{"nodes":[{"node":{"post_id":"6944","title":"How we hosted a Food Waste Combat community dinner and why it's time to make it a habit","content":"\nLately I\u2019ve been having sudden cravings to get offline and do to things with my hands which don\u2019t involve a keyboard. With several people in town we hosted a community dinner as a way to take action against something happening every day under our noses - massive good food throwaway. By households, restaurants, markets and especially supermarkets, by you, by your family, by your neighbor, by me. We collected food close to being dumped and got people to cook together and share a meal while interacting heavily around the issue.\n\nI won\u2019t ramble about why it\u2019s important we pay more attention to food overall - from where and how far it comes from, the cost of having nicely chopped avocados on a restaurant plate, to how we pick stuff off the supermarket shelves and never wonder where the brown bananas are going, to how we realize our canned peas are overdue after having been hidden in overstuffed fridges or pantries (it\u2019s a trap!). You know this already, right?\nFood Waste Combat in Cluj (FWC) is a local collective experimenting with creative ways to address the issue, and I joined them for many selfish reasons, but mostly because I\u2019d like to see food activism reach educated, resourceful urbanites. I\u2019m one of them and I think as a group we can do better. We\u2019re well positioned to use a tiny bit of our time doing something other than work, other than expensive hobbies, other than just consuming. It seems teaching each other how to eat is a pretty low hanging fruit.\nMore photos here.\nWe set up a 60 people afternoon event in a week, in a very lightweight mode.\nI think it\u2019s worth sharing why and how we did it:\n\n\nContext exists - a Repair Cafe Week full of activities in town and already talking about circular economy.That helped promote the event in only a few days time in a period quite busy for Cluj, helped it be part of a bigger mobilization and get more media attention.\n \n\nLarge enough venue is available - The Paintbrush Factory, a former factory turned contemporary art collective have a cosy room for events equipped with minimal cooking infrastructure; we were able bring add-ons with no problem (except the lights going off for like an hour, but well, can\u2019t plan it all! :-))\n \n\nCrazy levels of enthusiasm and capacity are just.. there! I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s the food effect, but so many people chimed in and brought own assets to the table: Cimbru, a local food truck with patient cooks helping everyone find a role; Casa de Cultura Permanenta, a local open house already prototyping circularity in every possible way! and their resident volunteers; FWC team coordinating on an online wiki to plan and split tasks; photographers supporting the cause; Local markets and a large shopping centre donating throw away food and also pretty decent one! It took us up to two hours to collect 35 kg of fruit and vegetables. You spend more time getting to and from locations than on the actual food collection.\n \n\nOutstanding community connectors gently nudging everyone - how else could you mobilize effortlessly a team of teams?! @Ponyo \u00a0is one of them for sure.\n \n\nSome pocket money is available\u00a0- we spent 200 Romanian lei (","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-11-04 19:31 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6936","title":"Building tweeting communities for mental health nursing with @WeMHNurses","content":"\n[@Noemi\u2019s note] I was happy to connect with Emma Jones, who is in her words, a third of the We Mental Health Nurses team at WeCommunities, along with Vanessa Garrity and Mark Brown. This story serves as a first encounter with Edgeryders. It also includes written reflections by Vanessa.\n\nWeMHNurses hosts regular mental health themed twitter chats, as part of a network chat calendar, with wildly diverse topics ranging from \u201cThe use of digital technology in everyday practice\u201d to \u201cWorkplace democracy in mental health\u201d. The core team runs the day to day operations, on a purely voluntary basis, with the WeMHNurses account, also linking into the wider WeCommunities, which covers many different branches of Nursing and Health Care professions and specialism. Topics for chats tend to mostly emerge from topical conversations within the community or where there is, for example a national policy directive or key piece of published journalism relating to mental health. The community also run sponsored chats for national bodies such as the Dept of Health, Care Quality Commission and NHS England. The WeMHNurses team see their role as being about facilitating broader conversation in a democratised digital space, where everyone can have a voice, regardless of positional authority. The team also see their role as being to make national policy more accessible, in terms of the language being used. The community also has a particular focus on discussing the everyday implications of policy on mental health nursing practice.\nThe chats are generally facilitated by one of the @WeMHNurses team, with guests are often invited to participate in the chat where the person brings specific expertise to the conversation. This is an open process, whereby anyone can contact the team to suggest a chat topic or to ask to host a chat.The team provide support to individuals who want to host a chat from the @WeMHNurses Twitter handle.\nOur ethos is very much that \u201cyour opinion matters\u201d and we focus on the user point of view, getting people talking to each other and bringing a variety of perspectives to the conversation. We enjoy working with people who have previously been in services or are currently in services because we really value the lived experience perspective. As we are an independent voice, we will also cover topics that might be considered controversial, political or critical, as we believe that these conversations are important in setting the future direction for mental health nursing.\nOn reflection, we think that the liveliest and most informative chats are often where there is a real mixture of perspectives, including for example, clinicians, people accessing services, managers, leaders, academics, researchers and policy makers. The conversations that we have online are often very powerful for this reason as we can\u2019t think of many examples from our own professional lives, where there has been such a variety of voices in a room to debate a topic in such a level and democratic way. An example of this is a chat that Vanessa and Mark ran with the Health Service Journal, where we discussed the reduction of inpatient mental health beds across the country. This chat was very much brought to life by people sharing their experiences of how this impacted on them personally when they needed to access inpatient care.\nThe demographics for our chat suggest that we have a largely UK audience. However, because of the global reach of Twitter, we do have some international representation within our community and we love to encourage this because of the dimension that it brings to the conversation\nBefore we run a chat, we produce some pre chat information on the wecommunities website. This is generally written in a blog style, so it is broadly accessible reading. We are also looking at how we can make our chats even more inclusive, such as by providing audio for people who struggle to read or who have visual impairment. The challenge for us is that we are all volunteers, so we have to find ways of delivering information quickly.\nHow come this twitter format for talking about mental health? Is there something in the medium that helps learning, or alleviation for individuals?\nAs with everything there are always pros and cons. Some would say \u201cthere\u2019s only so many characters on twitter\u201d and mental health can be a very complex topic to discuss with limited characters, especially when people are talking about personal experience. On the other hand, it can help you be more focused and concise in what you are trying to say.\nI suppose using twitter to talk about mental health is quite personal, as is twitter use in general. There are many who find it hugely therapeutic and helpful, either getting involved in chats, communicating\/ networking with others or for gaining support. It is a fab place for the sharing of information, including research and it's also a great forum for challenging stigma and moving the mental health agenda forward.\n\nWordcloud from\u00a0participants twitter bios in a recent chat -\u00a0source.\nIs there a cutoff number for participants in a chat? Or a number that makes it effective? I\u2019m wondering because you have such high regularity - every week.\nThere is not a maximum number of people in each chat, it can be anybody using the hashtag. Often people pop into the chat with just one or two tweets, whilst at the same time, we are having a conversation with other people, who participate in the entirety of the chat. When you are facilitating a chat, which is busy, it can be a challenge responding to every single tweet, but we do try to do this and often we find that people branch off and have separate conversations with other participants, within the chat, which goes down a different path to the structured questions of the main chat. Providing they still use the hashtag, we still capture this conversation in the transcript at the end. This is an example of the latest archived chat on a Tuesday evening, counting 133 contributors, 1200 tweets and with a reach of 7,561,098! This was a joint chat with @wenurses and @weldnurses.\nWith our over 6000 followers, plus the wider network, I suppose it is hard to say how many people we reach constantly. However, analytics for the chat are captured within the wecommunities website. Nick Chinn is the technical person behind this at Wecommunities.\nWhat do you think draws people in? What makes it a community for you? Is it people interacting with each other, learning, figuring out stuff?\nI suppose it is all of that. Everyone involved in the chats is interested in that particular area and that shared interest drives the discussions and questions in the chat, which will often support the development of links between people. Often people in the chats might say: \u2018this is a good chat\u2019, and \u2018why don\u2019t we do one on this other topic area?\u2019 It then keeps expanding, and there are more things that we get involved in. So, in essence, the community is about sharing knowledge and learning, being open to thinking in different ways and developing a support network as well.\nWhat for the future and how can we support your work?\nWe are\u00a0very aware that people establish relationships and friendships offline with people who they have connected with on Twitter and that these relationships are often a great source of strength and support for people. Vanessa and Teresa Chinn, Founder of WeCommunities organised an unConference earlier in the year, through crowdfunding, which brought together 300 people from the community into a physical space to get together and to debate and discuss the future direction of social media in health care. We also provided a parallel online agenda throughout the day, so that the twitter community could still very much be part of it, even if they couldn\u2019t physically attend. Vanessa and Mark from WeMHNurses and Mental Elf on Twitter are also in the process of setting up a Digital mental health conference service, which we are launching at #PDDigital16 later in November.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-11-02 16:43 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9064"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6926","title":"Backpacks for the Refugees-The Day After","content":"\nSummer 2015. It was nearly the end of August when Kos Island turned into a battlefield during a registration procedure. Hundreds of protesting migrants demanding quick registration began blocking the main coastal road. The local police attempted to break up the crowd with batons and by spraying foam with fire extinguishers. An officer was being filmed slapping and shoving migrants queueing outside the local police station.\nMy grandmother came to mind and her story as a refugee child from the area of Pontos (Northern Turkey) in 1922. I just couldn\u2019t believe that something like that could happen again. Despite the fact that Greece, in the throes of its worst ever financial crisis, was straining to accommodate the inflow, most Greek islanders were doing their best. But still there was an ominous feeling in the air.\nAnd then I saw that photo. A young woman with her two frightened children hanging onto her arms. Walking to nowhere, barefoot. Beyond endurance, angry but determined to survive the crush. Fearless, though! Imperious! I got angry. I stood beside her, out there in the dust. I'm just one step away from being like her.\nThat moment I realized that there isn\u2019t any Deus ex Machina to save them. To save us.\nSo, I started thinking\u2026 What would I need if I were there? What should I carry to help my children withstand it? What should I bring with me for a little break? ...and their feet! What will happen to their feet? And the sun? It's hard being a parent in peace. In war and in refuge, only a hero.\n\nI wrote a list* with the necessities. The obvious, the necessary, even those things that seemed unnecessary. The goal was to ease the burden of parents, to give a smile to children. A breath until the next aid. A hope...\nI post the list in my private facebook profile. I couldn\u2019t imagine the impact of this simple action. In a few days people were coming to my place, bringing bags full of nearly everything! Friends, neighbors or strangers were coming to help. We\u2018ve been preparing backpacks and sending them to Idomeni, to the islands or anywhere they were needed. Many schools adopted the idea and soon the campaign went viral. In around 8 months, hundreds of people became mobilized and focused on helping this endless wave.\nIt seems that we could tell a lot of stories about, and because of this, but the point now is what emerged from this need. There's a lot of information coming out in the aftermath of this experience.\nThere\u2019s a mountain of questions that we didn\u2019t answer\u2026\nIs there any kind of system in the world that could cope with that amount of people?\nWhat was wrong and why didn't anyone know how to react or to organize?\nWhy weren't we ready? Why didn't governments, NGO\u2019s and independent groups cooperate? And when they did, what happened?\nWhat socks are most appropriate for their long trek?\nHow can we fit all the necessary items in a backpack?\nAnd what about the weight?\nHow can we gather the right clothing from the world?\nHave you ever try to sort thousands of clothes?\nIs it true that women from Syria didn\u2019t want to wear rain boots?\nAnd what about UNHCR\u2019s wool blanket?\nAnd all those tons of food wrappers, wet wipes, bottles...?\nSadly, it turns out that there was no rescue plan in place. Greece seems to be inefficient and Europe appears like an impregnable fortress. This brings up the question \u201cWhat if a sudden disaster left millions of Greeks or other Europeans homeless and helpless?\u201d\nLocal authorities and their services operated superficially while the government was obviously unprepared. On the other hand, citizens reacted vigorously and passionately despite the fact that they didn\u2019t mobilize immediately.\nIt\u2019s also notable that many conferences, workshops or unofficial brainstorming meetings took place and new technology-oriented groups were created.\u00a0 New ideas and solutions were proposed and innovative applications were developed from people all over the world. However, most of those didn\u2019t fall on fertile ground for wide use, thus must be investigated thoroughly in the future.\nDue to my profession as a fashion designer and manufacturer, when I heard about all those calls for clothing needs I started wondering who will manage all these diverse supplies. When facing a disaster, food and medical aid are considered top priorities but it\u2019s not widely known that wearing inappropriate clothing under extreme conditions can become life threatening.\nIt\u2019s noteworthy that if we focus on specific issues we can come to interesting conclusions e.g. Public misinformation by \u201cofficial\u201d announcements that were based on internet searching or common knowledge about clothing. As a result, there was a shortage of A-shirts (tank tops) while, considered useless, thousands of used socks were gathered although it costs less to buy new ones. Also, acrylic socks were suggested as the most appropriate. But when there\u2019s no luxury of changing them anytime, other materials are more suitable like; wool, bamboo, cotton, tactel etc.\nObviously, a problem, arisen from common everyday items, is more complicated than initially thought and requires an expert's opinion.\nSo, without surprise, no one reached out to experts from the clothing sector for professional advice and assistance. Moreover both government and UNHCR ignored any proposals or contact efforts.\nSurely, the day after was going to be a nightmare. Inexperienced volunteers struggled to adequately classify, pack and distribute huge amounts of donations. Very often the same material had to be sorted again and again for multiple times. The inadequate coordination among government authorities, NGOs, solidarity groups and other stakeholders in combination with the anxiety of refugees led to a disappointing result. Large amounts of food, clothing, medicines and a lot of useless things (that could be a separate funny story), were being carried around Greece like a giant pinball machine. Unnecessary shipments, aid wasted, corrupted by mold, insects or still remain in inappropriate warehouses. A serious waste of resources.\nIn conclusion, the refugee crisis gave rise to a strong solidarity network and also an opportunity for local communities and the society in total. An innovative strategic plan seems to be a necessity, in order to coordinate and manage all the available resources successfully.\nWe should focus on organizing and training ourselves for cases of emergency. Based on the strength of these sharing communities, we should work, in innovative ways, which could bring people together around common concerns, recognize and increase their skills and knowledge and instill in them a belief that they can make a difference.\nIn addition, it\u2019s important to develop a survival handbook with the aim to provide \u201chow-to\u201d guidance based on practical experience in combination with academic knowledge. And the challenge is to respond to all these arisen questions. Or add new.\n\u201cCould humanitarianism be evolved as a profession or it could be a new way of living?\u201d\nP. S.\nMore than 1\/5 of donations is unsuitable for the refugees, thus is channeled to other vulnerable groups directly or in cooperation with already existing structures.\nMost of the volunteers gave up, burned out or feeling unable to help. Meanwhile the main responsible for this failure get paid.\nMore than 60.000 refugees stuck in Greece. The majority were transferred to military camps, old factory warehouses or other abandoned and unhealthy places. Out of sight, out of mind. Lost and forgotten.\u00a0\n*The winter list for children: Small backpack, waterproof poncho, aluminum blanket, flashlight, socks, rain boots, sports shoes or plastic clogs, underwear, a tracksuit or a change of clothes, cap, gloves, scarves, lunch box, plastic spoon, fork, knife, a bottle of water, cookies, nuts, dried fruit or other snacks, wet wipes (small package), tissues, toothbrush, samples (of sunscreen, shampoo, toothpaste etc.), a toy, note or drawing pads, crayons, pencil, sharpener, eraser, a whistle and a wish (!!) (We also ask for big scarves to use them as ring sling baby carriers or as sheets)\nThe production of this article was supported by Op3n Fellowships - an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016. \n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-10-29 21:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8957"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6922","title":"The Slow Revolution: Community Acupuncture & Social Medicine","content":"\nFifteen years ago, I wrote an academic paper on the incipient technology of digital advertising screens, the way they were likely to change our experience of urban living and the challenges they posed to our conceptions of self, privacy and the public realm.\nAt the time, such technologies were the stuff of science fiction movies \u2013 part of the classic \u2018Blade Runner\u2019 aesthetic of cosmopolitan dystopia. Most people did not anticipate their widespread adoption, and certainly did not consider their subtle social implications; but for those who did, perhaps the most haunting fear about their probable dissemination was the certainty that the social and psychological changes they engendered would quickly become the new status quo, unnoticed and unquestioned.\nPassing through Kobenhavn airport this morning, a digital advertising screen promoted this month\u2019s \u2018Presidents Summit\u2019 on the topic of \u2018Disruption\u2019: \u201cDisruption will change your job. Disruption will change your company. Disruption will change the world. Join our world leading summit and learn how to lead the change and make sure you are one of tomorrow's frontrunners.\u201d\nThat the idea of \u2018disruption\u2019 has moved from the radical edge of digital culture and post-2008 political insurgency to the topic of a plenary meeting of senior executives \u2013 featuring speeches by Apple\u2019s Steve Wozniak and arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage \u2013 shows the degree to which the concept has spread through society to become the \u2018new normal\u2019; a sign, perhaps, of just how much the pace of social, technological and economic change has increased since I fretted about the novel impact of moving images on the urban populace.\nBut it also raises the question of how much of this disruption is merely cosmetic \u2013 or, rather, how much the very genuine disruption of ordinary lives only serves to bolster the established iniquities of our current economic and political status quo. If disruption is merely another business opportunity from the playbook of \u2018creative destruction\u2019 capitalism, if the elite response to it is simply to fight harder to be one of \u2018tomorrow\u2019s frontrunners\u2019 (while those who can\u2019t keep up must, presumably, be left behind), then perhaps this is merely another case of plus \u00e7a change, plus c'est la m\u00eame chose.\nIf so, what would genuine disruption look like? Is it possible that it might look like the opposite of all this? That it might look like a rejection of these kinds of disruption? The stories emerging from the OpenCare initiative suggest that this may be the case. Again and again, the tales that emerge are of a less hierarchical, more empowering approach to health and care; of individualised, human-scale responses to unique instances of wider social problems; of a movement away from the paradigm that measures \u2018efficiency\u2019 of care in terms of speed, throughput or numbers discharged \u2013 measured, in short, on how fast the system can cease to be in relationship with the citizens who have sought aid.\nTrue disruption, then, might not look like the world-spanning, high-octane revolutions beloved of the senior executives. It might look like slowness; like quietness; like a return to engagement at the scale of the human being. It might just turn out that old is the new new.\nMy own involvement with OpenCare stems from a very particular form of healthcare, based on something very old, small and quiet \u2013 the Community Multibed Acupuncture Clinic (CMAC).\n Community Acupuncture is a new version of an old format of providing a very old form of medicine \u2013 using traditional East Asian methods, it eschews the one-to-one treatments most common in the West, instead adapting the traditional Chinese model of treating multiple patients at once in the same room. This enables treatment to be offered more cheaply, as well as creating a shared space of communal healing, so that healthcare becomes a site of community empowerment. There are now over 170 such clinics in the US and more than 50 in the UK (you can read about their history and ethos on the websites of POCA and ACMAC).\nAs I detailed in my original Opencare blog post, I have been slowly evolving a CMAC of my own to serve a small and somewhat dysfunctional market town in the South-West of the UK. Through this process, a number of tough lessons and intriguing insights have emerged, with broader implications for the innovative provision of care in contemporary European societies.\nI subtitled my initial post \u201cAn Ongoing Mutation\u201d both in reference to the overall development of the approach in the West and to my own experience of developing a clinic. This experience has been one of trial and error, of creative response to practical and bureaucratic challenges, and of constant adaptation to feedback from \u2013 and through ongoing relationship with \u2013 the community; as I learn more about their needs and perspective, I have changed the way I am treating, the way I interact with patients, the hours treatment is offered and the venue it is offered in.\nTo ask, as a state bureaucrat convinced of the usefulness of CMACs might, \u201chow can we replicate this so that we can roll it out across the country at an official level?\u201d rather misses the point; it is precisely by being embedded in the community that this process of creative mutation can occur, and precisely by meeting patients outside the usual structures of state-sanctioned medical authority that a more horizontal trust and respect can be created, and a more creative approach to healthcare provision enacted.\nLike many of the other projects featured in OpenCare, the flexibility of Community Acupuncture \u2013 light on infrastructure, expensive medical equipment or architectural requirements, reliant instead on the portable diagnostic and treatment skills of the practitioner \u2013 makes it well-suited to navigating a disrupted present and an uncertain future. Quite aside from its effectiveness at treating unexplained and chronic conditions (the kind mainstream Western medicine does not excel at curing), having the ability to treat without reliance on fragile, resource-intensive and environmentally-damaging industrial supply chains may well prove to be a great asset in the near future. Indeed, the worth of this is already being proven through the work of charitable foundations like World Medicine, who have set up successful CMACs in poor, rural areas of India, Palestine, Nepal and Sri Lanka.\nProblems still remain, not least with the institutional resistance to acupuncture \u2013 often based on little more than ill-informed prejudice against \u2018alternative\u2019 medicine. There are clashes within the acupuncture community, as well, on how best to treat, and issues with providing quality-assurance and redress to patients whilst working outside the usual channels and institutions of healthcare.\nNevertheless, the popularity and effectiveness of CMACs speak for themselves. All too often, the state-established institutions of care remain locked into a post-imperial perspective, treating the body, the patient or the polis as the passive subject of a homogenised, top-down intervention.\nIt is a little like a digital advertising screen, broadcasting a single, one-way message to a public who have no choice but to receive it. Just like a digital advertising screen, this kind of healthcare can seem cutting-edge, innovative and technologically impressive, but its values do not respect the uniqueness of individual or place, nor do they promote communal solidarity and empowerment. So long as this is the case, communities will continue to vote with their feet, seeking out new forms of adaptive Open Care that address their real mental, physical and social needs.\n\u00a0\n***\n\u00a0\nI would love to see Community Acupuncture being integrated with some of the other projects and approaches detailed in OpenCare; to hear suggestions about how the CMAC model could be further improved and evolved; and, as ever, I am keen for people to educate themselves about acupuncture, to help fight against the misguided myths that have arisen about it, and to spread the word about this affordable, effective, environmentally-friendly and humane form of medicine!\nSteve Wheeler, Lic. Ac., MBAcC -\u00a0steve@whiteoakhealth.co.uk\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-28 14:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"1915"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6921","title":"Solidarity in Middle East","content":"\nSaturday: baby milk bottle official price\u00a0= 10 pounds\nSunday: baby milk bottle not available in markets\nMonday: army goes down to the market with 30 million milk bottles, the price: 30 pounds, the media goes like: \u201cthe army saved our babies, long live the army\u201d\nThis is a routine scene in lands of horror.\nThe previous scene sums up the role of our government in our lives, a direct enemy you try to avoid day by day, and freedom of expression is guaranteed on the walls of bathrooms in prisons.\nFaceless states and everything about it was dark.\nBased on the above, we had to find mechanisms to ensure us to life in the light of repression, but we are lucky, all we had to do is follow a system of solidarity that exists already in our values and upbringing.\u00a0One of the basics of this system, the most simple rule of it, you find in the words of prophet Mohammad: \"he does not enter the paradise, he who whoever sleeps full of, while his neighbor is hungry\".\nYou find also in our beliefs that god will be on your side as long as you are on the side of your brother.\nMostafa Khalifa, the Syrian novelist, in \u201cThe cochlear\u201d is talking about a young man who was arrested for twenty years, the charge - muslim brotherhood. The guy was a.. Christian.\u00a0In the same novel: talking about a group of young people, call them silf (Fedayeen): their mission is receiving torture instead of the elderly and sick people and those who lost and those who lost their endurance, can you imagine that the (Fidayeen) were singing under torture: \"O prison darkness come, we love darkness, inevitably after this long night daybreak is coming\"\nBy the way altruism is still there and it is main reason why the Syrians in Syria are still alive.\nSocial solidarity is in its worst conditions in this war but still can feed the hungry and keeps warm to those who are cold. For example the project of \"grace conversation\"\u00a0in Damascus which provides medicine for thousands of families from excess medication at other families, and also \"maoayed alrahman\"\u00a0which are food tables spent by the Syrians with very high annual cost ( 50 million dollars) in 2014 through all the cities.\u00a0In addition to internal displacement thousands of families are participating with their\u00a0homes and food and many other live examples.\nThe shape of our lives makes us one body: we know our relatives, enjoy their joys, get sad for their sadness. The satisfaction of our grandparents is as important as our parents.\nThe poor celebrate double in our holidays because of a race for\u00a0goodness, because the concept of \"Eid\"\u00a0in the perception of Islam linked to \"Zakat\"\u00a0which is basically the process of cleansing the money by giving the poor his legitimate right of the money which is 2,5 percent of annual profits in secret.\u00a0If there is no secrecy Allah does not accept it .\nAnd many annual grants to the poor some of it linked to time, and some linked to personal events like \"Akika\"\u00a0which is slaughtering two\u00a0rams\u00a0and distributing them\u00a0to the poor when the child is born.\nOf course every rule has exception but the united community can overcome it.\nEvery citizen has moral responsibilities and he is already indebted to the community.\nThere is no perfection of course, being in Europe allows me to discover the value of freedom, human value, accept differences, respect the personal space, working hard. To be precise I have to admit that the western civilization is the mirror which we see the deterioration of our situation through it, and the image we want to be closer to.\nThe respect for the human person, the system of rights and duties, which I respected from the first day. But living in the middle east gives you the chance to see the dark face of that world, the military training field I came from taught me to not believe the existing models, the part of relations of states specifically.\nI\u2019m talking here about the weapons\/arms markets, and other markets based on the dead bodies of other states. Especially after watching the news talking about Aleppo, Mosul \u2026 etc Cheap games to prolong the war, unlimited support for the parties of the conflict, in exchange for contracts and concessions we will know in the future.\nTransforming the world into struggles areas to gain wealth, and safe areas to enjoy the wealth.\nReligion also had a lion\u2019s share in the misuse and legitimization of wars has nothing to do with religion and history is full of examples. The equation of religion and ignorance had a devastating impact through history and nowadays it is very clear that faith without understanding is more dangerous than earthquakes, with corrupt regimes support hate speech that all you need to have new Libya, and with governments are the direct enemy to their citizens you will have Syria or Iraq if you are lucky , and in order to not equate the killer with the victim, I blame the governments for expanding the circle of ignorance, and put the platforms in the service of semiconductor scientists and intellectuals.\nUnder these conditions the best thing you can get to is the Egyptian model, with hungry ignorant people afraid to be like those in Syria or Iraq, governed by fascist goverments.\nBut I believe in the communion of civilizations.\nThe ashes of war go away by time, and civilization remains.\nFor some reason we live short lives, nobody knows the reason more than you, nobody can tell you what is the ideal way of thinking, but for sure at least in the civilized world we can be like ants villages, be single hand for the good of future generations, to get a world does not force you to be a refugee, a world where mankind life in the first consideration, morality and intelligence to regulate relations.\nMy message to the reader:\n\nKeep reading\nNo one has a monopoly on truth, it is somewhere in the middle, I don\u2019t have it, but I have part of it, we complete each other, you and me are pieces of the puzzle. Let\u2019s talk with each others, accept each other.\n\nThe production of this article was supported by\u00a0Op3n Fellowships\u00a0- an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-28 12:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9044"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6919","title":"Future tools","content":"\n\n\nOur challenge is to rewire neighbourhoods to take care of teenagers tending to the specific needs of their age, addressing the formation of social emotions, vocation and self knowledge.\nEurope's population decline must be addressed not only regarding maternity and natural population decrease, but also promoting the dynamic and innovative qualities the younger generations always contribute to society. Making young people relevant, inviting them to our social life, giving them a frame to belong in a European future is the necessary counterbalance for our aging and shrinking population.\nThe rate of cultural change linked to technology has been constantly increasing and initiatives to educate our people must overcome institutional slowing down, if our societies are to participate significantly in the future.\nEducation, learning & the value of teenagers\nTraditional educational systems are failing to take social changes into account. The inertia of national states behind educational institutions is failing to answer to the reality of communities that are experiencing social change at a faster than ever rate. The future we imagine cannot be reached following old pathways.\nTeenagers are left out of social life, with no appropriate spaces or other activities expected from them, apart from attending compulsory school until an age that keeps rising as the human life cycle prospers. In a phase of life characterized by passion and vocation, loads of energy and bluntness, teenagers in Europe find themselves institutionalized and irrelevant.\n\u00abFuture Tools\u00bb project is an acknowledgment of the value teenagers have for society: they hold our future in their hands. \u00abFuture Tools\u00bb is a space designed with caring attention to fit the needs of our young generation, aiming to connect them to a new world of opportunities by inviting them to work, to collaborate, to participate and to have a voice in their own community. We can now apply our knowledge about adolescence to provide a comprehensive environment in which teenagers can develop healthy social emotions, autonomous and egalitarian participation.\nProvide an alternative to corporate uses of technology through the culture of the commons; spread collaborative habits in neighborhoods; build activities rooted in intrinsic motivation that bloom in communal benefit are some of the ways \u00abFuture Tools\u00bb will engage people in fostering a society with greater equality, solidarity and sustainability.\n\u00abFuture Tools\u00bb is a common learning lab for teenagers. By offering youngster a place to gather and pursue their interests while promoting their autonomy, we aim to empower them to work for a better future. Sharing resources and interests in an alternative learning space, the culture of collaboration and the democratizing possibilities of technology, this place will have its roots in the neighborhood\u2019s daily activities and funnel the parents\u2019 interest in social promotion for their kids towards a more inclusive society.\nThe abundance of open resources that can be freely accessed through personal learning environments to learn digital skills \u2014such as computational thinking, governance software, UX design, in fact any skills that we may need to implement our projects in the world\u2014 is an opportunity, never known before to such a widespread extent, to empower our youngsters to build a better future.\nNeighboring environment\nThe neighborhood as a community comes to relevance in the task of \u00abhelping grow adults\u00bb. The age group that most closely matches the Secondary Education stage in our culture has in the neighborhood its spatial range of freedom, just one step away from the wide world they will live in as adults. Connecting these neighboring communities to the global emergence of the digital culture as makers and participants through their own teenagers is a pertinent, strengthening link between local and broader communities.\nIt is urgent for these generations of parents and offspring to leap forward over institutional stagnancy and give ourselves the shared resources we can provide for our own borough, in every neighborhood, nurturing our tribe-prone teens from the gang to the team, by building around them the common ground for community.\nIt is sometimes sad hear stating that what is being promoted for innovation in the field of education \u2014on the basis of empathic personal exchange, attention to the tempo, sensibility for intrinsic motivations, in short: the wisdom of caring for each other\u2014 are outdated methodologies. Digital tools offers a new breeze to these methodologies, an opportunity to enhance the soft aspects of learning and allow us to cast aside production-line techniques when it comes to our kids: lecturing, memorizing, exams, ringing bell schedules, curriculums and subjects. We can now afford those luxuries our industrialized schools didn't plan for and, dragged by institutional inertia, won't anytime soon.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-10-27 11:29 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9048"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6913","title":"A Bus Tour for a Trauma-informed World","content":"\n'Are you on a mission? And how come that trauma - such a heavy word, such a serious matter - is your passion?' That is what people ask me when they hear about my tour, about me and my bus traveling through Europe to talk and teach about trauma and to try to soften the pain of trauma. 'No, I am not on a mission (that is a far too 'religious word for me to befriend with) - and yes, trauma is my passion, and I do have a message.\nI really believe that pain should come in the open. That it should be de-tabooed: we should know more about it, understand better what traumatic pain is, how it functions, how it takes possession of us, we should be able to look at it more closely, to be with it (for a while). Trauma, pain, fear ... we'd rather not experience it or watch it happen in someone else's life. It is like with 'death': we know it is part of our lives, we all have to deal with it, and yet we don't - because it's (too) uncomfortable. How to talk about human mistreatments, heavy physical pain, profound disrespect of your person, or situations where you felt like if your life was in danger? How to share the feelings of loneliness and hopelessness that go with such pain? We often do not know how to do that, and try to ban painful events and feelings from our minds, we want to forget about it.\nIt is something in pain itself too. We're hardwired to avoid and suppress pain. It helps us survive, it helps us to go on. Avoiding, minimizing and denying pain is our most natural, short term solution to deal with pain. It is a survival mechanism. It often takes a while, from seconds to minutes, to physically feel the pain caused by an accident, a car crash or a broken leg. Not feeling the pain gives us more time to save ourselves, to get away from danger. \u00a0Out of the car, walk away and call the ambulance f.ex. On the long term, however, not feeling isn\u2019t very effective. Because it is impossible to heal from something we don't acknowledge. On the long term, suppressed pain comes back to us, like a boomerang. That is what trauma and traumatic pain is about: it is pain that doesn't seems to go away, pain that stays with us far too long, as a residue of what happened to us.\nI believe that this residual pain needs to be addressed more openly. \u00a0\nTraumatic pain can be softened - and it should be. Because unresolved trauma makes us sick, depressed and heavy-hearted. It deregulates us, deeply and on many levels: mind, heart and body. We know that traumatic pain lies at the heart of most contemporary diseases, be they mental or physical, we know that trauma adds to almost every sickness as a major contributing factor. And yet ... the knowledge about trauma and how to address it to lower its dramatic impact on our lives is far from common.\nThat is what my tour is about: I want the world to be trauma-informed.\n\n\n\n\nI want people to come and look at the pictures on the bus and ask questions. I want them to learn about trauma and realize that healing is possible. We can all learn best practices regarding talking and coping. We can all learn to calm down and regulate a body in fight, flight or freeze modus. We can all learn techniques to stop nightmares and flashbacks. We can all learn to help traumatized persons recover. It often takes not more than 15 minutes to help people sleep better: help them release tension before they go to bed, by offering a relaxing breathing exercise, or teach them to intervene in their dreams by using their imagination, by rehearsing a different ending for their nightmare f.ex.\nWe are all on a mission: to a certain degree we all need to become trauma specialists. First, we need to deal with our own trauma's and those of the people around us. We need to dare to feel and face our pain instead of running away from it. Second, there's too much suffering in the world as to leave its resolution to the clinical field or therapeutic setting. Therapeutic knowledge should be accessible to all of us, it should not be protected and copyrighted. Therapeutic knowledge should be alive in the world, not only in shrinks\u2019 offices. That is why I do what I do: share my knowledge about trauma with you, share insights, methods and techniques from the field of trauma healing ... so that we can all, together, ease and soften the pain in our world. \u00a0\nI don\u2019t know of any other projects sharing therapeutic knowledge in the way Trauma Tour does. But the idea of a trauma-informed world is related to a growing field of \u2018self care\u2019: taking responsibility for one's own (mental) health by reading self help books, attending self help groups, becoming experience experts, \u2026 It is long known that helping on this \u2018equal\u2019 level, is often more effective than any method or technique. It is also known that the relationship between \u2018therapist\u2019 and \u2018patient\u2019 is a major factor when it comes to healing. If we combine both, \u2018helping expertise\u2019 and \u2018being equal\u2019, it seems a very natural thing to come out of our offices and share therapeutic knowledge with those who suffer. It makes \u2018us\u2019 helpers and \u2018them\u2019 traumatized people equal human beings, fellow human beings. It restores humanity.\nI\u2019m now in the middle of planning my first big tour: driving down the Balkan route and visit Greece in December 2016 \/ January 2017. If you\u2019re reading this and you want to support Trauma Tour, please check out my website, there\u2019s a list of things you can do to help me : call me in for a training, be my local host on my way down to Greece, put me in contact with people who might need me \u2026 An easy and very effective way to support Trauma Tour is to make a financial contribution - I thank you for that!\nThe production of this article was supported by Op3n Fellowships - an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-10-22 17:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8959"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6901","title":"The Underground State of Women","content":"\n\"Podziemne Pa\u0144stwo Kobiet\" is both a documentary and a collection of abortion stories from Polish women who had illegal abortions in the past two decades. Poland most likely is the only country in the world that had abortions legal by law (1956-1993) and changed it \"backward\".\u00a0We ended up having one of the most restrictive laws in the world, and the legislators were smart, by\u00a0avoiding criminalizing women (with whom society would sympathize) and focusing instead on everyone else who assists with abortions (the penalties are up to 8 years in prison), creating a system of fear and paranoia.\u00a0\nThe first thing that strikes\u00a0about abortion in Poland is the statistics - according to Polish Ministry of Health in 2013, there were 744 legal abortions and 718 of them due to the risk of birth defects. 3 of them due to rape and 23 due to the risk posed to women health. In 2015 there were 1044 legal abortions. For a country with 38 million inhabitants, these numbers seem just wrong. In Spain or UK, these numbers are 200 or 400 times higher. And it's estimated that illegal abortions every year account for between 80.000- 200.000 cases in Poland.\u00a0\nSo, what kind of abortions are available in the underground and how do women access it?\nChirurgical abortions are one of the common ways. They\u00a0usually happen in\u00a0hidden spaces, often barely up to any standards, with basic equipment, sometimes only in the presence of doctor (women who come to get the abortion might end up assisting them). The price of an abortion is at least\u00a02000 zl (500 euros), and it tends to go up with the standard. In some cases, when doctors are well connected, they can even perform them in hospitals, which would double the price. Many doctors who refused to perform a legal abortion are perfectly fine with doing it illegally after settling the price with their patients.\u00a0\nConsidering that the minimal wage in Poland is 1850 zl, and the average is 4000 (yet many people struggle to get contracts, work on 3\/4 of full time, or often work on irregular gigs earning even less than 1000 z\u0142 a month with no minimal wage per hour), the price is quite prohibitive and exclusive. Many women end up taking\u00a0loans to pay off their abortions.\u00a0\nNowadays, women contact pro-choice organizations to find out\u00a0who can help them with abortion. Since the 90ties, press and internet advertisements were the ways to find\u00a0doctors who'd perform them. Such services would be named as \"painless restoration of menstruation\"\u00a0- and involve either chirurgical help or access to drugs, highly overpriced. In many cases a friend or a relative knows who does it in your town. The fear and paranoia remain anyhow - women are asked to leave the clinic right after the procedure is done, regardless of their condition, in order not to bring suspicion. They're asked to park their cars far away from the place of appointment.\u00a0\nSome of the informal groups specialize in organizing abortions abroad. Ciocia Basia, a group of volunteer activist, helps to organize legal abortions in Berlin. For a price of 290\/390 euros, they arrange pharmacological and chirurgical abortions in clinics, help with translations and offer a couch for the women coming over. Another popular destination is Slovakia and Czech Republic - it's super easy to find websites in Poland of clinics in these countries that provide with professional and anonymous help. Prices are similar to those in Polish underground.\nAnd then you have the pharmacological abortion. There are two drugs containing\u00a0misoprostol registered and available in Poland, one of which can be bought without the prescription. Women usually end up making up stories about stomach pain or rheumatic grandmothers to buy them. Sometimes both of them can be obtained from \"under the counter\", forums also advise to ask a man to help\u00a0buy them. Misoprostol should be accompanied by mifepristone to increase effectiveness (the combination of both has 98% effectiveness, while only misoprostol alone is between 80-90%), but the latter drug is not registered in Poland. In this case organizations such as Women on Waves help to buy and ship\u00a0them from other countries (they ask for donation of minimum of 70 euros, but they do support women in economic difficulties by providing them for free). It is well known that some of the doctors write prescriptions for these drugs (a pack of 12 costs 25 zl, but can be sold 10 or more times more expensive on the black market) and help women get access to them via advertisements. It's impossible to track as these drugs are not refunded by the state - therefore not registered anywhere.\u00a0\nDue to lack of widespread support, some of the women organize support groups on online forums. They look for other women who seek\u00a0abortions or just had one, share their stories\u00a0and explain to each other what happens to their bodies, how to access drugs, if nausea is a normal reaction to pills, etc. As in some cases, pharmacological abortion can lead to prolonged bleeding and even death, they offer each other a call of support during the abortion, which takes up to a day. It's recommended to call for an ambulance in case of emergency - doctors cannot tell if the miscarriage was illegally inducted or not, and that save\u00a0lives in some\u00a0instances of home abortions.\u00a0\nI am still reading some more about the abortion underground in Poland, and if I find some more interesting facts, I will updated this text. I also encourage you to share your stories on how women access abortion in countries with restrictive law.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-10-18 12:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"678"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6890","title":"R2R call center: a cooperative developed from refugees to refugees","content":"\nWhen it comes to social care, it is important to create links between the social movements, in a way they continuously support and feed back to each other, finding solutions that are creative, radical and practical at the same time.\nThis is what is happening with a visionary project that is linking alternative and cooperative economy with the needs of refugees in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is a project of a group of people interested in the building of a cooperative economy network, in which I participate as an activist and a researcher of alternative economy. Having completed my PhD in economics in the last spring, I am now interested in continuing research, exploring links between solidarity economy and refugee solidarity movements in wider Greece.\u00a0\nThis cooperative project is called \u2018Refugees to Refugees (R2R) Solidarity Call Center\u2019 and it is a project run by refugees for fellow refugees. Its objective is to provide information and advice for various kinds of issues related to either transit, temporary stay or settlement of refugees in Thessaloniki, but also in wider Greece. At the same time, through its services, it hopes to create linkages between refugee communities and the wider solidarity movement, in order to break the exclusion and isolation that refugees are feeling, as a result of being crammed in concentration camps. Strong solidarity networks already exist within the cities, in which teams of lawyers, doctors, translators and networks of families offering hospitality in their homes, are offering voluntary support and practical solutions, whenever needed.\nThe project is inspiring in its own right, but what makes it even more important and intriguing, is the fact that it is further linked with the efforts to create a new, fair and solidarity economy on a larger scale. Having such a vision, the group of refugees and solidary comrades that are supporting them on this, have built a collaborative network between the cooperative R2R call center and cooperative grocery stores in the area of Thessaloniki, where the refugee operators of the call center can cover most of their food and other basic needs, using a digital, alternative currency that is called Faircoin.\nThe building of a network of alternative economy is being supported by FairCoop on a global level, and in the area of Thessaloniki it seems to be of special value as it can be directed to service needs of refugees. It is certainly not an easy task to achieve and it requires a lot of networking and cooperation, but already a cooperative store and collectives of producers are participating, while there is interest and plans for more to join very soon. What is also very important is that the cooperative stores participating in this network distribute high quality food products, produced by fellow cooperatives in Greece or imported through fair trade distributions channels.\nIn Thessaloniki and more generally in Greece, there is currently a rise of the cooperative movement, especially as a result of the effects of the ongoing economic crisis, but unfortunately these new initiatives are up to now largely disconnected from each other. To create links between them, means to expand the spaces where solidarity is being practiced, in other words to fill the gaps with ever-increasing solidarity!\nMy role in this project as an activist is to work closely with the group of refugees and locals to support the building of the project which requires a lot of work on communication and cooperation, in order to continue and expand successfully. As an independent researcher, I have presented the results of this ongoing project at a conference in Lesvos and hope to continue documenting its progress as well as to explore other similar initiatives in Greece.\nOne last but very important point is that the funds for this ambitious project are being raised through an international campaign of crowdfunding in both euros and faircoins, which are being used to cover incomes of the refugees working in the project and their home rent. Being a cooperative initiative, this means that all the incomes are being equally distributed among the members, currently four in number, three men from Gambia, Egypt and Morocco, and a woman from Syria.\nIf you would like to support the R2R solidarity call center and at the same time help expand the bridges between the refugee solidarity movement and the solidarity economy movement, please consider to donate using our \u2018coopfunding\u2019 platform or share about the project with your solidarity networks! If you work with refugees in Greece or other countries, interested in the call center\u2019s services or interested in building similar initiatives in the countries where they live, please share the phone line\u2019s number and communication e-mail!\n\nPhoto credits: Maria Orfanou\n\u00a0\nCall center tel: 0030 23111 80903\n\u00a0E-mail: Greece@callcenter.coop\nWeb: Callcenter.coop\nFacebook: Refugees to Refugees R2R Solidarity Call Center\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-14 2:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8960"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6884","title":"Young People and Grief in Digital Spaces","content":"\nWhere do young people go to when they grief? Do they cry alone in their bedrooms? Do they logon to the internet? How do young people in grief find each other? Do they phone a friend? Do they enter a counselling centre? Do they search through hashtags and websites?\n\nDeath has never been more public than in the age of the internet. Alongside waves of #RIP[insertcelebrity] tributes and #[nameofvictim] police shooting activism proliferating on social media are viral posts of everyday people approaching grief and documenting their experience on the internet: recounting a person\u2019s final days, parting words and gratitude from the deathbed, captures of assisted suicide and \u201cright to die parties\u201d, and families commemorating the deceased.\nThese experiences of death and loss have been augmented and prolonged with the growth of social media use. More specifically, the ways in which a social media platform is structured and the dominant culture of its users has allowed people in grief to process their loss in innovative ways \u2013 new spaces of affect are created, new paralanguage vocabularies are innovated, and new transient networks of care are formulated.\nResearch has emerged in various disciplines focusing on internet memorial pages (in which the deceased and\/or their funeral is commemorated on a public page), digital altars and graves (in which the living pay respects to the dead via technological mediations), afterlife digital estate management (in which the transfer and privacy of internet artifacts belonging to the deceased are negotiated), and even RIP trolling (in which trolls hijack Facebook memorial pages with abusive content). There is even an academic journal and a handful of institutes dedicated to \u201cDeath Studies\u201d.\nFor instance, monuments.com enables clients to personalize cemetery headstones with a QR code. By scanning the QR code with a smartphone, users are led to an interactive website where they may upload images and text of well wishes to the deceased and their family, or contribute to building their family heritage through stories or family trees. Users are also able to re-share their post on more mainstream social media.\nAs an anthropologist and ethnographer of digital culture, I have a comprehensive understanding of such practices. But when my younger sister passed away earlier this year, the ways in which her friends expressed and managed their grief in digital spaces led me to discover a rich repertoire of coping mechanisms, exchange of affect, and mutual aftercare in a vernacular created by young people who grew up with the internet - these really moved my heart and encouraged me to examine young people and grief in digital spaces.