through the [[meeting minutes]].
If you live next to it or know great places to visit, talk to [[Yolanda]]. We also compiled some texts about [[what bt is]] and how to [[organise biketour]] and collected some nice [[ideas]] about improving BT. 
Right now we are also working on the [[website]]. And where the hell is our [[stuff]]? 
You can also help us online, even if you do not live next to the route. We do need help with moving pages from our old wikis and websites - have a look down to archive - to this wiki. Also the [[website]] needs doing: writing, designing and creating an ez-publish template.

====Tasks====
'''Please help''' with some of this:
* make up a [[slogan]] for Biketour 2008!!!!
**Designers: we need a [[design/logo]] for flyers/stickers about Biketours intensions to spread during the Biketour. Besides this we need a design for this years t-shirts...
*** Brainstorm of [[ideas]] about improving BT

* Wiki organization
** take care of moving old texts to here
*** You can learn on [[How_to_edit_Wiki]] for contributing
**** update this same list, maybe at this page [[Org Tasks]] ?
***** Link this orphan pages: http://btwiki.ecobytes.net/Special:Lonelypages
****** Collaborate on the [[route]] drafting
******* reading, writing and collaborating on the profiles of places to visit
******** Translation
********* Help translate by reading [[How to translate]]

* [[Website]]
** ez-publish knowledge welcomed

==Last years tours==

===2007===
[[Main Page 2007|Main Page of this wiki during 2007]] [[Route 2007|Route of Biketour 2007]] [[Map 2007|Map of Biketour 2007]]

===2006===
[[diary 06]], [[booklet 06]], [[pressrelease06 eng]], [[outreachmail participants 06 eng]],
[[traveltips to lithuania and poland]], [[short route description 06]], [[flyer06 eng]]

===2008===
[[lessons learned]]

==Archive==

camp fire [[recipes]]

[[texts about bt]] - '''well this is intended to be a collection of all texts about bt we have here - but who knows if everyone thinks of mentioning her text here ?'''

the 2005 wiki - bosnia, serbia, romaina and moldova:
[[http://bt05.seedwiki.com/wiki/bt05/?CFID=5513191&CFTOKEN=69760497&jsessionid=c2302637811172265372968]]

the 2004 wiki, quite some texts in czech and german:
[[http://bike_tour.seedwiki.com/wiki/bike_tour/?CFID=5513188&CFTOKEN=25088710&jsessionid=c2301409891172265371765]]

Main Page

2008-09-24T12:35:57Z

Jannekebarten: /* Last years tours */

==Welcome to the Ecotopedia - the wiki of the ecotopia biketour==

'''Roll up! Roll up! It’s the great Ecotopia Biketour 2008 extravaganza!
'''

'''Where?''' Bulgaria and Turkey (from Sofia to Sarikum)

'''When?''' 2nd July - 14th August

'''What?''' The Ecotopia Biketour is a mobile community that appears for
several weeks each year in a different part of Europe and provides an
environmentally acceptable way to reach the Ecotopia gathering
(http://eyfa.org/ecotopia, http://www.ecotopiagathering.org/) or simply
to cycle in interesting places. Along the way we meet local groups
working on ecological or social issues and support their activities.

'''Why?''' Learning new things, keeping fit, seeing new places, promoting
cycling, meeting new people, supporting local environmental groups...

'''Who?''' If you’re interested in environmental issues, willing to take an
active part in the group, and you have a bicycle, then Ecotopia Biketour
might be just the thing for you. Biketour is suitable for people of most
cycling abilities, and accommodation is usually in tents. Participants
are responsible for tasks such as preparing meals, washing up and since
we don’t have a support vehicle, we also carry our own equipment in bike
trailers. Participants pay a small participation fee graded according to
country of residence and are expected to take part in decision-making
during the tour.

'''For more information: '''

Search this wiki with the box on the right side of every page

Check our website at http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net

Join the biketour mailing list at:
https://lists.eyfa.org/mailman/listinfo/biketour

Or e-mail yolanda (at) ecotopiabiketour.net

extra remark:
*If you are interested in joining the biketour it is wise to check now if you should arrange a new passport (your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date you enter Turkey) and/or visa (can take up to 30 days to arrange). Informative websites to check about visa are: Ministery of Foreing Affairs Turkey: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/sub.en.mfa?cc4e437c-6769-4d79-9017-10b63c651224 Ministery of Foreign Affairs Bulgaria: http://www.mfa.bg/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4794&Itemid=243 Ministery of Foreign Affairs Serbia: http://www.mfa.gov.yu/Visas/VisasR.htm
Don't forget to check if you need visa (or passport, instead of id-card) for the countries you will pass on the trip to Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey if you travel by train/bus/car/ bike… If you have any questions concerning Visa arrangements or if you need an invitationletter to get one, please send an email to yolanda (at) ecotopiabiketour.net

===Information===
*[[What is bt]]?
*[[Frequently asked questions]]
*[[Route]]
*[[Map]]
*How to [[join]]
*[[Background info]] on local struggles in Bulgaria and Turkey which Biketour 2008 can support

