Funded by:
WBF, RYCODate:
September, 2020Categories:
Sustainable TourismTags:
Cycling, Community
BALKARAVANA 2020 – Cycling Tour, as a line of intercultural dialogue and peace among young generations and citizens of the Western Balkans was planned to be organized as a caravan of 24-30 young participants from 4 countries of the Balkan Region. The tournament was planned for 19 days, as a caravan of 940 km (starting from Belgrade, Sabac, Bercko, Brod, Banja Luka, Zenica, through Sarajevo, Foca, Pluzine, Niksic, Podgorica and ending in Shkodra, Box Rrjoll), but due to movement restrictions from the pandemic, it was completely transformed and adapted. Each country organized its own independent tour with local participants.
BALKARAVANA 2020 started in Shkodra, on 19-22 September 2020 with a group of 6 participants. During this 4-day tour with an itinerary of 154km, they had the opportunity to visit different local communities and ethnicities. They had the opportunity to get acquainted with different cultures and customs and exchange ideas and views, but also to promote a healthy lifestyle and sustainable mobility. Tours followed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro.
Open Call for Participation
BALKARAVANA 2020 – are four bicycle tours through Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania and a unique opportunity for the youth in the Region to experience travel a little different than usual – by bicycle!
Balkaravana 2020 offers an invaluable experience of connecting socially active citizens, young people and adventure-loving people from the Western Balkans Region, in order to get acquainted with different cultures and customs and exchange ideas and perspectives, but also to promote a healthy lifestyle and sustainable transportation. During these four bike tours, they will have the opportunity to visit a large number of local communities and get to know their sights and their important cultural and historical sites, as well as the locals.
Along each station (stops in cities and beyond), participants will spend some time looking at the customs and lives of the communities of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania. different in the Balkans. They will enjoy local food, listen to local music, enjoy the specialties of local cuisine, see beautiful landscapes and feel the atmosphere on the streets of the host cities throughout the tour.
Participants will also have the opportunity to renovate five public spaces in each respective country, in order to convey their creativity leaving a mark on the region – a modest form of thanksgiving to host cities regarding the green movement.
After the bicycle tours, participants will be required to conduct an educational debate with peers, where they will share their impressions of the trip with colleagues and friends, have a media appearance and write a short essay or report impressions from travel.
WHO CAN APPLY? All citizens of Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Albania between the ages of 18-30. The invitation to participate will be open to each country separately. The jury from each organization will select the participants, giving priority to those who are most active in their local community in the field of environmental protection, sports, multiculturalism, tolerance and who have not had the opportunity to visit the Western Balkan countries.
When are the tours planned?
- Serbia: 28.09.2020. – 04.10.2020
- Bosnia and Herzegovina: 24.09.2020. – 28.09.2020
- Montenegro: 28.09.2020. – 02.10.2020
- Albania: 19.09.2020. – 22.09.2020
Selection of Participants
The jury from each organization (candidate country) will select the shortlisted candidates and interview them. The interviews will be on September 14, 2020. After the interview, the jury will select the participants until September 16, 2020, who together with the team leader from each organization will undergo a short preparatory training where they will receive all logistical and organizational information for the tournament.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The costs of the bicycle tour will be fully covered by the organizers, as follows: food, drink and accommodation during the trip; the costs of transporting participants to the place of departure of the trip, as well as the costs of transporting participants after the end of the trip to their places of residence. For more information, contact info@go2albania.org.
NOTE: In accordance with the situation caused by the COVID-19 virus, all possible changes in the way this tournament is held are maintained by the organizers.
The Environment Center, together with partners, is supported by RYCO under the second call for projects, co-financed by the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
Balkaravana 2020 is part of the project “From sustainable mobility to sustainable peace”, which is implemented with the support of the Western Balkans Fund – WBF (westernbalkansfund.org)