\nBut\u00a0just what is mutual aftercare? Often after a global grieving event such as large-scale natural disasters or spates of violence, strangers would gather in public spaces that transform into transient sites of solidarity. With candles, flowers, and written tributes in tow, strangers come together to process their grief, share their grief, and lend support to those in grief. Bodies who are not familiar with each other are motivated by the immediate, tangible, and tactile presence of other bodies in an enclosed space to disperse emotions they would usually restraint, and dispense care they would usually withhold when the group\u2019s motivations are briefly aligned. Sociologist Emile Durkheim refers to this as \u201ccollective effervescence\u201d. This is \u2018aftercare\u2019, or the care one offers to others after a hurtful experience. When people come together to publicly acknowledge their pain and simultaneously offer care and concern to fellow others in pain, this becomes a network of \u2018mutual aftercare\u2019. Young people seem to be doing similar things in digital spaces, and I wanted to find out how.\n*\nBeing a young person in my mid-twenties for whom the internet and social media is second nature, I seamlessly took to my blog to make sense of my grief and loss. I wrote about my experiences of \u201cholding space\u201d for my sister in her final days (see also Heather Plett), and about learning to declutter physical artifacts despite my abstract emotional attachment to these things. I also wrote about how I felt when Facebook friends began \u201cdeep-liking\u201d my old posts on grief and how it impeded my progress and recovery. As much as I felt hurt and disappointed by these peers, I could not justify my anger knowing that digital etiquette is not universal \u2013 knowing how to approach someone in grief on social media or how to express grief on social media is not actually \u201ccommon sense\u201d. Digital etiquette varies across personal beliefs and cultural norms, and is highly dependent on the context of interpersonal relationships and the norms of a social media platform. In other words, digital etiquette surrounding grief has to be taught, learnt, and practiced.\nI was both a young person managing grief in digital spaces and an ethnographer invested in understanding everyday practices through intimate anthropological inquiry. To do this, I conducted personal interviews with young people who self-reported using digital media (i.e. the internet, social media, devices and artifacts, non-analogue spaces) to manage their grief. I started with friends in my sister\u2019s social groups, made open calls to undergraduates in local universities, and amassed informants via snowball sampling.\nI wanted to understand what young people did on the internet to recover and how this differed from analogue coping mechanisms pre-social media. I wanted to learn how they constructed solidarity, conveyed empathy, and maintained networks of mutual aftercare. Some also showed me their smartphone apps so that I could study how they crafted content, ranging from emotive Instagram captions of meaningful photographs to extensive digital catalogues of every tactile item the deceased has ever touched.\nI learnt that a vocabulary of grief was quietly emerging among young people. For instance, emoji and emoticons were especially significant as a paralanguage. Some reported that \u201cwhen words fail\u201d, or when they \u201chad no strength\u201d to craft responses back to friends who had sent them condolences, they would mobilize emoji or emoticons to acknowledge receipt, demonstrate reciprocity, or express gratitude. One person who had lost his father to a critical illness said that while \u201cthe adults\u201d in his family did not seem to articulate their grief and loss to each other (\u201cthey strictly never said anything about it in the house\u201d), those in his generation such as his cousins took to Facebook to comfort each other via status updates and follow-up comments. Another young person began a groupchat on the messaging app WhatsApp and recruited friends of the deceased from all walks of life into the chat. They used the groupchat as a semi-private outlet to share their thoughts without having to worry about self-censorship \u2013 many of them felt Facebook was \u201ctoo public\u201d, that email was \u201ctoo impersonal\u201d, and that meeting in person was \u201ctoo soon\u201d, \u201ctoo painful\u201d, or \u201ctoo awkward\u201d. As such, the space of a groupchat accorded them the freedom to process grief more transparently among empathetic others in a safe space; the groupchat became a space of mutual aftercare.\n*\nThe need to understand young people\u2019s grief in digital spaces became clearer to me as I began consulting and conversing with healthcare professionals in palliative care. One hospice nurse expressed that as a patient approaches their end of life, most family members would single-heartedly focus all their effort and affect on that one person. Upon the death of their loved one, many people are suddenly hit with grief all at once and are unable to transit into care for each other, or \u201ccare for the living\u201d. In other words, despite social workers and counsellors preaching the value of \u201ccare chains\u201d, many people who are deep in grief simply do not have the mental capacity and physical resources to plan for self-care or mutual aftercare.\nAnother doctor reported seeing an increasing number of young patients in their late teens or early-to-mid twenties. Sorrowfully recounting a memorable incident in which her young patient instructed her to post a specifically-worded status update on his Facebook after death, she came to realize that young people deeply valued their digital estates as platforms to communicate gratitude and farewells even on their deathbed. In a handful of other instances, young patients requested for their doctors and counsellors to add them on Facebook or to read their blog in order to access sentiment they felt incapable of articulating in person, in physical spaces, via traditional media\nDespite the very crucial work that such palliative staff engage in, much of this work is negotiated ad hoc on-the-go as they \u201cplay by ear\u201d. Most staff do \u201cwhat feels right\u201d based on their individual relationships with their patients, or on their personal concepts of etiquette and ethics. In other words, once we have a better understanding of how young people grief in digital spaces, palliative healthcare workers can be equipped to guide their young patients and clients using their preferred coping mechanisms, devices, and vocabulary. To a generation for whom death and grief are increasingly public spectacles, such care will be crucial to preserving the mental well being of cohorts to come.\n*\nHave you ever commemorated the death of a loved one in digital spaces? What did you do? How did others respond to you?\nWhenever you witness someone sharing their grief on social media, how do you feel? Does it motivate you to respond to the person in particular ways?\nHow can we use social media more conscientiously so as to create spaces for mutual aftercare?\u00a0What can we do for each other in digital spaces whenever a global grieving event occurs?\nWe would love to hear from you.\n*\nThis article was written by Dr Crystal Abidin for OpenCare Research, Edgeryders. Crystal can be contacted at wishcrys.com. The production of this article was supported by Op3n Fellowships - an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-10-11 13:51 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8951"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6882","title":"Meet the Op3n Fellows | Community clinics, medical drugs manufacturing, digital griefing and more","content":"\nHello open carers and community,\nThis is to let you know we have our next cohort of Op3n Fellows, members on Edgeryders who have accepted to expand their work into a piece to be sent in for community review, then to be uploaded here and shared broadly with the Internets.\nBefore introducing them, we\u2019re on the lookout for a few more Edgeryders willing to up their writing skills and publish a story of care by mid November. If you\u2019ve been active here and could use the Fellowship rewards, get in touch below and I\u2019m sure we can sort it out!\n@Aravella Salonikidou is one of the most active members from Greece who came on board with the occasion of our collective funding application on OpenandChange. She talked about she \u201cstarted this initiative of collecting and filling backpacks with first need items for refugees\u201d, and how that went on to engage thousands of volunteers. She also connected with numerous Edgeryders since then, engaging with their stories and showing up to the twitter conference we held a few weeks back. Meet and greet Aravella here.\n\nSteve @steelweaver is an acupuncturist, facilitator and natural health consultant currently living in Devon in the South-West of the United Kingdom. He graduated from acupuncture college in 2012 and has since worked in single- and multi-bed practices in London, Dartmoor, India and Guatemala. He is in the process of setting up his own low-cost community clinic in Tiverton, Devon. In a time when the future of mainstream healthcare is uncertain, amid concerns about its financial and environmental sustainability, its dangers and side-effects, and the disempowering nature of its provision, Steve believes that the low-cost, low-impact form of community healthcare derived from Traditional East Asian Medicine offers an important alternative paradigm; one that promotes health rather than just treating sickness, and empowers individual and communities to improve and maintain their own well-being. Read more.\n\nCrystal @wishcrys has been lurking around OpenCare ever since we started - she is an anthropologist slash ethnographer currently based in Singapore\u00a0and with\u00a0a damn\u00a0original research interest: young people and peer support during times of grief manifested in the digital realm in the most contemporary ways i.e. through facebook \u201cdeep liking\u201d ?! (I first read about that from Crystal). Until she publishes her piece, you can ask her more about this here.\n\n\u00a0\nAnthony @dfko\u2019s story about OpenInsulin encapsulates the very core spirit of OpenCare - the team are bootstrapping the production of a core insulin component and trying to draw the attention of manufacturers who would then expand this into new markets in less developed areas. The key insight is in how Open Insulin shows that open science can provide for those whose needs aren't met by existing institutions. Kudos for the project and offers to help are here, so head over.\n@Thom Stewart is someone who builds networks gracefully and understands working together. His care initiative is called Cosain and lives in Galway - and it using cultural resources to provide peer wellness support, including existing infrastructure re-deployed for its activities (the Galway City Museum). Cosain\u2019s applications in public health are numerous, and more than being a community project, it is a partnership between groups on the ground and the Mental Health Services Consumer Panel. Check it out for yourself here.\nFinally, @Jenny Gkiougki is currently mapping food systems in Greece, from legitimized cooperatives to completely informal groups: \u201cI would like to encourage Greek people to be more involved in the procedure of the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme, to share risks with their farmers during the cultivating season and create a new concept of human relationship within the community they interact with. Additionally, the enhancement of CSA would support small-scale farmers who lack access to the local market or get involved in complex food chains\u201d. Jenny\u2019s different areas of interest are described here, and I\u2019m hoping in her upcoming post she will zoom into just one and satisfy our curiosity.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-10-10 17:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6881","title":"A mini city build around care for the elderly","content":"\nHello,\u00a0\nWe are Lotfi and Selvi,\u00a0a couple of engaged people with an eclectic cultural background. We\u00a0opened an elderly home twenty years ago, but stopped a couple of years ago because the field wasn't interesting anymore. Now\u00a0\u00a0we\u00a0are active on all kind of different levels inside healthcare organizations but we still have a dream to realise a new way of looking at elderly care.\u00a0\nWe come from different backgrounds from Africa, mixed cultures, and saw\u00a0how they treat their elderly within the community. We lost that touch with our elderly here in the west, we use the homes a place to bring the elderly, but we we forget they are viable resources for the development of our society. Their knowledge, their experience is a vital organe for society. So why not build more inclusivly we tought?\n\nThat is where we started thinking about a mini city where the elderly home would be in the center, but where families, schools, shops could intertwine with the daily practice of the elderly. Having elderly people in your surroundings is great for the development of a local neighborhood so why don't we finance more project with that in mind?\n\nFor me it is partially because the politics isn't ready in Belgium to start this discussion. People started to have the idea it is ok to bring your elderly to a home, so why brutally change it? But for me it is something politics need to invest now, to experiment and learn about these new methods so we can prepare the future, where the elderly will even be an even bigger number of people if we follow the population piramde of Western countries.\u00a0\nI would love to find out if other projects around the world are looking at the same problem, and using more design solutions to reconnect the elderly and their homes with the other generations.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-10-10 15:14 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9038"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6880","title":"How can vacant spaces bring care to people outside the system? An analysis of 123 Rue Royale by Loic D\u00e9siron","content":"\nLoic made a paper to analyse\u00a0squat\u00a0spaces that are more then meets\u00a0the eye. In his conclussion he goes deeper in the possibilities of this kind of habitat.\n\"Dans le contexte actuel de crise aigue du logement et en consid\u00e9ration du taux de vacance des immeubles bruxellois il nous parait manifeste que les projets d\u2019occupation par l\u2019habitat solidaire, tels que celui du \u00ab 123 rue royale \u00bb, sont une\u00a0r\u00e9ponse viable et durable.\nElle est inclusive : personne n\u2019est exclu d\u2019embl\u00e9e, les personnes rencontr\u00e9es attestent d\u2019une r\u00e9elle mixit\u00e9 sociale, \u00e9conomique et culturelle. Plus qu\u2019un toit elle offre \u00e0 ses habitants une structure physique et sociale o\u00f9 s\u2019\u00e9panouir. De plus elle a le m\u00e9rite de r\u00e9pondre \u00e0 ces deux probl\u00e8mes fondamentaux \u00e0 Bruxelles. Les activit\u00e9s au rez-de-chauss\u00e9e cr\u00e9ent une vie de quartier \u00e9vitant toute ghetto\u00efsation.\nLes ateliers permettent aux habitants d\u2019apprendre, d\u00e9velopper ou partager leurs connaissances et leur savoir-faire. Bien que la vie dans une communaut\u00e9 telle que celle du \u00ab123\u00bb peut devenir \u00e9prouvante par moments, elle permet d\u2019\u00e9viter l\u2019isolement des habitants les plus vuln\u00e9rables et permet \u00e0 ceux qui ne se retrouvent pas dans les solutions conventionnelles un moyen d'explorer de nouvelles pistes pour l'habiter en ville. Une m\u00e9diation permanente des conflits qui apparaissent inexorablement dans une communaut\u00e9 aussi importante est n\u00e9cessaire et figure parmi les conditions indispensables de r\u00e9ussite de ce genre d'exp\u00e9rience. Ainsi ces b\u00e9n\u00e9fices se font au co\u00fbt d\u2019une gestion rigoureuse et d\u2019une \u00e9nergie consid\u00e9rable \u00e0 d\u00e9ployer quotidiennement par les habitants pour la communaut\u00e9. Nous avons r\u00e9alis\u00e9 \u00e0 quel point l\u2019inclusion des usagers d'un habitat est importante pour r\u00e9ussir un projet de logement, Le mouvement semble n\u00e9anmoins en marche et l\u2019association logements123 wonen a commence \u00e0 transposer l\u2019exp\u00e9rience \u00e0 d\u2019autres batiments avec d\u2019autres habitants.\nCeci en tirant parti des le\u00e7ons apprises au 123, ainsi qu\u2019au tagawa et au G\u00e9su. Malgr\u00e9 le statut temporaire et incertain de l\u2019occupation, il semblerait que plus que le b\u00e9ton du b\u00e2timent, ce sont les habitants qui portent le projet du \u00ab123\u00bb. \u00ab(\u2026) les logements alternatifs ne sont pas abordables parce que l\u2019ensemble des exigences qui y sont li\u00e9es ne correspondent ni aux r\u00e9alit\u00e9s qu\u2019ils vivent, ni \u00e0 leurs moyens (co\u00fbt des mat\u00e9riaux, acc\u00e8s aux primes, confrontation aux normes de salubrit\u00e9, s\u00e9curit\u00e9, urbanisme\u2026). Ce que les plus pauvres construisent au quotidien, ce sont des alternatives au logement, pour se garantir un habitat qui soit abordable financi\u00e8rement et dont ils auront la maitrise\u00bb 57 ainsi que les l\u2019importance des gains de la mutualisation de fonctions communes. Ces gains ne se chiffrent pas qu\u2019en m\u00e8tres carr\u00e9s, mais surtout en contacts sociaux quotidiens, un partage des ressources et une \u00e9conomie en \u00e9nergie. Ce mod\u00e8le n\u2019est n\u00e9anmoins pas sans limitations. On peut craindre avec l\u2019accroissement de la popularit\u00e9 du projet une gentrification des habitants. Aussi la liste d\u2019attente pour trouver une place, m\u00eame si moins longue que pour un logement social est l\u00e0 pour rappeler que l\u2019occupation d\u2019un seul b\u00e2timent n\u2019est pas une solution exhaustive au manque de logement. La nature urgente de la question du logement \u00e0 Bruxelles demande un engagement des pouvoirs public dans une politique de favorisation de telles initiatives.\nCeci en adaptant le cadre l\u00e9gal et en informant les propri\u00e9taires sur les avantages de\u00a0telles initiatives. Ce travail nous permet de d\u00e9gager trois points primordiaux pour le mise en place r\u00e9ussie de ce genre d'initiative:\n- L'implication active et quotidienne des habitants\u00a0dans un projet commun.\n- La collaboration et l'information des propri\u00e9taires\u00a0de b\u00e2timents vides\n- La permissivit\u00e9 ou l'encadrement par les authorit\u00e9s.\"\nYou can find the complete publication here: www.academia.edu\/16771654\/LE_DROIT_\u00e0_LHABITAT_PAR_LOCCUPATION\n123 was a previously\u00a0office building occupied by the French community which had been vacant for 15 years. Groups of squatters moved in and made a deal with the owner to run different workshops - bike fixing, woodwork, IT etc.\nSome interesting facts from his paper:\n-social housing in Bxl is much lower, 7 % compared to the 27% in the Netherlands\n-7 % of houses totally empty\n-1 000 000 sq metres of unused office space: 40% of empty offices have been empty for 7 years\nFrom squatting to a participatory process -\u00a0 a public owned space (Community Francais) but community managed: from refugees to Irish artists to Flemish doctor students. Half the people (of 60) don't have any revenues, and everyone contributes a little - from 60 eur a month to approx. 150.\u00a0\u00a0In Belgium it is possible to have a temporary legal occupation for an office, so you can live in an office space!\nIt's an office building, which means people can change the layout easily. This makes it an interesting testcase for architects that are experimenting with commun space. The big difference between buildings for profit and the testcase of 123:\nProfit building is praised for being open while just having 7% of their space being used for community. 123 has almost 50% of community used space, but because of their 'illegal' status it isn't praised.\u00a0Loic showed a detailed distribution of the types of spaces - at each floor you'd have facilities, workshops, library + distribution of private and communal space. \u00a0Important detail: Stairs are used instead of working elevators as a social control mechanism.\u00a0\nLoic is trying to give more visibility to housing solutions - it's not easy, he says, and it's important to make good contact with the owner! \"First you squat, then you talk\" is his moto. He wants to continue researching these kinds of houses. You can contact him through mail:\u00a0loicdesiron@gmail.com\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-10-10 14:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6874","title":"Women On Web, providing abortion services where states forbid it","content":"\nFull story:\u00a0http:\/\/digg.com\/2016\/women-on-web\nTL;dr\nAccording to WHO, 19 to 20 million unsafe abortions are performed every year (source)\nRebecca Gompert served as the doctor of the good ship Rainbow Warrior.\u00a0Impressed by the idea of a \"pirate ship\" defying legality for a good cause,\u00a0she later started a clinic on a ship, Aurora, in 2001. It\u00a0provided safe abortion, performed by qualifiied doctors and nurses, to places where abortion was outlawed (Ireland, Poland, Spain, Portugal and Morocco).\u00a0\nThis service\u00a0(Women On Waves)\u00a0later moved to the web. Women on Web starts with an online consultation following WHO protocol. Once risks are deemed negligible, women are mailed medical abortion pills (Mifepristone and Misoprostol ), a very safe procedure.\u00a0\n20 staff answer 10,000 monthly emails anonymously and within 24 hours. There is also a peer-to-peer element, like the I had an abortion section of the website.\nMany difficulties remain, including customs. They are, however, being hacked.\nMy own reflection: once again, when people need something they are going to get it for themselves. Anyone wants to investigate this further? @Natalia Skoczylas maybe?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-10-10 0:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6870","title":"How cultural differences can make us understand our flaws in the care sector better","content":"\n[Curator's note] Alkasem was a doctor student in Syria, but had to flee the country for obvious reasons. He studied for four years at the university, but on arriving here he couldn\u2019t continue his studies because of his status of refugee in Europe. Still he came to the workshop in Brussels and we are all really thankful for his disruptive thinking and propositions that helped us think out of the box and see our Western society from another perspective.\nAbout alternatives to our healthcare system: \nIn Syria we have an \u2018islamic solidarity\u2019 in society that creates a kind of health system without organization, like you have to give a part of your money to the poor, you have social care system that is organized by the people itself. If you haven\u2019t fastened for one day, you have to give food to 64 people. Every doctor works one day a week for free. That is how we can survive under a dictatorship. \u00a0We are already prepared for any kind of chaos, it is made for any kind of situation and is part of our cultural heritage.\nI want to see the whole of society as one body, but here everybody lives in his box, I call this\u00a0\"boxpeople\". You live together but you don\u2019t really live together. You are online, but not connected, we have to discuss, to see each other more. This is my new society, so i want to care as much about this now then how I cared about my society in Syria.\n\u00a0For exemple the old people are separated from the rest of the adults, they don\u2019t have a connection. Why do you do that? We don\u2019t talk about generational society, we don\u2019t attach value to\u00a0the older people\u00a0here and that makes me worry. I hear a lot about that here we work a lot about societal diversity, but not generational diversity\nAbout people sleeping in the streets:\nOne of the first things I noticed in Brussels is that a lot of people are living in the streets. Why are they living in the streets, don\u2019t they have families to take care of them? Where are the families of the homeless people? I never saw anyone homeless in Syria, or living on a mattress. How did it happen?\nSome of the participants responded later on:\u00a0\n\nthe core family concept has been broken down - after uni and growing up you have to support yourself; so there is no glue which keeps family together\n\n\nin North Africa systems are weak - so there has always been a cultural support; whereas in the West the system is supposed to take care of everything\n\n\n\"Free, but alone.\" vs. \"Belonging,\u00a0but coerced\" Comparing systems-based\u00a0 vs. family-based cultures of care\u00a0(twitter link)\n\nAbout trust\nEverything moves around friendship. I have the feeling that a lot of people in western society start of with mistrust. If you start with mistrust it is difficult to create trust.\u00a0And without trust no skill can be shared. How can we create a better health system if we need all kind of difficult systems to create the trust that isn\u2019t there really.\nIn less then one day, Alkasem showed us that the things we find sometimes really obvious aren\u2019t at all for everybody. He inpacted a lot of the discussions with his point of views and made it obvious that sometimes we are still a bit too etnocentric about the way we want to design solutions. Having completly different cultural heritages at the table makes a discussions so much richer. \n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-07 15:41 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9044"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6869","title":"Collaborative Tools 2: The Trust Issue","content":"\nFor this second tool (Tool 1) i want to come back to the end discussion of the Brussels workshop we held on 24th of September. Alkasem, a doctorstudent and Syrian Refugee started a really important conversation about collaboration: how can we collaborate if there is no trust? Lets go back to this conversation and look at what came out of it\nCitation from the workshop:\u00a0\nSIDENOTE 2: Alkasem was again the most disruptive thinker in the group and gave us a lot to think. For him, everything moves around friendship. He has the feeling that a lot of people in western society start of with mistrust. If you start with mistrust it is difficult to create trust.\u00a0And without trust no skill can be shared. This intervention of him started a discussion about the meaning of trust and how we can build that.\n\u201c\u2018Trust is an enabler to use the resources.\u00a0How can that be created inside an eclectic group like this?\u2019,asked Yannick.\u00a0 For Claire it is a text and rules of engagement and a clear path of conflict resolution, and a way to learn to treat each other better.\u00a0\nWinnie reacted that your own people's trust is a constant, but gaining the network's trust is more difficult.\nWith the help of Nadia we\u00a0made a synthesis of the discussion\n1) Working trust is very different from social trust; and there needs to be a boundary.\u00a0\n2) What also worked for her is deciding to work on even a small project.\n3) A story that binds us together - understanding how our different activities are related\n4) Documentation: what does it mean? for us it has been in writing.\nFinding each other strengths and weaknesses by organizing small events with each other, and beginning with things that don't have something big at stake. Because then we can learn about each other. The importance of documentation in building trust: Leaving a story behind that people can follow.\n\nWhen the discussion was coming to an end we all felt we had got a lot of information and the workshop was going to close. So Nadia came up with a good idea to end the workshop with something concrete. We all felt that one of the biggest issues in care is that we live to much on our own island and that if we want to make care better we need to share and collaborate. But to collaborate we need to create trust. So this exercise was given to every participant and will hopefully end up in solidifying the care network in Belgium. The following question was asked:\nWhat can i bring to another organization, that also better myself as a person and is easily realizable?\nThis question will be asked again at the next meeting we are organizing. If you want to join, fill in the framadate and put your contacts in comment. We will update this discussion at that point and see how we have concretized the thrust issue.\n\nhttps:\/\/framadate.org\/gWB9QN65MCyedmrL\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-07 15:06 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6868","title":"R\u00e9seaux Solidaire: Meet Jean and Claire, creator and particpant in this network","content":"\nR\u00e9seaux Solidaires is a new organization in Brussels that is working around a direct approach towards less exclusion for people that have social, medical or therapeutical problems. They aren\u2019t online creating a community and platform but rather in the streets and at each others home. Because the thing that differences this organization and others is that every member is at the same time care giver and care taker. What they want to create is a feeling of comprehension toward each other and toward the external world. With their discussions and events they create empowerment for the people inside the platform. At the Brussels workshop of OpenAndCare two of them where participating. This is their story:\nClaire: \u00a0\nLe projet R\u00e9seaux solidaires veut lutter contre les ruptures sociales, voire m\u00e9dicales et th\u00e9rapeutiques. On veut d\u00e9velopper l\u2019entraide et l\u2019empowerment. On a commenc\u00e9 d\u00e9but ao\u00fbt un atelier, ouvert \u00e0 tous (nous sommes aujourd\u2019hui 4), sur le capitalisme et le n\u00e9o-capitalisme, avec un accent particulier sur les exclus du syst\u00e8me qui, en privil\u00e9giant la concurrence, en laisse beaucoup sur la touche. Une journ\u00e9e de rencontre sur ce th\u00e8me est pr\u00e9vue en d\u00e9cembre 2016, r\u00e9unissant des malades (en sant\u00e9 mentale ou pas), des allocataires sociaux, des sympathisants de la cause des exclus. Une premi\u00e8re \u00e9tape sera le d\u00e9veloppement d\u2019un volontariat ax\u00e9 sur la fonction, entre autres, d\u2019aidant proche. Mais la personne aid\u00e9e sera aussi actrice. L\u2019axe formation, \u00e9coute, non-jugement sera tr\u00e8s important. Lutter contre les ruptures sociales. Volontariat autour de l\u2019aidant proche.\nWhat I want to do ?\nBuilding bridges. Mixing people together fragile or disabled people and learn\u00a0how to help each other. I struggle in many organization which I felt didn\u2019t had the good comprehension of social situations. Start things by a good understanding is the key for me. I NEED to create real interaction within social world. I come from a personal fragile life where I have an orphan sickness and I don\u2019t have any family anymore. When I was having health issues I wasn\u2019t taken serious by the hospital, and because I was alone it was difficult to find the energy to prove my sickness. I want a network where people like me can feel save but also feel useful to other people by telling their story and sharing their thoughts. Instead of finding healthy people to help unhealthy people, why not find people with likewise problems to help each other. It isn\u2019t easy at all, but it would be a step forward if such a network could exist.\nThese are the values where she wants to work around: solidarity, sharing & transmission of knowledge & resources. The basic for her is that we create a place where the people listen to each other, because there is for her the key. If we create that base, the rest is possible for her.\n\u2018Avant tous \u00e9tait fait par les parents, famille, maintenant c\u2019est les aide social, mais c\u2019est pas le meilleur mod\u00e8le, on doit reprendre cette responsabilit\u00e9. \u2018\nJean:\n\nIs also a member of the association \u201cr\u00e9seaux solidaires\u201d : a group to help people with mental health issues and who are isolated from society There\u2019s no website he says, everything is person related. He is\u00a0a member because he is sick himself.\nHe is interested by the collaborative systems, how they work without any incomes and business revenu model and capitalism structures. Within the social sector, he wants to have more perspective about this new system. A thought: a basic income could sustain the collaborative economy\u2026\nHe\u2019s looking for contacts, an informatician who can create a friendly and intuitive website, easy to use, but also to make known the initiative \u00a0\u201cR\u00e9seaux solidaires\u201d to other mentally ill patients, and to raise the awareness about the subject.\nIf you have any ideas you can contact Claire (andreclaire21@yahoo.fr) in French and Jean (duckkington58@yahoo.fr) in English or French.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-07 14:03 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9035"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6866","title":"Collaborative Tools 1: Why flat organizations still need honest role division.","content":"\n\u00a0\nThis two part evaluation exercise is a follow up on the most discussed topic in our Brussels Workshop. We talked most of the day about collaboration and how we want to find better ways to create fruitful coaction. If we want to be abble to work together inside our value system, we need to understand how we work. If fruitful collaboration means working togheter while feeling good towards each other in a mutual environment of respect, these two thought bubbles could be for you.\nThis article is a more personal post that came to mind after evaluating my own participation in two projects and how horizontal organizations can play mind tricks to your own involvement.\nModern organizations, starting as a local and small group of people tend to go fast in an horizontal or flat organization structure. People are seen as equal and every role is important, it helps to feel involved, and makes the range of possibilities bigger. But without a leader the group misses sometimes direction and efficiency is less visible. Roles are then distributed and somebody becomes head of design, head of funds or head of communication. Productivity is flowing again, but for me a subtler barrier is still in the way. From idea to task you still need preparation, and that is something I\u2019m completely lacking of.\nYou could argument that everybody needs to do his part of preparation, and you can\u2019t only be the philosopher, but I lean to see a collective as an ecosystem where each other strengths are put up front and we organize ourselves around this.\nOften I tend to fill the gaps as soon as I see them. If something practical isn\u2019t been taken care of I jump to do it, because I\u2019m good at last minute problem solving, but with my lack of preparation skills, if it is to much in amount it take all my energy and i\u2019m doomed to fail, followed by personal and collective frustration.\nThe Thinkers, the Preppers and the Doers\nSo instead of blocking on my personal incompetence, I try to solve it by what I like doing: systemical thinking. I categorize all work inside an organization in three categories that flow in each other: Thinking, preparing and doing.\nVisualize your own strengths and weaknesses as a finite set of skill points like in a video game. In your short or long-lived life you earned skill points through events and big moments. You gathered your knowledge into one of those categories and how more you collect how more you can handle in that category, but other way around: tackling tasks inside a category you aren\u2019t good is time and energy consuming with an inefficient consequence as a a result.\nUnless you are a superhuman that can do everything alone, in an organization it is rather intelligent to search for each other complementary skills. A thinker with a lot of energy to give to do will need a preparation master as his right hand. How bigger the group how more difficult it is to find a balance, but have five thinkers and one prepper you will never get the job done.\nThe big difference with a vertical organization is that in a flat organization those three categories aren\u2019t intended. Where you have specific roles inside a hierarchical organization build around power the thinker will always be above the prepper that will be above the doer. When you see everybody as equal we try to divide also the categories equal, but there is the catch: not a lot of people have throughout their lifetime chosen to equally distribute their skill points.\nWhat we need is better understanding about this kind of dynamic. Knowing this I\u2019m intended to take lesser practical mid-long tasks and preparative tasks on me cause I never trained myself and communicate it with my teammates to see how we can find a better dynamic inside the collective. On the other side, give me a task, well explained that takes a certain amount of time, even repetitive, I\u2019m your guy.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-07 13:04 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6865","title":"Donnez la ville aux habitants, et tout le monde s\u2019en portera mieux","content":"\nCe texte est une pastiche qui n'a jamais \u00e9t\u00e9 publi\u00e9 suite au faite que le jour de publication \u00e9tait le jour des attentat en France. J'ai rencontr\u00e9 Yannick qui m'a propos\u00e9 de partager ce texte ici, car comme d'autre id\u00e9e la r\u00e9appropriation de l'espace commun a comme b\u00e9n\u00e9fice des gens plus sain d'esprit dans la ville. Voici notre proposition:\u00a0\nUne nouvelle Maison du Peuple!\nAujourd\u2019hui est un jour historique pour Bruxelles. Apr\u00e8s de longs mois d\u2019incertitude, le conseil communal \u00e0 enfin tranch\u00e9: le Palais de la Bourse deviendra le lieu commun de tous les bruxellois. Ils ont \u00e0 nouveau une Maison du Peuple!\nCe temple architectural est \u00e9videmment d\u2019abord un choix symbolique. Apr\u00e8s y avoir accept\u00e9 la tr\u00e8s controvers\u00e9e exposition Behind The Numbers glorifiant le n\u00e9o-liberalisme, la Ville s\u2019est rendue compte qu\u2019il fallait donner une autre destination \u00e0 cet endroit que celle de pure sp\u00e9culation commerciale et d'activit\u00e9 touristique. En transformant une partie de la Bourse en Maison du Peuple elle redonne une place aux Bruxellois au c\u0153ur du centre historique!\nDonnez la ville aux habitants, et tout le monde s\u2019en portera mieux\nOn ne comptait plus le nombre d\u2019actions contre les plans de la Ville: plates-formes citoyennes, regroupements de commer\u00e7ants, actions ludiques diverses... Qui ne se souvient du banc de 30 m d\u00e9pos\u00e9 au milieu de la Grand place, ou des centaines de gens pique-niquant place de la Bourse, de l'action de revendication des escaliers de la Bourse comme tribune libre d'expression politique lors du KunstenFestivaldesarts? L\u2019espace public \u00e9tait devenu un haut lieu de d\u00e9bat, mais paradoxalement ne recevait pas d\u2019endroit ad\u00e9quat pour le mener (une Agora). La participation ne remuait que du vent, les riverains ne se sentaient pas entendus. La ville \u00e9tait taill\u00e9e sur mesure pour les eurocrates, les touristes Chinois, avec commerces ouverts le dimanche, tandis que le Bruxellois devait se contenter d\u2019une ville certes prestigieuse, mais sans lieu o\u00f9 il fait bon vivre, une ville d'exp\u00e9riences individuelles juxtapos\u00e9es, atomis\u00e9es, sans liens.\nLe Beer Tempel projet\u00e9 dans le Palais de la Bourse aura une entr\u00e9e par l\u2019arri\u00e8re, et c'est tr\u00e8s bien ainsi. Mais sans occuper tout l'espace, il comprendra une nouvelle Maison du Peuple, o\u00f9 chacun pourrait d\u00e9battre de ce qui se passe dans la ville, o\u00f9 les initiatives bottom-up pourront cro\u00eetre, de nouvelles id\u00e9es pour une ville meilleure surgir. Il importe de faire de ce lieu symbolique qu'est la Bourse un espace de libre d\u00e9bat, une Agora. Il s'agit de rendre la ville aux habitants pour que tout le monde en profite, pour que l\u2019habitant s\u2019y sente bien. Alors le touriste, le commer\u00e7ant et tout les autres s'y sentiront bien aussi.\nLa Ville esp\u00e8re avec cette Maison du Peuple calmer les tensions palpables par le biais d\u2019une communication plus ouverte: un endroit de rencontre et d\u2019\u00e9coute sera ainsi am\u00e9nag\u00e9 dans le b\u00e2timent. En revitalisant de cette fa\u00e7on la Bourse, en lui donnant une \u00e9chelle humaine, la Ville aide \u00e0 fabriquer le tissu social des prochaines d\u00e9cennies. Bien s\u00fbr, le touriste y aura sa place, car la Maison du peuple sera ouverte a tous. Mais nous ne voulons pas que la centralit\u00e9 habit\u00e9e soit confisqu\u00e9e par une vitrine \u00e0 touristes. A la Maison du Peuple, les touristes pourraient rencontrer des Bruxellois, trouver des bons plans pour une visite de Bruxelles vue par ses habitants, trouver le plaisir culturel de ville plus qu'une consommation gr\u00e9gaire.\nUtopie et R\u00e9alit\u00e9? \nEt maintenant vient la chute: on est encore bien loin de cette possible utopie \u00e0 Bruxelles et c\u2019est bien dommage. On dirait que la peur panique du d\u00e9sordre social jette la Ville dans les bras de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 du spectacle, attractive aux investisseurs, par la privatisation de l\u2019espace public, le non-d\u00e9bat constant avec les acteurs locaux, un trafic encore plus monstrueux, et de plus en plus de gens en d\u00e9saccord avec chacun mais encore plus avec la politique bruxelloise...\nUne souffle nouveau, un bref moment d\u2019air frais pourrait nous sortir de l\u00e0, donc amis Bruxellois, politiciens donnez-nous cette Maison du Peuple \u00e0 la Bourse.\u00a0\nSinon on la prendra! ;-)\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-07 12:51 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9034"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6864","title":"The healthgame that never was: using gamification to shorten the gap between generations","content":"\nA couple of years ago i participated to a contest called \u20185 voor 13\u2019 that gave people the challenge to find through use of new technology solutions for healthcare problems. It was organized C-Mine Genk, an innovation laboratory in the old coalmines of the Flemish region of Limburg. I got selected as one of the finalist for my solution for a solution for the intergenerational gab, commonly known as the kids that don\u2019t visit grandma anymore because she is to old\u2026\nFor my solution I started by looking at the obvious part: intergenerational contact is good for the health of the elderly and also good for the development of the kids on multiple levels. So what was missing is a tool that brought them together.\nI grew up in a rather unconventional setting for people of my generation and later (90s kids like the internet would say) My parents and i shared the house with an elderly woman that wasn\u2019t my grandmother but the godmother of my dad. She was rather cultivated woman with brought knowledge about geography, literature and history. She helped me out on my schoolwork and we shared our interest in reading the news. When she started having difficulties to move out of the house, I helped her staying young by introducing her to the then new technology called DVD and PS2. We played bowling on the Wii and if she would have stayed around longer, I\u2019m sure she would have used my tablet. In opposite to my grandmother who was visiting us every week, my \u2018m\u00e9m\u00e9\u2019 stayed young in her head, and i think it was patly thanks to our dayle exchanges. She would learn me about history and i would learn her about technology.\n\u00a0\nSo when designing my idea i took this story and tried to create the mechanisms that made it work and what was needed to scale up. I found that people where already implementing wii\u2019s in elderly homes to give them exercise. While this is a good idea for them to exercise, the intergenerational part was still missing. So how could we create a game where kids needed to come to the elderly without them having the feeling it was a burden?\nWell you know those games on your phone where you need to do repetitive tasks to go up levels to beat new monsters, like 99% of all mechanics of Role Playing Games? Why not extrude those mechanics of training to the elderly. Give them exercises they can do all day to gain skill points. Arm movements will help the Atk stat for example, Balance will help Def stat and so on. The twist is that the kids playing the game will need to go physically to the elderly to get their little guy leveed up. Want to beat a new boss, but you miss some skillpoint, well go to one of the elderly homes where they play the game and go talk with them. Maybe the first time the discussion will be pure mechanical, but when returning a bound will be created between the people and discussions will be about more then only the game. You have to see it as an incentive to bring people together.\nAfter presenting this project i finished third and got 500 euro\u2019s to spend on material for the project. At that time i was even less into the entrepreneurs world and i failed to continue this project.\u00a0 I still think there are some logics and mechanisms that could be interested to work out. Anybody that is willing to use this is free to do anything with it, as long as he gives me a sign about it. It would be awesome to prototype it.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-10-07 12:08 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6863","title":"Paramount California University","content":"\nParamount California University is one of the top education providers in the state. We believe in providing the highest quality education to all our students. Paramount California University website provides all the details regarding the courses that we offer to our students. It ranges widely from associate degrees to masters degrees, diplomas and other short courses. These courses and degrees are designed to prepare our students to get a firm grip over their respective fields of study and to efficiently tackle all the problems that they encounter.\nParamount California University ranking is slowly and gradually improving each year because we have stuck to our ambition to maintaining a high standard of education that we strive to provide to our students. We have also made sure that al courses and degrees are reviewed and updated on a regular basis so that it reflects the latest and up to date changes in their respective fields. One of the biggest benefit of pursuing the degrees and courses with us is that we employ highly qualified and professional teaching staff and faculty. All our faculty members have vast experience in the practical fields of education and are experienced enough to understand the nature of each student and help them to realize their educational goals.\nNot only does we provide on campus classes to students. We also a dedicated online and distance learning program on offer. This program is designed for those who wish to pursue their degrees with us but cannot attend our classes or campuses for different reasons. Through our online and distance learning program, they can enroll in these courses and have the benefit of getting the same quality of education that we provide to students who attend our campuses. The studies are conducted through correspondence and students can study at a time of their own convenience. Paramount California University ranking with regards to its online courses is highly respected and getting better by the time.\nWe realize the fact that our university is a learning ground for students and people from several different nationalities, casts, cultures and ethnicities. It is very important to provide and maintain such an environment where they can blend and mix together and achieve the same goal of getting the best education possible. We respect the value and tradition of all our students and strive to provide them with an environment where they feel free to showcase their skills and talents. We also learn a lot from these students and their cultures. Paramount California University ranking has been boosted because of the fact that it is a preferred learning provider for students from all across the globe.\nOur institution also focuses on the fact that students need to concentrate on their co-curricular activities along with their studies. We encourage our students to take an active part in activities other than their studies. This helps them to divert their attention from studies and focus on another side of their learning which is to learn how to keep their body fit and how to showcase their skills in other activities. It also teaches them to learn the sportsman spirit of the game along with having a good team spirit and respecting the rules of the game.\nThere are a lot of great things about our students and graduates that make them a preferred choice of employers once they enter the practical fields of life. Employers realize the fact that along with being highly qualified, our students are well groomed, well-mannered and are extremely capable of taking the organization forward with their hard work, dedication and vision.\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-10-06 20:58 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9033"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6860","title":"DIY \/ Affordable \/ Portable Jaundice treatment in newborn babies","content":"\nThe problem that we are tackling with Brilliance is the fact that over six million babies requiring\u00a0treatment for severe jaundice each year are not receiving the treatment they need. One of the main\u00a0reasons for this is a lack of access to affordable devices that provide phototherapy, the standard\u00a0treatment for severe jaundice. By introducing a low-cost, high-quality phototherapy device to the\u00a0global market, we aim\u00a0to increase the number of babies receiving treatment who otherwise would\u00a0not have been treated effectively, and thereby, reduce the number of deaths and disabilities due to\u00a0untreated severe jaundice.\n\nHealth sensing through smartphones has received\u00a0considerable attention in recent years because of the\u00a0devices\u2019 ubiquity and promise to lower the barrier for\u00a0tracking medical conditions. In this paper, we focus on\u00a0using smartphones to monitor newborn jaundice, which\u00a0manifests as a yellow discoloration of the skin. Although a\u00a0degree of jaundice is common in healthy newborns, early\u00a0detection of extreme jaundice is essential to prevent\u00a0permanent brain damage or death. Current detection\u00a0techniques, however, require clinical tests with blood\u00a0samples or other specialized equipment. Consequently,\u00a0newborns often depend on visual assessments of their skin\u00a0color at home, which is known to be unreliable.\nSketch 1 - To explain the Idea\n\nSketch 2 - Concept Storyboard\n\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-10-05 8:18 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9024"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6855","title":"The Future of Eye glasses","content":"\nThe basic idea was to create a prototype consisted of two already invented tangible objects. The eyeglasses which give you the possibility to focus by moving the lances and the one that measures your myopia and presbyopia using the size of your retina. The basic idea was to implement one to another and using an algorithm with the application on your phone you\u00a0 could measure firstly your problem and afterwards adjust the focus depending on the measurements and making your eyesight perfect\u00a0 almost all the time. The eye sight becomes blurry as years go by and everyone gets older.\n\n\u00a0\nThe technology is simple as you can just focus manually too the lens either if you are trying to read a book for a long time and your eyes are focused on close objects. Using the adjustor the two lens move or slide so they come to a point where they totally focus with the poins of myopia or presbyopia you might have and you can see clearly.\nThe concept of the application was easier as it enables you to measure the points while you are focusing the glasses yourself. This gives you an idea of the size of your problem without necessary have to go to a doctor.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-10-04 17:24 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9024"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6854","title":"Can we hack or tweak maps to help where infrastructure fails for soft mobility (people with special needs, cyclists, pedestrians)?","content":"\n\nRecruiting people for testing a hybrid bicycle (see here), personal experiences were confirmed: mother nature gives us ideal conditions (Milano, Italy) such as sun, no wind and flat terrain. We are however trapped because private motor transport rules the roads and scares us. Are you a wheelchair user, mother\/father with baby carriage, cyclist or pedestrian then you have a handicap. Traffic is dangerous and public transport is prohibitive\u2026.unless you already know your way. If you just use Google maps o Here maps for navigation you will be trapped.\nSo we need to figure out a soft mobility map which can help us demonstrate that you don't have to stay home or take your car to the gym to work out. You can get around in many ways and keep fit at the same time.\nWe need\n\n\nnavigation for soft mobility with possibility to set limitations\n \n\nwaypoints of broad interest (not just googles shops, restaurants and gas stations)\n \n\nindications of feasibility on a user defined level (accessibility, interesting way, playgrounds, etc.\n \n\n\nWho's in?\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-10-04 15:34 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8837"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6853","title":"Stress Management","content":"\nStress Management collar is one of our ideas about stress. Nowadays everyone knows that stress is one of the most important problems of our lives and most difficult to manage it totally. Our idea is mostly for manage it during the traffic jams. The collar have multiple features on it and might be a solution to help some of us.\nThe basic idea was to create a flexible tangible object like collar which would do some kind of massage to the wearer to lower the tension of the moment. Another important feature is the ability to spray every a specific time adjusted by us a smell that what researches have shown relax the person (grass, flower, forest etc).\n\nThe last feature this collar has is the ability to stick a usb driver or connect with spotify\u00a0 and connect with blue-tooth with the cars\u2019 media player so you can listen to your favourite music anytime while you are driving. The collar could also be connected with your mobile so you can \u201cmonitor\u201d your stress levels to be aware.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-10-04 15:06 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9024"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6844","title":" Baby Crying Sound Reducer\u00a0","content":"\nBackground\nThere are tons of reasons that makes baby cries. Baby might be hungry, sleepy, diaper dirty or more and more. While the baby is crying, mom has to check what the exact problem is, and before mom solves it, the baby won\u2019t stop crying. In this period, mom might feel anxious, stressful or panic that from the crying sound, herself or others. This mental situation might influence mom\u2019s decision making or education for the baby.\nIn some case, mom has to leave her baby to cry.\nWhat if these all happen in a silence public such as an airplane, train, office or a good restaurant et.? To prevent this kind of situation happened, lots of parents even avoid to go to those places with their baby or even stay\u00a0at home.\u00a0\nWhat are the main aspects of this project?\nWith the baby crying sound reducer\u00a0parents can have more choice to go with their baby. It can also reduce the stress that comes from the stranger beside and creates a better quality of life for parents and people together in the same space.\u00a0\nHow to?\nMain Function\u00a0\n+ Active Noise Cancellation Technology\n+ Baby soothing materials\nSecondary Function\u00a0\n+Volum control\n+ Speaker output from baby with funny sound to make fun of himself\nWhat have been done?\nThere hasn\u2019t been anything specific active noise\u00a0cancellation product that has been designed for baby and parents. Most of the\u00a0active noise\u00a0cancellation technology are used in earphone and space.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-10-02 1:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6842","title":"T-shirts 4 Open Communication","content":"\nT-shirts 4 Open Communication\nMain aspect of this project is to create an environment that deaf people can open up to the world through T-shirts...\nMore people use T-shirts, deaf people have a voice. This is also an\u00a0awareness project about the isolation the deaf people.\u00a0Because only friend's t-shirts can capture the sign language. (through the gloves)\n\u00a0\n\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-30 17:03 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6841","title":"Alzheimer's Wristband","content":"\nAlzheimer\u2019s Wristband ","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-30 16:53 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6840","title":"A post-growth economy as a driver for a more healthy future","content":"\nThe seemingly unstoppable drive for ever-increasing economic growth is doing irreparable damage to the planet, to flora and fauna, and to human wellbeing. Fokus Wachstumswende is a project that offers a civil society platform connecting various civil society organizations and scientific institutions that are looking into alternatives to an economic model that is dependent upon constant growth, and thus the depletion of the environment and the exhaustion of human resources.\u00a0\n\nThe platform is based on a network called \u201cZivile Enquete Wachstum, Wohlstand Lebensqualit\u00e4t\u201d (Civil Enquete Growth, Prosperity, Life Quality) that extends from the Degrowth-Conference 2014 in Leipzig. The network meets on a quarterly basis and includes representatives of a broad variety of civil society organizations and scientific institutions concerned with social or environmental issues. The intention is to raise awareness on post-growth-ideas, to facilitate an exchange between different levels and fields, and to create potential synergies. For instance, NGOs often lack a scientific or theoretical backbone for their work, while theoreticians often miss the benefit of practical experience. The sciences in turn lack the ability to communicate their findings to the public at large. The network also works with political foundations and unions, yet the work transcends party lines. Together they generate concrete suggestions for policies that look toward the notion of a post-growth society and they work on storytelling to communicate these proposals to a broader public.\u00a0\n\nOn a superficial level, it may seem like the degrowth movement is all about economics and has little to do with care. Yet the vicious circle of increasing production and consumption that we call economic growth is quite clearly making a lot of people unhappy and sick. Beyond certain thresholds, more growth does not necessarily equal a better quality of life. Eliminating the external and internal pressures for senseless growth would allow us to reconsider human potential. Reducing working hours for example can lead to more time for exchange and support between people and new concepts for more societal participation. A post-growth economy is based on sustainable activity within planetary boundaries and a more healthy future!\nhttps:\/\/wachstumswende.de\/project\/fokus-wachstumswende\/\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-30 16:42 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8925"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6839","title":"Breast Cancer Recognizer","content":"\nBreast Cancer Recognizer\nIdea is about detecting the breast with a prototype which have a skin recognition and accelometre to map the breast. It is necessary because every women and men needs to check their breasts once a month. And the techniques of detecting the breast cancer early is so complicated. First with 2 fingers you should message your arm pit. With 3 fingers you should rub down your breast in a circle to the niple... We can optimize this with a prototype.\nWhat are the main aspects of this project?