Public Relations
Today only professional audience know about advantages and possibilities of horse based mobility. In broader public, the use of natural horse power for productive reasons is regarded as "yesterday"-minded and thus not taken seriously. This has to be changed, amongst others by following means:
- objective information about factual advantages
- articles in non-professional journals for broad public
- comments in online blogs
- informational input and support work for Think Tanks and planning bureaus and workshops
- studies for decision makers on regional, national and EU level
Pro bono publico
Work for the protection of 'Commons' is work pro bono publico, no matter whether there is tax relief or not. Commons are used by the public and their protection and fostering is of common interest. Examples are water, soil, cultural techniques, all kinds of animals, wild and domestic, etc.
In that sense, the support and promotion of horse based mobility is work pro bono publico. It contributes directly and indirectly to the protection and fostering of horse breeds suitable for driving, the maintenance of long developed respective cultural techniques dealing with carriage driving, land and soil protection by horse keeping (farming, barns, pastures, feed producing). Horse keeping, training of horses and men and professional transport companies open up chances for small and medium-sized family led companies.
Lobbying
Lobbying is a well-known and widely spread phenomenon in the political field - from Berlin to Brussels and national EU contact points. Vested interests out of private economy have developed great power to influence decision processes along their goals due to their financial and resource capacity.
In opposite to that, the interests of the public, i.e. civil society, are represented by NGOs, non-profit-organisations and private voluntary involvement with non-comparable less means.
Mobility based on pure natural horse power as a transport variant is not represented by any institutional level or organisation. This has to be changed in order to generate positive conditions by public regulations and stimulation.
Networking
Currently informal contacts and loose networks exist between NGOs and private persons being active in the field of natural horse power driven transport modes. This net of 'believers' has to be widened and opened up for broader public and into political levels within Germany and other countries up to EU level in order to achieve a degree of influence. The topic of horse based mobility, its offers as well as its prerequisites have to be placed in committees and decision panels dealing with spatial and traffic planning, urban design, urban/rural connections etc. This is the precondition for its enforcement and growth.
What we want to achieve
In detail:
- integrate a pictogram showing a horse drawn cart into the EU logo 'Do The Right Mix'
- enhance 'European Mobility Week' by actions of horse based mobility
- explore and describe best typcial scenarios of horse based mobility and its conditions
- provide information material and support for participating cities / communities / regions
- integrate horse based mobility into Shared Space concepts
- initiate and support EU projects aiming to launch horse based mobility in the area of environment and climate protection, energy and mobility
- initiate campaigns on local / regional and national level
- launch topic specific information and data collection and provide information hubs
- etc.