Bojun Tatia Bjorkman-Chiswell

Hi,  I'm Bojun and I’m an Australian journalist and documentary filmmaker.

I’m traveling around the world documenting the stories of the world’s one billion bicycles.

Two days ago I took myself to hospital in La Paz, Bolivia with the worst headache I’ve ever experienced, and it wasn’t altitude sickness.

It was 3 days of breathing air so thick with car fumes every breath burns the back of your throat.

While La Paz is extreme, the La Paz traffic story is one that is repeated around the world.

From Europe, through Africa and now South America, all 39 cities I’ve visited are suffering extreme traffic congestion, rapidly deteriorating air quality, constant noise disturbance, a dangerous lack of infrastructure for non-motorised transport,  and the people who rely on free personal transport are losing their right to road space.

When I took on to document the world’s bicycle stories I couldn’t have known what I would un-earth, but after 3 continents, 24 countries, 39 cities and 105 interviews, I know why documenting and broadcasting the stories of the world’s bicycles is so important.

I’ve interviewed politicians in Africa who have simply never heard of Amsterdam’s bicycle culture, or Dublin’s world-class bicycle share system.

One video changed that.

I’m the only foreign journalist to document the story of Malawi’s bicycle taxi workers who are in a constant struggle with a corrupt police force, which every few months take their bicycles and demand a weeks wage as a ransom.

One video could change that.

The Minister for Transport in Buenos Aires considers his bicycle lanes some of the world’s best. The reality is that in just the past 2 months and in only one street, local bicycle activists have had to help 10 injured bicycle riders.

One video can change his mind.

And just last month I received a desperate text message from the bicycle ambulance driver I interviewed in Zambia, who works 20 hours a day to ferrying sick patients to hospital, but he has never been paid for his work.

One video could change his life.

The One Billion Bicycles project aims to do for bicycles what Royal Auto Magazine and Top Gear have done for the car, keep the global story of the bicycle, and the people the reply on it for life, in the hearts and minds of the public, politicians and the press.

We’ve started the cogs turning, we need your help to keep the wheels spinning.

Your donation will enable us to complete the videos from Africa, South America and China.

All donations will be credited in the videos.

Donations over $100 will be credited as producers of the project.

Donations over $500 will be credited individually as executive producers of the project.

Donations over $1000 will be individually credited as Key Sponsors of the projects along with a web address.

Donations over $5000 will be individually credited as our Principle Partners with a logo and web address, and receive free tickets to the live event that we are running at the end of the One Billion Bicycles project.

I want to thank you for making possible the global conversation for returning livability to our cities, starting with bringing back the bicycle.

Project Budget:
$50,000
- Filmming & Editing.
- Interpreters & Translators.
- Travel & Accommodation to 5 continents & 30 counties.
- Tech support / website hosting / HD video hosting
- Camera equipment maintenance & repairs.

Funding Sources:
$20,000 - Producer`s contribution (secured)
$10,000 - Editor`s contribution (secured)
$5,000 - Website Sponsor (secured)
$5,000 - Sponsors & Advertisers (secured)
$10,000 - POZIBLE PLEDGES to get the final leg!

Project Progress:
View the first four of 30 videos here http://www.thebikeinmylife.com/category/one-billion-bicycles-videos/

Project End Date:
December 2013, but the campaign for bringing the bicycle back will continue with a national debate series.