\nOur goal is to detect the cancer in early stage. Our perspective is \u201cit can happen to anyone\u201d It is an awareness and caring project. So we encourage all the people to look after theirselves with our prototype and catch the cancer before it is too late.\nHow to?\nWe should show supervisors the research and prototype of Yemen University\u2019s to think about more simple ways to make this prototype happen. Because their system is so complex and difficult to built with only Arduinos.\nhttp:\/\/www.wseas.us\/e-library\/conferences\/2014\/Lisbon\/BIOENV\/BIOENV-20.pdf\n\nReleated Work done by Yemen University\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-30 16:20 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6838","title":"CareFab Lab - Open Innovation ","content":"\nCaregivers constitute the largest part of the workforce in health and care systems. At the same time, they are typically the ones with the least access to technological means and the necessary digital knowhow. Yet the very people who are performing the day to day work of caregiving have a wealth of real life experience and knowledge that can be used to generate innovative ideas and practical solutions for improving the tools and conditions for their work \u2013 and thus the results.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe Care FabLab is an open community platform and mobile creative workshop in which the primary aim is the collaborative implementation of innovative ideas and projects for care through the use of digital fabrication methods. It is a network of creative caregivers and interested people with the common purpose of developing innovative solutions to improve daily patient care.\n\u00a0\nThe Care FaLab provides the platform, tools and training with which to present new ideas and discuss them among the community, as well as the means to develop concepts for implementation and create prototypes. All of the information and content is freely available to the community and can be used by participants for their own projects.\n\u00a0\nOn this platform, members can present their own ideas about projects, products or processes to improve care. Other members can then comment on those ideas to assess, augment or enhance them. Special virtual working groups can be created for interested members to join in order to work on particular projects. Based on these ideas, concepts can be developed and even implemented collectively. And it all takes place under the Creative Commons license (CC BY-SA 3.0) and is thus freely available for all!\n\u00a0\nThe mobile FabLab including the innovation workshop can be booked for hospital clinics, nursing schools, symposia and conferences. Participants will be guided and supported through processes of brainstorming and conception, all the way through to the resulting production using 3D-printers and other relevant digital tools. In this way, in just one or two unforgettably creative days, innovative solutions for caregivers by caregivers can be developed and realized!\u00a0\nhttp:\/\/fablab.care\/\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-30 15:28 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8925"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6837","title":"Autistic children headphones for outdoors","content":"\nAutistic children have limited behaviours about social connections and they can easily get confused from hearing more than one sound when they are outside. We want to help the children to get out into the world without fear. Usually children get very scared of loud noises and it a ects their behaviour. They nd it very intimidating. We propose to care for them by designing a device that lets them hear their parent\u2019s and other familiar voices, phasing out other sounds like those of tra c, crowd, machines etc.\n\u00a0\nWhat are the main aspects of this project?\nThe main aspect of this project is to use technology that is not only advanced but also very much user friendly. The prototype will be able to have speech recognition so that it detects the sounds of certain people and lets them through but not intimidating sounds like those of tra c and machines\n\u00a0\nHow to?\nWe can\n-use noise cancelling technology and speech recognition software to design the prototype\n-introducing simple gestures to use and control the headphones\n\u00a0\nLinks for reference:\nhttp:\/\/oureverydaylife.com\/use-headphones-children-autism-12460.html\nhttp:\/\/www.got-autism.com\/blog\/?tag=headphones-for-kids-with-asd\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nWhat have been done?\nThere hasn\u2019t been anything speci c that has been designed for autistic children that serves the purpose we intend to solve. There have been independent approaches to speech recognition through software and headphones through software.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-30 0:23 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6836","title":"Indoor Noise Cancelling","content":"\nWe want to provide care for people living in neighbour- hoods with lot of noise around them. Noise can a ect physical and mental health of people. Noise pollution in the cities can take a toll on the quality of life of the people. Research has shown that noise pollution can cause problems like heart diseases, stress, lack of sleep and hearing loss to some extent. The average recom- mended noise exposure limit is 55 decibels. However, tra c accounts for 70 decibels and construction machin- ery accounts for about 120 decibels. These are the major generators of sound in the city and well beyond the average exposure limit. We want to provide care to the people living with so much noise around them by using technology.\n\u00a0\nWhat are the main aspects of this project?\nThe main aspect of this project is to use technology to provide care for the people so that they have a healthy lifestyle\n\u00a0\nHow to?\nWe can\n-use transducers on the walls or windows of the house. -sensors that sense the movement of people in the house, detecting whether to switch the device on\n-LCD screen showing the decibel levels outside\n\u00a0\nLinks for reference:\nhttp:\/\/www.explainthatstu .com\/noisecancellingheadphones.html\nhttp:\/\/doctord.dyndns.org\/Pubs\/POTENT.htm\n\u00a0\nWhat have been done?\nwww.silentium.com\/blog\nhttp:\/\/www.ippinka.com\/blog\/sono-peace-quiet-home\/\nhttps:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/wnc\/whisper-the-noise-canceler\nhttps:\/\/www.indiegogo.com\/projects\/muzo-personal-zone-creator-w-noise-blocking-tech-sound-sleep#\/\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-29 23:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6835","title":"Helping Someone with Parkinson's - Part 1","content":"\nParkinson's, as we all know, is a serious ailment for which there has not been a cure yet. What makes the ailment\u00a0even more intimidating is that the symptoms keep varying\u00a0from person to person and we never know in what way is going to affect the patient. Wave, as our team is called, is trying to make someone suffering from parkinson's and their caregiver's lives easier using technology that we have today at our disposal.\nThe first signs of someone having parkinson's are the motor symptoms. These symptoms include essential tremors in hands and other parts of the body. These symptoms further advance overtime enough that it makes it difficult for them to perform the easiest of daily tasks.\u00a0The symptoms occur when the level of dopamine, the chemical responsible for body movement coordination, reduces in the brain. Medication is used to replenish the dopamine levels or fake the action of the dopamine.\nWith our prototype, we propose to make the lives of someone with parkinson\u2019s simpler. Our prototype will be wearables that can monitor the motor symptoms of the patient.\u00a0Our prototype will monitor the common symptoms like tremor and stiffness in the human body, and if the symptoms are showing an uncommon behaviour, the prototype can beam the information to the smartphone to remind the patient or the caregiver to take the medicines to or to see the neurologist.\n\nOur goal is to help someone who has recently started showing symptoms of parkinson\u2019s to track their motor symptoms and also prolong the initial stage as much as possible.\nA lot of research-based apps and services are available today that help in better understanding the symptoms of Parkinson\u2019s. Apps like mPower and Parkinson\u2019s Central are monitoring the patient\u2019s health from their rdaily movements and tasks along with daily or weekly surveys. With our prototype, we not only propose to help in tracking symptoms to better understand the disease but we also want to help the patient in the best way possible.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-29 23:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6834","title":"Smart Stick for the blind","content":"\nIdea is about helping blind people about the outside world\u2019s obsticles. Smart stick should have a simcard for navigation (GPRS) communication with friends, family and hospitals. Smart stick should have accelometre sensor to sense the obstickles in streets and roads. It should be used with earphone. It should converts envori- ments conditions to sound via APPs or API\u2019s of google Maps. Normal people could use it too, it can be designed as 2 peaces (modular) People without disabilities can take the top part from the stick and put it in their bags (with earphones)\n\u00a0\nWhat are the main aspects of this project?\nOur goal is to help the blind people. Our perspective is to find a way to eleminate the difficulties they face everyday.\n\u00a0\nHow to?\nWe can\n- use a eyeglasses with earphones - headsets and eye bandages\n- blind smart sticks\nTechonolgy out there\n- infrared sensors\n- Arduino + 3 ultrasound sensors+ buzzer +motor - Another chipset + RFID + ultrasound sensor\n\u00a0\nProject Halo:\n- Rigid frame (I used a round embroidery frame)\n- Female headers (for the sensors)\n- Ultrasonic Rangefinders (Parallax Ping Rangefinders) - Wire (Wires with male and female leads are conve-nient)\n- Glue\n- Twist ties to tidy up wiring\n- Soldering station\n- Male headers (for creating a bridge to feed 5v and\u00a0ground\n- RJ-45-Term Screw Terminal (2) - RJ-45 Cable\n- Marker\nMotor Modules:\n- Vibration Motors (5) - Motot, VIB,3V\/60mA, 7500RPM\n- Grid-Style PC Board\n- Male header pins\n- Motor \"shroud\" (to prevent things getting sucked into\u00a0the motor)\nHaptic Headband:\n- Headband\n- Sewing Kit\n- 5 Motor Modules\n- Wire (Wires with male and female leads are conve-nient)\n- Safety Pins\n- Female headers\n- Soldering station\n- RJ-45-Term Screw Terminal (2) - RJ-45 Cable\n- Marker\n\u00a0\nWiring the Microcontroller:\n- Arduino Mega 2560\n- Wire (Wires with male and female leads are conve- nient)\n- 5 LEDs\n- Darlington IC - ULN 2803A - 2 port screw terminal\n- 9v battery\n- 5v regulator\n\u00a0\nBuilding the Software:\n- USB cable\n- PC (for editing code and downloading to Arduino)\n- Arduino\n- Arduino development environment (www.arduino.cc) - Source Code, modified Ping.h library\n\u00a0\nSmart Blind Stick - Instructables\nAn Arduino uno.\nA Ultrasonic sensor( HCSR04 ).\nA Mini breadboard.\nA 9 volt battery.\nA 9 volt battery connector.\nDC male power jack.\nA Buzzer.\nSome Jumper wire.\nAn Broken cellphone from scratch.\nA Toggle switch.\nOther tools and parts used in this project :\n3\/4 inch diameter PVC pipe (used for making the stick).\n3\/4 inch diameter PVC elbow.\nInsulation tape.\nSome small screws for mounting Arduino. Screwdriver.\nUtility knife.\nInstant adhesive Glue.\nA Box to Put your Arduino and other electronics, or think about it later.\n\u00a0\nXploR cane\nThe 'XploR' mobility cane was developed at Birming- ham City University\nIt uses a camera and built-in sensors to scan for faces in a crowd\nIf it recognises a face the cane vibrates and guides user with audio cues\nSensors work up to 32ft (10 metres) and faces are stored on an SD card\nRead more: http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/science- tech\/article-3090790\/X- ploR-cane-uses-facial-recognition-spot-friends-family -crowd-guides-blind-user-exact-location.html#ixzz4L 51k7yJX\n\u00a0\nWhat have been done?\n- http:\/\/imwm.org\/the-infeared-walking-cane-by-parasuraman-kannan\/\n- http:\/\/arduinoart.blogspot.it\/2015\/05\/project-guide-stick-for-blind-people.html\n- http:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/Smart-Blind-Stick\/\n- http:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/Haptic-Feedback-device-for-the-Visually-Impaired\/\n- http:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/sciencetech\/article-3090790\/X- ploR-cane-uses-facial-recognition-spot-friends-family-crowd-guides-blind-user-exact-location.html\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-29 23:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9021"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6833","title":"#BackToCommons: Building new narratives that connect our societies - not separate them","content":"\nMy studies in biology, agriculture and sociology took place in a time where the environmental, social and ethical problems related to the broken food system started becoming visible to more and more people across the world. Since about 10 years ago, food activism raised as our generations Woodstock, something that some of us like to call \u201cFoodstock\u201d. Therefore, the lines between political activism and an academic life started becoming very thin, and in times it felt -indeed- awkward to interact with two environments that hardly communicated to each other. Maybe for a good reason.\nIn 2007, I travelled to India for the first time, to do my MSc thesis in the Central Indian Himalayan belt, in collaboration with Navdanya, an NGO founded by renowned food and seeds activist, Dr. Vandana Shiva. In 2008, I published my first book on human-plant relations of tribal hill communities on the noble mountains of the Garhwal Himalaya. At the same time, returning to my university in Stuttgart, Germany, I helped found F.R.E.S.H. - the Food Revitalisation & Ecogastronomic Society of Hohenheim.\nF.R.E.S.H. was one of the very first student initiatives in Europe, trying to engage young agricultural students in a new, holistic, and self-reflective thinking about the future of the food system. We organised conferences, peaceful protests against unsustainable practices in the university\u2019s canteens, a student garden and we even designed and fundraised for a new academic module on the Ethics of Food & Nutrition Security. Through community work in the campus, a group of young students from more than 15 countries from around the world, started building these much needed bridges between analytical thinking and solving the world\u2019s problems.\nAround this time, in 2008, I attended Slow Food\u2019s Terra Madre in Turin. This was a game changer, which allowed my friends and me see the wider picture, and to connect with hundreds of other youth. We saw the rise of the urban gardening movement and the food waste movement. We spoke of the need for intergenerational renewal in the agricultural sector, and we started connecting the dots. For us, good food and good farming almost became an obsession, and a latent hope that maybe we can manage to improving the world, by improving our food and our quality of life.\nAt the same year, still a student in Germany and doing my ethnobotanical research for my PhD in India, Thailand and China, I founded a Slow Food Convivium in Thrace, my home land in Northern Greece. Well before the financial crisis and the social havoc it evoked hit home, we started discussing about resilience, an organic transition, urban gardens, quality food production\/consumption systems. Early days for such ideas in Greece, this action has raised plenty of scepticism, as no-one would expect what was coming. Our actions ranged from organising public social meals in squares in streets, campaigns, food fairs, etc. I have organised three delegations of small Greek producers to Slow Food fairs in Italy and Germany, and as the crisis was unfolding, I wanted to show that a difference Greece exists -other than the one presented by the media and blamed by politicians- and it was here.\u00a0\nIn 2012, I produced an award winning short documentary, called \u201cFarming on Crisis?\u201d. This was the untold story of the Greek countryside, unfolding through a man's journey across the crisis-stricken country, uncovering the stories of young farmers and the prospects of revamping the economy through good farming and sustainable rural development. Building a bridge between the small and the large; the urban and the rural; the local with the global, the film used the case of Greece in order to touch urgent global challenges like food security, the environment and the future of our food. This movie travelled around the world, screened in several film festivals and opened a new dialogue: what future can we hope for, with only 6% of Europe\u2019s farmers under the age of 35? We even got an award in Hollywood.\nAs my life proceeded into this environment, I started venturing into good food entrepreneurship. From one side, I was launching global petitions for a better agricultural food system, to be presented at Rio+20, on the other hand I started discussing with my parents plans about revamping our family\u2019s traditional olive grove in Northern Greece. At 2012, we created Calypso, a single varietal extra virgin olive oil made inside the ancient grove of my small village, Makri. Our purpose was (and still is), not only to produce a product of the utmost quality, but to champion innovative agroecological practices, trying to invite more farmers of the region in our journey towards sustainable quality. Soon after, I joined forces with another Italian friend from my former Slow Food years, and then we joined by another one, and another one, and we created We Deliver Taste. This is a small consultancy company connecting agriculture with gastronomy, hospitality and marketing. We are consulting good farmers and help them access new markets, while working with restaurant owners and chefs in order to close the loops in the \u201cbroken food system\u201d that we all new is a major part of the problem. This is of utmost importance for Greece and its post-crisis future,\u00a0 since the country has one of the largest per capita agricultural populations in Europe. We are now establishing new partnerships, working with ICT developers and experimenting on open data systems, with the aim of creating tools that bring more transparency and education in food supply chains, and shorten them in terms of communication and enhanced interaction among all peers.\nHaving experienced these transformation at the personal and social level, I still continue doing a lot of community research in Greece. To me, my country has emerged as a testing ground for a new transformative future, what I like to call the \u201cPlan C\u201d. That is, if the \u201cPlan A\u201d is a Grexit, and \u201cPlan B\u201d is a devastating bankruptcy, then I think there is also space to investigate the possibility for another plant. The \u201cPlan C\u201d has to do with the design of a roadmap for advancing towards a real transition back to the Commons, based on civil engagement for participatory mapping and collective management of the assets that influence what is currently under attack: the everyday lives of the people.\nInspired by the many different communities on the rise throughout the country, and concerned about the lack of resources and the disconnection between them, #BackToCommons is my latest project. This is not an organisation (I don\u2019t think there is a need to be one - there are so many organisations which we work with), but rather an informal network of young researchers who are trying to pull resources for creating systemic infrastructure in Greece. The aim is to give a new hope to a desperate society, but also connect this action with the world, knowing that a lot of people in the ground don\u2019t have access to resources, due to many known barriers. Lack of funds and language are only two of them.\nI am not sure where the journey of #BackToCommons is going to end, but I am convinced that it is heading towards the right direction. More and more people in Greece start believing on the power of commons-based action, and what is considered an \u201calternative\u201d in other, more affluent economies of Europe in the world, over here is pretty much the only way forward. Despite the discontent, this offers a significant opportunity for working out transition solutions that I am sure are going to prove very useful for the international community.\nI know that given the political, organisational and financial support, realising this type of transition is\u00a0 one of the few chances we have in order to achieving the very possibility of realising the Sustainable Development Goals and the objectives mapped out at COP21. More importantly, as extremism is on the rise across the continent, what is needed more than ever before, are new narratives that connect our societies - not separate them. And in the absence of political sense, I think that we the people can still continue building them.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-29 11:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8851"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6831","title":"RefugeesWork: programming skills for a new generation of freelancers to change the ecosystem and how we work together","content":"\nWe are a community of freelance developers and other digital professionals who work together online often purely over the internet. We started our project RefugeesWork to help newcomers to connect with locals who are looking for freelancers to outsource some work to them.\nIt all started in August 2015 when lots of newcomers, mainly from Syria, arrived to Germany.\nIt now turns out that it\u2019s not very easy for them to find any kind of employment at all. German companies seem to not need the skills they bring to the table and even if they do have what they are looking for, they often reject people who do not speak German well.\nWe decided to use our digital skills, first of all programming, to help them. We developed a marketplace app where on one side newcomers can register and describe their skills and on the other side local organizations can post their requests for freelancers. We believe work is the best pathway to connect refugees and locals and to date, we have over 300 registrations on the site and big community in Berlin and online. Those Syrians come from all walks of life and some have excellent background, or were running their own business.\nBut we also realized that freelance requests are mostly for freelancers with web and mobile development background. These are the jobs freelancers can do online, they don't need to speak the local language and because all the organizations are trying to automate their processes, there is actually a big need for these professions. We checked our database and available statistics and figured out that most of newcomers are young, they just finished their high school or had to leave in the middle of their studies so they actually lack necessary skills to integrate into the highly specialized German job market. Freelancing would give refugees freedom from discrimination they would face otherwise and freelancers are usually paid way better. The tricky part is in making sure there is a regular flow of work. That is our experience.\n\nTherefore we decided to extend our Berlin based coding school for kids and use our experiences to create online e-learning platform to teach newcomers programming: from how to install browser to how to build your mobile app. All the learners can learn digital skills\/programming no matter where they are, they get 24\/7 support on the chat from mentors and other learners and later and they can apply for projects companies outsource through RefugeesWork. All the learners become part of digital collective Coding Amigos, that we started with international crew of developers with activist streak already 3 years ago. We meet in Berlin 2x a week and co-work together on client projects or our own apps that we in long term want to connect in a circular economy. For us - even though circular economy is usually connected to recycling - that means that supply chains form supply circles and money is not loaned by governments and other usual suspects and end up in always the same pockets who save it and don\u2019t even know what to do with all the money.\nCurrently we are also following the work of Sensorica in Canada and Enspiral in New Zealand. Our wish is to create a micro-holding co-ownership model. One part of the motivation is to shield these professionals from all kinds of discrimination that they might otherwise experience.\nIt shields them, for example from the usual politicking among corporate employees who might tend to put such newcomers into a fairly low place. And another part of the motivation is exploring processes and legal ways for cooperation and decision making between many micro-holdings.\nWe try to list all our initiatives inside of Github organization SquatUp.\nWe try to keep all our work open and transparent for which we for now use Github.com, Gitter.im and Waffle.io which allow us versioned storing our documents, including code, working on issues on a kanban board and use open communication on a public chat.\nAll our projects are made with zero budget so with pure love and dedication for our mission: open source & transparency, inclusiveness, digital literacy and open organization. It is not easy, but we don't want to waste our time chasing funding and investors or clients, but instead co-create the world we want to live in. And we believe right people and opportunities will come from that and from the people that share the mindset and want to join us.\nIt\u2019s hard to make a living with all of this, so we just try to live as cheap as possible and we work for a better future where society is organized differently utilizing radical transparency and open source. Until then we live from savings that we sometimes manage to build when working on paid projects. By empowering refugees with skills we hope they will later become our partners and continue to help us build an alternative work. On top of that, we might manage to get in projects on a more regular basis and outsource paid work to each other.\nSo if you are a programmer, \u201dapptivist\u201d, please consider reaching out and connect your apps to our ecosystem via API or help us build an open ecosystem of related apps.\nIf you know anyone who did not yet start to learn programming, please tell them to join us in http:\/\/gitter.im\/codingamigos\/learners so they can get started for free immediately. We offer 24\/7 support for free to get learners from zero to be able to create their first mobile app within a couple of weeks up to a few months given learners are disciplined and learn full time.\nAnd last but not least, if you can bring in paid IT projects to support our voluntary efforts, the community of learners and our effort to prototype alternative ways of organizing and working together, we would appreciate it a lot. Everyone who successfully brings in a project and helps us communicating with the customer during the project will be transparently included in the sharing of the revenue.\nThe production of this article was supported by Op3n Fellowships - an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016.\nLinks:\nRefugeesWork - www.refugeeswork.com\nOnline JavaScript school - www.wizardamigos.com\nCoding Amigos meetup - www.meetup.com\/codingamigos\nCoding Amigos collective - www.codingamigos.com\nSquatUp - https:\/\/github.com\/SquatUp\/projects\/blob\/master\/README.md\nNina Breznik - @ninabreznik\nAlexander Praetorius - @serapath\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-29 1:06 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8950"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6828","title":"OPENandChange Workshop Berlin ","content":"\n\u00a0#OPENandChange Workshop Berlin \n\u201cLiving, working and ageing healthily within society\u201d \nThe OPENandChange workshop in Berlin began with a round for participants to introduce themselves. This led straight into individual and collective reflection and the mapping of questions that mattered to participants. Here, three key issues emerged, which participants gathered in three working groups to address.\nOne group tackled the question of \"How can we provide care and preventative care adequately and accessibly?\" in a process of collective brainstorming and idea development. As a central starting point was the agreement that care and prevention services should be provided by real people for real people, and thus to counteract the further dehumanization in care - both toward those being cared for, but also the caregivers themselves, as has been spreading as a result of the savings and efficiency measures, particularly in the public sector care, such as hospitals and nursing homes,. Based on this arose an idea for central, physical places and spaces in which cross-generational knowledge sharing communities with a decentralized \"bottom-up\" structure can develop. This should activate the local community at large and encourage more people to visit and thus bringing them together. Simultaneously, through the use of modern telecommunications and the Internet, communities that are located in remote areas will be included \u2013 the challenge of inadequate or even non-existent Internet connections in these areas could be countered by open-source technology solutions, such as balloons that are equipped with Internet. The necessary financial resources could be generated by a crowdfunding campaign, also to generate more public attention, especially online, for teaching\/learning\/exchange spaces for this innovation and strengthen the cohesion of the existing community. A key component of the engagement in these areas could be workshops of all types and themes to be organized, offered and held by participants themselves. These spaces could make a contribution to the initial formulation of questions, because a social community that is open and accessible for all faces the challenge of accessibility to prevention and care, supported by the Internet. Care and prevention again become a matter for the community, and are thus realized in a humane and proportionate way.\nThis common \"bottom-up\" structure was made tangible in a first prototyping, which opened the question \"How can we engage individuals to support these structures, even if they ostensibly do not (yet) benefit from them?\"\nThe prototype incorporated the approach of small and relatively autonomous systems where the supply and demand of communities for health and social themes can not only be met, but also that such knowledge can be bundled onsite and via the internet everyone has access to the spaces. Decisions about the design of health promoting coexistence are shaped by the particpating actors themselves. Finally, assumptions were formulated, which should be examined, scrutinized and discussed in the network in order to make this approach more effective and more efficient. Because even subtle or unconscious perceptions and attitudes can potentially be found in each concept, it needs to be balanced by many, diverse and also conflicting perspectives on the concept to make it more resistant. It was also reflected that a certain basic attitude is required of all potential participants to form these care and prevention networks. Another important point is posed by the question of: \"How can momentum be created for these spaces and networks?\"\nAnother group addressed the question of: \"How can we, based on commonalities, learn more from each other?\" In a idea development and brainstorming process on this issue, the importance of local and personal interaction was recognized. This includes the networking of stakeholders and users, potentially through an interactive map on the Internet such as used by www.berlinimwandel.de. It also requires the organizing of engaging workshops where actors can share their enthusiasm for relevant topics with others by presenting them as relevant themes, and optionally also to demonstrate activities to make them tangible. In addition, activities such as role reversals to expand the individuals' horizons of experience are possible, as is done, for example, in working with \"age suits\" \u2013 young people slip into full-body suits equipped with weights to enable the experience of having an aged body.\nIn a first prototype lifting the existing resources were, theoretically and practically, visualized through a mapping of individual and collaborative networking, both online and offline and person. This process led to the realization that everything is actually there to the realization of this idea already what is needed, when the dedicated actors gathered as OPENandChange workshop, work together and share their resources and combine theory with practice. These assumptions to check it seems important in the first step to begin with themselves, so to make the possibility of designing a different world tangible. This iterative process leads to fresh insights. But the community-based approach not only leads to new insights, but can lead to a higher incidence of fun and joy, and ultimately health and well-being by strengthening group working experiences.\nThe third working group focused on the question: \"How can we increase the societal appreciation for a public welfare oriented social system?\" Also during this idea development and brainstorming process, the need for people to meet in person in \"their\" area, city, country was emphasized. For example, working in interactive groups can lead to an intensification of togetherness and can make prevention and care topic. The supposedly negative connotations otherwise associated with these concepts such as disease, death and a feeling of helplessness are thus transformed. A positive attitude towards the subject is promoted, fears can be reduced, and at the same time the respect and appreciation for the work of nurses and caregivers is increased. In particular, a playful approach to the subject can support this project and convey the idea that all can benefit. Another important aspect for answering the initial question is to explore the current actual situation in care. The question as to why the appreciation in prevention and care sector is so low can lead to valuable information to help find solutions. In prototyping, the motto of \"living appreciation\" was made tangible and concrete: Care and prevention spaces would be established in the middle of society, fulfilling the basic needs of all, which ensures the participation of all so that this approach corresponds to the wishes of all and fulfills their needs. To test this assumption requires a thorough basic research of existing resources, as well as bureaucratic hurdles, and to examine stakeholders, especially those who are not participating.\nBased on the work of the three groups, the following definition of the problems was generated:\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Dehumanization of health and social systems \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0The focus on treating symptoms rather than promoting healthy lifestyles \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Privatization and capitalization of public goods, which should be accessible to all \nThe concrete solution that the participants collectively devised, states that:\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0All we need is there if we work together and share our resources\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0A paradigm shift is needed: \"From Pathogenesis to Salutogenesis\" \u2013 Solidary Health Promotion System with Global Knowledge Network and Local Action Spaces \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Working \"with people for people\" and connect visionaries, experts, institutions and places through concrete actions \nThis solution leads to the following intended:\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Employing existing treasures: Mapping for individual and community networking, online and in person, in theory and practice \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Practising appreciation: Create care and prevention spaces in the middle of society to fulfill the basic needs of all and create new incentive\/recognition structures in the long term \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Local systemic change: Developing new skills, resources and infrastructure that can be used by all of us: children, young people, adults, seniors (people in all phases of life). \nStrong arguments for the proposal are:\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Bottom-up structure with small relatively autonomous systems, who self-regulate the supply and demand of health and social services for individuals and communities \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Only through shared ownership effectiveness and sustainability can this be secured \nOur approaches, technologies and tactics are:\n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Active participation of ALL leads to a prototype that works for the majority and meets their needs (human-centered development of global platform and local spaces) \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Collective, iterative structure combining theory and practice \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Global Knowledge Network \u2013 CAREPEDIA: bundled knowledge (Internet \/ platform) all have access to the \"central office\" \n\u2022\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Local Action Spaces: Locally designed and managed spaces for health-promoting coexistence \"From Pathogenesis to Salutogenesis\"\nWe believe our solution will work because: We have existing needs (more than 80% of people want a functional and appreciative system for care and prevention ) and real effects from a dehumanized health and care system. We know many people and institutions that are interested in cooperating and who would gladly contribute their respective expertise. Another world is within reach. There are many projects and movements to prove it. We shall make this even more visible. Everything we need is already there. We need the courage to try it, to experience and live it. We can make an active contribution to this. Financial resources are not a challenge or necessity to achieve this.\nAs expected results \u2013 in the context of existing cases \u2013 we use the following examples: Successful EcoVillages such as Mondragon (a community in the Basque Country without police). Giving spaces, exchange meets and free shops. Micro-agriculture in the city. Urban gardening. Community-supported agriculture creates new relationships between city and land. There are urban farming initiatives in Detroit, critical consumption movements in Italy (GAS), alternative currency systems such as WIR in Switzerland, and solidarity networks for food supply and health clinics in Greece, as well as Networks such as SOLIDAGO and Artabana in Germany. And many more.\nFurthermore, our proposal is confirmed by literature and scientific consensus such as in the field of neuronal research: Fear paralyzes reason and creativity and leads to depression due to stress and alienation . Yet willingness for lifelong learning, creates new neural connections. Further scientific findings such as the Hierarchy of Needs Maslow, the concept of The Ever-Present Origin (Stuttgart 1949-1953) by Jean Gebser, the classic theories of J.M. Baldwin, G.H. Mead, J. Piaget (The Psychology of the Child) and L. Kohlberg as well as related work by C. Gilligan, F. Oser and M. Parsons. Also the literature and research by Ken Wilber, Aurobindo Ghose, Ervin L\u00e1szl\u00f3, Don Beck, and Michael Murphy; \u00a0work on Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman, und the research by Kropotkin, who proved that cooperation is more important than competition in the animal kingdom and is effective for the survival of the group. Also the ample literature on the topics of sustainable lifestyles, Solidarity economy, Holacracy and Sociocracy support our suggested solution.\nHowever, it is necessary to keep sight of the risks. Here there are also a number of examples that could occur either externally or internally: The risk that corporations hijack the ideas and commercialize them, such as happened with Carsharing and CoLiving. External factors such as war, social conflicts, the collapse of the financial system, climate change and its consequences, privatization of public goods such as drinking water, and environmental disasters could endanger our plans.\nBut also our inner monsters, such as greed and the hunger for power \u00a0could torpedo the project. There is always a danger that the idea is not accepted, that the needs of the stakeholders are not met or met only partially; that there are \"too many cooks\" or that the concept can not be implemented due to conflicting priorities, or dependencies between partners and networks arise.\nYet we see possibilities to work against these risks. Reality has proven that it already works, and many people are working toward this aim worldwide:\nWe are many! We cooperate and we are a network. We have sufficient human capacity. Our approach is flexible and can be used in existing structures and institutions. Dependence on existing systems and infrastructures can be solved via an \"open-source\" approach that leads to a multiplying effect, where copying is allowed and actively encouraged.\nThis leads to the reduction of fears, relaxation, deceleration, satisfaction and happiness. There will be systemic relief or elimination of the superfluous, as well as personal and societal development potential through inclusion and the integration of \"fringe groups\" such as unemployed, refugees or marginalized citizens.\nFor evaluation it is intended to study these criteria and assumptions in order to confirm them: Self-organization in groups works. Positions, attitudes and values are part of a common vision. Skills are included and allocated according to an open source principle. The new system or the new platform reaches more people and connects more participants than previous systems or platforms. There are spaces where encounters already take place. Spaces can be created where encounters are possible. Spaces that meet various needs lead to added value for all.\nInterestingly, it can be stated that all three working groups arrived at very similar approaches and ideas, problems and solutions during this intense, exciting and inspiring eight hour workshop: A change of perspective and a paradigm shift is required - instead of focusing on fighting disease, working towards the promotion of health!\nCaroline Paulick-Thiel & Jahn Harrison, nextlearning e.V.\nTranslation: Alexander Paulick-Thiel\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-28 18:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8925"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6827","title":"Street Nurses: get off the street, it's possible!","content":"\nStreet Nurses (Infirmiers de Rue): How do we help people living in the street for more than 10years?\nThe non-profit organization Street Nurses was formed in April 2005, following a year and a half of field studies. Two Nurses realized that, despite there being many medical and social organizations in Brussels (Belgium), there were still a great number of homeless people in the Belgian capital. They noticed that personal care and health were major issues for homeless people and were convinced that they could solve these problems.\nThe organization has three primary goals: field work, trainings and tools.\nField work: Street Nurses takes to the streets to meet patients directly in their environment, without asking for payment. We take care of them, earning their trust, and we motivate them to take charge of their personal care and health by accompanying them to specific care facilities, by actively listening to their needs and giving them advice.\nOur work is also based on prevention and the dissemination of health information. We are medical and social intermediaries between, on the one hand, persons who live in an extremely precarious situation and on the other, healthcare professionals and social workers.\nThe follow-up of patients ends with the integration of the patient in accommodation where he or she is regularly supported by professionals and volunteers of Street Nurses, and a network of social associations.\nWe aim to assist persons who live in extremely precarious situations by offering them a home and by permanently reintegrating them into society. This medium- to long-term goal is achieved by improving the living conditions and the hygiene of these individuals, as well as their self-esteem.\nTrainings: Street Nurses organizes different types of awareness-raising sessions and training courses in French or Dutch on \u2018hygiene and precariousness\u2019 and \u2018basic first aid\u2019.\u00a0 These trainings are address to any target group that is likely to come into direct contact with homeless people or that works with people who live at home and have major hygiene issues. Our nurses organize sessions on site \u2013 in schools, in the offices of security guards and social workers, clinics etc.\nTools: Street Nurses develops prevention tools and information packages to raise awareness among homeless persons about the importance of personal care and health, to give them better access to care and to facilitate their medium - to long-term rehabilitation. Certain tools, however, are aimed at raising awareness among the general public about the situation of homeless people. Examples: list of showers in Brussels, map of fountains and free public conveniences, symptoms and interventions in case of hypothermia, Frostbite prevention poster, Heat stroke prevention poster\nSince 2005 the non-profit organization Street nurses has grown and its projects are continuously developed. Today, Street Nurses has the equivalent of 13,84 full-time staff members and approximately 60 volunteers.\nWe saw the call by the Mac Arthur Foundation too, but we tough we were way to small to try and get it so we were very happy to receive the information trough DoucheFLux that this kind of initiative exists. We are mostly organized to search every year for new funds. We try to find the good balance between private, public and foundation funds but because of our high costs of wages it is difficult to fund foundations that are willing to support us. Most of them give only money for material or structural projects, not for day to day tasks, and that is what Street Nurses is all about.\nSince a couple of years we opened our work to an even more inclusive service. We have a collaboration going on with Social housing agencies in Brussels to try to give homeless people a decent home at the end. We participate to the program Housing First Brussels.\nWe have a good network within the association field in Brussels, but when we go to specific funds we are not transcribed in their goals. For example, they help by giving furniture for kids, or funds for kid projects. But our main audience, people living on the street between 8 and 20 years is often forgotten.\nSomething rather unique in the social field is that we have one of our colleagues that is paid by two different organizations, ours and another non-profit organization. This makes it possible to create a solid bridge between both organizations and have a great information flow. We think there is bright future is this way of work.\nFinally we organize a colloquium the 20th of October in Brussels that has as goal to eradicate homelessness in Brussels for ever. With the mindset: if even we can find homes for the most difficult audience, you can too! We want to share our experience in the field. It takes time and dedication for each of our people to do the whole process, from getting the confidence, to willing to have a stable home. But we want to show that the hard work also has direct results, and if we rally our forces we can go for a total abolishment of homelessness in Brussels!\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-28 13:07 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9013"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6825","title":"Surviving as a community among the tourist flood in Florence","content":"\nWe are the families of the \"Oltrarno\", the other or wrong side of the Arno river in Florence, Italy.\nFacing a tough challenge - surviving in the Disneyland of the Renaissance, as a community.\nRight behind the Carmine church, where the Renaissance was born,\u00a0families of the most varied background - both traditional and immigrant - run a garden which was donated to the population of the district by the American Red Cross in 1920 and has since been largely seized by a real estate speculator.\nA cross-section of ordinary people of every kind, who are beginning to work together to develop new ways of survival, friendship and beauty\u00a0in an era where the \"state\" is no longer the key actor.\nAs we discover our own needs, our strength, the power of working together, we find that we have a whole world of prospects before us, something much larger than the garden we started out with.\nWe are here to listen and to learn, and of course we would be glad to show you around our side of Florence, should you ever drop by!\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-28 13:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9012"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6821","title":"Open&Change: Workshop Brussels \u2013 A symposium ","content":"\n-----------------------\nSummary ENG + FR\nL'atelier a g\u00e9n\u00e9r\u00e9 beaucoup de contenu que vous pouvez retrouver ici-bas. Mais pour ceux qui se focalisent avant tout sur les r\u00e9sultats, nous avons regroup\u00e9 les points les plus importants ici :\n1. Tout le monde souhaite plus de collaboration, mais a des difficult\u00e9s \u00e0 rendre cela concret.\nApr\u00e8s la premi\u00e8re s\u00e9rie de discussions, nous avons not\u00e9 que les organisations de toute sorte sont pr\u00eates \u00e0 devenir plus collaboratives, mais qu'elles manquent d'outils pour y arriver \u00e9tape par \u00e9tape. Elles sont toutes conscientes de la force du travail collectif, mais n'ont jamais eu de succ\u00e8s sur le long terme. Dans cet atelier, nous avons essay\u00e9 de trouver ce qui \u00e9tait important \u00e0 r\u00e9ussir pour les collaborations, et ainsi nous en venons au deuxi\u00e8me point :\n2. Comment cr\u00e9ons-nous de la Confiance entre organisations inconnues, mais avec le m\u00eame genre de pens\u00e9e ?\nNous avons eu un test grandeur nature : une quinzaine d'organisations, partageant des valeurs communes et dispos\u00e9es \u00e0 collaborer et apprendre les unes des autres, mais qui venaient \u00e0 peine de se rencontrer. Apr\u00e8s d'autres d\u00e9bats, nous avons r\u00e9alis\u00e9 que la confiance \u00e9tait le principal probl\u00e8me.\u00a0Nous avons donc essay\u00e9 d\u2019encadrer la cr\u00e9ation de confiance en nous avons constat\u00e9 que c\u2019\u00e9tait mieux d\u2019avoir des petits projets entre les diff\u00e9rents groupes\u00a0 \u00a0afin de cr\u00e9er des liens entre les personnes. Ces projets peuvent \u00eatre \u00a0des petits projets r\u00e9alisables en quelques minutes ou une heure. A\u00a0partir de l\u00e0 chaque pas suivant deviens une tache\u00a0 plus complexe que la pr\u00e9c\u00e9dente pour cr\u00e9er ainsi un lien plus fort.\n\n3.\u00a0 \u00a0Donner de perspectives alternatives\u00a0 aux soins nous fait r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir sur notre propre structure de soins.\n\n Finalement nous avions un de participants \u00a0qui nous a aid\u00e9s \u00e0 penser out of the box d\u2019une mani\u00e8re perturbatrice. C\u2019\u00e9tait un refugi\u00e9e Syrien \u00a0qui a d\u00fb\u00a0 reporter ses \u00e9tudes de m\u00e9dicine pour fuir du pays et qui nous a donner\u00a0 beaucoup des choses \u00e0 r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir. Il nous voyait comme\u00a0 des \u00ab\u00a0boxpeople\u00a0\u00bb , vivant dans une bulle et pla\u00e7ant \u00a0des autres gens dans des bulles. Les personnes \u00e2g\u00e9es, les sans-abri, les personnes avec des maladies psychologiques, etc.\u00a0; ils sont tous plac\u00e9s en dehors de la soci\u00e9t\u00e9.\n Il explique qu\u2019en Syrie ils n\u2019avaient peut-\u00eatre pas un syst\u00e8me de soins de sant\u00e9 efficace, mais\u00a0 il est beaucoup plus humain. Ceci nous a fait penser\u00a0 sur la fa\u00e7on comment nous voyons les soins en Europe. C\u2019est aussi lui qui nous a signal\u00e9 sur le probl\u00e8me de confiance qui est cr\u00e9\u00e9 ici dans l\u2019ouest.\n\n-------\n\nThe Workshop gave us a lot of content that you can find here. But for those who are result oriented we compiled the most important knowledge bubbels here.\u00a0\n1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Everybody is in search of collaboration solutions, but have difficulties realizing them.\n\nAfter the first round of discussions we noticed that all kind of organizations are ready to become more collaborative, but they are missing the step-by-step tools to achieve this.\u00a0They all are conscious about the power of collaboration, but have never had successful long lasting experiences. The goal of this workshop was to find the key elements to make a collaborative initiative succeed, this leads us to the second point.\n2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0How do we create trust between unbeknown organizations that share the same way of thinking?\n\nWe had a great test case: around 15 organizations that came together for the first time, all sharing the same ideas and willing to collaborate to learn from each other. After a lot of discussions we discovered trust was the main issue.\u00a0 So we tried to frame how trust is built and concluded that we needed to start with small projects with each other, these projects don\u2019t need to be longer\u00a0 than a couple of minutes\/hours, this way people start to bond. After that each following project can become more complex to create a stronger bodn between the participants. \u00a0We listed a couple of thing each would do, to immidiate have a Proof Of Concept.\n3. Giving other perspectives of care makes us think about our own caretaking\u00a0structure\nFinally we had one person that helped think out of the box in a really disruptive way. He was a Syrian refugee that had to postpone his medical studies\/Ph.D.\u00a0 To flee the country and gave us a lot of material to think about. He saw us as 'boxpeople', living in a bubble and putting others in bubbles. Elderly, homeless people, psychological ill are all given a space outside society. They maybe didn't have the most efficient healthcare system, but he explained it was much more humane. It made us think a lot about how we see care in the west. He was also the person that pointed out the problem of trust we create in the west.\n-----------------------\n\u00a0\nLast Saturday we hosted a quit successful workshop in Brussels around the Open & Care thematic with local participants and workers of the designated field. We had a set up loosely based on the Berlin workshop and will go deeper into the methodology, the preparation, the participants and outcome in the following text. This article is a more organized version of the thinkpad we put online at the workshop and where people could transcribe what was being said.\nPreparation\n\nReaching out\n\n Dutch, French & English invitations\n\n\n\nIn the beginning of the preparation of the workshop I reached out to my network of socially involved people who could have interesting stories to add to the platform. It was sometime difficult to explain them the whole concept through mail, so I decided to meet the people who wanted more information. This gave me the following graphical content. Without surprise the most active and responsive people came from the makers and changemakers scene. They immediately connected to the higher goal and activated their network. The least responsive network where the politicians, coming back from their annual non-active period it was difficult to activate them. Every attempt ended up in a dead end.\n\nHow to create the community\n\nBut after a couple of weeks building up a community, a moment of panic occurred. The people where reacting positively towards the workshop, but hesitated to get more involved. The confirmed list of people was stagnating, so I opened a debate on the Edgeryders platform to see how we can resolve that issue. After getting some clarifications from the team that organized the Greek workshop and some tips from people that organized a lot of workshops i changed my method and opened up with a more general approach through mailing lists and facebook groups. The combination of both locally anchored contacts and general presentations of the workshop filled the last gaps. We had 28 confirmed people and around 40 interested contacts in a mailing list.\n\nOne on One discussions \/ Text submissions\n\nBefore the workshop occurred this where the people wanting to start already a conversation on their work around social and medical care. Some articles will be added in the future because they are still under construction.\n\nXavier \u2013 Makestorming (French version, English version)\nYannick \u2013 Huis VDH (Text 1, Text 2)\nSigried \u2013 Repurposing space\nGinette \u2013 Sidenote on the role of the gouvernement\nLaurent \u2013 DoucheFlux\nMaite \u2013 Infirmi\u00e8re de Rue\nWinnie \u2013 ReaGent (Text 1, Text 2)\nIntergenerational Care: A Game that never was\nYbe \u2013 Traumatour\nRozina \u2013 Belgium Design Council\n\n\u00a0\n\nPreparing the space\n\nFor the people at Huis VDH it was also a big challenge to prepare the space that was under construction for already two months. The house is being renovated and invented by a team of volunteers to become a hub for social, cultural and technological innovators.\u00a0 Each of the core members took a task to facilitate the workshop. Maria found a socially involved catering service, Sigried arranged the space to be workshop ready, Toha was responsible for the photographical documentation and Cecile prepared everything so the outcome would be documented in a nice visual style by using Toha\u2019s skills and the templates. Yannick participated and worked as a transcriber at the workshop\n\nMethodology\n\nBerlin Workshop\n\nWe based ourselves on the Berlin workshop that was filled with interesting methods to actively think about care issues in Belgium. We made our workshop a little less dense because we didn\u2019t think we could go through all the materials they prepared.\n\nBrussels Version\n\nIn the link above you can find our preparation of the Brussels version, like said before it is a watered down version of the Berlin workshop while also using some methods Stefanos and Nadia came with. Both are experienced facilitators.\n\nRoles\n\n Workshop leader\n\n\n\nWe decided that Nadia will take the lead on this workshop cause she is the most in touch with the OpenAndChange material and has a lot of experience doing so. She also presented the whole OpenAndChange project in the beginning of the day. Her firm method helped to not defer to long to side discussions and held us on the right pad.\n\nFacilitators\n\nStefanos proposed himself as a facilitator and helped us streamline our toughs throughout the day trying to condense all the ideas that where emerging in little post its on a white board. I helped out by translating the most difficult parts in French or English so anybody could speak there native language if needed. This facilitated the conversation.\n\nDocumentation\n\nCecile, Noemi and Toha played all an important role in the documentation. Noemi setting up the Thinkpad so we could transcribe live as a team what was being said the whole day. Cecile making a visual representation of the most interesting quotes combined with a picture of each made by Toha.\nParticipants\nFrom the 28 confirmed, 17 people came by that day to discuss care related topics. Here is a short introduction of each of the participants. You can find some of their quotes, issues and solutions on this document made by Cecile and Toha. Contact info can be found here.\n\nXander: Child Psychologist: Works with young children, works with behavioral problems and autism.\nBenoit: Is an all around inventor and changemakers, first member of the Huis VDH family and makes \u2018finding solutions to complex problems\u2019 his general duty.