World Bicycle Day  is an international event of awareness that draws attention to the benefits of using a bicycle for the everyday transports.
Using a bike is simple, healthy, affordable, clean and environmentally friendly. Cycling contributes to cleaner air and less congestion and makes education, health care, social services, school and work accessible to the populations. Cycling is a sustainable transport system that promotes economic growth, reduces inequalities while bolstering the fight against climate change. It is critical to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
More information on the United Nations website:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/bicycle-day

“I WANT TO KNOW”, the LIM project of children’s education to cycle safe in smart cities.

We believe that children’s education and women’s empowerment are the key points to help change the world for a better future and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. By education, it’s meant the alliance of different skills to develop in children:

• Showing them the importance of reading and creative writing.
• Showing them autonomy and freedom of movement.
• Raising their awareness about the UN Sustainable Development Goals (education, equality, sustainable mobility, smart cities).
• Showing them and training them to cycling (with a safe practice).
• Educating them to road safety.

In this context, LIM has started a new initiative in creative writing for children (that joins all the skills listed above), called “I want to know”.
It will be a small book that children will be able to easily read by themselves or with the support of their parents or teachers at school, in which they will learn many aspects of road safety when cycling in a smart city or on country roads.

This initiative led by LIM both joins World Bicycle Day and the UN Road Safety Week with its initiative #Love30.

For now, the book is still in writing by Virginie Lelarge, the IMEDD’s Founder (Research and Information Institute specialized in sustainable development) and creator of the LIM project.

The plan of development of the book is the following:

• First writing of the book in English.
• Translation of the book in French, Italian and Spanish.
• More languages available on request.
• Availability of the book through the IMEDD: for cities, schools, non governmental organizations, libraries and families.

The launch of the book “I want to know” is planned during the European Mobility Week in September 2021.

The book will be presented to the EU Urban Road Safety Award to expose this initiative as a “Best Practice for Children’s Education in the field of Sustainable Mobility in Smart Cities”, in the same line as the LIM City Challenge For Children was recognized in 2016 by the European Commission.

The story of  “I want to know”.

It’s the story of a brother and sister, Luka and Marie, and their little dog Wendy.
Luka, the big brother of 14 years old, was raised as the Little Prince, the child of Rose, the Princess of the Environment, the singing and artist princess for the planet who works with the United Nations, the European Commission and several countries to spread the word about the environment.

They both live in the Principality of the 19 Stars, a small enclave within Princess Grace rose’s garden in the Principality of Monaco.

When Luka was a boy of seven years old, Princess Rose taught him how to cycle safe in their hometown. She showed him the road signs, and he discovered how to get his own autonomy with his bike. Luka was so in love with his bike that he decided to help the Princess of the Environment to tell all the children of the world how beautiful cycling was.

That’s how Luka started to take part in the European Mobility Week, how he helped the creation of the LIM City Challenge for Children that was held in Monaco, the land of the Green Prince, and how Luka and the Princess of the Environment were recognized as a committed family to raise children’s awareness about cycling safe in smart cities and on country roads.

Now, that Luka has grown, he feels responsible to share his experiences with other children, and it happens that his little sister, Marie, is now 7 years old, and she wants to ride a bike and bring Wendy, her little dog in her bike’s basket and cycle in the city and on country roads to discover the beauty of Planet Earth.

As Luka is very careful for his little sister, he decided to educate her to safe cycling in cities and show her everything she needs to enjoy her new life in full autonomy.

The book will tell the rest of the fairy tale, which is indeed a true story…

For more information about “I want to know”, you may contact the IMEDD at imeddgroup@gmail.com.