2001 Work Plan

The Active Citizen

I support ECFD Citizen CFD Planning
Citizen @Forum Citizen Petition
Know Thyself

Talk to people around the world in 2001 and you will hear from a lot of them that democracy does not seem to be working out all that well in many places that nominally have it. Certainly if progress in terms of sustainability is any guide, there is a lot to be desired in terms of our present arrangements. De Tocqueville warned us almost two

centuries ago about the pitfalls of "administered democracy" and passive citizenry. And it seems that most of us have been too busy thinking about money, personal comfort, things and what the government can do for us, to give his warning the attention that it deserves. So here we are!

Which brings us to what Car Free Days are in fact really about. We see them as exercises, training grounds if you will, in active citizenry. Think of it as 21st century voting if you will -- with the citizen not waiting for the next set of electoral promises concerning all that will be done for them, but rather ready to forge ahead in a chosen area of community and governance and do her or his part in creating new patterns, new arrangements that are better suited to respond to the needs of the entire community and, in this case, of the planet.

Seven action steps to your ECFD 2001 project

Here in a few clickable lines are some tips intended to help you as an individual concerned citizen to put these tools to work for you, your family, your community and, not least, our beleaguered planet:

Check out CarFreeDay.com for general background:
You say OK and then zap the "I support ECFD" button
- We get back to you immediately with some guidelines
- You might also check out Citizen @Forum just to see
You next review latest info on "Parts of the Solution" database
- Identify the thus-far listed groups & activities in your area
- Check out other citizen projects in other places
- Check out other Earth Day projects in your area
You then decide & organize a . . . Citizen Initiative
- Check out your idea with family, friends and colleagues
- To organize your project, review Citizen Initiative example
- Post your plan or intention on the Solutions Database
- View & make use of Media Centre materials
- Respond, update and complete as you go ahead
Or you decide to post that you are . . . Ready to Participate
- To prepare your entry review "Ready to . . ." example
- Then sign in to make yourself known as a local partner
- Consult the ECFD ECFD Media Centre for ideas & materials
- Consider the idea of launching a local petition for 2002
19th April - Earth Car Free Day 2001
- Participate. Do your thing
- Observe carefully & reflect on results
  - Of your personal project
  - Of other CFD activities in your area
  - Accomplishments & results in other cities & places (which you will find reported in detail here)
- Discuss with family, colleagues, neighbors, others
Lessons, Decisions & Next Steps
- Post your results & findings to the shared database
- Share your observations & recommendations in the ECFD 2001 Guestbook
- Decide eventual follow-on to your personal project?
- Other forms of participation in follow-up activities in your city
- What about ECFD 2002 (22 April 2002)?
- Final question: Are you in this for the "long slog" as our friends from Pune India say? Or is one day a year enough?

Recommendation

And if in all this we had a single short sentence to share with you as you decide whether or not to engage yourself in this great adventure, it would be this:

Don't be afraid to start with something small!

Last updated 15 April 2001. © 1994-2001 EcoPlan , Paris.
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