\nSelvi & Lotfi are a couple of active Belgian that had an home for the elderly for more than 20 years. Now they are dreaming of building a micro-city where all generations could interact with each other and where care would be more then only what the government gives.\nAlkasem is a Syrian refugee; he was 4 years in the doctor studies but couldn\u2019t continue there. When arriving in Brussels he couldn\u2019t start over here neither.\nClaire is also part of the R\u00e9seau Solidaire and wants to build a platform for people who give and receive informal care. Her goal is to make it a place where people can feel save and where receivers of care can themselves give care to others.\nLoic: Concerned Architect that worked on a paper about alternative housing that can be found here\nNoemi: Co-Initiator of Edgeryders.\nWinnie: Coming from Ghent, involved in DIY Biology (hacking and thinking outside of institutions and companies to make biology more accessible). At ReaGent people will get biological tools to build their solutions. We have equipment and a physical space and make sure that science is communicated in an accessible way. We put an emphasis on children and privileged groups, otherwise they don\u2019t get access at all.\nAdeline: She is a newcomer in Huis VDH and in general interested in new solutions around society. She came by to be an observer but stayed to participated to the discussion.\nJean: Is a member of the association \u2018r\u00e9seaux solidaires\u2019: a group to help people with mental health issues and who are isolated from society. There is no website, everything is person related. He is a member because he is sick himself.\nRozina: co-founder of Belgium Design Council and has a talent to bring people together. Was involved in the successfully funding of bar Eliza, a community project in Koekelberg and is now helping to structurize a youth football club Rittersclub.\nGilles:\u00a0 Former medical representative, meeting with doctors made him realize that he was more interested in preventing health. Passionate about healthy food, he want to inspire people to cook more and created a platform called Zingmenu therefor.\nSophie works for the non-profit organization En Route ASBL that help people rehabilitate after difficult psychological periods in their life.\nMarie-Ange works already 25 years in the field of ecology transition and moved now towards housing and mental care.\nLaurent founded DoucheFlux 4 years ago and is now preparing to move his project towards a 1600 m2 space. He wants to empower poor people through giving them access to basic needs like showers and involving them in organizing events.\nYannick: Co-founder of Huis Vdh and worked some years ago on a video game around intergenerational care.\n\nOutcome\n\nIntroduction to OpenAndChange by Nadia (Link to presentation)\n\nEdgeryders is an open source platform that combines online and offline moments to find through other ways than the mainstream solutions for sociatal problems. Mission is to support members to create self-sustaining projects.\nEdgeryders creates tools to manage all the content created by the 3500 members. Open ethnographic tools for example uses the data to see what discussions are well connected.\u00a0\nThe big question that is asked as a red line throughout the day: Can healthcare systems work like Wikipedia, StackOverflow or other massively coordinated systems with very limited control and overhead?\nTwo mechanisms at stake:\n\u00a01) self selection: individuals get involved in something because they want to, and contribute because they want to\n\u00a02) social networks: people and groups which move fluidly across organisations and shaping the norms as they wish\u00a0\nCase studies of how people access community care:\n- Clinics in Greece\u00a0\n- Alternative to 911 in the US\nWhat is op3ncare in short:\n- A place where we can share stories about care\n- Where you can find people to support projects\n- Where you can create solutions without being in the same place\n\nLearning From Experience\n\nAfter the general introduction, the participants are asked to be devided into groups of maximum four people where they will discuss using a template about their projects. Each of them gets 10 minutes to introduce him or herself while somebody else takes notes and a third person ask questions and listens carefully.\n\nYou can find the note of each of those roundtables here, some of them are in French and other in English. It is written by the participants and wasn\u2019t cleaned up.\nDiscussions\n\nPlenary\n\nBefore the lunch we came together for an hour and shared what was remarkable about each other stories. Here you can find some of the insights\nWinnie: he noticed that every project has some community in it, but communities experience different ways of being in the world, different incentives for being in a community.\nLaurent: 3 different projects, which have something in common, with people being excluded by the system because they are poor or sick. Empowerment for these populations is at the core of each project. Behind each there is a diagnosis of how the excluded population can have lost access to institutional support.\u00a0If something is possible, it is on the edge, where people can regain access to their lives.\u00a0\nLotfi: Nous \u00e9tions trois entit\u00e9s, je suis avec Selvi, nous avons eu une maison de repos, Xander travaille avec des enfants autiste, Alkasem, il esp\u00e8re qu'il pourrait faire son m\u00e9tier de m\u00e9decin. On a parl\u00e9 d'interg\u00e9n\u00e9rationnel, comment cr\u00e9er des mini soci\u00e9t\u00e9 ou il y a des \u00e9change. Au del\u00e0 d'un certain \u00e2ge: il y a pas de support. Alkasem a fait la parall\u00e8le de comment le syst\u00e8me de soin ce passe en moyen orient, une culture musulman de l'entraide. On impose de donner de l'argent au pauvre. Tout le monde vie ici dans sa bulle, il n\u2019y a pas de transversalit\u00e9.\u00a0\nXander:\u00a0 the community aspect is really important, the human is seen as a kind of predator, humans are also caring beings.\u00a0\nAlkasem: i have question to all of you: where are the families of the homeless people? I never saw anyone homeless in Syria, or living on a mattress. How did it happen? Some of the participants responded later on:\u00a0\n\nthe core family concept has been broken down - after uni and growing up you have to carry yourself; so there is no glue which keeps family together\n\n\nin North Africa systems are weak -so there has always been a cultural support; whereas in the West the system is supposed to take care of everything\n\n\nHere (in the West) you are free, but alone!\n\n\n\"Free, but alone.\" vs. \"Belonging,\u00a0but coerced\" Comparing systems-based\u00a0 vs. family-based cultures of care (twitter link)\n\n\n\nJean: There is a desire of using new ways of technology to organize his place within the society je cherche a me socialiser, trouver une occupation profitable, mais je voudrais rester dans la marginalit\u00e9. Find a meaning in his life, but stay at the edge of society.\u00a0\nClaire: I want to create something can provide something that can give help to each other. It is very complicated to arrive there. With Laurent, Sophie, we have a point of connection, but we need to know each other better. I worked for several years around the project of self-care. I want to do something very new. We are creating to work on a project on different levels in December with Laurent, but it is really difficult to find what is most needed: partnership and collaboration.\u00a0\nAdeline: Everybody here came with a need, to find ways to come up with a solution, tous le monde est venue avec un besoin, elle esp\u00e8re aider \u00e0 trouver une solution.\u00a0\nGilles: Strongly believes in open source and data sharing solutions - everyone is looking for someone who can help them with a solution eg. to develop a website to help the project moving.\u00a0\nLoic: The core needs he noticed in others is to learn information about what others are doing, get information about collaborations; and second, the need for visibility. Personally he has come here for housing project, but Winnie's story is useful to hear also professionally.\n\nYannick: was in conversation with Kacim,Lotfi - the intergenerational interactions need to be looked into, because it is in only specific circumstances that we spend time together eg living in a house with my grandmother and the positive outcomes which came from that.\u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 SIDENOTE: Multiple times in the discussion a same metaphor that was introduced by Alkasem was used by the participants. He noted that our western society made us all \u2018boxpeople\u2019. He finds it so strange that we are all living next to each other, but that we aren\u2019t interacting better. We put old people in a home and (mentally) sick people in a closed environment. I found that metaphor really strong and something to use when we are trying to connect multiple organizations. \nQuestion time\nAfter giving everybody the chance to share their view on the received input we gave everybody 5 minutes the time transcribe it in a question they wanted to solve in the second part of the day. These are the questions that came up:\n\n- How can communities become more visible and members interact more easily?\n- How do you make the actions of the community visible to the individuals?\n- How do you make individuals' actions more visible to the community?\n- How can we help individuals be independent from official caring services?\n- How do we invite more people to be part of the process and disseminate the documentation?\n- How can we find the right balance between keeping the effectiveness of the box with still being able to go out of the box\/\n- What is the metaphor of what we are trying to do? (Stefanos) helps understand complicated things without\u00a0\n- How do you build connectivity into each initiative or do you want connectivity only between initiative? If we all want to coordinate, what amount of time\/ effort\/ resources can we each put into learning to coordinate?\n- How could we open the debate about the strength of intergenerational care.\u00a0\n\n\nPresentation Projects\n\nSome of the participants prepared a presentation of their projects. Three of them where DoucheFlux, Belgium Designers Council and Habitats 123: A testcase of alternative housing. A summary can be found here:\nLaurent d'Ursel \/ DoucheFLUX:\n4 years old project, we are opening a huge house to help people out of the marge, we will have 20 showers, 150 lockers, medical service, laundries, a pharmecy, and other needed services for this part of people, which is missing\u00a0\nSecond pillar is activities: DoucheFlux is 50m2 at the moment, so we work at other spaces, we make activities that promote self esteem for these people, they are totally embedded in the system, they can't escape what is happening about them, they find it difficult to get further, so their mechanism is that they just stop trying, because they don't feel empowered anymore\nDoucheflux helps them to get more self-esteem, but it is difficult because sometimes it feel that we are infantilizing them, and if you do that mistake they don't come anymore\nThe challenge: another way to make social work, so not only people that studied for the social sector. To take the social dream out of the social field and bring it to other fields. Because they are fed up of all the social help, they just want a happy life: it is not only important to have an home, but also to create great moments. To create equal relationships. break racism against the poor.\u00a0\nRozina \/ Business Imporvements Design Belgium\nLiving in Bxl for 15 years, an interior designer coming from a corporate background working in the hospitality business. She started her own design company and got more involved in strategic design thinking - now involved with the Belgium Design Thinking. Projects to make the sports clubs more inclusive because they were closed for refugees; also hardly accessible by children with special needs. So with other people they pushed for inclusivity and speaking to the Belgium Football Union, but also preparing a strategy for the next few years.\nBusiness Improvements Design Belgium (BIDs): they are about creating a new geographical zone and linking community businesses to it, ideal for private - public partnerships.\nShe is lobbying for BIDs and wants to see where stakeholders can meet in the middle; seems idealistic especially since she's not from here.\nHas seen encouraging results after talking to her mayor, and right now she's trying to create a youth platform for citizenship and sports - an IDEO design type of commune.\u00a0\nWhat changed after the football? People understood there is a strategy and structure, so they get a sense of belonging. If everybody contributes something, we become as a community.We educate the value of communication, transparency...\nRozina would need help to connect with people working hands on with special needs populations.\u00a0\n\nLoic \/ Right to Housing in Brussels\nPreviously office building occupied by the French community which had been vacant for 15 years. Groups of squatters moved in and made a deal with the owner to run different workshops - bike fixing, woodwork, IT etc.\nSome interesting facts from his paper:\n-social housing in Bxl is much lower, 7 % compared to the 27% in the Netherlands\n-7 % of houses totally empty\n-1 000 000 sq metres of unused office space: 40% of empty offices have been empty for 7 years\nFrom squatting to a participatory process -\u00a0 a public owned space (Community Francais) but community managed: from refugees to Irish artists to Flemish doctor students. Half the people (of 60) don't have any revenues, and everyone contributes a little - from 60 eur a month to approx. 150.\u00a0\u00a0In Belgium it is possible to have a temporary legal occupation for an office, so you can live in an office space!\nIt's an office building, which means people can change the layout easily.\nDifference between buildings for profit and the testcase of 123:\nProfit building is praised for being open while just having 7% of their space being used for community. 123 has almost 50% of community used space, but because of their 'illegal' status it isn't praised.\nLoic showed a detailed distribution of the types of spaces - at each floor you'd have facilities, workshops, library + distribution of private and communal space.\u00a0\nImportant detail: Stairs instead of working elevators as a social control mechanism.\nLoic is trying to give more visibility to housing solutions - it's not easy, take good contact with the owner! First you squad, then you talk.\n\nCollaboration Mosaic\n\nNow it is time to get into the concrete part of the workshop. Therefor everybody is put again into groups of maximum four people and asked to choose one of the skill cards on the table. From there they will explain why they chose that card and what skills they want to bring. Here are the skills we find in our most helpful people\nWinnie:\n- DIY and generally fixing things yourself\n- Mental support\n- Getting weird things you wouldn't normally find yourself\n- A delivery van\n- Someone to do a project with\nJean:\n- Can discuss Existential problem\n- Commercial things and buying decisions\nClaire:\n- Making a conference atelier du capitalisme\n- Support people who are more fragile\n- Set up an association\nMarie Ange:\n- Linking Activities\n- Mental\/ moral support\n- Social contacts\nRozina:\n- Business\n- Experience and wisdom\n- Out-of-the-box thinking\n- Empathy\n- Government administration\n- Cultural awareness\nAdeline\n- Active listening and sensibility\n- Wisdom and pragmatism\n- Do it yourself, engineering as a way of seeing the world\n- Cars\u00a0\nLotfi\n- Fundraising and financial subsidies\u00a0\n- Medical technical knowledge\n- Business modeling\n- Administration\nGilles\n- Administration\n- Legal advice\n- Social business modeling\n- The WHY\n- Sharing economy\n- Scientific dieticians\nXander\n- Friendship\n- Philosophy\n- Playing music\n- Word stuff\nStefanos\n- Order\/ being orderly\u00a0\n- Moral support and push to go forward and not backwards\n- Fun\n- The occasional hug\nSIDENOTE 2: Alkasem was again the most disruptive thinker in the group and gave us a lot to think. For him, everything moves around friendship. He has the feeling that a lot of people in western society start of with mistrust. If you start with mistrust it is difficult to create trust.\u00a0And without trust no skill can be shared. This intervention of him started a discussion about the meaning of trust and how we can build that.\n\u2018Trust is an enabler to use the resources.\u00a0How can that be created inside an eclectic group like this?\u2019,asked Yannick.\u00a0 For Claire it is a text and rules of engagement and a clear path of conflict resolution, and a way to learn to treat each other better.\u00a0\nWinnie reacted that your own people's trust is a constant, but gaining the network's trust is more difficult.\n\nNadia tried to made a synthesis of the discussion\n1) Working trust is very different from social trust; and there needs to be a boundary.\u00a0\n2) What also worked for her is deciding to work on even a small project.\n3) A story that binds us together - understanding how our different activities are\u00a0\n4) Documentation: what does it mean? for us it has been in writing.\nFinding each other strengths and weaknesses by organizing small events with each other, and beginning with things that don't have something big at stake. Because then we can learn about each other. The importance of documentation in building trust: Leaving a story behind that people can follow.\n\nTrust Exercise\n\nWhen the discussion was coming to an end we all felt we had got a lot of information and the workshop was going to close. So Nadia came up with a good idea to end the workshop with something concrete. We all felt that one of the biggest issues in care is that we live to much on our own island and that if we want to make care better we need to share and collaborate. But to collaborate we need to create trust. So this exercise was given to every participant and will hopefully end up in solidifying the care network in Belgium. The following question was asked:\nWhat can i bring to another organization, that also better myself as a person and is easily realizable?\n- Loic wanting to work with the firm of Winnie\n- Yannick giving his game about intergeneralisation idea to Lotfi and Selvi\n- Marie-Ange wants to give information to Lotfi and Selvi also\n\u2026\nNadia Suggestion: meet in one month: Back in Huis VDH. We will invite new people to continue the conversation and structure the informal and formal networks of care. \n\nI would like to thank all the participants for this awesome day we spend reshaping care on a local level. I hope this is the start of something lasting. We invite all interested people and participants to fill this FrameADate link so we can organize the next gathering. At that event you will all be given a reworked paper version of the outcome of the workshop. If you have any propositions or ideas you can contact Edgeryders or myself: yannick.schandene@gmail.com\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-28 8:30 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6820","title":" A holistic, integral, evolutionary, self-directed and self-integrated community","content":"\nVision\n\u00a0A holistic, integral, evolutionary, self-directed and self-integrated community (civilization).\nPurpose\nTo continuously and consciously evolve toward our highest potential through resilient adaptation to experiential existence.\nTo collaboratively design, develop, and implement the blueprint for an intentional need-fulfillment community where purposefully driven individuals are fulfilled in their development toward their highest potential state of human experience for themselves and all others.\n\nThe CAPE Project has a low entrance barrier for collaborators, participators, and community builders. With that said, however, there can be a substantial learning curve when it comes to acquiring a comprehensive understanding of what is actually being proposed by the Project. It is important to remember that this community proposal represents an entirely different linguistic worldview than most (if not all) other worldviews present in modern society. Fundamentally, the Community\u2019s design describes an entirely divergent way of living and of understanding reality than the many worldviews expressed among the current population of the planet. This can present a significant motivating challenge for those interested in this direction. The design specifications are dense in content and many individuals who read them for the first time feel like they are learning a new language and integrating a new worldview, which takes time and requires internal processing.\n\nFirst Steps and Key Features\nAs a first step we are going to establish a \u201cTraining and Research Network\u201d - primarily for tertiary education | higher education - to enable educators to understand and facilitate the train of thought of an integral, holistic, evolutionary, self-directed, self-integrated and self-civilization and are looking for places to establish training and cultural exchange centers. With tis comes an network of self organizing solidly co-habitational care Nuklei.\nAs we have to exist within a framework of formal-operational rules (orange), at best early vision-logic (green), we have to establish a set of \u201corganizational-bodies\u201d to support the idea in the best way possible.\nThe key features have to be adapted as part of part of a living organisation! To date, our core themes are:\n\nNew Learning\n\n Creating Creative Learning (Spaces)\n\n\nCommunication\n\n Art\n integral News Communication\n\n\n\u00a0Socio-Economic Development\n\n New socio-economic systems that focus on resource availability;\n experience an reserch a new way of care for each other including health care and social security aspects;\n develoopment of strategies for mental health and healty living environments;\n\n\nIntegral Leadership, integral management systems\n\n living- and holonic organizations, Assessment, creating \u201cSelforganizing Open Hierarchical Order\u201d Systems, (olocracy)\n centre attention on the evolution of human values and consciousness as the crucial factors in changing course \u2014 from a race towards degradation, polarization and disaster to a rethinking of values and priorities so as to navigate today's transformation in the direction of humanism, ethics and global sustainability\" Ervin Laszlo\n\n\nSustainable Engineering and Application\n\n Application of sustainable energy production;\n High-Tech in ecological production processes.\n\n\n\nThe design for the community is not yet sufficiently complete to plan its implementation. However, we presently have a \u2018scope of work\u2019, and we are in the process of converting it into a comprehensive project plan.\n\nWe are initiateing multilingual communities and living space with people who focus primarily on inner development. Where we are working on our consciousness, because the crisis in our society is a crisis of consciousness. We shift our focus inwards, develop our relationship skills and transform our social programming. There should be as few fixed guidelines as possible concerning the personality and lifestyle of the members except the common to work toward a higher level of development. There are no ideologies, no dogmatic requirements and no fixed concepts.\u201c\n\n\n\n CAPE\u00a0 aims to build a social net for the members, enacts \"share & care\" principles and provides a framework (legal body) for cooperative economy as well as a space for inter-generational \"new\", action based, co-operative learning.\n\n\n\n\n CAPE should be a special place for members and learners to revive, a place to flourish, a place for young and old. Sustainable mental health is a result of continuous enthusiasm to our own development and a willingness reconstruct our beliefs.\n\n\n \n  We, the initiators of CAPE LearnLust & Living think that the acceleration of our lives and the deluge of controversy, often absurd and paranoid information from an ailing socio-economic structure leads to the desire of many people for contemplation, inversion and a return to ethical values that are inherent to all human beings, but in \"our experienced world\" increasingly seem to disappear. Sincere joy, love for everything around us, to nature, compassion for each other, time to talk, to feel and enjoy, no longer being so tense and stretched - internally driven, yet not knowing where to go.\n \n\n\n\u00a0\n\nAutonomous and healthy life for the young and the joyful old. To create the miracle called \"we\", which awakens us to renewed life! To unmask the process of maturing as ripening and getting wise. Therefore, we are now tackling this \u2026\n\n\n\n What do we perceive? Today our society offers almost unlimited possibilities. This diversity can lead us humans to exhaustion, confusion and disorientation, to sensory overload, burnout! Therefore, every human being is faced with the challenge of finding answers to the following questions:\n\n\n Who am I really?\n Why am I here?\n Who or what gives me meaning and footing?\n What is my inherent value?\n Where do I want to go?\n\n\n Our goal is to develop as a group to the extent that we understand each other at the height of the developmental stage now possible. These levels of human development are researched and described scientifically. It does not matter at what age we come together, it's fun and is exciting to get to know thyself and develop. As pioneers of a new action based, co-operative learning we share our special talents and skills with those interested. We are convinced that sustainable social change in the global community depends on the quality of personal development, training and the ability to effectively and constructively communicate with others. The focus is on interaction and cooperation, shared responsibility and authority, and the improvement of critical thinking. There is no 'teacher' in the traditional sense. Learning will be self-organizing, dynamically adjusted to needs and ideas of the \"learners\".\n\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-27 21:18 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8982"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6818","title":"discovering hands\u00ae trains and deploys blind women to detect the early signs of breast cancer by using their highly developed sense of touch","content":"\nBreast cancer \u2013 the burden and early diagnosis\n\u00a0\nBreast cancer is the most common cancer in women both in the developed and less developed world. It is estimated that worldwide over 508,000 women died in 2011 from breast cancer (Global Health Estimates, WHO 2013). This represents about 12% of all new cancer cases and 25% of all cancers in women.\n\u00a0\nIn all countries, early detection remains the cornerstone of breast cancer control in order to improve breast cancer outcome and survival. In health systems with developed infrastructure, physicians regularly examine the breast as part of a routine female check-up (usually once or twice a year) in addition to mammography. However, this routine procedure is \u00a0provided at varying levels of time investment and care.\n\u00a0\ndiscovering hands has a number of advantages:\n\u00a0\nBy using the extraordinary sensory capabilities of visually impaired women, a perceived \u201cdisability\u201d is transformed into a capability. A completely new field of meaningful employment is created.\n\u00a0\n\u201cMedical Tactile Examiners\u201d (MTEs) are trained to deliver physical breast examinations at doctors\u2019 practices. During a 9-month training period they learn how to use a standardized diagnostic method for examining the female breast. Additionally, all MTEs are trained in communication skills and breast-specific psychology, as well as administrative tasks typically carried out by a doctor\u2019s assistant. MTEs are either directly employed by resident doctors or hospitals, or they work for different practices and\/or hospitals on a freelance basis.\n\u00a0\nConventionally, a regular breast examination carried out by a gynecologist takes between 1 and 3 minutes. The discovering hands MTE invests at least 30 minutes for each session, not only examining the breast, but also educating patients on how to cope with the risk of breast cancer. Patients feel that they are well taken care of and receive the best possible preventive examination in a pleasant environment.\n\u00a0\nPreliminary qualitative results, conducted by the University of Essen, show that MTEs detect ~50% more and ~28% smaller tissue alterations in the breast than doctors (5-8mm vs. 10-15mm). A clinical, peer reviewed study is currently being conducted at the University of Erlangen.\n\u00a0\nOur vision\n\u00a0\nWe are operating as a social business because we believe in the our value proposition (to the healthcare sector, and institutions supporting people with disabilities).\n\u00a0\nWe are committed to the social \"win-win\" of our model: offering meaningful employment to blind women, and creating an opportunity for them where they have competitive strength; and helping to improve the breast cancer early identification situation and awareness for the most common cancer among women.\n\u00a0\nCurrent roll-out\n\u00a0\nDiscovering hands is planning to substantially increase the number of MTEs in the years to come. We currently operate in Germany and in Austria. In both India and Colombia we have pilot projects running with scale-up in planning. And we are interested in further country roll-out, which we operate through a social franchise.\n\u00a0\nIf you are a social entrepreneur and would like to implement discovering hands in your country, contact us Also, if you are an impact investor and are interested in collaborating with us to further roll-out the model, please contact us too. We are interested in hearing from you!\u00a0\n\nhttp:\/\/www.discovering-hands.de\n\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-26 14:07 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8925"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6806","title":"Mobile ECG","content":"\nWhere:\nHungary\nWhen:\n2013\n\u00a0\nWho:\nR\u00f3bert Csord\u00e1s, Gergely Jo\u00f3s, Tibor Szab\u00f3\n\u00a0\nAbout:\nMobilECG is an opensource clinical ECG. It is designed to record with 2 to 10 wires for up to 5 days. The device can be connected to a mobile device wirelessly.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-22 15:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6805","title":"U-GO: Home automation","content":"\nWhere:\nItaly\nWhen:\n2013\n\u00a0\nWho: Marco Sangiorgio, Vincenzo Iadisernia, Antonio Ianiero (Unterwelt)\nTweet:\nUGO is a home automation system which allows users to control home devices through speech recognition technology. Few examples: turn on and off the light, lift or lower a rolling shutter, signal gas leak, exc.\n\u00a0\nSimilar ideas:\n(http:\/\/hackaday.com\/2013\/08\/11\/voice-controlled-home-automation-uses-raspberry-pi-and-lightwaverf\/)VoicePod (http:\/\/www.voicepod.com\/videos\/), AmazonEcho (http:\/\/www.cnet.com\/products\/amazon-echo-review\/)\n\u00a0\nLinks: \nhttp:\/\/www.unterwelt.it\/ugo\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j02W99Z8GNI\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-22 15:14 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6802","title":"Facilitating communities of action for the common good and the interests of the Polis","content":"\nImagine the City started in 2009 aiming to redefine the processes and relationships that shape the image and experience of contemporary Greek cities. An informal, open team of young people interested in design and architecture started to host weekly meetings to discuss issues such as: What are the criteria that define public works in Greek cities? Why do public spaces and urban environments in our country not reflect the creative human potential we have in the fields of design, architecture, and urban planning? How can we change the way citizens interact with and take care of the public space?\nIn the past 7 years, the project has created a social platform in physical spaces, where citizens have the opportunity to be informed, discuss and consider the possibilities of improving their quality of life and imagine their city in a different way, with the higher aim to participate in decision-making processes about urban infrastructure and public works. Imagine the City develops public exhibitions in different Greek cities in which local architects, designers, urban planners and artists showcase their proposals, ideas, solutions, and plans for each city, enhanced by a series of parallel urban events.\nAfter the success of the first exhibition in the city of Chalkis in 2009, instead of accepting invitations to organize similar exhibitions in other cities, we created a digital manual documenting our experience, tools and guidelines, which was made openly available to other local teams to use and develop. The result is that Imagine the City has organically been developed in 13 Greek cities by interdisciplinary teams that bring together local authorities, businesses, universities and civil society groups. Exhibitions have hosted over 400 proposals by 650 creators. Two hundred parallel events have taken place and over 100.000 citizens have participated in the different activities. The manual is being evolved and includes from branding guidelines to fundraising and public engagement tips.\nThe exhibits consist of material that participants have developed as students and researchers in the framework of academic projects in Greece or abroad, or as professionals with a social responsibility or interest to promote their work. The proposals suggest aesthetic and functional improvements of cultural, touristic or environmental importance through sketches, videos, and 3D models. The parallel urban events are developed exclusively for each city, focusing on the dissemination of information, knowledge, and perceptions to the local community, encouraging the participation of youth and children to experimental efforts to transform the urban space. Through debates, presentations, workshops and urban interventions we release knowledge about urban development, shed light on unknown sides of each city and create common ground for new partnerships to emerge at the local level. \u00a0The trans-local and self-organised character of Imagine the City has activated the dynamic involvement of academic and public institutions, formal and informal teams, local businesses and simple citizens.\nBeyond the discussions on local issues, Imagine the City has provoked a public dialogue of the political decision-making and planning processes in Greece, it has questioned the way we inhabit public spaces and has promoted a different urban culture in which citizens propose, evaluate, co-decide, activate and take care of the public space.\nAt the same time, the community created the ground for a series of spin-off projects: From\u00a0IDEATOPOS, the first panhellenic conference on Place Marketing and Branding to\u00a0SynOikia Pittaki, a participatory light installation that became a landmark of Athens, to\u00a0Politeia 2.0, a platform for political innovation to redesign the Greek Constitution from the bottom-up. The need to scale up these projects led to the creation of the non-profit organization\u00a0Place Identity, which acts as a cluster of projects for urban regeneration and political innovation.\nI initiated Imagine the City as a young designer interested in strategic and participatory design. Since then, it has evolved from a \u201cthink tank\u201d to a \u201cplatform\u201d to a \u201ctrans-local community\u201d. Myself, as the initial \u201ccaller\u201d and \u201cfacilitator\u201d and other people that got involved in the project coordination, allowed for systematic experimentation and risk-taking. The collectives that gradually joined our mission gave an unexpected dynamic to the project. Every now and then, we attempted to identify and showcase the ingredients and values that released creativity and joy within our network, causing a multiplier effect in local communities.\nThroughout the years, we experienced many difficult moments and failures which nevertheless shaped our success. When we failed to gain official partnerships with Municipalities and Universities, we decided to reach directly to the academics, students, and citizens. When we failed to launch the digital Imagine the City platform, we decided to focus on the relationships and processes that are required in the physical space and it turned out this served our local teams better. Every collective challenge can become a step to a new collective insight and result in practical social innovation.\nIn order to change the image and the experience of a city, you have to observe an entire system and not be afraid by its complexity. You need to face the public procurement processes for urban works, architecture competitions, political decision-making and the separation of powers. You need to rethink your role as the citizen, to understand deeply how a Democracy ought to function, to establish the political rights that you are not aware of. Otherwise, the city (polis) becomes an arena of conflicting material and psychological interests and soon gets out of control.\nThrough communities of care that work for a common cause, you learn how to trust the other, and thus one\u2019s self. Unfortunately, in our country, we show to one another and to our society more suspicion and blame than trust and empathy. Maybe we keep reflecting society whatever we fail to manage within us. Maybe this is why Greek society still fails to \u201cgrow up\u201d.\nA community of change can only be facilitated if you are open, transparent and if you manage to demonstrate collective audacity while remaining the custodian of a team\u2019s shared values. When success triggers humility and difficulties spark evolution.\nIf you ask me about the future of Imagine the City, personally, I would like it to see it evolve into something I cannot even imagine today, just the way I could not imagine the way it would evolve to date since we first started. I wish it could catalyze holistic solutions for the challenges faced by contemporary cities. As for now, Imagine the City has reached the closure of a first cycle. Interest from new cities to join has decreased significantly and those teams that have been activated in the past are unable to scale their activities without systematic organizational and financial support. Due to the financial crisis, local businesses cannot afford financial or in-kind sponsorships to fund urban activities. At the same time, larger sponsors are not interested in supporting projects in smaller cities due to limited promotion opportunities. However, there is a growing interest in research and training opportunities related to Imagine the City and the processes that could truly empower and scale our trans-local community.\nWe are considering to launch the Imagine the City Academy: a trans-local training program that will support local interdisciplinary teams who develop prototype urban regeneration projects focusing on citizens\u2019 engagement. Building on past experience and existing local teams, we wish to promote action research on new models of managing public works to design holistic solutions that respond to the real needs of cities and local communities. The Academy could offer administrative, educational and financial support for local teams to exchange know-how, apply participatory tools, develop policy proposals and materialize prototype urban interventions. This program has been budgeted at 270.000\u20ac for a period of 5 years. The first year would focus on mapping the results and analyzing the needs of local teams so far, as well as process design for the program. The second would entail an open call, dissemination campaign and activation of cross-sector partnerships at the local level. The actual training program and project development phase of local projects would be in years 3 and 4. In the last year, we would evaluate results of local projects and make participatory policy proposals to tackle the systemic issues that suffocate creativity and participation in urban planning in Greece.\nI work as a freelance designer and have a small company,\u00a0theSwitch, which I co-founded in 2005 with a group of friends. While working on branding and designing professional spaces, I started working on methodologies of strategic and participatory design and I got involved in a series of social projects. In social projects, by design, I try to apply principles of self-organisation, self-sufficiency, sustainability, and independent financing but for the moment I cannot claim that I have managed to achieve the results I aim for\u2026 I think that in our country it is even more difficult due to the financial breakdown and the close networks of power. Often, sponsorships tend to manipulate projects or connect them to certain political agendas. We have also experienced funding programs that can destroy something truly innovative through their bureaucratic mechanisms or to make it easier for society to digest. I consider as my main personal goal to be professional, financially and politically independent so as to be open to collaboration, respecting a predefined set of values and encouraging substantial progress.\nMy involvement in public affairs started from my teenage years, in the city where I grew up where I was part of the scout's community and a student magazine team. I have spent innumerable hours volunteering in my life, yet I am against \u201cvolunteering\u201d as an end in itself, or as a \u201cculture\u201d that apparently needs to be cultivated. I believe that Greece was never short of \u201cphilotimo\u201d (love of honor) and \u201cmeraki\u201d (love in doing), solidarity and social care actions. However organized civil society is not recognized in our constitution and our institutions, its positive impact neither being acknowledged nor encouraged.\nWhat we need to cultivate today is a culture of holistic and creative problem-solving. Communities do not need volunteers but of citizens committed to solving problems \u2013 not just pointing out issues and ideas! I mean, solving problems in practice. If we do not take the responsibility of applying what we believe in, even in pilot projects, if we do not create new paradigms and do not experience political maturity, then we can keep talking politics (\u201cpolitika\u201d) but we cannot live as citizens (\u201cpolites\"). Before sticking to political identities and ideologies, we need to achieve political rights and the freedom that will enable mixed policy and governance models. Instead of allowing closed networks of power to define our lives, these governance models could facilitate communities of action for the common good and the interests of the Polis.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-22 14:19 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"2703"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6798","title":"Big Bang Schools see children as tutors because they believe in miracles","content":"\nThe \u2018Big Bang Schools\u2019 is a new educational approach and a new type of schools that are re-designed for an era of exponential technological advance and social change. The project seeks to create innovation labs for real human challenges and the planet, helping shape the future instead of repeating the past. It is considered as a catalyst for a new civilization paradigm of joining forces towards \u201cupgrading humanity\u201d.\nWe used the name \u2018Big Bang\u2019 in a symbolic way to highlight the explosion of new ideas and the creation of brand new knowledge from scratch. A new Big Bang of Creation is about to start at Thessaloniki in the following 2 years (2018) hoping that the idea will expand to other Greek cities and abroad. A school where learning is accomplished experientially, in harmony and interaction with the natural environment, aiming to lead children on a wonderful quest.\nCentral in our philosophy is that educational activities must take place within the natural environment and the whole procedure must be supported through workshops where pupils have the opportunity to discover and connect with new information. Our educational approach encourages the development of capacities through observation, flexibility, adaptability, evaluation, goal setting and self-confidence in order to create their own path of life.\nThe Big Bang Schools are furthering the vision of our initial project, the \u201cSchool of Nature and Colours\u201d. This is an educational role model of creative self-management, in which pupils are taught beyond the curriculum how to learn in-depth, sing, dance, stage theatrical plays, raise funds for their school through a vegetable garden and make their activities and campaigns are known to the public using social media.\nIn this framework, we organize a unique Creative Centre for our children which we called BIG BANG after SCHOOL\u2019. This is a comprehensive program for elementary school children and kindergarten, where all participants are able to connect with music, cinema, dance, theater, arts as well as workshops in creative thinking, constructions, architecture and engineering. Additionally, we created a specific program for elementary courses such as science, history, philosophy and multilingualism. In this project, everyone is welcome to contribute in different ways besides financial support. This is a project designed to benefit children and parents who seek for alternative educational methods of learning and interacting with people and the natural environment.\nMy name is Angelos Patsias, an educator on my 30s who aims to launch various innovative activities that will help create a new educational system that will meet the specific needs of each and every place. I started my studies in Primary Level Education at the Democritus University of Thrace and I am currently reading issues for an MA candidate at the Faculty of Sociology at the University of Crete. My philosophy of life encourages me to encounter every difficult circumstance as an opportunity, and at the same time, I strongly believe that returning to the simple meaning of life is an essential action.\nMy partner, Veta Georgiadou has been a kindergarten teacher in public schools for 22 years. Our collaboration in \u201cBig Bang Schools\u2019 project started when she watched my TEDx speech about \u2018Breaking the walls between school and society\u2019. As she usually says: \u2018Children are the best tutors because they believe in miracles, the life at a present time, are full of enthusiasm and are creating all the time\u2019. She studied pedagogics, eventually becoming a wife and mother of three children and her constant self-searching voyage with pupils, parents, teachers, who never stop learning and reforming is still ongoing.\nThe third partner, Yiannis Sotirakos, is a serial entrepreneur developing projects and technologies towards \u201cUpgrading Humanity\u201d, and innovative educational and edutainment platforms to empower the youth.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 20:42 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9002"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6797","title":"FRODIZO offers free care to the elderly inside their homes","content":"\nFRONTIZO (\u201cI care\u201d in Greek) is an initiative taken in 2009, by some people who are either professional or have some relation to the elderly and disabled individuals in the city Patras. We saw that there were substantial needs to be covered, so we felt it was appropriate to make such a collective effort to mainly support individuals belonging to these vulnerable groups.\nWith a rapidly increasing elderly population in Greece, our aim is to highlight and defend the rights of the elderly. There are many things that the wider public doesn\u2019t know, such as specificities of various incurable diseases, so we started to create synergies and partnerships to cover these needs.\nToday, there are 200,000 patients with dementia in Greece, corresponding to 6% of the total elderly population. These figures are certainly expected to increase. Current projections double the number of elderly by 2050, something that will undoubtedly affect these numbers. Therefore, the services and efforts to be made collectively are large and need to be further strengthened.\nAt the beginning, there was no clear knowledge on the issues and needs of elderly assistance. We could not identify these people, because in Greece there are no structures -and structured policy, in general- for dementia. Therefore, it was not easy for people to understand the benefits of our actions, which had to be communicated by word of mouth from scratch. Those initial difficulties were overcome as our interventions started becoming more visible, and as the spirit of cooperation developed with the patients and their caregivers over time.\nWe are interested in entering the homes of these people because in most times they do not even get out of their homes. It's not the same to meet with them in a public institution, compared to entering into their homes.\nSince we cannot do many things by ourselves, establishing collaborations is imperative for the expansion of our operations and to ensure resources. We work with the local government, mainly the Region of Western Greece, and with associations of patients with whom we organize activities and events for the dissemination of knowledge and solidarity. Through those collaborations with diverse stakeholders, we acquire more knowledge in dementia, and the training of family carers.\nOur interventions occur in physical and mental level, helping the recovery process and educating caregivers on how they can give proper care. This is done by a team consisting of a social worker, a trainer, a physiotherapist and a nurse. The aim is to keep the patients\u2019 good aspects, to maintain their functional and mental status (such as orientation, memory, etc.) and assist them with their behavior. Many times, these people have a lot of stress, anxiety or depression, so they calm through our intervention. Caregivers, who are not aware of basic issues before entering the program, receive training that allows them to continue their work after the end of the intervention, which always has a specific duration. These people are very actively looking for information and, as we enter their home, there is a direct interaction. We have observed a reduction of the stress and burden felt by of caregivers. Let us not forget that we live in a difficult time and they are people who have their own issues (family, finances, etc.), so the pressure is too high. Of course, all our services are free.\nWe are very satisfied with the hitherto results of our initiative. Because from a point where there was nothing and the state has not been completely inactive in this field, we now see that more and more caregivers seek for our advice. Through the creation of partnerships and through hard work, this effort is now recognized. At the local level, the authorities understand the value of our work and want to support us to further evolve these services.\nWhat we also observe, is an increasing flow of volunteers. We continue to do actions within the community, targeting the general elderly population, and offering information and tips on healthy lifestyle, diet, and exercise. The beneficiaries may come in contact with our activities digitally, via the website and through social networks.\nIn general, there is a lack of public understanding about the issue of dementia in Greece. Therefore, the response to our call was not so evident at the beginning, due to this ignorance. We had to face, of course, the classic issues the grassroots initiatives are facing in Greece. For example, the fact that the state was very slow in harmonizing the legislation on how organizations of civil society should operate. Since then, however, as our activities were broadly communicated and because the program is organized in 6-month long circles, there was an increase in the number of both beneficiaries and volunteers. We currently serve 20 people in each circle, and we have so far registered about 60 people (patients and their families). By the end the year, we estimate to have surpassed 3000 home visits.\nIn FRODIZO, we are all young people and the whole intervention is non-medical. This is why at the beginning, there was suspicion towards our actions. Over time, we have generated significant experience, as well as a database of beneficiaries facing problems related to dementia, and their carers. Hence, we now feel more confident and secure, since we have been in direct contact with the challenge for so long. Also, we were able to get in touch with larger organizations, developed teamwork and discipline because these interventions must be always characterized by formality and consistency.\nBroadly speaking, we cannot cover all needs by ourselves, because they are huge. We want to attract more people around us to meet the challenge in the best possible way. Dealing with this kind of work is a special opportunity for young scientists who can provide major services to society, especially to its most vulnerable parts. These actions deserve to be recognized by the society, to be studied and supported.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 20:31 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9001"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6796","title":"Cycling for people with paralysis: how do we researchers and citizens contribute to more testing and usability of technologies like FES? ","content":"\nThe other day cycling home, I saw a person, probably living with spinal cord injury using his hands to pedal, a really rare sight in Italy. I\u2019m a keen cyclist for transport and leisure, but my profession is also research in devices enhancing the mobility for people with physical limitations. Therefore I feel an obligation to spread the news about recent advancements in cycling for physically challenged. Have you heard about FES cycling?\nFES - short for functional electrical stimulation - can be used to activate paralyzed muscles by impulses imitating the nervous system in the most natural way possible. We have come a long way with our research and it is possible to use this technique to let people with paralyzed legs cycle again. For some reason there are very few people who know about this so I\u2019d like to share this knowledge with you.\nWe cycle to move, but also to maintain fit. It can be both fun and functional. But, if your legs don't obey you anymore, you will probably not consider it a possibility. Paralyzed legs can result from an accident breaking your back, a stroke or a sneaking disease like the multiple sclerosis. \u00a0\nPeople caring for and curing you need to be very pragmatic, and you with them. Mobility then becomes reduced to passive transport, a dietetic approach to avoiding getting fat and medication of pressure sores and other side effects from lack of physical exercise. That\u2019s where the publicly unknown FES research comes into play. Years of clinical research have consolidated the benefits, but we need to spread the news and understand more about it. Some people may already have heard of handbikes. They allow you to cover greater distances than manual wheelchairs. They are special tricycles where you use the hands for pedaling.\nFES, on the other side, is applied via adhesive electrodes or incorporated in bicycle shorts. The stimulus activates the muscles of the buttocks and thighs in sync with the ride. \u00a0However only the leg muscles can challenge the cardiovascular system to get physically fit. Some people with for example spinal cord injury (paraplegia) may be able to use FES for activating these large muscles. \u00a0With FES cycling they can cover greater distances with greater speed and due to activation of large muscles they get (bene-)fit and feel physical well-being. The research community has tried to promote a more widespread use of FES cycling by arranging races (see here) and publications with the user's statements of the pros and cons\u00a0(see here).\n\nHow can we build research into practice or at least make options much more accessible?\nThe question is how to help people who have become paraplegic or their families know about the existence of such possibilities. FES bikes are quite expensive so where to go to try them? Many places and cycle lanes are missing so it requires some changes to infrastructure as well. But as long as nobody uses them it's a vicious circle. Therefore we need more awareness to reduce cost, change infrastructure and increase inclusion in the cycle community\nEven handbikes which are more popular can\u2019t be bought in a normal bicycle shop, but rather directly from a few specialized companies. The lack of marketing incurs high costs to manufacturers and hence to clients.\nMy own group\u2019s response as research and practitioners is to create a culture to promote this change, a project in the making. How can we promote actual experience based dialogue between users (who are maybe hackers) and researchers? There is an international community of researchers, so there should be a good chance of of finding local experts. As someone with a disability, you could connect with them and hack - evolve - test collaboratively cheap functional solutions in a healthcare hacking space. Dr Fitzwater, who is both a researcher and FES cycler, reports on the need to make benefits enjoyable in addition to positive medical outcomes: \u201cThe FESC function should be capable of being used on the open road with or without friends and family and be easily usable without any more assistance than that already required for the activities of daily living\u201d.\nWhy should you, me or anyone care about the future of research? you want to see your tax money spent well, don\u2019t you? And most importantly, this could be you or a relative who would like to go for a ride and have drastically limited options. Check out the coming cybathlon for more information and help us spread the news.\n\nThe production of this article was supported by Op3n Fellowships - an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 18:16 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8837"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6795","title":"Caring for Life - a dream of fixing the care home crisis in the UK ","content":"\nWhat if we could create a network of independent, highly connected, care homes? They would be innovative, fairly priced and an integral part of their local community. They would be great places to work, and run for the benefit of all, not to maximize profit or subject to the whims of governments. That\u2019s our dream.\u00a0\nA bit of background: The care industry in the UK is in crisis (the BBC recently called it the problem no one can fix). \u00a0It is a familiar story.\u00a0 The demand for care is growing rapidly due mainly to an ageing population, with increasingly complex conditions, a breaking down of traditional community-provided care, and higher expectations amongst the elderly.\nAt the same time, the ability of government-funded institutions to meet those needs is diminishing. They lack the resources, the responsiveness and the political will to deal with the population\u2019s increasingly complex care needs.\nAt the same, escalating asset prices are putting pressure on traditional providers, and attracting hedge funds and private equity looking for the \"growth opportunities\u201d. \u00a0The result is that many care home are being run as a businesses more than as a service, meaning that profit and shareholder value is prioritised over the needs and well-being of residents or staff.\nCaring for Life is a diverse team has come together to seek a better solution. We are inspired by:\n\nopen source communities, that harness collective intelligence to find new solutions to old problems;\nnetworked organisations, notably Buurtzorg, the community care provider in the Netherlands, that combine the benefits of being small with the benefits of being part of something large.\ntraditional community-based approaches to care-giving that are human-centred and sustainable.\n\nWe intend to will achieve this in particular by taking over existing care home businesses and creating, one-by-one, a network of homes modelling the type of care we want to see. \u00a0Once we have established a small number of our own homes, we will reach out to other like-minded operators to create a broader community of homes around the UK.