===Organizing next biketour===
This is a self-organized tour!
No club, no ngo, no political party. Just some people following an idea - since 1993! In 2008 we will cycle [[Bulgaria]] and [[Turkey]] - here are some ideas about the [[route]] and [[map]]. 
 The following is old text (with some fixing for now): 
Does this appeal to you? and do you want to do your share of bt-organizing? 
The best is you to come to the [[nextmeeting]], online or in real, to get an idea of the people and tasks, or browse through the [[meeting minutes]].
If you live next to it or know great places to visit, talk to [[Yolanda]]. We also compiled some texts about [[what bt is]] and how to [[organise biketour]] and collected some nice [[ideas]] about improving BT. 
Right now we are also working on the [[website]]. And where the hell is our [[stuff]]? 
You can also help us online, even if you do not live next to the route. We do need help with moving pages from our old wikis and websites - have a look down to archive - to this wiki. Also the [[website]] needs doing: writing, designing and creating an ez-publish template.

====Tasks====
'''Please help''' with some of this:
* make up a [[slogan]] for Biketour 2008!!!!
**Designers: we need a [[design/logo]] for flyers/stickers about Biketours intensions to spread during the Biketour. Besides this we need a design for this years t-shirts...
*** Brainstorm of [[ideas]] about improving BT

* Wiki organization
** take care of moving old texts to here
*** You can learn on [[How_to_edit_Wiki]] for contributing
**** update this same list, maybe at this page [[Org Tasks]] ?
***** Link this orphan pages: http://btwiki.ecobytes.net/Special:Lonelypages
****** Collaborate on the [[route]] drafting
******* reading, writing and collaborating on the profiles of places to visit
******** Translation
********* Help translate by reading [[How to translate]]

* [[Website]]
** ez-publish knowledge welcomed

==Last years tours==

===2007===
[[Main Page 2007|Main Page of this wiki during 2007]] [[Route 2007|Route of Biketour 2007]] [[Map 2007|Map of Biketour 2007]]

===2006===
[[diary 06]], [[booklet 06]], [[pressrelease06 eng]], [[outreachmail participants 06 eng]],
[[traveltips to lithuania and poland]], [[short route description 06]], [[flyer06 eng]]

===2008===
[lessons learned]

==Archive==

camp fire [[recipes]]

[[texts about bt]] - '''well this is intended to be a collection of all texts about bt we have here - but who knows if everyone thinks of mentioning her text here ?'''

the 2005 wiki - bosnia, serbia, romaina and moldova:
[[http://bt05.seedwiki.com/wiki/bt05/?CFID=5513191&CFTOKEN=69760497&jsessionid=c2302637811172265372968]]

the 2004 wiki, quite some texts in czech and german:
[[http://bike_tour.seedwiki.com/wiki/bike_tour/?CFID=5513188&CFTOKEN=25088710&jsessionid=c2301409891172265371765]]

Main Page

2008-09-24T12:33:26Z

Jannekebarten: /* English */

==Welcome to the Ecotopedia - the wiki of the ecotopia biketour==

'''Roll up! Roll up! It’s the great Ecotopia Biketour 2008 extravaganza!
'''

'''Where?''' Bulgaria and Turkey (from Sofia to Sarikum)

'''When?''' 2nd July - 14th August

'''What?''' The Ecotopia Biketour is a mobile community that appears for
several weeks each year in a different part of Europe and provides an
environmentally acceptable way to reach the Ecotopia gathering
(http://eyfa.org/ecotopia, http://www.ecotopiagathering.org/) or simply
to cycle in interesting places. Along the way we meet local groups
working on ecological or social issues and support their activities.

'''Why?''' Learning new things, keeping fit, seeing new places, promoting
cycling, meeting new people, supporting local environmental groups...

'''Who?''' If you’re interested in environmental issues, willing to take an
active part in the group, and you have a bicycle, then Ecotopia Biketour
might be just the thing for you. Biketour is suitable for people of most
cycling abilities, and accommodation is usually in tents. Participants
are responsible for tasks such as preparing meals, washing up and since
we don’t have a support vehicle, we also carry our own equipment in bike
trailers. Participants pay a small participation fee graded according to
country of residence and are expected to take part in decision-making
during the tour.

