My name is Rachel, I study history and I have been working as a Collaborative Research Intern on the project ‘Movements and Mobility: an online forum’ with Dr Nathan Cardon and Dr John Munroe. The work entailed researching activists’ organisations who use transport to improve social mobility and equality across various regions.
I was initially drawn to the project due to the unique perspective on how transport, in conjunction with activism, can improve lives in a plethora of ways. What was shocking to discover was the great injustice that many of these groups had been formed under. Cycle Satyagraha was founded in Kolkata in 2011 to fight against the ban of bike usage on the road. Many groups like this have been formed in the area as a significant portion of the population depend on cycles to access the markets to sell produce. My most common theme was organisations defending the rights of cyclists. As roads become more congested, the rise in cost of living persists and global warming increases, cycling is an efficient and sustainable alternative to caving to the demands of road users.
As my research developed I became more and more shocked at the ingenuity of these groups and how their work had been invisible to me before. For example, Last Mile Health is an organisation who have expanded healthcare access to 1.7 million people in Liberia alone. They were pivotal in preventing the spread of HIV, Ebola and Covid 19 in areas that are so remote, one case could have destroyed a whole village.
The most interesting part of my work was writing an article for the Movements and Mobility website which I entitled “African Transport Activism: improving minority empowerment and equalising social mobility”, focusing specifically on the organisations in South Africa. I chose to focus on South Africa due to the variety and volume of organisations tackling vastly different issues. Ladies Own Transport was founded due to the extremely high rates of sexual assault committed on public transport. Now the founder, Joanie Fredricks, has provided a female only driving school and female only taxis to ensure that women in South Africa have a safer option when travelling.
Conducting research on groups from various continents has greatly developed my researching skills and has enhanced my confidence in this area moving into my second year of studies. I have also become far more aware of varying cultures and political issues across the globe. Conducting such a large project taught me valuable skills in organisation and recording my progress. I am incredibly grateful to John and Nathan for their mentorship and my colleague Aminah for her collaborative work. I am excited to see where the project develops and I will be a frequent visitor to the Movements and Mobility website to see what articles and interviews are being uploaded. Thank you to everyone on the internship staff and those I have worked with for a wonderful opportunity and a hugely enjoyable project.
Rachel Chiverton, BA History