\nA key operating principle will be to involve all \"stakeholders\".\u00a0 Buurtzorg (mentioned above) has an excellent model, illustrating the various levels of involvement, and whilst this is primarily looking at home care as opposed to care homes, it is a useful way of viewing the bigger picture.\nCare home residents come into care with social networks, habits, routines and pastimes, which are normally stripped away on entering care. As far as possible these should be maintained because these are part of the person's \"support system\". Involving the family and friends as well as the wider community will, whilst it may add to the complexity, lighten the burden of care and increase quality of life for all affected.\nLegal structure:\u00a0 Our intention is to separate out the capital assets from the business of caring. The precise legal structure remains to be worked out but may be similar to a so-called community land trust (see http:\/\/www.communitylandtrusts.org.uk\/what-is-a-clt\/about-clts) where one organisation (maybe a charity) owns the freehold of the land and a social enterprise runs the care home. \u00a0There would be some element of employee ownership, which has been shown in many businesses to encourage higher than average levels of productivity and profitability.\nGetting started:\u00a0 Our intent is to start by acquiring control of one care home.\u00a0 In order to keep capital needs as low as possible in the early stages, the intention is to lease premises on a long-term lease rather than buying a home. An opportunity has been identified near the south coast of England and conversations have started with the owners.\u00a0 This is an interesting opportunity, in particular because there is an chance to acquire the property and business for a low price.\u00a0 The home is currently subject to \"special measures\u201d, imposed by the Care Quality Commission.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 17:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"446"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6794","title":"Cosain Community Wellness","content":"\n\u2018What people experiencing mental health difficulties need most is to be shown compassion, empathy, a voice, to be listened to, to be believed in, somewhere to go where they will be given hope of a more meaningful life.\u2019\nCos\u00e1in Community Wellness is a recent\u00a0initiative to develop a peer-led community-based support system for people with emotional distress and mental health issues, and to promote wellness for all. Cos\u00e1in is the Irish word for \u2018pathways', reflecting our belief in different paths not single roads, and the guidance, wisdom and support that we can find in the stories of each others individual journeys. All quotes within this article are from research performed by Galway Mental Health Services Consumer Panel, the local representative body of mental health service users for the geographic region.\nGMHSCP advocates for supports and services which are fit for purpose from the perspective of service users, and the integration of users of services into the design, \u00a0development and delivery of services, working in partnership with the Irish Health Services (HSE) based on the value of our lived experience of current systems of care, and the evidence of our own healing processes.\n\u2018The most effective help I have experienced over the years, having had years of medication, psychotherapy, hospitalisation, is the support of peers, where I am treated as normal, with kindness, not judged, and not expected to conform to the medical model of treatment.\u2019\nWhere progress was slow or absent within the system, we took\u00a0it upon ourselves to prototype and demonstrate how necessary supports could be delivered in partnership and collaboration between health providers, community groups, and local authorities based on a cooperative ethos of mutual support. We believe our approach will be of value and benefit because\n\u2018it's a community based project concerned with 'well-being' which is preparing fertile ground for the empowerment and transformation of people, individually and as a group. It's organic growth reflects the personalities and desires of the people involved, making it of and for the people.\u2019\nOur belief is that properly resourced and equipped communities can provide more effective intervention in cases of crisis,\u00a0care in a more person-centred and human manner, and both at a lower cost than the dominant acute-oriented, clinical and biomedical approaches. We believe that only approaches that are grounded in local communities and emerge from their dreams and aspirations\u00a0can meet the needs which we are presented with in the time that we have.\n\u2018My experience of large organisations is that the individual gets lost in the system and become just another number\u2026 I\u2019m sick and tired of waiting for the HSE to offer people the support they want\u2019\nWe also believe that the act of mutual support is amongst the most therapeutic of acts, transforming relationships from ones of being a recipient and subject of care, to a space of\u00a0autonomy, collective development, peer provision and mutual reliance that involves people in generating their own solutions.\n\u2018Being with people who are doing whatever we can to have our lives the way we want them, seeing the evidence that people can succeed, that we can make a difference \u2013 all this has a positive effect on my own mental health, self-esteem and my ability to shape my life the way I want it.\u2019\nWe developed our initiative over the course of the Galway 2020 Bid process, using \u00a0participatory design exercises that brought together a range of groups and individuals including\u00a0independent therapists,\u00a0health professionals, service users and patients,\u00a0and other interested parties who are seeking to develop new models of community-based health promotion and care.\u00a0We then used the blank canvas of a disused city building, visioning and combining elements of artspace, green makerspace, and wellness supports that were brought together using the concept of an\u00a0integrated cultural and community hub. During this time we came into contact with EdgeRyders and the Opencare research project, and welcomed the opportunity to form productive partnerships at European level with groups and initiatives with similar ethos.\nOur current operating model exists with the support of Galway City Museum, who have provided us with the use of a room one day a week for prototyping and co-design. This is taking place as part of the Galway City Cultural Strategy, which seeks to use \u00a0cultural resources and infrastructure for wellness supports and public health.\u00a0These sessions were an extension of the earlier co-design process, deployed in a real-life environment for feedback from stakeholders and re-design. Our sessions to date have included artistic and creative process, peer support and educational sessions, based on the demand from service users.\u00a0\nCurrently delivered on a volunteer basis for proof of concept, our intent is to progress towards a cultural space and \u2018crisis cafe\u2019 on a social enterprise model, with a welcoming cafe-type front-of-house drop-in space that can be used as an open studio and learning space, with a supportive backstage of more intensive interventions, therapies and supports for those people in emotional distress. Our model is grounded in the value and authenticity of provision of supports and services that are delivered by people with the direct personal experience of the situations in question, and the expressed need based on our research for appropriate creative outlets that support emotional wellbeing and generate meaning and community for the participants.\n\u2018in Irish culture mental health tends to be seen as a failing by an individual, of an individual, in an individual. This attitude views the natural processes of emotional distress and recovery through a lens of pathology, individualised blame, guilt and shame.\u00a0In contrast, rather than attempt to seek what Zygmunt Bauman called \u2018individual solutions to collective problems\u2019, an impossible task, we felt the need for the sake of our collective sanity, to use an approach based on collective support and interdependence.\nOur story is just beginning.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 17:54 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8371"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6793","title":"Creating a culture of blood donations to save lives.","content":"\nThe initiative started as an idea in 2012 when I was a student in high school. The occasion was the need for blood by the grandmother of a friend. The inability to find blood in the hospital on the island of Lemnos, made me realize the problem. Through this incident, I realized that although all people have blood in them when someone needs it, it is too difficult to find.\nAt university, I found another two friends that helped me create Blood-e in 2014. We are all graduates of the department of Management Science & Technology, each \u00a0one with a different specialization. Our training helped a lot as a starting point because we knew about the management of an organization, and how we can make use of new media and technologies. But we also encountered difficulties. It took us a lot of time at the beginning, to see how we can technology meet our purpose. Also, we were only 19 years old and, as students, we didn\u2019t know so much about the complexities of our cause. In times, it felt like we were on a ship in the middle of the storm, and didn\u2019t know where we were going.\nAll of us come from families that communicated the values of volunteering from a very \u00a0young age. Therefore our families were our first recruits. We started by organizing a series of blood donations in Athens and then created a digital platform where people who with a need for blood can notify suitable donors. Slowly, we started having a better understanding of how to motivate people and cultivate the culture of volunteering and donating.\nGreece is not the ideal environment to start something, but there are people in the public and private sectors that will listen and can help. Unfortunately, the legal framework for social entrepreneurship is very cloudy, resources are limited and opportunities for fundraising are minimal. There is, of course, huge bureaucracy, with regard to information about how to establish an entity. Over time, though, we have managed to overcome internal organizational issues, but also to find some resources to start our action.\nBlood-e has to do with the motivation to get someone out of the house and go give blood on a voluntary basis. Hence, we work with various organizations, communities and the National Centre for Blood Donation. We try to create synergies and collaborations, aiming to maximize the value and social impact of the project.\nBlood donations is an official responsibility of the Ministry of Health. The collection, testing and transfusion is only possible in public hospitals. When someone needs blood, he\/she usually invites a relative or friend. Apart from the moral aspects, this also has some safety implications. When somebody gives blood with motivation other than volunteering, it is easier to lie to medical questions on medical history that made the donation. As a result, there are many patients who cannot find suitable blood, and receive infected blood.\nThrough Blood-e, human needs are met in real time. The donor knows where his\/her blood goes. The contact with volunteers continues after the donation through the digital community, where everyone can find material on blood donation and blood. The environment in which someone gives blood is also important. Instead of the sterile hospital environment, we organise collections at working space, or along with friends. This generates an experience that people will want to repeat at some point in their life.\nCompared to these rates existing in the country, where only 50% of total blood needs are covered by voluntarily donations, we feel satisfied with the results of Blood-e. Certainly, it could be much better. We are trying to see what new things emerge, in order to create a culture around blood donation, aiming to grow the \u00a0rates of blood donations coming from volunteers, while striving to cover the needs.\nFrom the very beginning, there was a positive response from the public. Eighty percent of our volunteers are young, and give blood for the first time. in their life. We especially target young people and students, who have never given blood before. We are very satisfied with the response, which is not in line with the percentage of blood donated in the country. Our goal is doubling every six months the volunteer base that we have in our platform.\nWhat we propose is different and changes the mentality of the public hospitals. Our initial thought was to integrate this information system in the official health care system. This means that the hospitals would notify any needs, rather than the patients. This requires, of course, the collaboration of public hospitals.\nIn the future, we want to launch a series of games in schools for children. Beyond that, we wish to continue growing the number of volunteers. We approach this through partnerships with companies and organisations, which can unite our message, to strengthen voluntary blood donations.\nWhat is missing in our team, are people with a medical background, who are willing and want to engage with new technologies and such initiatives. Due to lack of resources, we cannot support more staff. Most young people also imagine themselves in a for-profit environment, rather than a social enterprise. They believe that either you have to be a volunteer, or to make money. Therefore it is difficult to find people who fit in our philosophy and our own needs.\nWe have a demanding job, where we talk with people who fight very difficult diseases and a blood donation might be their last hope. Especially when talking about platelets or bone marrow. Some of them die. In our everyday lives, we are facing very difficult circumstances. But the feeling that remains at the end of the day, is fulfilling for what we do and offer. This balances the psychological stress and bad feelings that arise in times.\nWithin Blood-e, we have created a philosophy of continuous education. We started something that we did not have the knowledge to implement, but eventually learned to do. As for skills, we have developed whatever has to do with digital marketing and communication and how to run a business. As well as the psychology of how to contact volunteers, patients and partners. Beyond that, we created a lot of soft skills. Namely, how to persevere, to have audacity and tolerance. To ignore those that say that \u201cthese things cannot be done\u201d, to respect that many partnerships will not be successful, but always keep on.\nThis is necessary for operating in a country that huge institutional gaps exist. Social entrepreneurship in Greece is a concept still quite unknown. There is no much public understanding of its benefits, but it is something that is slowly growing. What we do is to look at things with optimism. The country is missing optimistic voices, that -while recognizing that things are difficult- they strive to change things.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 15:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"9000"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6791","title":"Sucre Blue","content":"\nSucre Blue is a program that strives to create a chronic disease health care model to bring affordable access to medical treatment to people with diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease in Bangalore. It\u2019s a challenging setting to work in. One has to think that in these communities there is no doctors, hospitals or medical treatment in place. Access to treatment is \u00a0extremely limited (for diabetics as well - many forms are absent, some not always available, most of them too expensive anyway) and families earn 2 dollars per day. Many patients\u2019 diabetes is caused by malnutrition, despite the common conception that it is a rich people\u2019s condition. I often see blind children who lost their sight because their families lacked access to medication or means to purchase them. And all that in India, with the second fastest growth of diabetes in the world, and 70 percent of the population living in rural areas. Which makes it extremely difficult to identify those in need and ensure they\u2019re given help.\nFor the past years, I have lived in India - partly in a hospital, without being paid, and I had a chance to see how the system works. As a diabetic myself, I\u2019ve experienced the hardships of managing my own illness and needed to adapt to available solutions.\nAs an answer to this challenge, we are building a sustainable, and affordable model that could be replicated in other communities, across India and beyond. The service is based on dozens of patients and caregivers, who are being trained to provide other members of the community with door-to-door assistance. Our Community Health Workers in the pilot area conduct free screenings (sugar level, BMI, pressure monitoring) and check for diabetes and other health problems \u00a0- which they can later address according to the needs of each of the patients. An important component of this work is building relationships between the patients and the leaders - and help to establish links between those in needs and institutions that could provide them with further help. We also provide patients with free medicine. On top of that, we educate, bring awareness and help with early detection of potential issues. Many pre-diabetics in India could avoid becoming ill by changes in their dietary habits - and the diet is large to blame here.\nSuch screenings would not only help to support those who suffer from diabetes but extend preventive care and potentially save millions of dollars in treating more complex effects of diabetes, such as dialysis and other complications. Beyond that, we\u2019re helping some of the diabetics to overcome their poverty, as managing their problems costs \u00bc of their income, pushing them to extreme poverty. Providing free treatment and medication is essential for them to improve their quality of life.\nOn top of that, we equip our workers with SMS technology that allows them to collect the daily logs and patient's\u2019 history - which will be stored in an open source database available to any researcher in the world. Otherwise, such information about chronically sick citizens of rural India is basically impossible to acquire.\nWe plan to transform Sucre Blue into a model that could be replicated by communities all over the world - with a peer-based approach, designed to deal with chronic diseases. In India, we engage women in our work - mostly those who suffer from diabetes themselves. It is a way to change a bit disproportionate representation of men in healthcare - and it empowers women in the society. \u00a0Having their personal approach to diabetes allows us to change the opinion around the disease, often perceived as a curse, for example forbidding some of the ill to get married.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-09-20 7:47 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8997"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6789","title":"U.LAB Open Will \/ Open Heart \/ Open Mind","content":"\nSolutions and problems have not so much to do with each other. Solutions are there without the problem. We need to stop looking at the problems and just start focussing on solutions all around us. Problems will not thrive in a solution focused mindset. I studied Family science and Solution focused cognitive Therapy. I have a lot of friends who work with the same mindset and can live the authentic happines without being attached to anything. Le me learn this to people who want to evolve in their feelings of happines and the dull distractions of stress. By motivational speech and a focus towards what does work I can make groups see different towards a situation so solutions come up that have nothing to do with the problem but yet as if by magic, the problem will dissapear. I follow 3 main principles trough out this proces. We need to be aware of our Self towards Nature, our Self towards Others and our Self towards our Self.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-19 22:19 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8995"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6787","title":"Garden Of Life Academy","content":"\nGarden of Life\nWe chose the name 'Garden of Life' \u00a0for our After School projects, as we believe that every child is like a different flower, and if nourished in mind, body and spirit, will blossom all together to make this world a beautiful garden. We understand that connecting with nature helps raise our consciousness and that brings out the best of everyone; our learning model raises our students mind, body and soul through sun, earth, technics in mindfulness, respect for one another, other living creatures,\u00a0and themselves. Each flower needs watering and nurturing and for them to blossom, we need patience to let each one discover their own potentialities and dare to live them.\nMission\nWe are an\u00a0International Academy and After School projects, empowering a new generation with life skills and tools to reach higher consciousness allowing them to discover the seed of genius that they are born to be. We encourage them to explore and find their passion through a strong connection with nature and one another, respect for themselves, alongside latest technology and a diverse array of opportunities to aid in bringing to light a balanced, joyful, skillful, intelligent and compassionate Human Being enabling them True Prosperity.\nVision\nGarden of Life Academy shall empower its students to find their passion and to have a balanced, joyful, skillful, knowledgeable and compassionate life leading them to True Prosperity.\nOur academy will have presence world wide, creating a network (Garden Of Life Global Academy) as well as a teaching model easily replicable for those around the world who want to join us sharing this human and close to\u00a0nature\u00b4s approach, that allows this model to be widely recognized as one of the best options for teaching life skills in After Schools.\n\u00a0\nDiscerning Parents\nAre you disillusioned with your child's full education? Would you love for your child or children to learn in a family environment that personalizes rather than standardizes that extra education and where you are always welcomed to become involved? Would you wish for your child to not only be coached in academia from school, but also in ethics, life tools and how to connect to others, nature, growing and preparing healthy foods as well discover his or her full potential? Would you wish for your child an environment that brings out the genius we believe is within each and every one of us, through exposing them to many opportunities to explore what that is? Would you be thrilled if your child would learn not only to nurture others but themselves?\nThe projects are for children from 6-12, whose parents wish for their child or children to have a full all round education that teaches those life skills that may not have been covered at school. The projects will provide a stimulating, yet family environment housed by those in the community that has a home that could accomadate 5\/6 children after school. Someone that who would also benefit from this interaction. The training manual will cover all aspects of working with children to help them discover mindfullness and therefore their own true potential,\u00a0growing gardens, activity and performing and visual Arts, The projects will wish to keep their numbers to a ratio of 5-6 children to each Garden of Life Teaching coaches or knowledgeable volunteers sharing their skills, from carpentry to journalism.\nEach project - The children will;\nStart \u00a0with clearing the mind and De-stressing \u00a0tools and create positive affirmations for themselves\nThey will create,care and nurture\u00a0gardens created in a small environment.\nHelp prepare their own healthy snacks, learning to care and nurture themselves\nLearn from knowledgeable skilled Volunteers in diverse fields in the local area\nPlay music, dance, enjoy performing and visual arts and sports using all their senses\nExplore group activities and group projects\nBecome part of a growing Global Garden of Life network of other families and friends.\nand our ethos is:\nI hear I forget, I see I remember, I Do I understand\nWe can best help children learn by making the world accessible to them and helping them explore\nStudy without desire spoils the memory and it retains nothing - Leonardo de Vinci\nThe best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't always tell you what to see\nChildren must be taught how to think, not always what to think\nGrades do not measure intelligence and age does not define maturity\nTrue Prosperity is a Life full of love, passion, joy, compassion, health and well-Being\nTools to learn how to work with the inevitable change and stress in life, is as essential as food\nEvery child is like a different flower, and if nourished in mind, body and spirit, will all together make this world a beautiful garden\nWith these examples implemented in our projects we know children can master anything they show passion for, and find the intelligence to help them achieve the success that is needed for their individual dreams and importantly, help them achieve True Prosperity in their lives.\nMichele Claiborne\n'As a Life Coach and Natural Healer for children and adults, I am so aware of the lack of life tools most have not been privy to learn. Everything from basic health and nutrition to people skills and coping with life's inevitable changes and stresses and how to follow their passions and live a life of what I call 'True Prosperity'. I am passionate, along with many others, to help the new generation in learning these tools. I have created\u00a0an inspiring program for children through all my work and other renowned scholars, that truly makes a difference in the lives of the children, the families and eventually the planet. Give a child the right environment and the right approach to learning and I believe the child will blossom into his or her full potential, brimming with confidence, compassion, intelligence and passion for life. I feel privileged to have begun this challenge by opening up Garden of Life Academy After School projects first in New Orleans where it was founded but now it is ready to share this\u00a0International vison!' I hope you join me, either as a sponsor, student, participant or becoming the principle of your own Garden of Life Academy After School Learning Center and enjoy the thrill with me in being part of aiding this New Generation.'\nTrue Prosperity for everyone, Michele Claiborne\nPre- school teacher in England Suffolk for three years (including mothering \u00a0her own two children)\nCompany Director of Claiborne Publications, creating educational publications for children. \u00a0Author of over 60 titles including the internationally successful magazine Play and Learn & Play and Learn for Tomorrows World\nQualified as a Natural Healer, Counselor, Health and Life Coach\nCreator and host for a Radio educational program on BBC radio in England, Play and Learn for kindergarten children\nSummer camp director for Play and Learn summer schools in England\nThe founder of H.E.L.P. Hands-on Education for Life Project in Africa teaching basic health, nutrition and Garden skills to children and mothers\nCo-founder of Love a Child foundation, a charity to support children from poor areas of the world who are refugees, abandoned, abused, exploited or orphaned\nHealing Arts International Festivals - Spain and New Orleans bringing the performing, visual and Healing Arts as a education program for all those who attended\nFounder of Edible City Gardens.com educating children and parents how to create edible gardens also helping New Orleans Contemporary Arts Center with summer camp\nFounder of the Garden of Life Academy project\nNurture Mind,Body and Spirt GARDEN OF LIFE ACADEMY!\n\nAt GARDEN OF LIFE ACADEMY \u00a0you will be taught by Michele Claiborne and eventually other faculty members with many years of experience, trained in our method of teaching and a vast array of qualified skilled volunteers from film makers to musicians and carpenters to editors.\nHere are some of the reasons that set us apart and we need funding for:\nWe offer opportunities for each child to explore an array of life tools and experiences that are not offered at many schools\nWithin our family environment (using local individuals or families that can facilitate 5\/6 students) to enable to\u00a0nurture each child truly believing that he or she is a genius within his or her own field and teach them how to find their passion and follow it and how to nurture not only others, but themselves\nWe need funds to train others how to\u00a0bring the best out of each child, ethically, practically and intellectually using the GOLA learning program helping children and young adults to find True Prosperity in their lives\n\nOur first GOLA After School project was successfully\u00a0held at Edible City Gardens, \u00a0New Orleans, The Old School House, 417 Dakin Street on\u00a0February 2014 starting 5th on Wednesdays, 4-530pm with accompaning parental or adult supervision .\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-19 19:25 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8967"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6786","title":"Revolutionary medicine idealist","content":"\nHi all,\nMy name is Frank Coughlin. \u00a0I'm based in New York City, NY,\u00a0working as an Emergency Medicine doctor in the city's oldest public hospital. \u00a0I'm a member of 1882 Woodbine and one of the co-founders of the Woodbine Health Autonomy Resource Center. \u00a0We are an open access health resource center in the neighborhood of Ridgewood, NY. \u00a0We are involved in the creation of local health autonomy. \u00a0We are working to meld Western models and institutions of medicine with holistic and tradional skills. \u00a0Our goal is to build a foundation for health which allows us to use and manipulate health institutions to fit our needs, not to become dependent on them for our survival. \u00a0It is our aim that by addressing one of our basic human needs, health, it allows us the space to further ideals of revolutionary change in a world that seems designed to destroy us. \u00a0For more information on our projects, please see Woodbine Health Autonomy Center and After Occupy. \u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-19 19:09 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8993"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6783","title":"Complexities of Water - Investigating Clean Water for Community","content":"\nIn 2014, I had a solo museum exhibition at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. That project outlined the history and present conditions of the Scajaquada River. The river was buried under the city of Buffalo in the 1800\u2019s as a way to keep from dealing with the smell and pollution found in the water. Parts of the river remain buried and it continues to be polluted even as it is monitored by state and federal organizations.\u00a0 My research and installation took about three years to put together, and it presented the complexity of how economy, government policies, lack of planning, lack of accessible information and climate change can dramatically erode an environmental and cultural asset. \nIt was during this installation that I was approached to consider doing a similar project about the Bagmati River that flows though the middle of Kathmandu, Nepal. I was excited about extending my body of work beyond the Western Hemisphere and to working with a culturally diverse community. After initial discussions with professionals, museum staff and community members in Kathmandu, it was clear that there was a great deal of interest in me starting a new project investigating the Bagmati River. I was granted a residency at the Kathmandu Contemporary Arts Center a few months later, and my research began in earnest. Jason Dilworth joined the venture early in 2016 and his work has been integral to the project\u2019s success. During Jason\u2019s and my first trip to Kathmandu in March of 2016, we were able to strengthen past connections to the project while building a larger network of individuals and groups committed to improving conditions in the Kathmandu Valley and the communities outside the valley who live along the river. Support for the Bagmati River Arts Project has grown steadily from the beginning through the assistance of Hatchfund donors, travel support through SUNY Fredonia and a Burchfield Penney Art Center grant. It has continued to grow through the sales of the project\u2019s publications and the sales of my artwork. \nThe Bagmati River Arts Project\u00a0includes:\nA. an exhibition at the Siddhartha Art Gallery at Barbar Mahal Revisited in Kathmandu opening on November 20th, 2016. My artwork, water data from the Bagmati River and the video documentary will be presented on the second floor. The first will include artwork by Nepalese artists whose attention focuses with issues related to the Bagmati River. We are also working with the fine art faculty and students at Kathmandu University who will be creating work related to their cultural connections to the river.\nB. a book is being published (available in November 2016) that documents the importance of the Bagmati River, the cause for the pollution, climate change effects on the Kathmandu Valley and its groundwater, and plans to improve the condition of the river. The role of this publication, like the exhibition, is to use aesthetics as a way to make the scientific data accessible to a wider audience. Artists from the United States and Nepal will be included in the publication. The publication will be made available in Kathmandu at no cost to the residents to assure wide dissemination of its data to a diverse communities. It also will be available in the United States and sold as a way to fund other parts of this project and future projects. A link to this finished book is available on this website.\nC. a documentary video will document the project and include interviews with water quality and health professionals, community members as well a policy maker in Kathmandu. Songs by traditional Nepalese folk singers are incorporated throughout the video including a commissioned song about the Bagmati River. A link to this finished documentary is available on this website.\nD. a brochure and poster written in Nepalese will also provide important accessible scientific and health data about the river. The poster and brochures will be distributed to the communities that live along the entire length of the river in Nepal. Members of the Bagmati River Expedition 2015 team, who created a comprehensive report about the river\u2019s water quality, microinvertebrates, avian population and plastics data, have already established connections in these communities. We are working with Sujan Chitrakar and his graphic design students in designing the posters and brochures. Sujan is the Academic Program Coordinator and an Assistant Professor for Kathmandu University\u2019s School of Art, Center for Art and Design.\nAll elements of the project listed above will be finished and presented at the opening of the exhibition in November 20, 2016 when Jason and I plan to return to Kathmandu.\nAn exciting extension to this project is the plan to ship the artwork, publication, documentary, brochures and posters back to the United States where it will tour around the country and, possibly, internationally. Water issues are a worldwide concern and the Bagmati\u2019s perils are not unique. Our hope is that, by touring the exhibition and by combining it with site-specific exhibitions, audiences can create connections between their region and other global communities. There is a good deal that can be learned from the history of the Bagmati as well as from the grass roots efforts that created the Saturday Bagmati River clean-up program and the successful community health initiatives supported by the non-government organizations. All of these efforts has unified the underserved residents of the Kathmandu Valley to address the basic needs in their communities while creating hope and motivating government involvement.\u00a0\u00a0\nThe Burchfield Penney Art Center in Buffalo, New York is very interested in the merits of the project and they have volunteered to promote and organize the touring exhibition.\nFor more information please contact alberto@albertorey.com.\n\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\nProject Leaders\nAlberto Rey \u2013 Distinguished Professor in the Department of Visual Arts and New Media at the State University of New York at Fredonia, Director and Founder of S.A.R.E.P. Youth Fly fishing Program, and Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guide\nJason Dilworth \u2013 Assistant Professor in the Department of Visual Arts and New Media at the State University of New York at Fredonia and founder and director of several social design projects.\nMore information available at:\u00a0www.projectmlab.com\/Jason-Dilworth and\u00a0www.designersandforests.us\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-19 17:53 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8991"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6782","title":"SENSORICA and health care","content":"\nThere is a growing recognition about the negative effects stemming from commodifying innovation through restrictive I.P. protection and exclusivity, especially in the medical field. Open Source Development methodologies in software emerged as the dominant form of collaborative innovation in the late 90\u2019s and the trend has been spreading to a wider sphere of work. The IT infrastructure of today\u2019s world enables peers to connect, share and collaborate on solving common issues through use of collective knowledge. Commons-based peer production is the term that defines such collaborative efforts by peers. The collaborators act as the stewards of commonly held wealth and assets which could be anything ; monies, knowledge, equipment, reputations, social capital etc.The beauty of such networks is that development for one project can be mixed and remixed to suit a variety of other needs. Traditionally, such endeavors have been part of a gift-economy where peers do not seek tangible rewards for their contributions. However, for larger scale and mainstream economic model, gift economy is not a viable method for development. The question, then, is how do we keep track of contributions to inform fair rewards?\n\nThat is where the Open Value Network model (OVN) comes in. An OVN is built around a core open source community, preserving its nature, and adds layers of governance, infrastructure and methodologies in order to make large scale, open innovation networks as predictable and accountable as traditional organizations, such as coops or limited liability corporations. In an OVN, contributions to a process, be it tangible items such as time and money or intangibles such as social capital, are recorded and whatever benefit is derived from this process is proportionally divided and distributed back to contributors. This makes open networks sustainable, by allowing the implementation of capturing and redistribution mechanisms. Networks have yet to gain public recognition, legitimacy and legality, but the jury is out already, the OVN model makes open networks fully capable socioeconomic agents.\n\nSENSORICA is the first instantiation of the OVN model. It originated in Montreal, in early 2011. The initial focus of the network was to develop open source scientific research equipment using commons-based peer production methodologies. Indeed, most of activities are coordinated from the SENSORICA Montreal lab, a physical location where local affiliates can meet and work together. However, the Network Resource Planning (NRP) tools that Sensoricans have developed lays the foundation of a strong decentralized community without geographical borders. It allows tracking of the flow of resources through the entire system, at both micro and macro levels. NRP is the mainstay of all SENSORICA projects, and enables SENSORICA to practically implement the ideologies of collaborative and open innovation in a transparent and equitable manner.\n\nThe video bellow explains the idea in detail.\n\n\n\n\n\nThe wellness of societies and communities also depend on the innovation of its peers. Over the past few decades, the care aspect of communities has also been commodified. Healthcare and Education, the basics of human needs, have slowly been removed from the sphere of communities and instead, been handed over to closed and elitist institutions, including companies for profit-maximization. The result is a disjointed system where even these basic necessities are the purvey of the well-off. Moreover, in health care the quest for new cures and treatments is a quest for profits, and resources are mainly deployed in research and development (R&D) that promises good returns on investments. The illnesses of a few are forgotten. Just like with technological innovation, we, as a society, need to free knowledge and break down barriers to participation. For that to happen, Open Science will play a big part, meeting the requirement of creating open source scientific equipment and research methodologies that enable peers to do R&D on issues most important to them.\n\n\nSENSORICA's position on Open Science\n\n\n\n\n\nSee more on Open Science on SENSORICA's website.\n\nGuy Rouleau, the director of McGill University\u2019s Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) announced recently in the Science Magazine that his institute was going to steer towards Open Science.\n\n\n \u201cWe think that it is a way to accelerate discovery and the application of neuroscience.\u201d (\u2026) \u201cThere is a fair amount of patenting by people at the institute, but the outcomes have not been very useful\u201d (...) \u201cIt comes down to what is the reason for our existence? It\u2019s to accelerate science, not to make money.\u201d\n\n\nSENSORICA has already taken concrete steps towards implementing this vision. One of the first projects undertaken by Sensoricans was the Mosquito, a force-transducer with ability to detect micron-scale movements, designed for applications in biomechanics at the cellular level. Today, SENSORICA has over 15 projects for open source scientific instruments in different stages of development, some of them being used in University labs (see the full list). However, the main potential lies in the ability of the community to build upon these and many other devices and repurpose them to fit needs in diverse fields.\n\n\nSENSORICA's Mosquito system - by photo Daniel Brastaviceanu\n\nOpen source scientific instruments cost only of a small fraction to produce and to maintain, compared to their proprietary equivalents. This reduces the costs of innovation and widens participation in research. Professor Joshua Pearce from Michigan Tech University, and contributor to the SENSORICA OVN mentions in one of his papers:\n\n\n A case study of a syringe pump with numerous scientific and medical applications is presented. The results found millions of dollars of economic value from a relatively simple scientific device being released under open-licenses representing orders of magnitude in-crease in value from conventional proprietary development. The inescapable conclusion of this study is that FOSH development should be funded by organizations interested in maximizing re-turn on public investments particularly in technologies associated with science, medicine and education.\n\n\nDuring its six years in development, SENSORICA has prototyped formal relations with Universities and medical centers, demonstrating how the crowd and the institutional academia can successfully interface, opening wide and filtering participation in medical research, allowing discovery to go towards what matters to people, not just to Wall Street. The Mosquito sensor has been developed in collaboration with the Montreal Heart Institute and Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, the Manipulators have been developed in partnership with McGill University. Numerous students have done their internship within the SENSORICA lab, not only practicing their technical skills, but also learning how to operate in a network-type, highly collaborative environment. See SENSORICA\u2019s Interns webpage.\n\n\n --> Lower cost open source scientific instruments lower the barrier to entry to medical research.\n  --> Interfacing institutional academia with open networks frees research topics from the narrow profit motive and speeds up innovation\n\n\nIn early 2015, SENSORICA partnered with Breathing Games to produce an open source therapeutic device for kids suffering from cystic fibrosis. But this project is very different. As we are designing the hardware device, we are also thinking about how the data generated from its use during therapy sessions will be managed. It turns out that the blockchain technology can truly revolutionize how therapy and medical care are administered, and how the medical data is managed, and SENSORICA has already embarked in blockchain applications development.\n\n\n --> blockchain and other p2p technologies create the possibility of new health care services\n\n\nThe vision for SENSORICA is to demonstrate the economic viability and practical superiority of open innovation. Since innovation has been segregated from community for the better part of the last century, the possibilities of applications are endless. We are not claiming to have the solution all the problems that our health care system is facing, but our past experiences have allowed us to peer into a new realm of solutions, enabled by the new digital technology and the new socioeconomic processes it has made possible.\n\nThere is a lot of criticism for commons-based peer processes pertaining to their ability to deliver large scale solutions, while being self-sustainable. In other words, the conclusions point to the persistent need of traditional forms of organizing innovation, production and distribution, in order to fuel these new processes: one needs to have a paid job to contribute to open source development. The flaw in these arguments is that they analyse these new practices within the traditional capitalist paradigm. Commons-based peer processes are part of a new socioeconomic paradigm, which prescribes its own underlying theory of value and its own capturing and redistribution mechanisms. Saying that open innovation is unsustainable is factually false, even within the capitalist regime. Arduino, for example, is a very successful commercial operation relying entirely on open source hardware and software technology. Most successful 3D printing and personal drone commercial operations also rely on open source, as well as operations that provide blockchain applications. All these new and disruptive technologies are dominated by these new types of ventures who know how to steward open networks. Something is going on here, for those who have eyes to see. And all these organizations are only hybrids, in the sense that their structure have capturing mechanisms that function in a market-driven economy, while relying on commons-based peer processes for innovation. SENSORICA has data that shows, perhaps for the first time, how capturing mechanisms that are fully compatible with the logic of the p2p economy can be gradually introduced within this transitory economy, to become dominant in a very near future.\n\nWe do not have experience in pharmaceuticals. We cannot prescribe today a method through commons-based peer production to deliver a new drug, going through all the norms and regulations. The monetary costs associated with this type of ventures are huge, and if we transpose the challenge in an OVN setting it would require the deployment of an amount of resources and a complexity that we cannot sustain, at this point in time. But we do not see a hard barrier... As these systems scale, one day they will be capable of undertaking such challenges. Alternatively, we do have extensive experience with scientific instruments and less costly, and less regulated therapeutic devices. This is the path of least resistance for OVNs to infiltrate the care domain and gain strength. Joshua Pearce's conclusions show that once open source-based scientific instruments enter a market niche it totally disrupts it, putting traditional companies out of business, as they cannot sustain their operations at such low product prices. Operating at lower prices, the monetary rewards an organization gets for the product, doesn't mean that we are going towards poverty. The zero marginal cost tendency, driven by open innovation, only makes sense in the capitalist paradigm. These new organizations pull other benefits from non-market-based sources, which are forbidden to traditional for-profit enterprises. We need a different type of accounting in order to determine the wealth of network-type organizations, one that goes beyond monetary currency, because innovation, production and rewards are more and more driven and organized by new types of currencies, by new types of symbolic systems, by current-sees [a concept proposed by Arth Brook].\n\n\nWritten by Abran Khalid and Tiberius Brastaviceanu\n\n\n---------------------------------------------------------\nThe text has been remixed from a post for a book made by Tibi. Please see here for the original text.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-19 17:31 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"2050"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6781","title":"Equal Care Day, 29.2.","content":"\nWe campaign to establish February, 29th as\nEQUAL CARE DAY\nin order to draw attention to the lack of appreciation for care work in general and caring for children, sick, old or disabled people in our society. Do we really want people working with machines to be recognized and paid better than those working with people?\nTo illustrate the unfair distribution of this work: 80% of care work is done by women, professionally and even more privately: 80%. That\u2019s why the Equal Care Day will occur only every four years, as a reminder that, in Germany, men would take four years to equal the care work performed by women in a single year.\nCare work isn\u2019t a private matter.\nIt\u2019s not an individual decision, but something that affects and calls for all of us. At best, we defer the problem by paying through outsourcing. The effects of this uneven distribution especially affect men, not only morally, because they give up most of their duties and responsibilities, but also personally. After retiring, a lot of men regret not having saved more time to spend with their children, their families This is especially significant given mens\u2019 shorter life expectancy (5 years, on average) as compared to women \u2013 one of the reasons for that is that they\u2019re less careful with their own bodies (unhealthy diet, belated reaction to\/ignorance of symptoms, risky behavior, higher use of drugs, higher risk of suicide), maybe not individually, but statistically.\nP.S. PayGap and CareGap already exists in childrens's rooms\nThe imbalance starts out from children\u2019s rooms, not just because the adult world conveys narrow role models \u2013 but also because children themselves experience the CareGap as well as the PayGap: In average, boys\u2019 allowances are higher than girls\u2019 and girls are expected to help with housework and look after younger siblings a lot more than boys. We pass on a mix of sexism, racism and classism to the next Generation in a very subtle way.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-19 15:35 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8989"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6777","title":"People fighting depression TOGETHER","content":"\nHELLENIC ASSOCIATION FOR MOOD DISORDERS \"MAZI\" (\u201ctogether\u201d in Greek), is\u00a0a non-profit organization established at 2010 by the majority of people with personal experience (patients and relatives) with Mood Disorders, friends of these people and professional experts with a special interest to participate in the effort of the association.\u00a0The aim of the association is to support, empower and inform people suffering from mood disorder, their families\u00a0and friends.\u00a0The main vehicle for achieving this goal was the creation and support self-help groups for people with Mood Disorder.\nIn various foreign countries such groups (self-help or support groups) already count several years of experience and have proven their importance for effective self-management of Mood Disorders (in addition to any treatment). MAZI aspired to fill this gap in Greece.\u00a0At this moment there are 3 groups in Athens and one in Thessaloniki.\u00a0The ultimate goal is the creation and support of a nationwide network of regional annexes empowerment of people with mood disorder and mental health promotion.\nDuring the meet ups of MAZI\u2019s self-help groups, the participants share their experiences, personal feelings, information and strategies that have been developed to deal with mood disorder and live a fulfilling life. These sessions are about peer-support through sharing personal experiences, knowledge, concerns, worries and strategies.\nParticipants are people who have been diagnosed with mood disorder (Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymic Disorder, Bipolar Disorder I and II and cyclothymic disorder). The groups often include relatives and friends of people with mood disorder. These groups do not have a therapeutic clinical role and therefore do not replace or supersede any medical, psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment that the participants may receive.\nThere are no expert lectures and no self-pity parties. These self-help groups are meet ups of optimism, hope and encouragement. The specific objectives of the programme are:\n\n\nto support and encourage members in regaining control and improving the quality of their lives and their relationships.\n \n\nto provide an environment of emotional support, which reduces isolation and alienation, moderates despair and increases optimism, personal responsibility and self-acceptance.\n \n\nto help members extract greater joy and satisfaction from life, in spite of difficulties, obstacles, frustrations and setbacks.\n \n\nto help members learn and practice new, more effective and satisfactory ways of relating to others.\n \n\nIt is a collective and individual responsibility of each group member to make the discussion a safe place for sharing. We respect confidentiality, treating each other with respect, courtesy, understanding and compassion. Anyone wishing to share something has the opportunity to do so, with no participant monopolising the group\u2019s time. The group allows each participant to speak without interruptions and side conversations. Everything said there, stays there, following the prime rule of confidentiality which must be respected and observed by all. This rule is only lifted when a member declares that it intends to do harm to himself\/herself or to others.\nIt is OK to share, but whoever doesn\u2019t want to, is not obliged to do it. We are all equal, and no distinctions are permitted on the basis of gender, race or age. Everyone has the right to their own opinion and tries not to impose the accuracy or uniqueness of these views. We use the \u201cI\u201d language (or \u201cI message\u201d), we don\u2019t teach, command or advise others. We only share our experiences, ie. \u201caccording to my own experience, it is very helpful to\u2026\u201d rather than \u201cwhat you should do\u2026\u201d\nThis is not a program based on the \u201c12 step\u201d principle (ie. Alcoholics Anonymous). MAZI holds that each person has the knowledge and ability to find his personal path to \u2018cure'. Hence, the groups are not based on any particular theoretical approach, except the value of established self-help and peer-support in a safe and non-critical environment. \nFrom October 2014 until April 2016, MAZI\u00a0participated as\u00a0main partner in the program ''Citizens against depression\".\u00a0The Programme aimed to strengthen civil society and enhance the contribution of NGOs to social justice, democracy and sustainable development.\u00a0This project was\u00a0funded by the Greek NGO Programme \u201cWe are all Citizens\u201d which is part of the EEA & Norway Grants for Greece.\n\n\n\n\n\nOur main problem is the lack of our place. And this prevents us to carry out many other goals we have in order to fill the ever increasing needs of greek\u00a0society on mental health.\u00a0It is known that the financial crisis in our country makes it even more difficult. We need all the assistance that could be given in every way.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-09-18 20:27 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8986"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6776","title":"Developing a Community Supported Agriculture network to promote for food sovereignty and agroecology in Greece","content":"\n\u00a0\nMy name is Jenny Gkiougki and I have a Bachelor degree in Marketing and an MBA in Business Administration. During my residence abroad I was working as a business consultant and marketer. After ten years, I decided to return to my Greece to contribute to the local community. I am currently working on a project which is called \u201cReal Food Utopia\u201d as a co-facilitator with a foreign research partner, dealing with the mapping of alternative food systems in the region of Thessaloniki.\nThe workshops of the project are related to alternative economies, peri-urban gardening, refugees and food through a participatory procedure between people who belong to informal initiatives all around the city. This procedure also includes training in participatory video making and working on all its processes (ie. storyboards, editing) in order to create audiovisual material and share the technique with everyone who is interested in it.\nI am a member of the URGENCI International Network of Community Supported Agriculture, the European Movement for Food Sovereignty, the Mediterranean Network for Solidarity-based Local Partnerships and \u201cNeighbourhoods in Action\u201d. I have been working on this project for 5 years and I am currently cooperating with a team of another three more advocates to create a legal entity of this action. In the near future, we would like to expand our network through an open call all over Greece and reclaim our existing collaborations and good synergies abroad.\nMy interests also fall within ecovillages and permaculture all over Greece. Especially for the last case, I would like to encourage Greek people to be more involved in the procedure of the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) scheme, to share risks with their farmers during the cultivating season and create a new concept of human relationship within the community they interact with. Additionally, the enhancement of CSA would support small-scale farmers who lack access to the local market or get involved in complex food chains.\nWith this project, we would like to address the needs of small-scale farmers who wish to obtain access to European food markets at fair prices, but also consumers of all ages who become more conscious about food production and consumption. I would like to engage in interactive campaigns and seminars that target informal collectivities who are interested in food sovereignty, but lack financial resources and technical support. Our community project will form a new hub that will host them and their projects.\nWe are interested in creating a new agricultural production model in Greece, focusing on agroecology and self-sufficiency in the context of land and food management, considering limiting factors such as economic hardship. All in all, we pursue the transition to a new way of thinking and living through an \u201cumbrella\u201d project which consists of several innovative schemes.