In September 2018, ICAN journeyed from Melbourne to Canberra by bicycle, touring our Nobel Peace Prize medal and raising awareness of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
Beginning on September 2 in Melbourne, the birthplace of ICAN, we arrived in Canberra on September 20, marking one year since the nuclear ban treaty opened for signature and demanding our Government join this landmark accord as a matter of urgency.
The Nobel Peace Ride was made possible by the 2018 Jessie Street Trust grant.
View the photo album here.
[show_hide title=”Register your interest for the Nobel Peace Ride”]
If you would like to join all or part of the adventure from Melbourne to Canberra, please fill in this form.
For further information you can also get directly in touch with the ride coordinator, Lavanya Pant, by emailing lavanya@icanw.org
Route details: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28338632[/show_hide]
[show_hide title=”Melbourne: join the send-off on September 2″]
Join us outside the Victorian Parliament House at 9:30am for a speak-out before the riders take off at 10:30am.
Speakers:
- Marcus Yip, ICAN
- Senator Janet Rice, Greens Senator for Victoria
- Jeannie Rae, National President of the National Tertiary Education Union
If you have a bicycle you can join the first leg of the Ride as we cruise the Capital City and Darebin Creek bike paths heading north to our first night at Whittlesea.
BYO sun protection, water and food.
Route details here: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28150015
Further detail and registration here.
Facebook event here.[/show_hide]
[show_hide title=”Canberra: join the arrival on September 20″]
The adventure culminates in a ride, rally and march on September 20 calling for Australia to sign and ratify the nuclear weapon ban treaty on the one-year anniversary of it opening for signature. Local cyclists are invited to join the final 5km “bridge to bridge” cycling leg. Everyone is invited to join the march and rally from the Canberra Peace Bell to Parliament House!
- 10am: cyclists meet and depart from the Canberra Peace Bell in the Nara Peace Park, Yarralumla
- 11am: everyone gathers to ring the Canberra Peace Bell and begin the march to Parliament House
- 12pm: rally outside Parliament House
Speakers:
- Anthony Albanese MP
- Shane Rattenbury MP
- Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine, Kokatha elder and survivor of nuclear testing
- Alex White, Unions ACT
- Australian Youth Disarmament Network
- ICAN
Further detail and registration here.
SYDNEY BUS: There will be a subsidised bus traveling from Sydney to Canberra, organised by our partner organisation WILPF. Return tickets are $30. To book a seat: www.trybooking.com/XKLD[/show_hide]
[show_hide title=”Itinerary”]
Route details: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28338632
Day 1
- Sunday 2 September
- Naarm (Melbourne) to Whittlesea (62km).
- Meet at the Victorian Parliament House for a send-off at 9:30am. Local riders welcome to join us for the first leg through the northern suburbs. Register here. Facebook event here.
- Speakers at the send-off: Wurundjeri elder Uncle Colin Hunter, the Peace Choir, Andrew Giles MP, Senator Janet Rice, Lucy Turton from Disarm Unis and Lockout Lockheed, Jeannie Rae from the National Tertiary Education Union, Marcus Yip from ICAN and Dave Sweeney for MC.
- Accommodation: Whittlesea Anglican Parish
Day 2
- Monday 3 September
- Whittlesea to Yea, Taungurung land (57km)
- Accommodation: Yea Uniting Church
Day 3
- Tuesday 4 September
- Yea to Woodfield (56km)
- Accommodation: Woodfield Shearer’s Quarters campground
Day 4
- Wednesday 5 September
- Woodfield to Warrenbayne (30km)
- Accommodation: friendly farm
Day 5
- Thursday 6 September
- Warrenbayne to Benalla, Taungurung and Yorta Yorta land (35km)
Day 6
- Friday 7 September
- Rest day in Benalla
- Event at Benalla Performing Arts and Convention Centre from 6-7pm. Details here. Exhibition runs all day. Speakers at the event include Benalla Mayor Cr Don Firth, Nancy Atkin, Medical Association for Prevention of War and Dr Tilman Ruff, co-founder of ICAN.
