News: Phlogging a Pathway to Palestine

Waves PR, June 4, 2009

Phlogging a Pathway to Palestine

www.ipadio.com – Four men, touched by the urgent plight of Palestinians unable to access medical help whilst the situation remains unresolved, will be leaving UK soil for Palestine on June 22.  Over 40 days, the men will be cycling 4000 miles through 14 countries.

Photo: Pathways to Palestine Team

Their organisation, Pathways to Palestine (P2P), intends to raise money for the charity Medical Aid for Palestinians by ‘selling’ every mile of their journey. Although none of them have cycling experience, their planned route takes them over the foothills of the Alps; across the deserts of Syria; and through the lowest point on the planet, before finishing in Gaza. They will be leaving Ireland on June 22^nd, having cycled peacefully across the formerly divided land.

Rider Eoghan Quinn (21), a type-1 diabetic from Waterford, Ireland, said that he relates to the vulnerability of Palestinian civilians more than most.

“As a diabetic my health is determined by my ability to access medicine: how would I survive without the support of a modern health care system?  I felt I should use my fortunate circumstances to help those cut off from the most basic of necessities”.

The riders are using their phones to help them fundraise on the tour. They have already started phlogging (phone blogging) using ipadio, the new service that allows users to broadcast live to the Internet from any phone and share their recording. Their progress to date can be tracked at http://pathwaystopalestine.com/ (and donations can be made here), or on ipadio www.ipadio.com/p2p

To encourage donations P2P are ‘selling’ legs of their journey. One mile ‘costs’ €25 or £20, and the sponsor will receive the location of their mile. Once completed, the GPS software will generate an automatic email telling the sponsor their mile has been completed.

The tour has already created a stir.  Before they’ve even started, the team have met Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Macguire, had mentions in the Scottish Parliament (see below) and secured an ipadio phonecast from a representative of Scottish Jews for a Just Peace, Barrie Levine.

“These lads have been very enterprising,” said Dr. Mark K. Smith, CEO, ipadio. “Their journey, starting at the time when the Middle East is bound to come under close political scrutiny thanks to the timing of President Obama’s speech, has a strong humanitarian edge, and we wish them every success.”

Ipadio will ensure that any phlogs of support left for the cyclists reach them whilst on tour, and are compiled for their return. The service is free to use for consumers, and can be accessed at: www.ipadio.com, or downloaded from the iphone Apps store for iphone users. ##

Notes to editors:

Full Scottish Parliament text online Here

Journalists wanting to try out ipadio for a corporate website should contact our press office and we would be delighted to organise this for you. The embed code generated with each phlog (phone blog) can be posted to the majority of blogs and websites.