\nThe main scope of the project is to empower rural farmers and inspire rural lifestyle, by combining traditions and technology, based on the principles of permaculture. We wish to enhance small-scale agriculture, in order to revive Greece\u2019s rural areas and promote an economy that is based on social solidarity and alternative currencies.\nWhat we have in mind is summarized in the following fields of action:\n\n\nExporting network of agricultural products in Northern Europe (especially citrus, olive oil and \u201cugly\u201d fruits) that are produced by small-scale farmers to solidarity collectivities at fair prices.\n \n\nPromotion of food security and food sovereignty in Greece.\n \n\nRespond to the mainstream challenges by using our ingenuity and creativity for social \u2013nonpersonal- benefits.\n \n\nReduce food waste promoting \u201cugly\u201d fruits and vegetables focusing on good quality.\n \n\nBoost local economies and offer technical support to Community Supported Agriculture schemes.\n \n\nCreation of an official Greek hub for non formal groups working on food sovereignty that lack financial support.\n \n\nSaving of Greek agricultural land from the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund and ensuring its utilization through concession or purchase by our group in the context of communal ownership.\n \nIncrease awareness and educate farmers and consumers in order to become more conscious through seminars, campaigns and training sessions about sustainable farming methods and consumption patterns. Also, we are very interested in local pupils and students who are a significant target group.\n\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-09-18 20:21 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8985"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6775","title":"The story of the Migrants social center in Thessaloniki ","content":"\nThe Migrants Social Centre is a multifunctional space of solidarity in practice towards immigrants and at the same time serves as an open social center and meeting point for various movements and political resistance groups.\nThe Centre caters to the needs of immigrants, homeless, unemployed, low-income pensioners and locals in general, who have the opportunity to meet basic and social needs. This extends from food and clothing to socializing in the clubroom of the Centre. It is also open to local and foreign collectivities, such as theatrical groups or other alternative schemes that can\u2019t afford much money to rent a place in order to operate. And is accessed by both Greeks and immigrants (especially children) who lack educational opportunities.\nIt was established in 2004 on the initiative of Antiracist Initiative of Thessaloniki and since 2009 it is housed in a historic area of the city center. Beyond the Antiracist Initiative, its 3 floors currently house approximately 20 movements, labor, migration and social collectives, assemblies and other initiatives, like theatrical and cultural groups.\nInitiatives of the Migrants Social Centre also include voluntary actions of practical solidarity groups such as \u201cOut of the Classroom\u201d that offers free courses in Greeks and immigrants (Greek and foreign language lessons, additional teaching to Junior High School and High School students). It also runs:\n\n\na Solidarity Kitchen that offers meal and companionship to hundreds of people every weekend.\n \n\nRoom39 that gathers and distributes relief items and food to refugees and homeless.\n \n\nA Legal Support Group for refugees and immigrants and many other temporary or permanent activities.\n \n\nOther collectivities that reside independently in the Migrants Social Centre are Indigenous People of Biafra, the Network for Unemployed and Precarious Workers, the Network for Political and Social Rights, Ethical, Technological & Idealistic Association the Theatrical and Tango Group of Immigrants\u2019 Place, and much more.\nWe are reaching out to citizens and other local organizations through a dedicated website and our Facebook page, which includes all information that needs to be transferred to people in need. Additionally, we keep cooperating with collectivities all over the city and not only with these that are housed in the Migrants Social Centre, like the local social solidarity clinic.\nIn the Solidarity Kitchen, people who currently offer their services come from those who initially asked to have access to lunch on weekends. Also, we would like to highlight the contribution of Room 39\u2019s members, who deliver meals to homeless people all over the city center on bikes. It is the only initiative in Thessaloniki that serves food directly to the public spots where homeless people live every night.\nIt is a completely self-organised place, depending exclusively on volunteers\u2019 work and all of us who participate in it. Financially, the Social Centre is solely supported by donations of the participating groups and the profits of the clubroom.\nToday, the Migrants Social Centre faces many financial challenges, putting at risk its continuity and operations.\nOur Refugee Hostel was for years the only hosting structure for immigrants in Thessaloniki, offering free accommodation to 70 adults and children. When the Public Electricity Company cut the power in the hostel due to high debt, we reconnected the supply to our name. The existing debt will stop all activities and solidarity action housed and supported by the Centre. This includes the solidarity courses for locals and immigrants, the kitchen, the collection and distribution of relief items. Therefore, we address solidarity collectives in Greece and abroad, asking for contributions to repay this debt.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-09-18 20:09 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8984"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6774","title":"Mobilizing parents to offer care irrespective of their own hurdles.","content":"\nI have been a kindergarten teacher in public schools for 22 years. Looking back at my childhood, I was surrounded by my village\u2019s scents, friendly voices and the care of the neighborhood. Having this background, I moved on to study pedagogics, eventually becoming a wife and mother of three children. Since then, my constant self-discovery voyage with pupils, parents, and teachers who never stop learning and reforming is still going on.\nThe \u201cTree of Life\u2019 is the outcome of my fulfilled dream in building an extraordinary school in nature. A place where learning is accomplished experientially, in harmony and interaction with the natural environment, aiming to lead children on a wonderful quest.\u00a0The \"Tree of Life\u201d is a non-profit organization founded in June 2013. The idea was born from a group of people coming from different walks of life, who as citizens and as parents share similar concerns and dreams for the next generation. The world with values, morals, respect for fellow human beings and the environment, faith in the teamwork and creating. \u2018Together we can change our world\u2026\u2019 is the motto of our association in an effort to stress the anthropocentric aspect of life. \u00a0Our vision is to train a group of people who will form the core of a community where teamwork is based on creativity, meritocracy and joy rather than apathy, ignorance, indifference, and irresponsibility. The world that dares, cares, dreams, contests, and helps, and is doing so by changing whatever it doesn\u2019t like, and at any cost. The common denominator of this endeavor is the need for collaboration, solidarity, and offering without expecting personal benefits, the urge to defy fatigue and readiness to reduce one\u2019s \u201cvaluable\u201d personal time. Through our actions, we expect to restart - both financially as well as mentally. We believe that every problem has a solution and every day we keep working on this.\nOur team focuses on financial aid to minority groups, supporting vulnerable cases involving children and raising awareness of Municipalities and other Public Bodies. Moreover, we intend to encourage mobilization, action and contribution through promotion, education and entertainment and turn on the power of \"We\" despite the difficulties of our times. All actions of the association are dedicated to a specific purpose, with priority given to children and other vulnerable socio-economic groups. The unstable economic environment has eroded the values of our society, thereby the willingness of these groups to mobilize and diversify has waned. Some of our hitherto actions include support of orphanages and families facing life problems by collecting clothes, shoes, emergency supplies and food in cooperation with local churches. We have a project for interactive visual toy organization for children of 6-11 years and we created the Blood Bank \"Tree of Life\" in the Hippocrates Hospital of Thessaloniki. Several activities aim for personal development and increasing outreach, such as educational excursions, storytelling, drama therapy workshops, seminars with psychologists and renowned speakers, education and radio broadcasts. The \u2018Tree of Life\u2019 also features \u2018Lifecycle\u2019, a theatrical group composed of 35 volunteers, organizing theatrical performances in order to generate income for vulnerable social groups and communities.\u00a0\nThe beneficiaries of the \u2018Tree of Life\u2019 are:\n\npupils who learn by their parents\u2019 actions and who are identified by themselves and not by what they are doing.\nlocal communities getting inspired by the voluntary actions of the association.\nparents who get activated in order to interact with each other, contribute to their creativity and charity to people in need, irrespective of their personal hurdles.\u00a0\n\nA dedicated website and a Facebook page include all information that needs to be transferred to potential beneficiaries.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-09-18 17:16 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8983"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6772","title":"How do you find ways to make a living as a young generation which government does not care for? ","content":"\nI would like to share how complicated schooling and university education is in Madagascar, and how people are going about it, trapped between history and modernity. This big Island to the right of \u00a0Africa hosts20 million people, the majority still living under \u00a01 \u00a3 a day. They have a lot of opportunities which still need to be explored. And those opportunities are in the hand of the future generations who need some rejuvenation.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nMalagasy parents used to tell stories and legends to give wisdom, advice and knowledge to their children. When there were some schools appearing they thought that a story is not enough to raise their own child. Wisdom came before knowledge for Malagasy people. As Malagasy are saying \"Let your behavior be like a tree: if the roots are strong enough, leaves can shake as they want.\" \u00a0Parents decided to send children to school and encourage them to go further as long as they can support them. In fact having a son or daughter graduate from University is an honor for parents and children, it means that both are successful. In that time, to accept a job opportunity easily, leaving the familial cid and flying with their own wings is easier.\nNowadays, child education is a must until the 6th grade, to be exact. Knowing how to count, writing one\u2019s name or read, that's enough in some suburban places. Somewhere in the South of Madagascar kids have to travel 3 hours through village or dunes. Sometimes walking 15 km from school and going back and forth, sometimes students get a half day of school. There has never been a bus school or transport, and even if students get a student car they don't get reduction.\u00a0\nIt's happened that teachers don't get paid for three months, become lazy and don't teach classes. Sometime parents and someone in charge on school find a solution, telling parents to give some amount of money or telling his child to bring some rice for the canteen. In small villages school is far, college and high school is even farther, University is more in the province.\u00a0\nIt's happened also that parents are less educated and don't know how to guide the child, in fact the essential for the children is to manage their own life insurance.\u00a0\nGraduating from University doesn't make sense anymore for young people.\u00a0\nAs a young Malagasy person I know where we have been, but I don't know where are going...\u00a0\nAfter finishing your studies you need to line up behind millions of jobless for a job opportunity. \u00a0After investigation ; Many those young people\u00a0struggle and move on the street working as a \"taxi phone\" mobile cheap call, bus driver, gold digger... any available job in general. Some get influenced by easy money called \"bizna\":\u00a0it means selling anything, from a friend or relative, like cell phones, computers, tyres, cars.\u00a0Those who have funds to run their business can invest into something short term or permanent like restaurants, jewelry, imports etc.\u00a0\nLet\u2019s talk about it: 67 % of Malagasy people are about 15 to 25 years young. \u00a0Statistically 15 % of graduates get an exact job for the position that they prepared for in University, 65% remain jobless and 10 % know someone high placed and get to work for an unsuitable job and that they don't have any idea what it is about or how to do; about the last 5% have something \u00a0planned for, and finally the 5% remaining help \u00a0parents at home. Many foreign companies like to employ people from Sri Lanka or Indonesia because they are more skilled and less corrupted... We have more and more foreigners who are coming here to get rich. It's also another gate for economy and illnesses from both sides.\u00a0\nThere are some good things in progress.\u00a0Recently I met some people from Christian missionary\u00a0called ADRA \"Adventist Development and Relief Agency\" \u00a0using techniques to improve farming for those who have land or what to farming it was only a campaign. NGOs like USAID who have been here since 32 years to help Malagasy people to realize goals of development, recover from natural disaster like cyclones, health care like malnutrition, sponsoring on project used to be only for educational like \"youth and reproduction\", \u00a0\"Youth against HIV\". But it's only in the capital or on a regional campaign for few times and not long enough to be remembered by people. They are trying to give free training, help and support for young people in suburban areas but ... sometime with no success . Youth Volunteers like Peacecorps almost every year whose giving free teaching, help and give some supplies like pen and copy book, chalkboard \u00a0etc.. if they have something to give.\u00a0\nAll those things are looking good for a while, but they have no impact on their lifetime. There is no precise political with systematization or screening. There is not enough community who cares especially for young Malagasy. Insecurity, infrastructure and corruption are principal factors which still exist since long time and drag in deep water the majority of those young people. When I was asking them to give their thoughts, they say: \" We felt abandoned by the government, they only thinking about how to full they pockets. As we learned from school: \"I\" is going first and \"YOU\" is after, that\u2019s how people in government are thinking. Our daily duty is to wake-up, go outside chilling with friends, and go back home at lunch time\u201d.\nFinally, Malagasy people cannot lean on their own government, it doesn\u2019t have enough budget to overcome this or: the budget is going somewhere else which is more important, like towards health. Private school is plenty even if some of them don't have the right character as a normal school: no playing ground, no gates... Parents like it because the teaching method is quite modern and up to date, teachers are quite professional. \u00a0Some of those private schools belong to someone on the Government. The good thing is that teachers in private schools are at least able to do their job smoothly and actually finish school programs.\u00a0\nMalagasy people still believe that education is the best legacy.\u00a0\n\nHow do you find ways to make a living as a young generation which government does not care for ? \nPlease go\u00a0ahead, ask questions and add your comments :)\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-09-17 22:27 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8857"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6771","title":"Positive Voice Greece: Creating peer-to-peer networks and open infrastructure to help HIV\/AIDS patients.","content":"\n\"Positive Voice\"\u00a0is an association for People living with\u00a0HIV\/AIDS, founded in Athens in 2009 with the purpose of defending the rights of PLHIV, addressing the spread of HIV\/AID and reducing its social and economic impacts in Greece. The association strives to ensure better prevention and renovation practices, care services and social care for patients and social groups who are sensitive to HIV. We promote social acceptance, solidarity, and support of these groups, addressing violations of dignity and their human rights, especially for those living in conservative societies. Additionally, we share ideas and human stories, offer free non clinical\u00a0HIV \/ HBV and HCV\u00a0tests in a very discrete way in our premises in Athens and Thessaloniki, named Checkpoints - you can read more here-, run annual events and campaigns for public awareness all over Greece and on the occasion of World Days of HIV\/AIDS, Athens Pride or days dedicated to health prevention.\u00a0\n\n\n\n\nOur members\u2019 main goal is to offer training, psychological and technical peer-to-peer support inside clinics, especially for patients who lack family support for whatever reasons. Moreover, we have programs for harm reduction to HIV-infected prisoners, transgender people, and drug users. Our \u201cRed Umbrella\u201d program is a non-scientific supportive\/advisory center for sex workers, transgender people and all the vulnerable key affected population.\u00a0\n\n\"Positive Voice\"\u00a0participates in international and European networks for the support of HIV-vulnerable social groups. The association is an official partner with several international organizations and Institutes such as AIDS Action Europe, HIV Europe, IPPF, KETHEA-Ithaca, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and much more. In collaboration with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) of America, we have coordinated the development open of the infrastructure for\u00a0prevention, information and medical tests for HIV, Hepatitis B-C, and Syphilis.\n\nWe are very proud of our devoted voluntary network which operates on prevention training, information sharing, precaution and empowerment of HIV-infected people and participating in training seminars in Greece and abroad. This volunteer network has been educated in order to support street work, such as the distribution of condoms to key affected and vulnerable populations in Thessaloniki. At the same time, a dedicated website and a Facebook page,\u00a0Twitter account and Instagram account,\u00a0communicate all information that needs to be transferred to potential beneficiaries.\n\n#PositiveVoicegr\u00a0serves students in public schools who have the opportunity to get informed and participate in training seminars about HIV\/AIDS prevention. We also work with HIV-infected people who are involved in psychological support programs -in personal or team sessions- twice a week, conducted by psychologists on a voluntary basis, in order to establish a healthier functional framework.\n\nOur vision is to find an appropriate place to create a Centre beside the existing \u201cThess Check Point\u201d, for health rapid non clinical\u00a0tests\u00a0(HIV\/AIDS, Hepatitis B, C). This is where citizens will be able to get information about the proper sexual practice. The Centre will put an emphasis on sex workers, transgender people, and drug addicts. Moreover, it will provide psychological support for relatives and mates of the patients, to help eliminate the stigma and discrimination of HIV-infected people. \u00a0We wish to develop a patient-centric approach based on peer-to-peer education among HIV-infected people, in order to provide psychological and advisory support to their co-patients. This can take the form, for example, of reading books to patients who suffer from chronic illnesses, defective eyesight etc.\u00a0\n\nAccording to our human resources network, we are seeking ways to support financially our volunteer specialists (psychologists, sociologists), who provide invaluable professional services to the members of our association. And we continue the actions of helping more HIV-infected people in order to find a job and keep being productive, sociable and creative.\u00a0\nGeorge-Alexander Tanaskidis-Lampousnakis and Amalia Manolopoulou, representatives of the Department of Northern Greece \"Positive Voice\" Office\n\u00a0\n*Alexander Tanaskidis is\u00a0the direct representative of the Department of Northern Greece working at the headquarters of \"Positive Voice\"\u00a0in the city of Thessaloniki supporting a big\u00a0amount of\u00a0members on a daily basis. He has\u00a0a degree in Political Sciences Seminars, Degree in Journalism and a diploma in Social support and Social behavior. In this context, he had\u00a0participated in several patients\u2019 supportive programs in cancer clinics such as Happy Clown and Laughter Therapy. Furthermore, he is\u00a0connected to many international networks, such as Artists against AIDS, the European AIDS Treatment Group, the Network for Low HIV prevalence \u00a0and he is\u00a0currently an editor in a Greek social portal. In regards to his\u00a0duties at \"Positive Voice\", he\u00a0works\u00a0on media support, communication, fundraising and sponsoring, in collaboration with local and national mass media. Although he\u00a0has\u00a0participated in many training programs and seminars, he\u00a0would like to improve his\u00a0skills in the areas of empowerment, crisis, and behavioral management, which he\u00a0considers significant educational fields in his\u00a0job.\nGeorge Polkas (Checkpoint Thessaloniki Head, Artemis Charalampidis and Anestis Tsampouras, Sexual Health Counselors\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-09-17 15:23 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8979"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6767","title":"Care on the camp - A Calais story","content":"\nWhat follows is a long story documenting some of\u00a0my experiences working as a caregiver on the Calais camp during March - May 2016.\nThe first thing that strikes you about the Calais camp is the smell. In the beginning you assume it comes from the camp itself. After prolonged exposure to it you realise it comes from the chemical plant next door. It pours a strange chemical tang over the surrounding area. I will never forget that smell. It masks the true nature of the camp.\nI use this image to emphasise the unsanitary conditions of the site, and how you become desensitised to them.\nEach morning at the l\u2019Auberge des Migrants Warehouse between 40-200 volunteers arrive to help with the day\u2019s tasks. It is one of 2 or 3 three aid organisations in the area serving the needs of the camp.\nThe number varies depending on the day of the week or the time of year. The tasks at the warehouse vary in difficulty and duration. Some people may find themselves chopping firewood for a day, or sorting through clothing donations. Those that can only volunteer for a day or two will do these jobs that base them at the warehouse. Volunteers that are available for a week or more will join the clothing or food distribution team. This involves spending a lot of time on the camp working face-to-face with refugees.\nVolunteers available for a month or more find themselves joining the 'Aid Distribution' or 'Vulnerabilities' team.\nThese teams work on the camp every day. Travelling from shelter to shelter to assess aid requirements and taking clothes and food to vulnerable people (children, elderly, injured). When i started at the Calais camp these teams didn\u2019t exist. I helped to set up, test and structure the team program. Now, 5 months later the teams are indistinguishable from the basic structures that i helped to set up.\nWorking days are long and filled with waiting. Long-term volunteers have to balance time considerations to get the most work done. Volunteers arrive early. UK volunteers have early Channel ferries to pack a full day in. Or the locals from Belgium and France are more balanced towards early starts. As a result the warehouse opens early with many arriving around 8am to start working.\nOn the other end of the spectrum the refugees on the camp rarely rise before 11am. Many have been up for most of the night; making attempts to get into the port area, travelling to lorry parks nearby; etc. The camp itself comes to life at about 4pm with the most people around between 4pm and 10pm.\nThis means days often start with a lot of waiting. They often extend further into the evenings for the long-term volunteers. 12hr+ days without proper breaks are par for the course, particularly for the volunteers working on the camp with the refugees.\nThose working in the Aid Distribution team have to work in intimate personal spaces. The role requires you to enter into the shelters and tents of refugees to communicate with them. Preferably, this requires a translator, but most communication is through non-verbal, gesture and eye-contact. Even with a total language barrier, the way the refugees welcome you into their personal space is heart warming. The experience is unlike anything I have experienced elsewhere. For many British volunteers this immediate intimacy from strangers can be strange and disorienting. It feels odd to accept food, drink and hospitality from people who have so little already. Yet, rejecting the offer also seems heartless. It is difficult to balance these conflicting emotions. I often struggle to balance my desire to be \u2018efficient\u2019 at the task, with being \u2018friendly\u2019 to the people I\u2019m helping. I could spend a whole day working with only 10-15 people: Eating food with them; making notes about vulnerabilities; listening to the needs of their community and drinking sweet milk chai. Then I remember that there are thousands of people on the camp. If I spend the same amount of time with each group it would take years to finish the simple tasks.\nIn these small, intimate moments people open up to you. Some share stories, opinions on the camp or photos from their phones. Some photos are of family and home. Some photos are graphic images of violence and bloodshed. You never know if these images are from their own experience, or if they are from external sources. Almost every refugee can connect to the internet and people share images amongst groups. You know it would be rude to ask for verification. You are frequently reminded not to push anyone to tell you about their life before, or their journey. You are not a therapist and reliving traumatic experiences can re-traumatise them.\nThese moments also show you how angry people are. Refugees stop you in their shelters, or on the paths around the camp. Inter-community tensions seeps out through small cracks. The walls and fences of the Calais port don\u2019t discriminate between nations. So neither does the camp. Afghanis rub up against Iranians, Indians, Sudanese and Syrians. Some communities are better established on the camp. Some manage their resources and people better than others. Some communities have established 'leaders' who act as a lynchpin for fellow countrymen. I met a young Indian refugee who was angry there was no Indian community leader. I explained to him he was the first refugee from India i had met on the camp. He was de facto the community leader for his nation.\nRace, religion and resource issues overlap in a fraught and challenging space. It is surprising that it doesn't descend into violence more often. The fact it doesn't is a testament to the work done by volunteers, and faith and community leaders on the camp.\nWhen it does break down like this it is scary and totally unexpected. You can never relax into to the role. Every day demands that you prepare to be surprised. You can be disarmed by a moment of pure joy and positivity from a happy young man. Around the next corner you could be challenged by an angry refugee, or a major medical injury.\nSometimes the pressure comes from the armed police that surround the camp. At every entrance a bus full of armed police waits. They stop all vehicles going on to the camp. Sometimes they're friendly, sometimes officious, always confrontational. When there are problems on the camp or the nearby Motorway they respond with CS gas canisters. They fire them at will over the whole camp. Dispersing refugees into shelters. The canisters overheat when they let the gas out, this causes fires in the camp. Often the police target refugee communal areas like restaurants and shops. They try to use the gas to burn them down. I will never forget walking through the camp, under a thick fog of CS gas, my throat raw, shielding my watering eyes from the gas with a scarf.\nIn the end you start to live like the refugees on the camp: day-to-day, expecting the unexpected, desperate to get away to the \u2018real world\u2019 but somehow unable to move on.\nYou find yourself under the same strain as the refugees. You get emotionally attached to their quest. You want them to succeed at making it across the Channel. But when they leave the camp to try you feel a gut-wrenching fear for them. You\u2019ve heard too many bad stories \u2013 about the armed police; about the fascist skinheads that patrol around the ferry ports; and refrigerated lorries. Whilst I was there I met two people I later found out fell under the wheels of a moving lorry, or became trapped in airless lorry containers; suffocating to death.\nSometimes you hear someone you work alongside for months has made it across to the UK. You feel overwhelmingly happy for them. Then you feel sad and angry that you don\u2019t get to see them anymore. Then you feel guilty for being selfish.\nIn the end there is either hope, or hopelessness; Chance or no Chance. Both suffocate you and the refugees. It clouds all your conversations and interactions.\nMentally, the camp comes back with you into the volunteer spaces. Most volunteers are young people between the ages of 18 and 25. They are mostly students and temporary\/seasonal workers. A lot of long-term volunteers work in the UK music festival community.\n\u00a0\nMental health for the volunteers is a concern. Everyone lives on a knife-edge. Most volunteers self-finance their time working in Calais. They live frugally, stretching their money out. This means they end up living on top of each other. The warehouse team has a caravan park attached to the building. Volunteers with no money can stay there. Living up to 6 people in a caravan, with limited access to hot water and personal space. Volunteers who live in this enclave have a different experience to those who stay in private accommodation or hostels.\nEveryone experiences some form of trauma. Most experience exhaustion. Often trauma comes from being in scary situations that you aren't trained to deal with. Occasionally volunteer social workers, therapists and psychologists stop by the volunteer camps. They offer their services for free. As always, the people who need it the most are most likely to not take advantage of these services.\nI met a few long term volunteers who had become caregivers 24\/7. They would work long hours on the camp or managing the warehouse. In the evening they would sit listening to the emotional and personal problems of volunteers. They might operate on only 5-6 hours sleep per night and then do another 18hr day of work. Every day. Every week.\nDays off from the work of the warehouse and camp are encouraged, and even scheduled. But they are ignored, rescheduled, or simply don't happen. People feel responsible for the people on the camp. They can't switch off.\nThe management team at the warehouse made some great improvements even in the short time I was there. More training for long term volunteers on conflict resolution and dealing with difficult people. More training on how to self care and look after each other. The warehouse caravan park was designated an alcohol-free zone. Resident meeting were set back up. A weekly 'safe space' for free and open personal discussion was created in the warehouse. Weekly film screenings were restarted.\nOver all this positive improvement still hangs the uncertainty of the future. Volunteer numbers have decreased. Aid donations have slowed. Some organisations struggle to fundraise the money needed to provide services on the camp - for the first time since last year refugees on the camp report hunger and malnutrition.\nIn the face of this adversity volunteers get up every day and go onto the camp to help. They meet people new and old, hear new stories, discover new problems and show a friendly face to those in need. Not because it's their job, but because they feel a duty to help.\n\u00a0\nA 16yr old Afghani boy i worked with every day for 2 weeks asked me a question one night: \u201cWhy is the world so faithless?\u201d\nI didn't know how to respond at first. What did he mean? Was he asking about religion? I couldn't answer. So i thought for 10 minutes\nFinally, i responded:\n\"I don't think it is. The world is full for people who are scared. This fear drives their actions. But there are always others who respond to fear with love. This love is faith.\" He gave me a look that said 'strange European man, you know nothing of the world!'\nYet i stand by my answer. Every day hundreds of volunteers from all over Europe travel onto the Calais camp to show this love. They come with gifts and open hearts. They leave exhausted, frustrated and heartbroken. And they come back the next day, and the next. That has to be something positive.\n\u00a0\nDo you have similar experiences working with refugees in other parts of Europe?\nDo you have any useful experience that might help the volunteers at the camp?\nDo you have any ideas for how the Calais refugee situation could be re-structured after the evictions?\nAre there any other parts of my experience that you would like to learn more about?\n\u00a0\nThe production of this article was supported by Op3n Fellowships - an ongoing program for community contributors during May - November 2016\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-16 16:35 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"6559"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6765","title":"What is GNU Health about","content":"\nIt\u2019s mostly about changing the arrogant and irrealistic medical system, which operates outside of the communities and is based on universal, cookie-cutter solutions. \n\u00a0\nWe\u2019ve started the process in 2006 - our organisation,GNU Solidario, started as an educational initiative. The initial goal was to create free software with education and academic programs embedded into it, which would be accessible to remote areas in Latin America for example (I have worked there for many years). \n\u00a0\nThe longer I worked in some of the poorer countries, the better I understood that the pressing need is actually more basic - kids need good nutrition before they can go to school. And the ever present reductionist Model of Disease has to be changed into a holistic System of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. There are various reasons why countries fail at providing the best care possible: too much privatization, too much technology supplanting good, basic policies. Doctors being more drug sellers than anything else. Omnipresent micro-specialization, which pushes medicine even more towards seeing a person as particular organs instead of a whole, complex, bio-psicho-social-spiritual being. \n\u00a0\nAnd so we shifted towards the creation of the System of Health, a system that would integrate care providers, institutions, individuals. A system rooted in the idea of Social and Integrative Medicine, which promotes education, good nutrition, family affection, physical exercise, and sanitary housing conditions, along with the state of the art innovations in the areas of precision medicine, (epi)genetics, bioinformatics, as the best and most sustainable public policies one can make. With this concept in mind, \u00a0GNU Health (any pronunciation is OK, but I like the concept of \"new\") was born in 2008.\n\u00a0\nA little bit later, GNU took its recent shape of The Free Health and Hospital Information System, which is available in a form of wiki - dynamic as the health (care) itself and consistently updated. It can be installed and used by hospitals, governments, institutions, under a free license. As health and care are parts of a complex, multi-etiological and anthropological issues, the system we\u2019ve created allows management and analysis of a huge amount of data and aspects: \n\u00a0\n\n\nIndividual and community management: demographics, domiciliary units, families, operational areas and sectors, ...\n \n\nPatient management: Socioeconomics, lifestyle, encounters \/ evaluations, hospitalizations, lab reports, genetics, clinical history, ...\n \n\nHealth center management: Finances, stock, pharmacy , laboratory, Dx imaging, beds, operating rooms, appointments, supply chain management, human resources, \u2026\n \n\nInformation management: Reporting, Demographics and Epidemiology\n \n\n\u00a0\nAccess to this information and ability to interpret and understand it is a precondition to an effective (health) care system, and it has to complement the work of nurses, teachers, mothers and fathers, social workers and doctors\u2026 Our role is to provide these institutions with a system capable of handling and processing huge amounts of data, and based on these findings - craft optimized prevention and deploy effective teams to tackle challenges. Our maps, for example, can show in real time spots in which the outbreaks of dengue happens, allowing for fast reaction. But it does much more than that - it shows the relations between health and family violence and teenage pregnancy. It underlines social determinants. It grasps the relations between economy and well-being. \n\u00a0\nLater on, we have added more functionalities, for example, Universal Patient\u2019s ID that supports centralisation of information about a person - this way you\u2019re not a new patient to each one of your doctors, but your story is accessible to health professionals.The ID does not allow the duplication of either individuals or patient medical history at the health center. On the upcoming features, the GNU Health Federation, will allow to aggregate information coming from multiple contexts, and \n\u00a0\nGNU Health is, in fact, a philosophy. It is about multidisciplinary communities with various tasks that contribute to more effective, more empathetic, more patient and health-oriented care. It\u2019s about a new mindset and a new attitude of health professionals, whose work cannot be efficient without a human approach to the patients and a deep understanding of their condition. Nutrition, exercise, prevention, information, empathy, affection, family, hygiene, education, technology, housing conditions - these and many more aspects have to be taken care of and supplement each other. \n\u00a0\nThe system is being used in various places. In Argentina and Laos, it has been implemented by neurological and trauma rehabilitation and centers a few years ago. It is being installed in Argentina in districts to manage primary health centers. The Ministry of Health of Morelos, Mexico for the province. The biggest hospital in Laos, a reference in tropical diseases, runs on it as well. The government of Jamaica started a couple of years ago the implementation project for managing the Public Health system of the island.\n\u00a0\nThese institutions and countries are independent now from proprietary solutions, which should be the integral principle in health care. Their work and experience help to improve the community. It\u2019s a lot of solidarity, equity and community work as a result. And they\u2019re free from external vendors, institutions, licenses, they can modify the modules and create new ones - for example, the module dealing with Injury Surveillance System was built in response to the needs in Jamaica. \n\u00a0\nMoney helps us move faster, but it\u2019s the people who make us achieve really remarkable things. We understand how medicine can be improved, changed, how it needs to be adjusted to the cultural setting, and based on individual needs, precisely addressed. \n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-15 22:43 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8972"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6762","title":"How is living space related with care? Meet Sigried, an Interior Designer devoted to changing how we look at space.","content":"\nI met Sigried some years ago when I was working on a Parc project in Brussels and we had long discussions about the way she looks at the balance between public and private space. Between then and now she experimented around public \u2013 private space in Istambul, the Netherlands, Brussels and chose to practice her philosophy with her boyfriend, a product designer by living small (We\u00a0Live\u00a0Small\u00a0is an on-going experiment developing tools to make living in\u00a0small space possible.)\nWhen we meet again she comes back from a week working in her apartment and starts explaining why they chose to live small. For her living in a condensed space within the city is ideal if you design it well. In Belgium people have the reflex to buy fast, and you feel a societal pressure around it. Because buying in the city become impossible, people find big houses farther away from the city. But big houses means a lot of possessions, and it means working harder in desk jobs in the city, which means again more stress. So the logical decision to stop this infernal spiral for them was to choose to live small, really small, and use the exterior as complementary.\nThe secret of living decently in the city is to manage space and time differently, but she is aware that it becomes more difficult. Public space isn\u2019t anymore a space for everybody, but a space for nobody. A cleaned-out space that only looks pretty. Because our fascination for more sterile environments we lost the skills to interact with each other. Who needs to interact with your neighbour if you have all the space you need inside your private home. Living small could bring back the necessity of interaction and borrowing stuff from your neighbours, helping create a much-needed social fabric to your neighbourhood.\nWhen she works for the semi-public private space project Huis VDH she finds the same logic. Creating common spaces that gives the feeling of a home, but are able to invite people over to use it in certain ways. Why have a big living room with kitchen for social events that you organize four times a year at home when you could share such space with other people. Some things can be privatized but not everything. In the same line of thought she sees empty spaces above shops or pubs and restaurants as an opportunity to create common spaces for people living small. You could think: why not set bigger apartments above those places? That could immediately make it difficult for the bar or restaurant holder to continue his night live activities, and also this plays an important role in the city.\n\u2018But how could it directly be linked with care?\u2019, i asked her. She takes the example of elderly care, also discussed in the interview with Ginette where people even if they live in big houses don\u2019t have the time anymore to care for their elderly and put them into homes, from own experience we conclude that the home isn\u2019t the best designed space to give good care. Making effort to create a nice environment for the elder people could help them feel well longer. We know from studies that interaction is a key in stopping elderly dementia. So having public spaces designed around giving care and sharing part of your lives with unknown people could be a major incentive for our future problems with ageing population.\nWhen living in Istanbul it occurred to her that people interacted much more easily with each other in the street, even complete strangers could discuss with each other when waiting for the bus. She doesn\u2019t know exactly why it occurred much more often in Istambul then in Brussels but she had the feeling the way we use time was part of the solution. Living small gives you much more time to just sit around, be outside and make you car independent. Only this simple part, of not having a car makes you much more able to interact with the people you see. But don\u2019t be alarmed; this discussion didn\u2019t became a \u2018everything was better in the past\u2019 discussion.\nCascoland was another project where she worked around public and private space. One of the tasks she had was to implement a sharing community inside a mixed neighbourhood. Like in Germany or Suisse they printed out little signs of objects anybody could put on their door to show they can lent this out. What was interesting was the conclusion: when explaining the concept to people with only Dutch roots they answered almost all the time: but I have nothing to share. For them it was a difficult step to share something of their belongings with their neighbours. When explaining the concept to people with Arab roots for example they didn\u2019t have a problem with sharing and where found of the idea, but had a problem with the fact the stickers would become an opportunity for other people to come inside. Inside their community they already had all the needed interaction and didn\u2019t want something external extra. A compromise could be the organization Tournevie that puts in disposal several tools for the community. A semi-private public space, as we understand it.\nWe conclude on the fact that the creation of digital tools will not alone be the solution, what we need are well thought of spaces that give people the possibility to live at a descent standard without needing to fall in the spiral of a purely private ownership.\nSigried will be participating to the Open&Change Workshop in Brussels and will be working on the scenography of the place to give it a welcoming space to be creative about care solutions. \u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-15 19:28 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6761","title":"Using the transformative power of art to build community in the prison.","content":"\nIn the 1980s, my mother has been working as an educator in the prison of my hometown, Trikala. As a result, I have been countless times inside the prison premises, and I am accustomed to this environment since the age of 10. Coming from this background, with my family aware of the power of education and creative action for those who are serving in a prison, I always knew I would end up doing something within this field.\nOur societies usually perceive inmates as people that deserve a second chance. Instead, I believe that inmates need to be convinced to give to society a second chance, and trust it again. Having a clear understanding of the challenges, and having a background in visual arts, I wanted to make museums understand that they have a social role, complementary to the preservation of cultural heritage. They ought to get out of their box and get in closer contact with the society. The National Museum of Contemporary Art already has already been working with communities inside the prison system. In April 2015, as part of my thesis on designing a museum outreach program that is open to vulnerable social groups, I started the project in the prison of Trikala.\u00a0\nSince inmates were not allowed to visit museums, we started designing our own, inside the prison. We\u00a0collected all art pieces from the last 8 years -ranging from photography, sculpting, pottering and audio to texts and design. And we did standard museum work, such as documentation or writing captions for each piece.\nThe name \u201cMESA\u201d (= \u201cinside\u201d in Greek) came through elections, which involved campaign speeches and polls. It was a very empowering process, because, for most of the people, this was the first time they voted. Once the name was decided, we offered information and guidance about things like logo design. But the logo was designed one night by the inmates themselves inside the prison wing. As a second step, we thought it would be nice to open the museum to other structures, acting as curators. We approached other prisons and some of the artwork was sent to the National Museum of Modern Arts in Athens, the whole process designed and executed by the team.\u00a0\nThis was the first opening of the National Museum of Modern Arts in Athens, and I was very proud that this large museum was open to the work of a young curator and that of a very stigmatized social group. The project team comprised of 12 artists and architects, but there were about 40 contributors in total (visual artists, volunteers, museum staff, etc). Including the inmates at the Centre of Therapy for Addicts, this number was raised to 100. In the prison school, we realize aspects like the notion of collaboration and democracy, through art. In total, we work with four prison structures and a Centre of Therapy for Addicts (KETHEA), which receives addict inmates, with the prospect of detoxification. Eighty percent of our community is younger than 35 years old. Another fifteen percent is up to 50, and five percent up to 70 years of age. This has mainly to do with the fact that we work with prison schools. Ninety-five percent of the inmates we are working with are immigrants, but we are also working with the Centre of Therapy for Addicts (KETHEA) which hosts mainly Greeks.\nWe collaborate with the Ministries of Justice and Education, the Centre of Therapy for Addicts (KETHEA), the National Museum of Modern Arts and the Municipality of Korydallos, the city hosting Greece\u2019s largest prison. The schools are operating under the auspices of the prison system of Greece, and there are always certain procedures to be followed. The Ministry of Justice needs to offer permission to enter the prison premises.\nWe didn\u2019t face many institutional problems, because as the project gets established, the resistance drops. There are, of course, problems. For example, most times I find myself at the center of everything, having to manage from finances to human resources. However, such operations involve activities that cannot be handled by one person. This is why we are now talking about creating an operational team, that will be able to take decisions and execute the project. The members are already identified and we are now meeting to discuss future plans. \u00a0\nMESA is currently an informal team, but we are now in talks about the creation of a legal entity, so we can manage funds and scale our projects. Meanwhile, Greek authorities have declared that they would give priority to education over security - something that is a very strong commitment. We are waiting for replies from the Ministries, in order to see whether we can be part of any public programs.\nWe don\u2019t consider MESA as a lesson, but as a collaborative creative office. Everything is decided in the circle - my opinion doesn\u2019t count more than theirs. We always try to have our own rules, but we also know how we have to behave according to the rules of a confined prison environment. If some of them look dumb, then we know we need to try change them slowly. This doesn\u2019t mean that we compromise our action in order to avoid conflict with the authorities, but it is a relationship of trust that has to be built very carefully. For this reason, we are also offering meticulous training to our team.\u00a0\nThe authorities are very open, but there is still lots to be done. I would like, for example, to be able to get the team out of the prison, in order to join in the exhibition. It was very difficult for me at the opening of the exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, since the team was not allowed to participate. My team was inside the prison, and I was there, in a different environment, and had to talk on their behalf.\nThrough the project, the team is able to build several life skills. Maybe the most important one is leadership since everybody is responsible for something and the team is co-managed collectively. For inmates, the project cultivates the sense of collaboration and taking up responsibility. These might not be skills per se, but are important for those who are inside the prison. Another important aspect of working together is the ability to exercise crisis management, something that is important to them, but also to me. It is important that everyone understands how to bring the result to the team. And then, there is a set of skills related to the arts and other social issues.\nWorking inside the prison is not an easy task. You need to always maintain a distance. Not between humans, but you need to understand your limits and protect yourself emotionally. One way of achieving this is not to talk about or listen to personal issues. Surely, this becomes increasingly difficult over time. You need to have respect and trust, and everything needs to be clear to everyone from the very beginning. To be able to set the goals transparently, and not function, nor to be considered as a \u201cteacher\u201d but as a collaborator. As a principle, we never ask, and never want to know, about what type of crimes have resulted in somebody ending up in prison.\n\nThe biggest challenge is, maybe, how to mobilize the society. The best way is to do this slowly and gradually, with actions like this at the National Museum of Contemporary Arts, that attract publicity. We have tried to come out with quality art, backed up by solid artistic work and curation, so the initiative doesn\u2019t receive a \u201cthumbs up\u201d just out of compassion, but because of the integrity of the results. Our aim was to communicate with the society equally and to be proud of it.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-15 18:16 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8974"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6756","title":"Co-living in Milan","content":"\nSince summer 2009, 30 families started living together in the first \u201cofficial\u201d co-housing in a periferic neighborhood in Milan, and probably of whole Italy. To my knowledge, the phenomenon has been often recorded by the Media (radio, tv, magazines and newspapers) and Polytechnic of Milan (Ph.D. and Master dissertations) as a first and original case. For some months and years, people liked to come and visit, check, make interviews about an experience that, in those years, sounded strongly innovative and now is consolidated. Some other co-living \u201cresidences\u201d (but not many) of this kind have been promoted and started in the north of Italy and not only in Milan.\nWhat made this so new? Italy has a long story of small communities, both in the countryside (above all in the agricultural areas) and in urban areas. And we were about 70 people who didn't know each other before, who didn't share any identity or common belonging and who decided that co-housing could be a very good way to live. We have a shared living with semi professional kitchen, a small garden in the center of the building, shared laundry, bike space and hobbies area, and a terrace with swimming pool.\nIt took almost two years (2007-2009) of co-creation and creating bonds between the members. Meanwhile, we've projected (thanks also to facilitators' support) some of the physical aspects of the building which allowed \u201cpersonalization\u201d by the community and facilitated the\u00a0envisioning of a\u00a0\u201cway of living\u201d. We agreed on some basic rules, attitudes, priorities and so on. Co-housing is about these two elements: the physical (spaces, objects, homes and shared areas) and relationships.\nWhere are we about 7 years later?\n100 meetings +\ncountless B-Day parties and shared lunches and dinners, bbqs\n4 kids +\n3 cats +\nthe building is fixed\nrules of living have been adjusted through the real life experience\n\ngroup email and WhatsApp group still alive and working properly (communication is deep and useful to keep connection and support)\nmicro-welfare and mutual support include a lot of different situations (child care \/ homework\/ vacations, home trouble fixing, information, shopping for the neighbor, shared purchases, savings, medical support, emergency support, skills sharing\u2026)\nstill volunteering in groups (garden caring, swimming pool fixing, legal affairs, food purchase)\nfew people moved away but rented the house (just in case they come back)\nan association created to manage share expenses and service and to deal with town council and other local associations\nsharing knowledge and experiences (cooking course, dancing school, movies calendar, book presentations, pics competition\/games, summer kids caring..)\nopening up to local events, well known in the neighborhood, networking with local associations\nMany aspects should be analyzed for a precise assessment, some are probably specific to this very situation, some can be generalized. Of course only general considerations should be done, a detailed story would be more interesting as we have passed through several phases which coincided with the local and historical events (for example, the economic crises affected some of the member families; the city of Milan has been evolving; the arrival of new members - children; the Expo 2015 in Milan hosted nearby us\u2026). But that would be very long.\nWhat I'd like to focus on instead is the startup, the real \u201clifestyle storming\u201d, the community forming, the association phase, the community's opening up to the local area, the maturation phase, and the What\u2019s Next?...\nI can\u2019t say everything we've done was perfect but surely many lessons have been taken. \u00a0\nThe \u201clight community\u201d has grown and changed adapted. At the beginning, we met very often to decide on things. We've probably put too \u00a0much relevance in fulfilling the physical needs, while we should have been looking for ways in which we can balance different speeds for those who \u00a0wanted to live this experience and adjust the levels of engagement\u2026 The preparation phase (2007-2009) \u00a0could not \u201cprepare us\u201d for the real thing.\nThe big point is the continuous discussion among people (meeting, email, \u201cworking\u201d groups) which is the backbone of this lifestyle, but also takes time and energy. We did probably too much of it at the beginning.\nMany difficulties have been fought together as we've been creating a big space, with many problems to be fixed (electricity, legal, walls, gardens, technological infrastructure..). The social project was on top of that. None of us was particularly aware of good planning.\nThe kids have been a strong \u201cglue\u201d among the family with kids and others, who became kind of uncles, grandpas or grandmas. And a topic of discussion for the other ones.\nWe had to come by with a legal framework to a situation unknown by Italian law (we had to govern it in the traditional way). The paid professional legal \u201cadministrator\u201d has changed three times\u2026 It is hard for them to deal with a real counterpart with proposals and ideas for innovation.\nThe usage of shared spaces, or of the mailing list, have changed through the time as we understood our needs in by practice.\nThe opening up phase is probably one of the most interesting, as we tried to have our living room used by visitors. We have also created an association to manage the shared expenses (like a food purchase group, eventually a car), but also to prepare a project for the small park in front of home together with other associations.\nThis was exactly the kind of situation that sociological literature likes to call a \u201cgated community\u201d . bu we never felt like that. \u00a0we started as a non-group, we have become a light community with different sensibilities and priorities, we've engaged with the neighborhood in several ways, we took part in local decision making, social action, and so on\u2026\nIt is still difficult to take care of a community when everybody has its own life and duties, and probably some external help and supervision would have helped in moderating tension, in identifying new solutions... Goodwill is never enough.