Day 7
- Saturday 8 September
- Benalla to Beechworth, Duduora land (90km)
Day 8
- Sunday 9 September
- Beechworth to Albury/Wodonga, Wiradjuri land (44km)
Day 9
- Monday 10 September
- Rest day in Albury/Wodonga
- Event at Albury Library Museum from 12:30-1:30pm. Exhibition runs all day. Speakers at the event include Cr Amanda Cohn, Deputy Mayor of Albury City, Chip Eling, Secretary of the North East Border Trades and Labour Council and Gem Romuld, Australian Director of ICAN. Details here.
Day 10
- Tuesday 11 September
- Albury/Wodonga to Jingellic (115km)
- Accommodation: friendly farm
Day 11
- Wednesday 12 September
- Jingellic to Tumbarumba (43km)
- Accommodation: Mannus Creek bush camp
Day 12
- Thursday 13 September
- Tumbarumba to Tumut (67km)
- Accommodation: Anglican Parish of Tumut
Day 13
- Friday 14 September
- Tumut to Gundagai, Wiradjuri land (32km)
- Accommodation: Catholic Church of Gundagai
Day 14
- Saturday 15 September
- Rest day and exhibition in Gundagai. Event at the Gundagai District Services Club at 11am-12pm, further details here.
- Accommodation: Catholic Church of Gundagai
Day 15
- Sunday 16 September
- Gundagai to Wee Jasper (80km)
- Accommodation: bush camp or campsite
Day 16
- Monday 17 September
- Wee Jasper to Yass, Ngunnawal land (64km)
- Potluck dinner
Day 17
- Tuesday 18 September
- Yass to Canberra (85km)
- Accommodation: friendly house in Watson.
Day 18
- Wednesday 19 September
- Rest and prepare to rally on the 20th September.
- Banquet organised by Uranium Free Canberra! All welcome- details and tickets available here.
- Accommodation: friendly house in Watson.
Day 19
- Thursday 20 September
- Grand finale ride, march and rally to demand Australia join the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons!
- 10am: cyclists meet and depart from the Canberra Peace Bell in the Nara Peace Park, Yarralumla
- 11am: everyone gathers to ring the Canberra Peace Bell and begin the march to Parliament House
- 12pm: rally outside Parliament House
- Speakers: Aunty Sue Coleman-Haseldine (Kokatha elder, survivor of nuclear testing in South Australia), Anthony Albanese MP, Shane Rattenbury MP, Australian Youth Disarmament Network, ICAN. More TBA.
- Registration and further information here. Facebook event here.
- Accommodation: friendly house in Watson.
Day 20
- Friday 21 September
- International Day of Peace
- Rotary Peace Award ceremony
[show_hide title=”Donate”]Please help us make this adventure safe, loud and successful by donating any amount to the Nobel Peace Ride Fundraiser.
Alternatively, you can support one of our riders:
- Gem Romuld – Melbourne to Canberra
- John Stace – Melbourne to Canberra
- James Fuller – Melbourne to Canberra
- Neville Wright – Melbourne to Benalla
[/show_hide]
[show_hide title=”Endorsing organisations”]
Amnesty International Australia, ACT
Australian Education Union ACT
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, Victoria
Australian Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee
Beyond Uranium Canberra
Edmund Rice Centre
Friends of the Earth Australia
International Volunteers for Peace
Medical Association for Prevention of War
National Tertiary Education Union
National Union of Students
Public Health Association of Australia
SEARCH Foundation
Servas Australia
Unions ACT
United Firefighters Union of Australia
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom
To add your organisation to the list, contact gem@icanw.org[/show_hide]
[show_hide title=”Contacts”]
For route and ride enquiries please contact the bicycle brain and Nobel Peace Ride Project Coordinator Lavanya Pant at lavanya@icanw.org
For media and other enquiries, contact ICAN’s Australian Director Gem Romuld → gem@icanw.org
Image: Bikes Not Bombs, Melbourne 2013.