'''For more information: '''

Search this wiki with the box on the right side of every page

Check our website at http://www.ecotopiabiketour.net

Join the biketour mailing list at:
https://lists.eyfa.org/mailman/listinfo/biketour

Or e-mail yolanda (at) ecotopiabiketour.net

extra remark:
*If you are interested in joining the biketour it is wise to check now if you should arrange a new passport (your passport should be valid for at least six months from the date you enter Turkey) and/or visa (can take up to 30 days to arrange). Informative websites to check about visa are: Ministery of Foreing Affairs Turkey: http://www.mfa.gov.tr/sub.en.mfa?cc4e437c-6769-4d79-9017-10b63c651224 Ministery of Foreign Affairs Bulgaria: http://www.mfa.bg/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4794&Itemid=243 Ministery of Foreign Affairs Serbia: http://www.mfa.gov.yu/Visas/VisasR.htm
Don't forget to check if you need visa (or passport, instead of id-card) for the countries you will pass on the trip to Serbia, Bulgaria and Turkey if you travel by train/bus/car/ bike… If you have any questions concerning Visa arrangements or if you need an invitationletter to get one, please send an email to yolanda (at) ecotopiabiketour.net

===Information===
*[[What is bt]]?
*[[Frequently asked questions]]
*[[Route]]
*[[Map]]
*How to [[join]]
*[[Background info]] on local struggles in Bulgaria and Turkey which Biketour 2008 can support

===Organizing next biketour===
This is a self-organized tour!
No club, no ngo, no political party. Just some people following an idea - since 1993! In 2008 we will cycle [[Bulgaria]] and [[Turkey]] - here are some ideas about the [[route]] and [[map]]. 
 The following is old text (with some fixing for now): 
Does this appeal to you? and do you want to do your share of bt-organizing? 
The best is you to come to the [[nextmeeting]], online or in real, to get an idea of the people and tasks, or browse through the [[meeting minutes]].
If you live next to it or know great places to visit, talk to [[Yolanda]]. We also compiled some texts about [[what bt is]] and how to [[organise biketour]] and collected some nice [[ideas]] about improving BT. 
Right now we are also working on the [[website]]. And where the hell is our [[stuff]]? 
You can also help us online, even if you do not live next to the route. We do need help with moving pages from our old wikis and websites - have a look down to archive - to this wiki. Also the [[website]] needs doing: writing, designing and creating an ez-publish template.

====Tasks====
'''Please help''' with some of this:
* make up a [[slogan]] for Biketour 2008!!!!
**Designers: we need a [[design/logo]] for flyers/stickers about Biketours intensions to spread during the Biketour. Besides this we need a design for this years t-shirts...
*** Brainstorm of [[ideas]] about improving BT

* Wiki organization
** take care of moving old texts to here
*** You can learn on [[How_to_edit_Wiki]] for contributing
**** update this same list, maybe at this page [[Org Tasks]] ?
***** Link this orphan pages: http://btwiki.ecobytes.net/Special:Lonelypages
****** Collaborate on the [[route]] drafting
******* reading, writing and collaborating on the profiles of places to visit
******** Translation
********* Help translate by reading [[How to translate]]

* [[Website]]
** ez-publish knowledge welcomed

==Last years tours==

===2007===
[[Main Page 2007|Main Page of this wiki during 2007]] [[Route 2007|Route of Biketour 2007]] [[Map 2007|Map of Biketour 2007]]

===2006===
[[diary 06]], [[booklet 06]], [[pressrelease06 eng]], [[outreachmail participants 06 eng]],
[[traveltips to lithuania and poland]], [[short route description 06]], [[flyer06 eng]]

==Archive==

camp fire [[recipes]]

[[texts about bt]] - '''well this is intended to be a collection of all texts about bt we have here - but who knows if everyone thinks of mentioning her text here ?'''

the 2005 wiki - bosnia, serbia, romaina and moldova:
[[http://bt05.seedwiki.com/wiki/bt05/?CFID=5513191&CFTOKEN=69760497&jsessionid=c2302637811172265372968]]

the 2004 wiki, quite some texts in czech and german:
[[http://bike_tour.seedwiki.com/wiki/bike_tour/?CFID=5513188&CFTOKEN=25088710&jsessionid=c2301409891172265371765]]

Nextmeeting

2007-03-15T17:21:16Z

Jannekebarten: /* online wheel meeting */

===bt meetings===

we meet every some months in person - next meeting will be in march in spain somewhere - details to be announced soon here !

===online wheel meeting===
and the we do the [[wheel]] meetings online using skype
when will the next wheel meeting be ? when do you have time ?

jan: sunday afternoon

karl: sunday evening (after 18:00 CET, after 24. 3.: 19:00 CEST)

Janneke: sunday afternoon or evening is usually fine. In Principle every evening except wednesday, but that doesn't always work out...

if you want to join the wheel meeting, you need a working skype setup.
that would be a computer with internet, speaker and a microphone and the
programm skype [[http://www.skype.com]] installed
best is to have a headset, which is earphones and a microphone in one
device, they produce best quality. they are really not very expensive.
but i also skyped with people using earphones as microphones or just the
microphone of their laptop
if you install skype on your computer, everything might just work. if it
does not, dial echo123 and check it out - the skype website offers a lot
of solutions to possible problems - please check it out before the
meeting so that you can participate in it and we are more occupied with
chatting away than with solving computer problems
to join the meeting you will have to send a skype chat message to
roeland - kuijperroeland - so that he can invite you to the conference call

===agenda points===
space for things you want to be discussed during the next meeting,

===[[meeting minutes]]===