\nWe'd also gladly make use of a practical tool, perhaps a platform, to share materials, ideas, needs, etc. And being part of a bigger network to compare notes, support each other, share more, and maybe be connected with the town council infrastructure (cars, electricity, water, events, \u2026)\nAnyhow, both visitor and inhabitants of the place are still surprised by the aesthetic, the connection, the quality of living which is hugely superior to any normal flat experience in a city (and even in countryside) they experience here. And we are frequently asked if any apartment is on sale or for rent.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-15 11:04 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"458"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6754","title":"Orange House Athens","content":"\nThe Orange House in the heart of Athens is changing the negative image about refugees through the cultivation of social skills.\nI am involved in refugee care as a volunteer since years because several of my friends are refugees. My partner, Hassan, comes from Syria and also had to cross the Aegean Sea. Last year, when I saw the gaps in the official structures for refugee \u00a0relief, I decided to create the Orange House. Many non-Greek volunteers offered to give money if I decided to build something. At first, we only thought of one room, because we didn\u2019t have a lot of cash. But then, we found this house that was not used for several months. In fact, it was an old electronics and computer shop. Slowly, I started asking for help and people got involved with all things related to opening a space that would offer human shelter. This was the beginning of the Orange House, which opened in May 2016.\nThe house has three floors, the upper one reserved for resident refugees who live inside it. They cook, clean and take care of the space by themselves. We rarely enter their space, unless some maintenance work is necessary. On the ground floor, there is a common space for everyone, which hosts several classes and sessions: from yoga to music, salsa dancing, and movie screenings. We use the half-basement, as a classroom for language classes, including Greek, English, Spanish, French and German on different levels. We also have a room in which we just meet to talk with each other and other spaces for storing clothes, glasses, food, educational material, bathing towels, etc. There is a kitchen and bathroom for people to walk in, a courtyard and a simple roof garden to grow vegetables in self-made contained made of old cargo palettes. The Orange House hosts a specialized 2-hour LGBT program for refugees every Monday, also visited by a guy from an Athens checkpoint to meet and offer help to the community.\u00a0\nOur house is open for visits by NGOs, artists, gardeners and everyone who wishes to offer creative inputs, such as salsa, music classes, or just brainstorm on what we can do better. It is hard to say how many people visit the common space. Some people come for a specific activity like a lesson in German or French. Some other women bring their kids for all day long. Volunteers can also attend classes and other activities, which are offered totally free. However, we are planning to be able to make some items to sell, such as cooked food or jewelry made by some of the residents. Our idea for the future of the house is that the refugees in collaboration with the wider community will be able to generate their own money through the skills they have and develop. For example, we have some women with a talent for cooking, hairdressing, and Arabic calligraphy. The idea is that one day all this will evolve to a social enterprise, where residents in the Orange House will be their own boss.\nThe operations of the house are managed by the community. For example, an Iranian woman is teaching someone else to do jewelry. Same goes with all housekeeping, like cooking and cleaning.\u00a0\nWe now want to register as a legal entity, in order to be able to manage funds. At the moment, I am renting the house under my name, paying 1000 euro for a monthly rent, and another 1000 for utility bills. The volunteers of the Orange House usually bring some cash and then we ask it they can change that lamp, or cover some other cost. We always have one volunteer sleeping inside the house, and we have a schedule of who is coming and for what reason. There are no public authorities or institutions involved in the project. We are just like that. Mohammed, one of the board members, works as a doctor for Doctors of the World and brings useful information about persons that need shelter. Some other NGOs also visit us to see in there are any needs.\u00a0\nPeople usually appreciate what we do and the way we do it. When I tell them \u201clook at me, I am Greek-French and I look like this\u201d. Or when they see me together with my Syrian partner. I am Christian and he is Muslim, and some people think that this is something strange. But we know how to laugh about it, and tell them that these refugees are not terrorists or criminals, but humans like everyone else.\nWhen we first entered the house in May 2016, the place was so dirty and so many things were in need of repair. I knew since the beginning that it will be a lot of work, that I will need to work two weeks full time to get everything going. But this was not true at all because it takes much more time than I initially thought. Together we are taking very good care of our space. No alcohol, smoking or drugs are allowed in the Orange House. We check who is coming in and the neighborhood feels reassured. When people see refugees doing a yoga or salsa class, they have a different image of them. Instead of seeing the of misery, like on the Lesbos island or other camps shown on TV, we show that we grow happiness and care for the community. When we started, we noticed that most people don't know how to speak a language other than theirs. This is why we called the place \u201cOrange House\u201d because the word \u201corange\u201d sounds similarly in Greek and Arabic. We also painted the house in orange color, so people coming for the first time can distinguish it easily. At the beginning, the biggest problem was bureaucracy. I didn\u2019t know whom to address to get information on how to set up an organization. Someone suggested a lawyer, but I am still waiting for the paperwork since two months. We didn\u2019t face any conflicts with the legal system because we are very careful of what we do inside the house. We brought engineers, social workers, and another expert to advise us and ensure that what we do is not something illegal.\nWhen we were almost done with all the work, I posted a poster in Greek, explaining to neighbors that what they see is the preparation of a house and school for refugees. We made a house-warming party, and we invited everyone to join, see for themselves and ask questions. This is a process of building trust. At the end of the day, there was only one neighbor that came to ask. Most people simply don\u2019t care, otherwise, we could have more reaction. The house currently hosts 15 residents. We can only accept up to 20 persons because we only have 3 bathrooms, which is the major limitation. We explain to everyone that they must contribute to housekeeping, participate in the training programs and that it is important that we share everything. We cannot be with someone that wants to be alone in the bedroom, for example. It is not possible for us. There are about 50 people that visit the Orange House to receive some sort of service. For example, a 16-year-old who is very lonely and comes just to speak with others. Many of our visitors are staying in squats, camps of other shelters where conditions are not very good, but they come to the house because they like the atmosphere. When a visitor comes we offer tea, we talk and listen, but also sing and dance. It is really like a house, not like a social service type of place.\u00a0\nResidency is only open to women and children, but male visitors are also welcome to join in the activities. Most of the male refugees arrived earlier, so the majority of the people arriving now in Greece are women and children. Quite often, we have women that have suffered some sort of abuse. We have listened to some very tough stories. Most of the volunteers are refugees themselves, or people coming from abroad and then going back home. Many people think volunteers need only shelter and food. But the reality asks for the development of real skills, to help them integrate into the society, but also have some fun. It is hard to find people that are not skilled to refugee care, but they have specific skills. What we need to have is a salsa or a hip hop teacher, or somebody that can help with the roof garden. For example, one of my friends is an electrician and is coming to do maintenance work in the building, for free.\nAnyone entering the house as a resident has to commit to attending 5 classes per week. Therefore, there is at least one activity taking place in some of the spaces every day. Sometimes, we organize outdoor activities, like hiking excursions. Refugees that benefit from the training programs at the Orange House are progressing their social skills very fast in. When a mother with a 17-year-old son arrived in May they spoke Farsi. They are now speaking fluent English. This is because everybody is connected through some sort of social action. The transformations we observe, offer some very important lessons. One of them is about the importance of patience, even when you are passionate about something. Starting a community of care is like planting a tree, and needs time to develop. There are times that you see things going wrong and always question what doesn\u2019t work. But, actually, it is important to not give up and say that you have to try again. That you will tease many people, but at the end, it will work out. Over time, I am learning how to be more grateful for every progress that is happening inside the house. Any positive impact is important.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-14 20:43 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8971"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6752","title":"After Occupy: How we are developing structures to empower community health, access to resources, and preventative medicine","content":"\n\n\u201cA Resolution\u201d points to the sparks that are creating a new light in the growing darkness: the revolutionary wave that spread from Tunis to New York; the Kurdish freedom struggle and the war against ISIS in Rojava; the riots and blockades sparked by the killings of Mike Brown and Eric Garner; and the retooling and remaking of life with \u201ccivilization starter kits\u201d and \u201cremoving the dust\u201d from indigenous knowledges and practices. \u201cWe, the people who work every day, who think we \u2018don\u2019t have time\u2019 - we are the only ones who can do this,\u201d said a Woodbine co-founder. \u201cNo one\u2019s going to do this for us\u2014no politician, no technological innovation, no international agreement. If we want a different future, we are going to have to make it, from where we are and in every place.\u201d\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n\n\n\u00a0\nThe Woodbine Health Autonomy Resource Center is in Ridgewood, Queens. It is part of Woodbine, a hub for building autonomy in the wake of a dying civilization.\nOur goal is to examine what health autonomy would look like and how to begin to build it for ourselves here in New York city. We are beginning by providing ways to interact with neighbors, to think of health and care as a communal process, and becoming a point of aggregation where people can come together and share resources. We currently facilitate health related skill shares, create concrete ways to navigate the overwhelming health infrastructure that exists while lessening our dependence on it, in order to build an autonomous health community.\nWe are beginning to experiment with providing care outside of the realm of state control. This practice may involve working outside the structure of licenses, certifications and insurance. Our intention is always to heal, and so we are finding ways to do this that protects providers and patients.\nWithin Woodbine, the struggle for autonomy has been broken down into categories of the most urgent material necessity, meant to focus our attention on tangible goals toward building power within our community. Health autonomy is a crucial part of this. The health resource center is run by a mix of health professionals and those with informal training in various health practices. We want to re-create a sense of agency over health through a focus on the dissemination of usable, teachable skills. We are working with peers who practice herbal medicine, massage, feldenkrais, acupuncture, meditation, yoga and other forms of so called \u201calternative\u201d medicine. We are creating our own definition of wellness, one that is congruent with the realities of our time. There is also a large focus on prevention of illness, of re-fostering the idea of a healthy life, not merely the absence of disease. This is how we begin the necessary process of removing our physical and mental health from systems that would damage them further, to reclaim control over health and use it to increase our collective autonomy.\nWe do not reject modern methods of medicine, but recognize the need to detach its knowledge from the oppressive institutions that guard it. We are attempting to change our orientation to institutions of western medicine to one of use over dependence; a manipulation of the systems that surround us. While there are significant problems with the city\u2019s public health infrastructure, they do provide much of the emergency and chronic care here. We realize that there needs to be support for people needing to navigate these without the fear of accruing a huge amount debt, alongside the emphasis of practices that will ultimately lessen dependence on them. The spaces dedicated to holistic medicine or alternative care are largely inaccessible to large portions of the population because they exist for those who can afford them. For these reasons, our center is meant to involve community members, help us understand the care-related skills we already have, and be an informational resource for accessing all types of health modalities. We have public open times for the community, staffed by one of our members, to assist in that process.\nOur skills workshops so far have included basic first aid, wound care, acupressure and intro to traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and an intro to medicinal plants. Coming up we will have workshops on navigating existing healthcare systems, nutrition, addiction and ongoing fitness skillshares. Our goal is that participants can use the resource library to learn about things relevant to their own health, potentially explore different modalities, and either receive aid in navigating the health systems in place or find treatment within the space itself.\nAs we gain ground in the journey towards health autonomy, we see just how disempowered we have become when it comes to being able to give and receive the kind of care necessary. We have to fight that disconnection and build the infrastructure in order to give ourselves the space to envision a new existence. We look forward to hearing your stories, to understand your struggles and to collectively create the foundations to answer these monumental questions.\n\u00a0Editor's note: We\u00a0are building a\u00a0collaborative bid for the MacArhur Foundation's 100 Million USD with our peers in 40 + countires. You are very welcome to join us if\u00a0you are doing work at the intersections of care, open knowledge and\u00a0technologies, and communities. Learn more at\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/openandchange.care.\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-14 8:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8896"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6751","title":"KANNABIO uses a crop on the edge to drive cooperative agriculture in Greece","content":"\nIn April 2016, the production of industrial hemp was legalized by the Greek state after 60 long years of prohibition, introducing new opportunities and markets to a country that is trying to get back on its feet. It\u2019s been a long known fact that Greece\u2019s agriculture and farming sectors have significant growth potential, especially for organic production and niche products\/markets. With the right climate, soil, and geographical diversity, we believe that hemp cultivation can flourish in Greece. As a result of recent legislation, we established KANNABIO, the first organic hemp social cooperative in the country, just a few days after the ministerial decision was signed.\nKANNABIO has as a mission to promote Greek hemp as a quality product of origin and assist the development of the industry in Greece. Our goal is to get involved in organic and cooperative farming and processing, to produce quality organic hemp products, to promote the social and solidarity economy and protect the environment. Moreover, we undertake participatory research on hemp cultivation and processing, raise awareness about the benefits of hemp for the economy and the environment, while providing expertise, networking and promotion opportunities to local farmers.\nOur founding members are involved in hemp trade since 1998 and are at the forefront of the legalization campaign in Greece since 2005. Two of the farmers-partners of KANNABIO are among the first three farmers to receive permission for hemp cultivation in Greece in 2016. Both of them owned hemp shops that were raided by police in 1998 and their products (clothes) were confiscated, while they faced a lengthy trial period for many years before they got acquitted but never compensated.\nKANNABIO\u2019s vision for Greek organic hemp is to become an international standard of organic quality through cooperative cultivation and processing. We want to lay the foundations for the promotion and sustainable use of the plant, and we want to actively contribute to the establishment of a healthy and cooperative hemp market in Greece, by supporting sustainable agricultural practices and rural development. As such, we oversee the production of organic hemp oil extraction products, nutritional supplements, and personal hygiene products, as well as the production of hemp-lime for eco-friendly building materials.\nWe want to promote cooperative principles and a philosophy of working collaboratively. We don\u2019t focus narrowly on the commercial side of hemp, but our aim is to provide awareness, training, engagement, jobs and social consciousness, alongside the production of quality, organic health and nutrition products. In this effort, we aim to create novel healthy products that can contribute daily to the health of citizens, but also provide natural and accessible supplements to patients of various serious diseases.\nCurrently, we are finalizing a business investment plan in order to attract investment for establishing a small-scale cooperative production unit of hemp oils, hemp nutritional and personal hygiene products. Our production target for 2017 is to sign contracts with farmers for 25 hectares. In parallel, KANNABIO hemp co-op has developed a more integrated vision for cooperative hemp cultivation and processing in Greece, to support the establishment of the Greek hemp industry. This includes the creation of a mobile Hemp Caravan Museum that will travel all around Greece visiting different cities, organizing public events with guest speakers and guided exhibition tours for key stakeholders (farmers, processors, traders, public officials) and the wider public.\nThis action will bridge the knowledge gap that 60 years of hemp prohibition created and will contribute to capacity building and sensitization of farmers, professionals on the market and consumers about prospects of cooperative hemp cultivation and processing. Moreover, our cooperative vision includes the creation of a large-scale hemp processing unit producing fiber, shivs, flowers, seeds and dust, also including a production line of hemp insulation and construction material.\nCooperative business plan\nThe social cooperative will employ by priority unemployed, skilled youth and women, 35% of its net earnings will be reinvested in the cooperative, its employees and the creation of new jobs, while it will be governed by its shareholders. The shareholders will hold one vote each in the General Assembly, independently of the amount of shares they own (no more than 5% of the company share value for each shareholder).\nWe strongly believe and we have proposed to state authorities that in Greece, we have the capacity and the potential for the creation of 10 cooperative processing units in 10 different regions, that will be able to process at least 2.500 hectares each, by utilizing abandoned industrial facilities all over the country. Our long-term vision is the Cooperative Greek Hemp Industry to cultivate and process 25.000 hectares of hemp in 10-15 years time, converting more land into sustainable practices.\n\nFinally, our cooperative plan includes the establishment of a non-profit Hemp R&D Foundation that will develop Greek hemp breeds by utilizing past and ongoing research and will provide technical support for cultivation and processing. The Foundation will also provide applied research and applications on cooperative schemes and practices for hemp cultivation and processing.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-14 7:30 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8969"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6747","title":"FairCoop - Spreading the seed of cooperation to replace competition","content":"\nFairCoop is, in fact, a lot of projects with a unifying mission behind all of them: to build alternative, grassroots-driven economy, which will be participatory, fair and belong to the people. All of the members of our global collective want to see that happen. \n\u00a0\nThe FairCoop Thessaloniki is a local group linked to the global movement. We\u2019re all dealing in different ways with the establishment of tools and processes that would bring about alternative, cooperative economies. \n\u00a0\nIn the case of our city, to some extent, it\u2019s done by implementation of alternative cryptocurrency, faircoin, developed by the FairCoop. We try to understand ways in which this currency, and a local currency introduced after the crisis, can coexist and supplement each other. In any case, the goal is to free ourselves from proprietary technologies and capitalist banking systems - by creating a parallel circular model, ideally connecting and supporting a whole ecosystem of projects locally and globally. \n\u00a0\nThere is also the ambition to create a health care system within the communities by implementing the same solutions and building autonomous, community managed and driven scheme, highly independent from the existing one. For example, it could be done by using the percentage of community\u2019s income to fund health care. It could even in the future take shape of an autonomous security system. Considering the increasingly ubiquitous 3D technology, many of the medical tools can be soon printed cheaply by anyone. Small ethical pharmaceuticals will be able to produce their own medicine. And all the wealth that is sucked up from the communities will stay there, making them stronger and independent. It is already the case in Spain, where after 6 years of experiments in the communities of all kinds a lot of generated income has been fed back and used to build, support projects, create systems of all kinds. \n\u00a0\nWe also plan to replace the public system with a cooperative one. For now, it\u2019s a hurdle - but in the future, it will be possible. The condition? The strong community behind it. \n\u00a0\nFairCoop exists since 2 years, and in Thessaloniki, it started a few months ago. We have links with dozens of cooperatives, organizations, initiatives and communities - such as Bitcoin community, P2P foundation, Catalonia Cooperative, etc. We\u2019ve brought on board more than 1000 people so far. Yet, there\u2019s still a lot to be done. We need to connect and build stronger alliances even in the cities - in Thessaloniki, many existing initiatives remain disconnected from each other. We need to develop models of integral cooperation on different levels. Bring decentralized technologies to local communities to make them more resilient. And seed the idea of cooperation, which will replace competition. \n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-12 18:26 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8960"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6746","title":"Trauma Tour ","content":"\nI have been working as a trauma therapist since 10 years. It\u2019s not an area that many psychotherapists decide to explore in their daily practice, but ever since I can remember it was the most appealing area of psychotherapy for me. And one that is highly unexplored and somehow underrepresented. \n\u00a0\nOne of the reasons why I decided to try Trauma Tour is my exchange with a patient over Twitter. We\u2019ve been talking online for a very long time about her experience, as she cannot come and see me in Belgium. And then I thought, I should be able to go and see her. \n\u00a0\nWe, psychotherapists, stay in our daily practices. We don\u2019t move. We don\u2019t reach out and explain things to people. We do things with individuals - why not try to work with a group, and talk to a group? This is what I\u2019d rather do. The more I thought about it, the more sense it made. \n\u00a0\nEventually I bought a bus. My very first tour this week goes to Ghent, where I already have connected with potential participants. It will be a chance for me to see in what ways I can connect with groups. How to talk to people about trauma? How to equip them with knowledge and capacity to deal with their own experiences? And what could \u00a0be a possible model for sustaining the project, as I really want to go far with my tour, reaching the Balkans, Greece, visit communities out there. Ultimately, I\u2019d also like to volunteer in refugee camps and serve with my knowledge and experience there (I do work in an asylum center in Belgium once a week). \n\u00a0\nDuring the preparation for the tour I have realised there is a big interest in the topic already - people really want to know more about trauma. I\u2019ve already taken a step towards promoting awareness and dealing with the problem - I wrote a book about trauma last year. The book became quite popular, and it\u2019s now being translated from Dutch to English. It will be available in January, and it is based on common licence, along with the exercises included. This decision is based on my view that psychological knowledge, and therapeutical knowledge, are all based on dozens of years of collective practice and wisdom accumulated which should be available to everyone without limitations, certifications, individualisation...\n\u00a0\nI need to extend my network now in order to connect with communities and groups that would like to host me. I could be travelling from one place to another this way, knowing there would be support and people to talk to. I need to figure out best ways to sustain myself - travelling for long would cost me my patients, and a source of income. If you\u2019d like to give me a tip, share an idea, help me prepare the tour - leave a comment. \n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-12 16:06 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8959"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6743","title":"Smart swarms for the win: the Open&Change draft application is online ","content":"\n\nAbout two months ago, we set out to convene a smart swarm of grassroots initiatives to renew health and social care. The idea was big and ambitious: cast communities \u00a0as care providers, alongside the state and private business. We had decided to run for a 100 million dollars grant, the MacArthur's Foundation 100&Change. But not as an organization. We would run as a smart swarm of grassroots initiatives around care.\nWe have researched \"care by communities\" in the opencare project. We fancy ourselves experts in the field. But this new task was not research: it was design. How could all those independent local initiatives combine a in a tentative system-level solution? No way this could happen through scaling grassroots initiatives. They are so fast end efficient because they mobilize local resources: skills, mutual trust, capital, institutions. They should scale as far as these resources extend, but no further. No, what we needed was an ecosystem, an organic mosaic of local solutions. We needed to think like biologists, not like engineers.\u00a0\nThere was only one problem: you can't design an ecosystems. Ecosystems evolve. They are so fast, efficient, diverse and beautiful precisely because no one agency controls them. Hell, they die if you try to control them too tightly. So, we did not try to design care by community at scale. Instead, we designed a context that speeds up mutation, adaptation, exchange (both cultural and economic) and selection of grassroots initiatives. The key is to hardcode incentives for them to want to interact. With no interactivity there is no ecosystem; if it does not have links, it's not a network.\nI hate application forms just as much as the next guy, but this one was a lot of fun. It felt right, honest. It is so strange that we could see no point in trying to bullshit the judges into selecting us. We are proposing something different, and scary, and exciting. If they go for it, better they go with their eyes wide open.\u00a0\nBut there is something else that makes me think we are on the right track. This: everybody hates the grant cycle. It just does not work, and it has to go. Putting money on the table attracts the sharks as well as the good guys, and the sharks have an advantage: they don't care about the problems, they only need to please the grant giver.\u00a0Grant givers know this, so they respond by putting in place rules and control systems to keep the sharks away. But of course the sharks mutate, camouflage. They go to the right conferences. They talk to funders. They pick up the exciting new concepts and ape them, turning them into hollow\u00a0buzzwords. So the grant givers erect new barriers, and so on. The result is an arms race. The losers are the doers, who need to spend more and more time differentiating themselves from the parasites. Some of them even give up, focus more and more on getting the next grant, and become parasites themselves. In the grant cycle nobody can hear you scream.\nThis won't happen in Open&Change. For two reasons.\u00a0\nFirst, there is no incentive to become a parasite. If we win, we win as a swarm. MacArthur will perceive the swarm, not the single organizations. Our best path to prosperity is to avoid mission drift, use the swarm to get our initiative off the ground, and never have to chase a grant again.\u00a0\nSecond, we are not alone. We share the grant with hundreds of peers. They can and should be our partners, suppliers, clients, friends. The grant brings us together, instead of driving us apart in a competitive logic.\u00a0\nAgainst all the odds, I am quite upbeat about Open&Change. It feels like we are onto something. Judge for yourself: we have published a draft application form in Creative Commons. You are welcome to read, comment, and help make it better. If you are a potential competitor feel free to use it, but please do credit us, as per the terms of the license.\u00a0\nLearn more on Open&Change\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-09-11 21:43 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6729","title":"COSMUS (diy) - One to One: Donating backpacks full of care","content":"\nIn August 2015, as the first large waves of refugees started landing on the Greek shores and stuck along the border of Idomeni, I started this initiative of collecting and filling backpacks with first need items for refugees. At first, this has started very modestly, with a few friends organizing clothing donations through the Facebook https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/%CE%A3%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CE%A0%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%83%CF%86%CF%8D%CE%B3%CF%89%CE%BDBackpacks-for-the-RefugeesSolutions-for-Homeless-148172338861553\/?ref=bookmarks . At the beginning, I wasn\u2019t expending such a big response to my call, but volunteers -known and unknown- started visiting my clothing shop in Thessaloniki, bringing clothes and helping out to fill in the backpacks.\nWithin two months, this action spread virally all over Greece. Over time, I networked with other grassroots initiatives active in refugee care, such as the Alternative Immigrant Centre of Thessaloniki (@To-Steki) and Oikopolis. In some cases, people followed our instructions and respected our philosophy of unconditional giving, but there have also been problematic cases because there were also people that tried to hijack the process for personal gain.\nI have learned to live with the dynamics, and I started helping out at Oikopolis, to create a clothing storage, explaining an internationally used methodology of inventorying, so refugees were able to serve themselves on their own. This system still works, where refugees can come, try and take the clothes they need for free.\nWhile continuing to work with clothes, I now focus on providing school items for children and the campaign has shifted focus. From just catering for refugees, we also provide care for native homeless people. Through a Facebook page https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/519478964902645\/, we are trying to organize volunteers who adopt the schooling needs\/items of children in need. These needs may be covered through a donation of items or money, and this is open to everyone. So far, the stock gathered so far through donations, is enough for about 250 kids. In parallel, I am organizing seminars and crash courses on repairing clothes and upcycling old objects to create, for example, pencil boxes.\nThere is another task, which is more time-consuming and complex, in terms of research. I'm in the team-building process that will eventually become a non-profit legal entity, to develop a Handbook for the Management of Material and Resources, in cases of emergency. For example, due to my professional background, I know how to sort and store thousands of clothing items. Somebody else might have other skills. This is also connected with the sharing of knowledge of alternative treatments, practices or hacks, that might offer cheap and practical solutions to people in need. For example, using cocoa powder as a shampoo, or other uses of baking \u00a0soda, salt, etc.\nI come from Thessaloniki, and my ancestors were refugees. Initially, the response from my immediate environment has been disappointing. My job is in the clothing sector, however, being an elected Municipal Councillor at the City of Thessaloniki, people know my public activity so it was easy to build trust. Furthermore, I am sitting at the Management Board to the Municipal TV100 station. Having many contacts with journalists helped to communicate the action widely. All this combined has resulted in the massive spontaneous response of a community of 1500 citizens from all walks of life. Including people from Europe and the US, who donated waterproof jackets and blankets.\nAs s municipal councilor, I am in contact with local authorities. Sadly the Municipality responded very poorly, compared to what it could do. Same goes with the Ministry of Immigration Policy. We talked to the consultants, they appreciated our effort, but there was no practical result.\nUnfortunately, the public sentiment is negative. Mass media shape the opinion that the refugees stopped crossing borders, so people believe that they stopped coming. Others falsely believe that refugees are to blame for anything wrong. And since the beginning of the summer, most volunteers disappeared. This has, inevitably, resulted in a fatigue in the area of refugee care.\nNevertheless, I have no other option but continue. I wish to launch a crowdsourcing campaign, so the venture can continue. I imagine of a list of people with different skills, who -in the case of need- will be ready to take up a certain role. A type of inventory of what human assets exist and what everyone can contribute.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-09 10:04 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8957"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6728","title":"One person in five has a respiratory disease \u2013 Let's build free\/libre and open sources games and devices for respiratory health!","content":"\nBreathing Games (www.breathinggames.net) promotes respiratory health by encouraging the appropriation of care by each citizen.\nWe create a common \u2013 collectively managed resources that are freely accessible and can be used and enriched by everyone \u2013 by spurring collaboration between all interested stakeholders to build on collective intelligence\nThe project concentrates on healthy behaviours and has been developed collectively with patient associations, health institutions, universities and other organisations.\nThe games produced participatorily are meant to improve the quality and life expectancy of people with respiratory problems \u2013 by educating, transforming therapy into games, and promoting healthy habits. They can be reused and adapted by everyone to address local problems and needs, as long as the free\/libre and open-source licences are maintained. We also develop open-source hardware such as flowmeter for domesic use. This material shall enable everyone, in all countries, to get indicators about his health (lung capacity tests), and shall also provide decentralized, anonimyzed data to advance public health research (blockchain\/IPFS).\nOn top of that we have been building a community of people to further develop and distribute the games. We successfully organized gamejams about cystic fibrosis and asthma in Switzerland and in Canada, and plan other events on breathing health and chronic respiratory diseases in the next months. The audience is huge: 1 out of 5 people in the world suffer from chronic respiratory diseases, and half of them do not follow the therapy as agreed with their caregiver.\nKey to the success of this initiative is the socio-economic, non-exclusive model we developed, as well as the platform we use to log contributions and redistribute to the contributors the raised funds. We use agile development methodologies and allow members to self-organise, so that we build on the collective intelligence and transform ideas into sustainable, scalable products and services.\nThe participatory, inclusive approach enables us to build research-backed games that also are attractive and fun to play with. Interdisciplinarity helps us gain a multifaceted, holistic vision of healthcare and fosters collaboration between different parties, beyond institutions and countries. That is key in tackling challenges in health care.\nThrough games, therapy can become a more joyful practice \u2013 would you like to follow a tedious, boring therapy one hour daily, as children with cystic fibrosis do since they are 4 years old?\nAre you also interested in employing entertaining, game-like elements in the health care system and therapy?\nIs there a health-related challenge in your neighbourhood, community, which you think you could solve by employing similar approach?\nDo you have some experience in creating health-related apps and props?\nShare your story or drop a comment, let us know about it!\nBreathing Games is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact and of the Open Source Initiative.\nDiscover more about us at www.breathinggames.net\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-08 22:39 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8955"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6725","title":"Rural Medical Camps","content":"\na story how a team started a medical camp with the intention to help as amany people as possible who otherwise would have not received care,\nMedical camps have been running in partnership with the villages of Bupsa and Bumburi attract local people from miles around, many of whom walk for many hours and often days to attend the camps. These medical camps are led by Nepalese professionals who are assisted by qualified volunteers and medical and dentistry students from the UK.\nThe long and expensive journey to the hospitals in Laksha and Kathmandu (sometimes taking days) are out-of-reach for the majority living in these low-income communities. Their main source of income is from subsistence farming and small profits are often shared throughout the community. So as you can imagine, when word gets out that these clinics are nearby, villagers flock to them in the hope of securing a cure for their health issues.\n\u00a0There are currently no permanent doctors in the region, which is home to a large, ethnically diverse population, spread over a number of rural communities made up of low income households. People lack access to basic health care and specialist treatment and have to walk for many days to attend the nearest hospital or else take the long and expensive journey to Kathmandu. The medical camps provide free consultation, treatment and advice from specialist qualified doctors as well as access to free medication.\u00a0The goal is to one day provide the communities in these remote Himalayan villages with permanent medical care and qualified staff, rather than a temporary clinic run from an outbuilding of Bupsa\u2019s monastery.\nThe group that started the initiative were limited to leftover equipment from the previous clinics\u00a0and a small amount of supplies that they carried in with them.\u00a0 One of the most common problems witnessed were musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). MSDs are a widely spread problem facing porters and farming communities who endure hard physical labour day-in-day-out. Muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and nerves can all be affected, causing discomfort to intense pain. The reduction of these disorders caused through employment is a key objective of the EU through its Community Strategy, proving just how fortunate we are to benefit from\u00a0accessible healthcare.\nRead the full story here: \u00a0http:\/\/wildernessmedicinemagazine.com\/article.asp?id=1026\nhttps:\/\/mmtrust.wordpress.com\/2013\/03\/10\/wilderness-medicine-in-nepal\/\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-08 13:32 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6718","title":"Connecting Parents to Build a Loving Community of Families of Color","content":"\nThe vision of Families of Color Seattle (FOCS) is that our children of color are born into a loving community that is racially and economically just. To work towards this, FOCS\u2019 mission is to build a strong community by supporting families of color through parenting programs, resource sharing and fostering meaningful connections. For example, programs include regular parenting groups led by trained parent facilitators of color, multi-cultural art classes for kids and adults, and community events and resources on relevant topics for families of color. FOCS is unique in providing safe spaces where families of color can build community with a focus on race, identity, culture and ethnicity through a lens of social and racial justice. \u00a0Since our founding in 2013, FOCS has evolved into an active base of over 1000 interethnic, intercultural families of color in South Seattle and the greater Seattle\/King County area in Pacific Northwest of United States of America. .\nBorn out of the desire for alternatives to mainstream parenting groups, FOCS tackles serious challenges head on. There is a lack of effective opportunities for community dialogues on race and family. Culturally-relevant and multiracial parenting resources are unknown or unwritten. Mainstream organizations aren\u2019t committed to anti-racist policies and practices for our children of color. And families of color seek a safe community where shared experiences and cultural understanding are the norm.\nToday, FOCS is a nonprofit organization led by women of color including the Executive Director and Founder Amy Pak as well as FOCS\u2019 7-member board of directors. Prior to incorporation, core volunteers dedicated hundreds of hours to evolve and solidify the needs of our community based on what we\u2019d be hearing from our families. We have grown from an all-volunteer start-up group to one that is led by .5 FTE staff, 2 interns, 1 Rainier Valley Corps Fellow, professional and diverse Board of directors and hundreds of dedicated family volunteers. It is critical to us that FOCS employs and utilizes the assets of our parents of color network for \u201cpeer to peer\u201d learning and sharing. This builds strong community and ensures our voices are lifted up and valued. \u00a0\nSince 2013, 30 parent groups have been organized, providing weekly support and reduced social isolation for over 180 parenting group participants. FOCS ARTS cultural arts programming has engaged over 800 families in fun, interactive, multicultural learning opportunities. The FOCS online community forum involves resources sharing between over 430 families of color. \u00a0In 2015-16, FOCS successfully executed five dialogues in Seattle around issues of equity on race\/multiracial identity, anti-bias education, reproductive justice, and transracial adoption and included a total of 500 people and 75 volunteers. Our reach is wide and it is getting stronger. FOCS was recently awarded the Ron Chisom Anti-Racism Award by the Seattle Services Coalition for our work in racial justice for families. The ceremony was June 1,2016 at City Hall, Seattle.\nFOCS, a non-profit, was eventually founded in 2013 and it is now a women-led organization which connects parents and builds a loving community of families of color in Seattle. We\u2019ve discovered a growing demand from families of color, young parents, transracial adoptive families, multi-national,, multiracial families growing in Seattle, yet the city remains 70% white with growing displacement of families of color, immigrant and low income communities not being able to afford America\u2019s city with the quickest rising cost of living in the nation. Seattle also boosts America\u2019s largest multi-racial identifying people and also reflects where children of color are the majority nationally in Kindergarten. \u00a0FOCS fosters meaningful connects, engages parents and children with cultural arts, but also providing a platform where they can discuss everything, from returning work to breastfeeding, race, community, identity and social justice. It\u2019s a powerful combination of professions, education, traditions and backgrounds. Our impact has been deep and quick, we have connected over 1000 families and trained and employed more than 35 parents as Parent Educators and Teaching Artists.\nFOCS initially opened Cornerstone Cafe in Fall of 2014. The space offered a drop-in child care, and a cultural arts program including capoeira and Hawaiian and Spanish talk story. We now operate FOCS ARTS cultural arts programming for 0-7 year olds with parents each week, facilitate community dialogues on race and family, parenting groups for newborns and waddlers and consult and provide race and equity workshops for parents and educators at preschools and elementary schools.\nWe became part of commuinity led de-gentrification of South Seattle, where our community resources reflect the historical community of residents. Instead, FOCS members are connected by the culture of inclusivity, community building and play-centered learning. Our values are women of color and mother leadership, racial equity, economic impact, dismantling racism, education equity, and an intercultural interethnic community. We envision a world where children of color are born into a loving community that is racially and economically just.\n\u00a0\nOne Filipina American mother of mixed race Filipino, Salvadorian and White two young boys said about FOCS,\n\u201cI gave birth to my first son in 2010. My pregnancy was difficult, it was unplanned, my relationship was unstable, my partner was unemployed and I suffered internal bleeding during the first trimester resulting in an emergency surgery; I often cried during my prenatal appointments, and the midwives expressed concern that I was at risk for post-partum depression and they recommended joining a parent group when my baby arrived to build a supportive community. My son arrived 3 weeks early and the birth was long and ended in a c-section. When my baby arrived I continued to face difficulty. My son was very small but healthy, but he failed to gain weight as I was unable to produce the milk he needed, and he rarely slept more than 2 hours at a time for nearly the first 6 months of his life. I had never felt more scared, tired, or overwhelmed. After 6 months I went back to my midwife with signs of Postpartum Depression and worked with my health care providers and my partner on a plan to help me manage my symptoms and the stressors in my life.\nLooking back through this experience what was missing from my life was an opportunity to build authentic relationships and community with other mothers. I was part of a parent group, but never felt like I could be myself in these groups and share what was going on in mothering experience and within myself. I often felt lonely and isolated even in the presence of the group. I attribute this experience to having a space where both mothers and partners were included as well as the facilitation of the group which focused primarily on the baby and not on the identity or needs of the parent. When I joined a FOCS (Families of Color Seattle) group last Spring, after the birth of my second son, I knew I found the place I had yearned for earlier in my motherhood. The circumstances with the birth of my second were entirely different so I was in a better place emotionally, physically, and financially, but I know that every mother still needs support and community.\nWhat I found with FOCS was an intentional space to build authentic relationships and community. As mothers we are welcomed in and acknowledged as whole people with cultures, professions, fears and passions, not just as care taker of a child. FOCS openly discusses and acknowledges race, ethnicity, culture, language, and identity and its importance in motherhood, parenting, and raising children. In my experience these topics were left out of other traditional parenting groups in the community. When these topics are left out, people of color and their experiences are neglected and excluded. When FOCS brings our multiple identities to the forefront the result is more authentic conversation and relationship building. My first year with my second son has been extremely positive and I attribute much of this to my on-going connection with FOCS. I felt supported as an individual and mother, and was able to transfer the love I felt to the love I share with my child. It is so important to provide support for mothers so that we can be better mothers. I believe that the strength of the community that is being built is a testimony of the need that families of color in Seattle are looking for spaces to connect\".\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-09-07 9:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8952"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6713","title":"#OPENandChange Thessaloniki: Greeks imagine the future of care","content":"\nWe chose Thessaloniki as a good location for our workshop, due to the active social web that is active in the city since the financial crisis hit home in 2009. Being Greece's second biggest city, and the largest city of the country's North, Thessaloniki boasts with life, with a vibrant culture that is merging optimally the city's laid back flair, with its\u00a0rich history, the university\u00a0community and contemporary culture. In the last years, Thessaloniki is emerging as a lively incubator of several grassroots initiatives. The first urban gardening projects of Greece happened here, when a group of citizens occupied a former army camp. Social enterprises, consumers networks, activist groups\u00a0and a significant arts scene are here at home.\nThe workshop took place on September 3rd, 2016, inviting socially active citizens in the wider field of care.\u00a0In many cases, these people are not strangers to each other. The city is neither too big, nor\u00a0too small, and people that care are often meeting each other in the numerous gatherings, events and activities organised at the grassroots.\n\u03a4he workshop offered an open space to meet and discuss, using several tools\u00a0for harnessing collective intelligence.\u00a0Using various participatory methodologies, such as World Caf\u00e9, participants mapped out the status quo, how they would imagine Care in Greece in 10 years from now, while engaging into framing this transition.\nMapping the status quo\nThe current care system of Greece is characterised by mainstream centralised structures defined (and accepted) by the public health system, marked by chronic problems related to inefficiency, corruption and lack of funding. The severity of the ongoing financial crisis in Greece has further incapacitated the public care system, but it has given rise to a milieu of social, citizen-led projects who leverage volunteerism to care for the most under-privileged parts of the society.\nBesides public hospitals and private clinics, these structures harbour initiatives ranging from non-profit actions\u00a0by international and domestic NGOs or philanthropic organisations (including the church), to volunteer initiatives and informal groups. Over the last years, such initiatives have focused on the distribution of primary need goods (ie. clothes, food, education), based on a strong narrative around the solidarity and exchange economy. In parallel with citizen-led initiatives, many city councils have launched municipal Social\u00a0Grocery\u00a0stores or Pharmacies. In many cases, local community action is combined with public social structures.\n\nCitizen imagine Care in Greece in 10 years\nCitizens were asked to engage into collaborative dialogue on the future of care in Greece, using the World Caf\u00e9 method. Participants were divided in two groups and shared ideas on different and multi-level care structures. People from one group swapped with the other, in oder to cross-polinate their knowledge which was later harvested to reveal interesting connnections between different aspects of care.\nThe new paradigm focuses on synergies at different levels, putting emphasis on notions and ideas that bring people together, build trust, strengthen relationships in communities. From the level of housing,\u00a0neighbourhoods and\u00a0schools, all the way to managing structures of public health and social care. Interesting ideas were shared from participants, for example how we can train care stuff in novel and specialised approaches such as \"preventive\" mourning. Others talk of the need for communal spaces in blocks of flat, where residents can share tools or creative moments, enhancing social interaction in the buildings they live.\nFor the participants, the future of care innovation\u00a0is closely connected to openess and the availability of public space. Not surprisingly, many people appreciated the power of urban gardening in offering green spaces, but also in building a sense of community in the neighbourhood.\u00a0\n\nThe transition to such a system is not without obstacles, especially by virtue of the lack of political sense in the crisis-stricken country that is experiencing the deepest recession since World War II. Nevertheless, after\u00a07 years of fighting the crisis, some cells inside the society start having a very clear idea about the pathway forward.\nTo visualise these\u00a0change dynamics, participants were asked to engage into Transition Framing, investigating aspects of the care system that should be continued, eliminated, improved or complemented.\n\nThe care communities of Greece are the unsung heroes of this crisis. They formed quickly, evolve slowly and are present where both and the public sector fail: providing free, open care to the most sensitive target groups (ie. homeless, elderly, immigrants). Given the financial, political and administrative support they diserve, these communities could transform the game, and offer the hope of recovery to all Greeks, but also Europe as a whole.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-05 17:44 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8851"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6710","title":"T\u00f3pio: Engagement \u2013 Empowerment - Expression","content":"\nT\u00f3pio is empowering high-school students, training them to become the catalysts of change in their own neighbourhoods. We strongly believe that the re-use of public space can improve the physical, mental and psychological health of urban dwellers. For this reason, we focus on the importance of connecting healthy cities and \u201cplacemaking\u201d.\nThe pilot version of the project took place at the 19th High school of Thessaloniki from December 2015 to May 2016. The name of the project is a combination of the Greek words \u201cTop\u00edo\u201d (place) and \u201cT\u00f3pi\u201d (ball), which points to youthfulness, games and children.\n\nphoto credits: Olympia Datsi\nstencils: Pop-Up & Paper Stories\nOur vision is to re-imagine the school as an open platform of discussion and interaction for the whole neighbourhood, where students lead the transformation both inside and outside its premises. We wish to get youngsters caring for their local community and public space, by initiating cultural and other activities. At first, these take place inside the school building and yard, and are then transferred out to the neighbourhood, eventually empowering them to invite the local community inside the school.\nOur team focuses on enriching original and location-specific ideas with data, information and constant interaction between the local community and the public space. Based on previous experience, we develop various educational tools for \u201cplacemaking\u201d that are not previously known to the local communities.\nAlthough the whole process meets several obstacles, such as bureaucracy, we remain focused on our vision, trying to seek collaboration with the municipality and other local authorities. However, it is very important for us to preserve our self-organization and encourage bottom-up action.\n\nphoto credits: Vivian Doumpa\nWho benefits from T\u00f3pio?\n\nYouth (school kids & university students) wishing to become catalysts of change in their own neighbourhood in collaboration with their teachers.\nLocal communities wishing to contribute to social cohesion and upgrading the urban landscape.\nEveryone who wants to be active and participate in the development and co-formation of public spaces.\n\nT\u00f3pio kick-started as a pilot project within the framework of the START: Create Cultural Change, by Robert Bosch Stiftung conducted in cooperation with the Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki and the Bundesvereinigung Soziokultureller Zentren e.V. (German Association of Sociocultural Centers). So far, the project has attracted the attention of the press and several European organisations. For example, we are very proud of our involvement in the project \u201cThe City at Eye Level\u201d working with Dutch \u201cStipo\u201d and other practitioners.\nWe are reaching out to citizens through a dedicated website and our Facebook page, which includes all information that needs to be transferred to potential beneficiaries.