“Great Aussie Rickshaw Ride” promotes Millennium Development Goals
The Australian High Commission today celebrated completion of the “Great Aussie Rickshaw Ride (GARR)” which was organised and run by Symbiosis International, an Australian based development organisation working in Bangladesh.
Spanning ten weeks (from mid July to late September 2010) and five states and territories across Australia, the Great Aussie Rickshaw Ride involved some 200 Aussie rickshaw-wallahs on a 2000-kilometer quest from north of Brisbane to Evandale in Tasmania to raise awareness about global poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Along the way, those involved spread the key message to the Australian public that alleviating global poverty is achievable through people powered change.
As the rickshaw and the GARR team travelled down the coast of Australia, they held meetings in schools, with community groups, at public arrival events, universities and other locations. Nearly 6000 children from 36 schools saw video clips on how Symbiosis and Bangladesh is working to achieve the MDGs. The events generated considerable interest among the students, most of whom had never had any exposure to Bangladesh or issues surrounding poverty alleviation.
The 2000-km journey finished in late September with many ordinary Australians embracing the messages about how individuals, both in Australia and Bangladesh, can work together to make a difference.
Australian High Commissioner Dr Justin Lee said the Great Aussie Rickshaw Ride was a great example of a community initiative to trigger people-powered change. He congratulated Symbiosis International on organising an epic rickshaw journey across Australia and lauded the event for building community understanding of and support for development issues in Bangladesh. He also expressed appreciation for Symbiosis International’s commitment to development activities in Bangladesh over many years.
A number of senior Bangladesh Government officials, representatives from development partner organisations, NGOs, members of the diplomatic community, Australian expatriates, and friends from the media attended the reception hosted by the High Commissioner at his residence on 27 October to celebrate the achievements.
The GARR was funded as part of the Community Call to Action (CC2A) program of the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
Australian High Commission, Dhaka, 27 October 2010
For further information please contact:
Senior Research and Communications Officer, AHC, Dhaka.
Tel: 8813105, E-mail: [email protected]