\n\nphoto credits: Callie Vei & Alexandr Emmanouilidis\nThe people behind the idea\nMy name is Vivian Doumpa and in my early 30s, I have a degree in Urban-Regional Planning & Development Engineering, and I am a post-graduate in Urban Geography specialised in music in public spaces. I have a long-life education in music, and I am currently participating in a project of the research team \u201cCritical Music Histories\u201d. I am also the co-founder of \u201cCreativity Platform\u201d, a non-profit, collective scheme, seeking to function as an interdisciplinary platform of exchanging ideas, actions, research and applications related to the \u201ccreative capital\u201d and the \u201ccreative economy\u201d in the city of Thessaloniki as well as the whole of Greece in general. Since 2016, T\u00f3pio is a significant part of this collective scheme. Being in charge of the project, I had the chance to enrich my professional experience with technical seminars in Project Management (Germany), in the field of Cultural Management. It was a great challenge to combine Urban-Regional Planning and enhancement of active citizenship with creative means.\nMy partner, Olympia Datsi, works as a freelance trainer and mentor in the european\/international volunteering field and non-formal education, co-ordinating youth projects. Moreover, her educational background based on Landscape Architecture, Interior Design and Fine Arts. She is in charge of the educational activities of T\u00f3pio, dealing with communication, training and empowerment of high-school students and citizens. Since 2013, she is also co-founder of the \u201cCreativity Platform\u201d and has a massive interest for sociology and public space.\n\nphoto credits: Victoria Datsi\nAs with all like-minded people, our professional relationship and friendship run on the basis of trust and respect. After all these collaborations in multiple projects, we have learned many things from each other\u2019s capacities. We have taught ourselves what is the best way to move forward with the project: from sensing children\u2019s needs and stimulating their interest in the public space, to approaching municipal stakeholders.\nThis good spirit of synergy and way of thinking and acting helps us to make progress. And we enjoy this feeling of pleasure and satisfaction when people get motivated by our ideas. One of them is my mother, who is really supportive and active in our interventions in the neighbourhood. Although in the first place it was quite hard for her to understand what actually \u201cplacemaking\u201d is about.\n\n\nphoto credits: Vivian Doumpa\nArtworks: Theano G.\u00a0& Felix Felis\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-05 10:32 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8935"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6709","title":"Bringing quality biology education to every child equally","content":"\nHello everyone, as a followup to my previous post on education,\u00a0I want to dive a little deeper for our Fellowship post.\nReaGent is an open biolab where anyone from any background can tinker with biology. We organize practical workshops for children from all backgrounds to get them in touch with biology in a fun way. We do this because the role of biological technologies will become increasingly bigger as we move towards a circular society. Education plays a fundamental role in allowing people to be a part of this process.\nWhy are we doing this? My personal motivation is best shown through\u00a0a memory from my biotechnological engineering studies. We went on a company visit to Monsanto. At the time, I was not particularly aware of the dirty business they were in. We got to see the production facility, water treatment installations and large glyphosate tanks, which are all used to produce Roundup. During the luxurious lunch, which Monsanto employees also attended, a fellow student whispered to me: \u201chow can they sleep at night, considering they work for such a questionable company?\u201d. That was the only thing that I heard about the issue from anyone at school, both teachers or students. I didn\u2019t (now to my shame) know anything about Monsanto at the time and had to look it up myself afterwards. I was baffled and disgusted. What are we teaching our students?\nAside from the perspective we teach, relevance is important as well. I hated biology in high school. If you had told me I\u2019d be a bioengineer someday, I would have laughed in disbelief. The content of biology class often remains descriptive (you\u00a0learn about the parts of a plant cell), while higher education and jobs are all about application (you use these plant cells to grow something useful, like a building). A child that likes\u00a0engineering, design and coding should consider\u00a0studying biology. This is fundamental if we want enough people to develop sustainable technologies for the future.\n\nReaGent has been going for about a year. We\u2019ve experimented with several ways to bring biology closer to society. We've had children work with enzymes, build\u00a0their own microscope, extract DNA and much more.\u00a0The coming year, we will expand to reach more children and this scale-up entails several challenges.\nCell division\nAs a first step, we have decided to continue the project under a new name: Ecoli. The DIY biolab in Ghent will stay as ReaGent, while Ecoli will provide biology education to children and underprivileged groups. A DIYbio space or biohackerspace and child education are not very compatible regarding administrative or legal aspects, like insurance and licenses. Another reason for the split is the different story we want to tell.\nThe story to inspire a citizen scientist or biohacker is different from the story to inspire a child. Moreover, DIYbio has had issues with public perception. We find it important that knowledge is spread equally and that everyone can participate in an open discussion. We would not like a distorted image to shape decisions and opinions of people, leading them to self-censor and potentially miss out on learning opportunities.\nThe creativity, mindset and ethics\u00a0present in a DIYbio lab strengthen and form the way we educate. We feel like we get the benefits without the drawbacks if the DIY biolab and educational project are two separate entities.\nFunding education in a fair way\nThe question that I posed in the initial post\u00a0was on how to fund education outside of, but as an addition to, the traditional state-funded system.\nMaking a project like this financially sustainable is a challenge. The groups where we have our biggest impact, and thus create the most value, are also least capable of paying for it. We have set up a way to partially fund this by doing workshops in the classical school circuit. Our impact there is equally important and they can afford to pay (a little) for our services. It remains to be seen if we can sustain ourselves in the long term.\nChances are, we\u00a0will\u00a0have to find funds elsewhere \u2013government or industry. Government is the obvious choice, since education falls under their responsibility. Though, as often with government, it would be na\u00efve to count on funding. Additionally, it entails somewhat of an administrative burden (especially in Belgium and the EU) and it\u2019s a slow process.\nSo, do we want to cooperate with big biotech companies? How will this affect what we want to achieve with Ecoli? Do we risk that public opinion, or opinions of parents, ultimately influences\u00a0what a child learns? Biotech has plenty of shortcomings \u2013funding and market mechanisms, ethical,\u00a0ecological\u00a0and the list goes on. But it\u2019s a technology, a tool that can be used for good and bad. The drawbacks that I mentioned are effects of the way it is used and not inherent to the technology. If we are scared of biotech, it is because we are scared of ourselves, and rightfully so.\nWe still have the option of telling a nuanced story. Especially if we can highlight these issues during education, which is a rarity. My personal Monsanto experience is only one example.\nCaring with science\nMore fundamentally, care is everyone\u2019s responsibility in one way or another. Earlier this week, one of our team members went to visit an institute that accompanies people with a mental disability. He visited them to explain what we do and to offer them biology workshops for their audience, the responsible\u2019s jaw dropped as she launched off in enthusiasm, pointing out all the ways we could cooperate. She said nobody ever thought of deeming their people worthy of science oriented workshops. Even if it\u2019s just for entertainment, science or technology can be used for care. People have a tendency to underestimate capabilities of certain groups, like little kids or special needs people. On the other hand, there\u2019s a tendency to overestimate the intelligence required to grasp or play with basic principles. The power lies in how it\u2019s communicated.\nThis is only one of plenty of groups that don\u2019t get equal chances for quality education. It is part of the mission of Ecoli to provide those groups the opportunity to learn and discover.\nBeyond the tools\nWe are likely at the start of a similar revolution like the digital revolution. That means we have the chance to try and anticipate this time round; to try and prepare people; to embed values, like openness and inclusiveness, that make sure we don\u2019t need to fix the problems of accessibility and literacy afterwards.\nWhat we do can be considered an experiment and in many ways, it\u2019s not necessarily about biology. We hope that, in addition to growing a basic biological literacy, we help to build\u00a0a shift in attitude. When we watch global developments, it is clear that the biggest problems we face don\u2019t require technological solutions. Even problems that are directly caused by a misuse of technology, like climate change, could be headed towards a solution by changing our attitude, especially when combined with more sustainable bio-based technologies. A change in behaviour is not likely to happen overnight, but if we can build institutions that promote caring, collaboration and trust, we might be on our way.\nWe are engaging with the Edgeryders community because we hope our actions can be part of a bigger solution. One where different actors work on improving their respective fields. By sharing experiences of our project with the Edgeryders community we hope we can grow more resilience for everyone.\nWe will be attending the workshop in Brussels on the 24th of September and would be delighted to meet you!\nIf you connect to our story, let us know! We love feedback and discussing the subject. Here\u2019s some other questions that occupy our mind. Should this type of initiative stay an addition to the state-funded system? Is this form of bottom-up activism, independent of the government or in spite of it, ultimately a desirable strategy?\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-09-05 0:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8889"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6708","title":"echOpen - Open Source handheld Echo-st\u00e9thoscope","content":"\nI started my journey as a science and economics student. After graduation, I spent years working for French and international industrial companies, after which I quit and went on to work in the humanitarian field throughout Southeast Asia. With the arrival of new technologies and the community approach using the Internet to connect people, it became clear to me that there are now widespread and relatively cheap tools of empowerment readily available. Upon my return to Europe, I decided to work on the development of such ideas. This led to the inception of the echOpen project.\nThe idea started from a chat among friends, an engineer (Luc) previously employed in the ultrasound industry, a mathematician and physician (Mehdi) and a radiologist (Pierre). We discussed smartphones: widespread devices that are more sophisticated than the computers that sent people to the moon a few decades ago.\nHow could we use this technology to improve health care, considering that now almost everyone have one in his\/her pocket?\nThis idea emerged as a combination of our passion for open technology and community engagement. Using technologies that have existed since the 70s,with a bit of tweaking, are cheap and perfectly functional to make this idea come true. We then give access to these tools and knowledge to anyone interested, and to encourage them to try new things out.\nThis is how our mission came about. We plan to develop the very first Open Source, affordable ultrasound probe (echo-stethoscope) dedicated to diagnosis orientation, based on open source hardware and software principles. It will be cheaper than any of the fancy machines you can find on the market. There already are some ultraportable ultrasound scanners out there, but they cost several thousand Euros \u00a0our goal is to divide the price by 10-15 times. This device will be able to produce a medical image that you can then transport to your smartphone or laptop. It\u2019s a device that every health care professional will want to carry in their pocket - allowing for faster and more accurate diagnosis orientation, which means faster and better medical care. As a preventive tool, it will reduce the number of patients who need emergency help. It can save the lives of mothers who die in developing countries during their pregnancies. Our tool will also spark more interactions between professionals and patients.\nWe launched the project in late 2014, but the actual work really began in August 2015. Hosted by the hospital Hotel Dieu, right next to the Notre Dame in Paris, we have an open space with an interesting, eclectic ecosystem of researchers, community members, senior professionals working in the technical and medical areas of ultrasound technology, radiologists, experts in echography, medical laboratories, universities, and schools, etc.\nEarlier this year, we developed a functional prototype of the tool - it works, but the quality of the image is not satisfactory. With the involvement of more than 200 people, mostly from France but also in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, we are now improving the quality of echOpen. Our deadline to complete the new medical-quality prototype is this December.\nOur project has been supported by the Fondation Pierre Fabre, which believes in our approach and that our concept could be used in Africa, where doctors lack medical imaging devices. They provide financial support and other resources - and the more we have, the faster and more efficiently we can do our work.\n\nWe are constantly looking for both funding and new profiles to get involved within the community, anyone from developers, to designers, engineers, legal experts, and community managers. We are also working on making our wiki more accessible to English-speaking members. If you have some ideas, tips, or want to share similar work with us - leave a comment or contact us.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-09-04 13:18 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8870"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6707","title":"Kipos3 (City as a Resource)","content":"\nUrban vegetable gardens can grow in Thessaloniki entering the primary sector in the city and offering food, but also laying the foundations for the transition to a \"green\" economy. The \u2018City as a resource\u2019 is a proposal to create a network of urban vegetable gardens in the city of Thessaloniki. This project was the outcome of a workshop of the MLA Landscape Architecture School of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The concept of the pilot project was to intervene in a residual urban space related to its residents, in a city (municipality) under economic hardship, with no access to infrastructure and funding. After the success of the pilot project which took place in the western part of the city of Thessaloniki (Lachanokipoi district), we decided to cooperate with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the Department of Urban Environmental Management for the creation of an innovative urban vegetable gardening project in the city center. After mapping all the possible vacant spaces in the city center, the new project finally took place in 2014 at Doxa district, right next to the urban vineyard as a symbolic gesture to the new sustainable lifestyle of the city. The group consists of 10 gardeners, who grow their own vegetables under our supervision and support in a cultivating area of 80 m2 \u00a0(total area 300 m2).The name of the project \u2018Kipos3\u2019 comes from the Greek word \u201ckipos\u201d (garden) which points to the archetypal designed landscape and an aesthetical landscape aspect in the structured urban environment. Our vision is to re-imagine the city through the transformation of abandoned areas, residual spaces within the urban fabric, existing parks in need of renovation and re-design, uncovered terraces and buildings are places that could gain collective use. The city needs its residents. The success of an urban vegetable garden based on collective action depends on its social character and the participatory governance of multi- stakeholders especially the community. Residents cultivate their city!\nOur team focuses on enriching original and location-specific ideas with data, information and constant interaction between the local community and the public space. We are connected to many like-minded initiatives all over the world such as the French project \u2018Kipos qui pousse\u2019 and COST Organization for Urban Allotment Gardens in European Cities.\nAlthough the whole process meets several obstacles, such as bureaucracy mainly for technical issues, the reservedness of the neighbors due to the fact that they had previous bad experience with municipal actions, we remain focused on our vision, trying to seek collaboration with the municipality, other local authorities and the neighborhood itself.\nOur goal for 2017 is to construct a new vegetable garden in the same neighborhood in collaboration with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and create synergies with other like-minded initiatives abroad, learn from experts and adapt best practices grounded in Greek reality. In addition, we are going to preserve precious contacts with artists, architects, and agronomists we have met since the starting points of our project.\n\u00a0\nWho benefits from Kipos3?\n\n\nResidents of Thessaloniki getting activated in order to become catalysts of change in their own neighborhood.\n \n\nLocal communities wishing to contribute to social cohesion, participatory governance and upgrading the urban landscape.\n \n\nEveryone who wants to be active and participate in the development and co-formation of vacant public spaces.\n \n\nStudents of all educational levels, who gain environmental education and collective knowledge through field visits.\n \n\nKipos3 has run as an urban gardening project within the framework of the Angelopoulos CGIU Fellowship by Angelopoulos Foundation since 2015. So far, the project has attracted the attention of the local press and several European organizations and research programs.\nWe are reaching out to citizens through a dedicated website and our Facebook page, which includes all information that needs to be transferred to potential beneficiaries.\nFor the participation in the garden activities, no special criteria are required. Everyone is welcome to contribute with his passion and willingness to the garden. Kipos3 \u00a0is an urban gardening project beyond cultivation of land for food provisioning.\nThe people behind the idea\nMy name is Eleftheria Gavriilidou and in my early 30s, I have a degree in Architecture, and I am a post-graduate in the MLA Landscape Architecture School of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. I work as an architect and I contribute to the \u2018Resilient Thessaloniki\u2019 project as a participant of the \u2018100 Resilient Cities\u2019 pioneered by the Rockefeller Foundation. After getting a scholarship as a postgraduate student in 2014, I am in charge of the project \u2018Kipos3\u2019 working with many other partners. All these years, I had the chance to enrich my professional and academic experience participating in seminars, workshops, and conferences at national and international level.\nMy partner, Maria Ritou, has a degree in Agriculture, and she is a postgraduate in the MLA Landscape Architecture School of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki too. She is in charge of the design activities of Kipos3 whereas I am more concerned in ecological activities of the vegetable garden.\nOur professional relationship runs on the basis of trust, respect, and mutual understanding. After two years of collaboration, we realize that we have learned many things from each other\u2019s capacities trying to construct a vegetable garden from scratch to approaching municipal and other local stakeholders.\nAlso, we really enjoy this feeling of pleasure and satisfaction when people get motivated by our ideas and share our vision for a sustainable neighborhood\/ city. We feel blessed being supported by our families and friends who are involved with fresh ideas and their physical presence in the garden.\n\u00a0\nIn what ways are you using a\u00a0city as a resource? What approaches have worked out well, and what made them succeed? Do you have an idea, suggestion, or a thought? Please leave a comment below. \u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-09-03 14:31 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8949"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6706","title":"Knowledge & Inspiration community in Thessaloniki","content":"\nIn the center of Thessaloniki, Maria and Iordanis have established a spiritual center in order to foster spiritual knowledge, exchange of personal experiences and ideas and philanthropic actions for humanitarian relief of poor families. Knowledge & Inspiration offers space for personal development and collective knowledge. Its main objective is to bring together people with different backgrounds (educational, economic and spiritual) who share an interest in spirituality, self-improvement, and accomplishment through seminars, interaction with community members and substantive contribution to needy people.\nThe initiative consists of 12 core members, most of them in their early thirties and 20 families in the voluntary program of daily food provision. These beneficiaries are active in the program until they overcome poverty, unemployment, and malnutrition.\nThe project does not aim to attract the attention of the press and this is the main reason that Knowledge & Inspiration has no\u00a0virtual presence on social media and Internet in general. For the past 7 years, the community contributes its best, offering good practices inspiring the good will of residents of Thessaloniki and local businesses who encourage and support its efforts.\nThe people behind the idea\nKnowledge & Inspiration is an original idea of Maria Georgiou and her husband, Iordanis (who is no longer alive). The initial idea came 7 years ago, after a spiritual experience while traveling in India and meeting with the Indian guru and philanthropist Sathya Sai Baba. When we returned to Greece,we decided to become volunteers in regular service activities such as giving food to the needy, cooperate with NGOs in order to provide medical services, and other forms of civic volunteerism.\nNowadays, Maria focuses on 1) self-improvement and 2) community service with the support of Knowledge & Inspiration community members on the basis of shared identity, commitment and common practice. Maria\u2019s driving motivation is on spiritual level, without making daily plans. All these years, she has discovered abilities that she was not aware of. She and her husband used to live fully in materialism, until the moment they landed in India for first time. \u201cIt was a radical transformation from a material to a spiritual life\u201d, she says. It was a miracle that helped both of them overcome personal and objective obstacles in their lives.\nKnowledge & Inspiration is the work of Maria and her volunteers, who are usually busy with tasks related to the community such as food collection, education, humanitarian relief and collective cohesion. When Maria is not running community projects, she participates in colleagues\u2019 seminars and meditates every day. \u201cIt\u2019s my way of living\u201d, she says.\nWho benefits from Knowledge and Inspiration?\nKnowledge & Inspiration is an open community without specific target groups. The audience is distributed as follows:\n1. General population who is interested in self-improvement, accomplishment and belonging to a community.\n2. Poor families of Thessaloniki coping with economic hardships.\n3. Fellow tutors of spirituality or therapeutic practitioners for mental or physical healing.\nFuture Plans\nMaria\u2019s personal goal and vision are to create\u00a0an \u201cAshram\u201d in a rural area. The inspiration for choosing the ideal location stems from the need of a place combining adult and children education on human values, a community kitchen, organic farming, connection with nature, spiritual guidance, networking with spiritual teachers and gurus, hospitality for visitors and people in need in the context of volunteerism, community service, healthcare (physical and mental) and humanitarian relief. It is an ambitious idea inspired by Sathya Sai Baba\u2019s philanthropic action connecting in this way spirituality with selfless giving.\nIn Thessaloniki, Maria plans to extend the educational programs including meditation, alternative therapeutic techniques such as Reiki, all of them performed by volunteers except the active classes for self-improvement, guidance for new parents and yoga lessons.\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-09-03 14:06 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8948"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6705","title":"Village Psy - Encounters in Psychotherapy","content":"\nIn Pinakates, a small village on Mt. Pelion in Central Greece, two friends have decided to create Village Psy. Our project aims to foster the exchange of knowledge and ideas through an open dialogue and spontaneous experiential expression which gives space for personal development. The main objective of Village Psy is to bring together people who have a common interest in issues related to psychotherapy, personal development, and self-improvement. The whole process goes beyond the format of conferences and seminars in enclosed spaces but integrates elements of the natural environment.\nThere are numerous examples from similar healing events in ancient Greece, such as the Asclepeia showing the importance of nature in healing. Drawing from this inspiration, Village Psy combines experiential workshops, presentations, and parallel events to visitors who are looking to combine their summer holidays with self-development.\nThe people behind the idea\nVillage Psy is an original idea of Dimitris Pantelis and Atalandi Apergi. The initial idea came 3 years ago, in a discussion under an old plane tree in the village of Pinakates. The discussion revolved around how psychotherapy connects with nature, and how this connection could be expanded to benefit more people. This idea has since evolved to a vision which connects two pillars: 1) thematic tourism and 2) making the process sustainable, repeatable and stable over time.\n\u00a0\nAtalandi has a degree in Sociology and is a post-graduate in Text & Performance Studies. She has also completed a 4-year specialized post-graduate training diploma in drama therapy, and further enriched her psychotherapeutic training and experience with seminars in various psychiatric structures. As a drama therapist, she has clinical experience with different populations, including drug addicts, immigrants, abused women, psychiatric patients, the elderly and people with learning disabilities. Atalandi is a member of the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP), The British Association of Dramatherapists, the Panhellenic Professional Union of Dramatherapists, a member of the editing team of a thematic magazine dealing with drama therapy and a volunteer for WWF-Hellas.\nDimitris studied Economics & Business Administration and has worked for 15 years in the banking and telecommunications sector on public relations, sales, and client service. He then continued with studies in Integrative Counselling & Psychotherapy and training on treatments of multi-cultural communities following natural disasters. Dimitris is a member of the local community council, a member of the Mountaineering Club \u201cPan\u201d and member of the Hellenic Counselling Society.\nThe project runs on the basis of trust and good chemistry between the two founders. The whole concept has been tested in the past through collaboration in smaller scale projects, such as seminars. Their relationship is based on complementarity and mutualism, not rivalries. Driving motivation by their own inspiration, the two of us develop the project locally, being aware of other seminars and educational activities that take place in different places. However, this is the first attempt to connect psychotherapy with nature, while offering access to knowledge stemming from different schools of therapy.\nThe team focuses on facilitation of organizational work -not coaching in the seminars- something that allows them to retrieve various tools and previous experience. On the course of this collaboration, the two founders discovered abilities that even themselves were not aware of. Dimitris is very business savvy, while Atalandi is more into the arts and very protected from all forms of institutionalization. Although we\u2019re different, we have managed to develop \u201cthe same language\u201d and excellent communication, allowing the project to move further.\nVillage Psy is the work of two persons, who are usually busy with other tasks. Atalandi is raising two small children, while Dimitris is preparing for his exams in the Nursing School. During the last months, Village Psy has been occupying nearly half of their everyday lives. Although it is difficult to understand this time commitment, seeing the results allows them to realize that this is a lot of work. According to Atalandi, the whole process entails a risk. \u201cIt is amazing how you begin with an idea and in a few days or weeks, you see it taking off. The more \u00a0you believe in your vision and the more passionate you are about it, the more you can overcome many personal obstacles\u201d. For Dimitris, this project is important because it allowed him to \u201ctrust collaboration again\u201d.\nWho benefits from Village Psy?\nThe target group of the project includes men and women of 25+ years of age, but there is no restriction in terms of age, gender or background. This audience is distributed as follows:\n\n\nGeneral population who is interested in self-improvement.\n \n\nFellow psychologists, counselors of mental health or other professionals, who have finished their studies and are looking to come in contact with different approaches in their professional development.\n \n\nAll those who would like to continue their training in counseling or psychotherapy and wish to be exposed to different schools of psychotherapy. This includes students who want to specialize in something they do not know, who in 8 days can experience nine different approaches in order to arrive at what is the most compatible with their own interests.\n \n\nThe ideal place for Village Psy\nBeyond the personal connection with the village of Pinakates, the inspiration for choosing the location stemmed from the need of a place where people can stay together, ensuring continuity, contact and sharing throughout the process. At Village Psy, everything is done in a\u00a0community, and that is the importance of the word \u201cVillage\u201d.\nIn this context, we are collaborating with local hostels and restaurants and the village\u2019s Cultural Association. Other collaborations involve graphic designers and web developers, although all content is generated by them.\nAt present, the main objective is to get Village Psy established, attracting more and more people in its sessions. However, there are ambitious ideas for similar activities related to alternative and holistic therapy, running in parallel in the surrounding villages, but also the creation of other such respective villages in other areas, so that they can work and connect together. This would allow Village Psy escape its physical boundaries and work towards the creation of a platform for the generation and diffusion of knowledge, always connecting therapy with the landscape and the natural environment.\n\u00a0\nTowards concept validation\nFor this first year (2016) the project runs on experimental mode, under the auspices of Kondyli Publishers (www.kondyli.gr). This is a thematic publisher, owned by Dimitris, which specializes on issues relevant to psychotherapy. There are thoughts to change the legal entity behind Village Psy, and establish a new one, once the concept is tested and running in a way that is sustainable.\nOur project has attracted the attention of the press, with many media publishing press releases, interviews or articles. At the same time, a dedicated website (www.village-psy.gr) and Facebook page (www.facebook.com\/villagepsy) includes all information that needs to be transferred to potential beneficiaries.\nThe first session of Village Psy has taken place between 18-28 August in Pinakates, under the theme \u201cCentaur Chiron: Myth - Trauma - Therapy\u201d. The title pays tribute to the mythological figure who roamed the Mountains of Pelion, where Pinakates is located. This first trial offered opportunities for receiving feedback from participants, aiming to improve the process in following sessions. And it resulted in both creation of a very strong community, but also ideas and solutions beyond our imagination.\n\u00a0\nAre you developing different ways of approaching mental health and therapy yourself? Are there things around this topic you'd like to discuss with us, share, ask about, criticize? Let us know in a comment below the post.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-09-03 13:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8947"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6703","title":"Creating a Compassionate Alternative to 911","content":"\nI grew up in Palo Alto and graduated from Gunn High School in 2008. When I was 15, I was\u00a0accepted into the Palo Alto Police Department\u2019s first student police academy and then became police explorer upon graduation. Over the next 6 years I volunteered with the Palo Alto police\u00a0department in a many capacities. Through hundreds of hours of riding along with the police I got\u00a0a deep understanding of law enforcement infrastructure. I saw numerous people challenged by\u00a0homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse who were caught in the revolving door of the\u00a0criminal\u00a0justice\/emergency medical system. A year after aging out of the explorers program I lost\u00a0a former high school friend to suicide.\nWhen I was 23 I did a ride along with \u2018CAHOOTS,\u2019 (crisis assistance helping out on the streets)\u00a0an organization that does civilian crisis response in Eugene, OR. CAHOOTS provides special\u00a0care to people who are stuck in the revolving door and through its intervention, break the cycle.\u00a0CAHOOTS provides alternatives to incarceration and hospitalization for people with wellness\u00a0issues.\u00a0This ride along catalyzed me and my buddy Doug\u00a0creating \u00a0\u2018Concrn\u2019 a company that builds mobile apps and\u00a0software to assist compassionate response communications infrastructure.\u00a0\nWe are now a compassionate social service network that connects people in need to responders trained in crisis de-escalation. We offer an alternative to 911 for non-violent crises and respond using the harm reduction model. Concerned citizens can download our mobile app on iPhone or Android or call us directly to access our services. We make it easy for both witnesses and victims of nonviolent crises to create a report and directly dispatch our network.\nWe believe that this \u201cCompassionate Response\u201d model is more humane, harm-reducing, and cost-effective than a law enforcement approach to non-violent crises. Our coordinated teams of responders help connect individuals challenged by homelessness, mental illness, and substance abuse, to the resources they need. These resources include local mental health, physical health, and shelter services. In addition, our ongoing case management program encourages clients to maintain their connection to these support services by promoting clients\u2019 sense of self-worth through alternative methods like art and music collaboration.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-09-02 13:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8944"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6699","title":"OPENandchange: SC!FY aplies and offers scientific knowledge for free","content":"\nDespite an image of desperate, crumbling Greece that some people might have nowadays, those who investigate alternative economies and societies, those interested in self-organisation and changing the status quo recognize the country\u2019s revolutionary role. One of the finest examples is SC!FY, a young organization based in Athens which in the course of four years managed to get a lot of stuff done. \nMy brother, George (Giannakopoulos) has been an Artificial Intelligence researcher who has worked both in Greece and the North of Italy for quite a few years and has had programming and IT consulting experience for over 15 years in the industry. He has been collaborating with researchers from both sides of the Atlantic. What he was experiencing as a researcher, was beyond his imagination. He puts it nicely:\n\"EU is spending billions of euros in research projects. Consortia of research institutes and big EU companies receive huge amounts of money to produce amazing technologies. Technologies that need only a few months of work to become great, potentially life\u00adchanging products. But most of them remain unused for years within the walls of the institutes that produce them. It seems absurd, but rarely does anyone undertake the little work that is required to bring top notch scientific results to our everyday lives. It is also common that researchers simply cannot grasp the direct impact a technology they create can have on everyday life, if applied in a friendly, accessible way.\"\nHe wanted to see it change - and so in 2012 he founded an organisation with a mission to publish and transform that knowledge into ready to use solutions. \nHe could not take it any longer. So, he and his cordial friend Vassilis (Salapatas) decided to bridge this gap between research and society. In 2012 they formed SciFY (Science For You), an Not for profit organization that does exactly this: take scientific results, and then form a community of entrepreneurs, volunteers, researchers and end users to build useful final products to solve everyday problems. And they offer them for free. To all.\nFor the first two years we strategically decided to prove that we are serious about what we do, we are able to deliver and \u2026 that we are not crooks (since trust towards NGOs has been very low in Greece after some scandals)\nWe also had to prove we are using freely available results (these are more and more common in EU, which requires many of the research it funds to publish their findings on the most open licenses possible). In the last 2,5 years, we\u2019ve started looking for funding and this is when plenty of things got done. \nWe have been awarded by the President of the Hellenic Republic, we\u2019ve built collaborations with most of the major Greek institutions - foundations, institutes, universities etc. We have a feeling that our impact is rather disproportionate compared to our size ;) But we really think this happens thanks to our focus on communities and our passion for getting things done. \nYou can read about our work in our annual report for 2015. \nThe model that we\u2019ve introduced to our work is to create communities around each of the ideas from the very beginning. We\u2019re also often asked to solve a particular problem by the very communities. This is one of the keys to our success - we\u2019re surrounded by people who want to see and use the results of our work. And they\u2019re actively taking part in the process. It helps us create a space where ideas, needs, opinions circulate and are being taken into account. \nSC!FY is working now in four domains - areas of interest.\nThe first area of interest is care-related and it focuses on creating assistive technologies for people with disabilities, and on offering them for free (and under open source licences). Among these are games for blind children, which have been developed in collaboration with schools for the blind - they helped us design them, tested and now use them. The process allowed us to bring together blind and non-blind people to work together. These games have more than 3,500 downloads from all around the world, got much media attention - and we constantly get positive feedback from people using them. So we continue developing more games for the bind. :-)\nWe\u2019ve also created a smartphone app called ICSee for people with low vision that applies special filters to the video captured by the phone\u2019s camera and allows users to read a restaurant menu or signs on the door. It\u2019s also available for free and under open source licences on Google Play.. \nWe\u2019re finishing the development of Talk and Play, a platform for people with motor disabilities, that will kick-off in late September. This application will help people who can\u2019t move or talk to communicate with their environment, watch videos, listen to music, or play games that support their rehabilitation. \nWe have created more solutions in this area, that you can find here.\nThe second area of our work is e- democracy. In this strand, we\u2019ve built an open source platform DemocracIT that supports the process of public consultation, which is theoretically common in Greece, but tedious in reality. We\u2019ve tested it and presented to the governmental bodies. Besides, there is also ActiveCommons platform, which we\u2019ve designed to foster collaboration for the common good between It caters organisations, NGOs and groups of people who want to change something and need an effective tool for collaboration. \nThe third scope of our work is supporting civil society with our IT skills. One of the results of such collaborations is a volunteer management platform - available for free, as well. \nAnd finally, the fourth pillar of our work is the Artificial Intelligence business. One of the outcomes of our work is NewSum that produces automated news summaries, and works in many languages. Or PServer application, that helps you personalise other applications. \n\n\n\u00a0\nHow do you cope with finding financing outside your own country? Do you struggle building or managing communities that could support your work and contribute towards making it time and cost effective? What are the obstacles you face in terms of accessing and using scientific research? Talk to us by leaving a comment. \n\n\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-09-01 12:27 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8936"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6698","title":"Crowdconference to tweet and share #OPENandChange! 20 SEP at 17:00 CET \/ 11:00 EST","content":"\n\nA short online event where you can quickly catch up on what is happening in the community, tweet support or ask any questions. It's like a press conference, but with everyone talking to everyone.\nThis is an opportunity to discover the amazing projects that\u00a0your peers are involved in, from\u00a0Helliniko Metropolitan Community Clinic\u00a0dispensing free health care to the many Greeks who, having lost their job, also lost their access to public health care; to\u00a0the\u00a0Urban Shepherd of Stockholm, inducing a\u00a0neighborhood to come together through\u00a0husbandry; to\u00a0the\u00a0Cytostatic Network\u00a0where unsung heroes provided cancer patients with life-saving drugs unavailable in Romania; to\u00a0the\u00a0OpenInsulin\u00a0project reshaping the drug market for\u00a0diabetes patients. And so many others!\nIf you are part of OPENandChange, or wish to join; or simply have lost track of the work and could use a quick summary...\u00a0this is a unique\u00a0opportunity!Instructions for joining the fun (and getting lot of new friends and followers).\nHow to participate:\n\nOn Tuesday 20th\u00a0September at 16:50\u00a0PM\u00a0CET\/ 10:50 EST go to\u00a0Twitter.\nOpen a window with a search for #OPENandChange.\u00a0While you are at it, follow\u00a0@edgeryders.\nAt 17:00 CET\/11:00 ESTsharp\u00a0@edgeryders will start tweeting the relevant content,\u00a0links to the most relevant projects etc.\u00a0\n\n Retweet\u00a0them! Tweets will be rotated at least 3-4 times: don't be afraid to retweet every iteration. In Twitter this is not a violation of netiquette.\n Be\u00a0creative!\u00a0Retweets are\u00a0good, but MT (Modify Tweet for those new to Twitter) are better! Make jokes, add your point of view, it's all good. The more you do so, the better.\u00a0\n Don't stop at Twitter! If you like Facebook, by all means reshare links through your Facebook account. We will do the same.\n\n\n\n\u00a0\nIf you\u00a0already are part of OPENandChange..\n.. your story is up or you've been in touch, please help by preparing tweets in advance in your own language so @edgeryders can them pick up.\nWe're working in this shared document: https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1DtzdpKPUuyUwPW3XDWehEu3gGvqaepF3uMfMt_lWUUU\/edit?usp=drive_web\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-08-31 17:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6688","title":"MakeStorming 2017 (fr)","content":"\nJe ne suis pas de la g\u00e9n\u00e9ration Y, je ne suis pas vraiment encore un vieux de la vieille quoi que\u2026\nJe ne suis ni scientifique, ni sociologue mais j\u2019observe le monde tel qu\u2019il est et d\u00e8s que c\u2019est possible, j\u2019essaye d\u2019en \u00eatre acteur.\nJe ne suis pas vraiment sp\u00e9cialiste dans un domaine particulier. Tout au plus un bon g\u00e9n\u00e9raliste. Ce que je fais bien c\u2019est mettre en contact, cr\u00e9er du lien, amener de la bienveillance sur les environnements dans lesquels je viens essayer de cr\u00e9er de la valeur. Certain dirait que j\u2019am\u00e8ne de la r\u00e9silience.\nIl n'y a pas si longtemps, j'ai du r\u00e9fl\u00e9chir \u00e0 ce que je mettrais sur ma carte de visite. J\u2019y ai finalement associ\u00e9 2 id\u00e9es et j\u2019ai \u00e9crit lean & stereo entrepreneur\/facilitateur. En effet, apr\u00e8s avoir bourlingu\u00e9 d\u00e9j\u00e0 depuis quasiment 10 ans dans un secteur qui \u00e9tait l\u2019\u00e9conomie sociale, qui est devenu l\u2019entreprenariat social et qui ne cesse de s\u2019hybrider pour r\u00e9pondre \u00e0 la demande de march\u00e9s qui n\u2019int\u00e9ressent pas le priv\u00e9, qui ne sont pas assez gros pour le public. Un 1\/3 secteurs qui a souvent une origine grassroot.\nLe t\u00e9moignage que j\u2019aimerais apporter est celui de ces acteurs de premi\u00e8re ligne pour qui le monde tel qu\u2019il est sont tant d\u2019opportunit\u00e9 de se r\u00e9aliser en tant qu\u2019individu et qui cherchent aujourd\u2019hui humblement \u00e0 \u00eatre acteur de changement d'un temps o\u00f9 tout s\u2019acc\u00e9l\u00e8re.\nLes valeurs que je porte et que j\u2019ai essay\u00e9 de synth\u00e9tiser dans l\u2019\u00e9nonc\u00e9 d\u2019une fonction sur une carte de visite sont celles d\u2019acteurs agiles. Lean signifie que l\u2019on passe par des it\u00e9rations avant d\u2019inventer un plan tr\u00e8s complet et de se projeter dans l\u2019\u00e9tablissement de toute une strat\u00e9gie. La notion de st\u00e9r\u00e9o revient pas mal \u00e0 la mode avec toutes les avanc\u00e9es faites dans le monde de la captation 3D. La R\u00e9alit\u00e9 Virtuelle (la VR) comporte pas mal de facettes dont la st\u00e9r\u00e9oscopie existe depuis la cr\u00e9ation de l\u2019\u00e8re cin\u00e9matographique.\nPour en revenir au sujet Change Care, j\u2019avais toujours eu le sentiment d\u2019\u00eatre capable de faire bouger des choses dans ma r\u00e9alit\u00e9. Le challenge \u00e9tait de voir si je pouvais changer d\u2019\u00e9chelle et amener ce changement \u00e0 une plus large mesure dans mon environnement. Il y a une bonne ann\u00e9e maintenant les choses se sont mises en place et j\u2019ai pu me lib\u00e9rer de la contrainte de travailler pour un projet, \u00a0pour un boss, ou pour une structure. Je travaille aujourd\u2019hui \u00e0 trouver des projets dans lesquels je trouve des leviers pour valider des hypoth\u00e8ses tout en apportant de la valeur intrins\u00e8que aux porteurs de ces projets.\nMon approche est assez simple, les hypoth\u00e8ses que je souhaite valider sont toujours plus ou moins du m\u00eame ordre. En tant que citoyen et acteur de terrain, suis-je capable de d\u00e9crire et d\u2019amorcer suffisamment un projet pour en faire un sujet lisible pour un environnement qui se situerait \u00e0 la crois\u00e9e des 3 secteurs que sont: le Secteur Priv\u00e9 (SP), les Pouvoirs Publics et le Monde Philanthropique (MP)\nAujourd\u2019hui ce que je pensais possible, ce dont j\u2019ai longtemps cherch\u00e9 \u00e0 me lib\u00e9rer: \"la contrainte de faire pour\", me semble accessible et j\u2019aimerais que d\u2019autres puisse trouver cet espace d\u2019expression. Je travaille \u00e0 rendre cet \u00e9tat de fait et cet \u00e9tat d\u2019esprit visible chaque jour. Aujourd\u2019hui je peux faire avec, je peux choisir les missions dans lequel je souhaite investir du temps et surtout j'ai trouv\u00e9 un \u00e9quilibre, certes fragile, mais qui me permet de me dire que tout mon temps, je le concentre \u00e0 faire le Monde tel que je l'imagine.\nJe ne vous raconte pas l\u2019histoire d\u2019un gars qui quitte son boulot parce qu\u2019il est en burn out ou bien le parcours d\u2019un type qui n\u2019en peut plus de sa vie dans le secteur priv\u00e9. Je ne vais pas non plus narrer l\u2019histoire d\u2019un travailleur social \u00e9puis\u00e9 par une logique institutionnelle et administrative pesante. Qui, jours apr\u00e8s jours, limite et an\u00e9anti la capacit\u00e9 d\u2019actions possibles d'acteur de premi\u00e8re ligne, fatigu\u00e9s de r\u00e9soudre les probl\u00e8mes du quotidien tout en luttant pour faire reconnaitre l\u2019essence m\u00eame de l\u2019action sociale. Faire sens.\nIl s\u2019agit ici de livrer le\u00a0 t\u00e9moignage d\u2019un d'entre deux, d\u2019un acteur capable de passer d\u2019un cot\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019autre du miroir. De passer du priv\u00e9 au public juste pour donner sens \u00e0 sa qu\u00eate.\nL\u2019exp\u00e9rience de travail et la s\u00e9quence professionnelle que j\u2019aimerais partager prend place \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9poque o\u00f9 je travaillais chez un courtier sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9 en assurance construction. J\u2019y g\u00e9rais les dossiers clients. Nous travaillions dans un r\u00e9gime de 40 heures par semaine et j\u2019avais donc droit \u00e0 un jour de cong\u00e9 suppl\u00e9mentaire par mois. Ce qui m\u2019en faisait 12 au total sur l\u2019ann\u00e9e.\nCe boulot de courtier \u00e9tait clairement en dehors de ma zone de r\u00e9flexion mais permettait une vrai stabilit\u00e9 et une bascule vers le secteur priv\u00e9 qui allait affirmer une capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 faire ce switch associatif\/priv\u00e9 que je trouve int\u00e9ressant dans mon profil.\n12 jours donc soit \u00e0 prendre en cong\u00e9s, soit \u00e0 investir dans quelque chose qui faisait du sens. J\u2019ai donc eu l\u2019opportunit\u00e9 de participer \u00e0 la premi\u00e8re \u00e9dition en Belgique du Programme Impact de Ashoka (www.belgium.ashoka.org\/programme-impact). Je suis devenu coach d\u2019un projet qui \u00e9tait d\u00e9j\u00e0 pr\u00e9sent en France, en Espagne en Irlande. Le Groupe Associatif Siel Bleu (www.sielbleu.org) est une organisation qui propose de l\u2019Activit\u00e9 Physique Adapt\u00e9e (APA) aux seniors. Et le projet que j\u2019accompagnais s\u2019appelait Gymsana (www.gymsana.be) en Belgique.\nNous avons eu la chance d\u2019\u00eatre laur\u00e9at du Programme Impact en 2013. L\u2019enjeu du programme \u00e9tait de faire changer d\u2019\u00e9chelle les 12 projets inscrits au travers d\u2019un programme de 3 mois.\nMa mission \u00e9tait vraiment ax\u00e9e sur la mise en place de process de travail visant \u00e0 fluidifier l\u2019activit\u00e9 sur le territoire belge. Le mod\u00e8le \u00e9tait un copi\u00e9\/coll\u00e9 du mode de d\u00e9veloppement pratiqu\u00e9 en France par les intervenant en APA. Au niveau de l\u2019encadrement des activit\u00e9s, Siel Bleu disposait d\u2019un mat\u00e9riel p\u00e9dagogique et de formation tr\u00e8s riche qui \u00e9tait mis \u00e0 notre disposition. Par contre la difficult\u00e9 en Belgique venait des sources plurielles de financements et de la complexit\u00e9 \u00e0 les articuler dans un budget coh\u00e9rent sur les 3 r\u00e9gions du pays.\nSiel Bleu s\u2019est fait remarqu\u00e9 et est devenu Fellow d\u2019Ashoka gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 sa capacit\u00e9 \u00e0 proposer une mesure de l\u2019impact des activit\u00e9s que les intervenants proposaient. Je d\u00e9couvrais la notation de Social Return On Investment (SROI) et la capacit\u00e9 motrice et d\u2019inspiration des Fellow, sorte d\u2019ambassadeurs du changement capable de storyteller leur histoire et de provoquer l\u2019adh\u00e9sion des parties prenantes du projet. Cette validation scientifique a tr\u00e8s t\u00f4t \u00e9t\u00e9 le point fort de Siel Bleu et les APA on tr\u00e8s vite convaincu les instances europ\u00e9ennes ainsi que le commissaire fran\u00e7ais Michel Barnier. Le Groupe a connu une forte croissance et a, petit a petit, acquis le respect gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 sa capacit\u00e9 de proposer une alternative en terme de rupture avec les standards actuels de prise en charge des personnes \u00e2g\u00e9es. Principalement pour la maladie d\u2019Alzheimer et de Parkinson. Mais \u00e9galement pour les diab\u00e8tes de type 2.\nDans mon parcours plut\u00f4t riche, j\u2019ai appris aux Petits Riens (www.petitsriens.be), un asbl belge qui lutte contre la pauvret\u00e9 et l\u2019exclusion qu\u2019on pouvait revaloriser la seconde main pour cr\u00e9er de l\u2019activit\u00e9 \u00e9conomique et financer des actions sociales. Chez Gymsana, j\u2019ai mieux compris comment on construisait un discours et des outils pour impacter un secteur et proposer des solutions innovantes et disruptives par rapport aux standards existants.\nDurant la phase de transition qui s\u2019installe et qui aura pour horizon une p\u00e9riode de 20-30 ans, j\u2019aurai eu l\u2019occasion d\u2019assister, je le pense, \u00e0 la mutation d'un monde associatif partant d\u2019initiatives locales grassroot, vers des entreprises d\u2019insertion \u00e0 la recherche d\u2019un mod\u00e8le de financement le moins d\u00e9pendant des pouvoirs publics, l\u2019\u00e9conomie sociale. J\u2019ai ensuite vu ce secteur \u00e9voluer lorsque sont apparus des entrepreneurs sociaux qu\u2019on appelle aujourd\u2019hui des ChangeMakers. Ils sont capables de mesurer l\u2019impact des efforts qu\u2019ils\u00a0produisent sur les sujets auxquels ils s\u2019int\u00e9ressent avec des propositions de valeur toujours plus innovantes. Et aujourd\u2019hui je suis impliqu\u00e9 dans un mouvement qui sera peut \u00eatre un Makestorming en 2017 au sein d\u2019un R\u00e9seau Bruxellois de FabLabs (RBF) qui pense pouvoir se r\u00e9approprier des capacit\u00e9s de changements \u00e0 l\u2019aide de l\u2019assistance num\u00e9rique qu\u2019elle soit Soft ou Hardware. L\u2019OpenSource nourrit l\u2019espoir de voir les individus s\u2019associer pour FAIRE. Faire communaut\u00e9, faire sens, faire savoir, savoir faire.\nSi un changement de paradigme est possible c\u2019est parce que des individus se sont mis en chemin. Cette transition est rendue plus fluide aujourd\u2019hui gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l\u2019information distribu\u00e9e et \u00e0 des initiatives qui tendent \u00e0 lib\u00e9rer l\u2019innovation pour Le Commun. Les licences propri\u00e9taires qui cr\u00e9aient jusqu\u2019ici de la valeur non pas pour le bien commun mais principalement pour l\u2019int\u00e9r\u00eat priv\u00e9 volent en \u00e9clat. Aujourd\u2019hui une g\u00e9n\u00e9ration s\u2019organise, fait mouvement afin de rendre possible la cr\u00e9ation de biens communs entre pairs. Michel Bauwens, un belge, peut certainement \u00eatre reconnu comme un th\u00e9oricien de ce mouvement d\u2019\u00e9mancipation du mod\u00e8le actuel. Et les FabLabs comme les BioHackerspace et autres tiers-lieux sont surement les lieux o\u00f9 les Makers acc\u00e8dent aux outils capables de faire bouger les lignes.\nCette histoire est disponible aussi en anglais.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-08-30 8:49 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8929"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6685","title":"Showers and more: meet DoucheFLUX","content":"\nThe beginning is quite weird \u00ad it's usually like that.\u2028In another life I\u2019m an artist, and in that life, a decade ago, I have set up Collectif MANIFESTEMENT.\nThe group\u2019s unique goal is to organize a demonstration once a year and go to the streets with a theme. The matter is usually peculiar, weird or unexpected, and we spend a year, or even longer, preparing the different aspects of the protest.\nSo, in 2010 we settled upon a subject that addressed the homeless people in Brussels. We did it without them, but for them \u00ad and invited them to join us. It was the first time we came to know some of this population, and the more discovered and understood about them, the more stories and testimonies we collected about their lives, the less sense it made to just wrap everything up and move on to something new.\nOne of the follow\u00adups of this process was a book, in which we gathered and edited short stories from homeless people we\u2019ve met. It was published in both Flemish and French, and it made many institutions hate us, as many people in that book frankly complained about their work.\nOk, we have a bright and pretty broad vision of affairs. Now, what? We had to propose something, and the more I thought of it, the bigger it became in my head. It was overwhelming and ambitions, and I felt I can\u2019t start. That was until I met a woman, who happened to be my former student from the French classes I teach. She was a perfect partner: Flemish, woman, and a businesswoman on top of it. Together we framed the project and made it ripe for implementation in early 2012.\nIt started as a nonprofit in May 2012, but we still took a year to outline some of the details and propose a solid program. It remained complex and ambitious \u00ad and it\u2019s important to keep it that way. The organization managed to raise money from private sources to buy and renovate a building in Brussels (in fact we are still short of renovation money, and we are looking for 500.000 to get the job done). The space is so huge (650 square meters) that we can both offer support to many homeless people and invite other organizations working on the topic to use it. There is another reason why we made it so big \u00ad if the place was small and crowded with homeless from, say, Morocco, a Belgian single homeless person wouldn\u2019t enter, even if we offered what they needed. It would just feel overwhelming.\nThe mission of DoucheFLUX is to promote self\u00ad-esteem and help homeless people regain a positive image of themselves. The activities we propose do not make them feel intimidated. We forbade the usage of the words such as \"culture\" or \"art\" in the space, as well. Together with these precarious people, we produce a magazine, that is published 4\u00ad5 times a year. We also release a monthly broadcast, organize meetings in schools and film debates. Recently, we\u2019ve been busy designing a board game that allows regular people to understand and experience the hardships and challenges of homelessness. The idea wasn\u2019t mine \u00ad one of the homeless people proposed it as a way to engage with passers\u00adby. We are preparing the beta version to be ready for the Brussels Game Festival.\u2028After the opening of the building, which should happen by the end of the year, we will finally extend our services beyond going to the streets and establishing relations with the homeless. We will have 20 showers \u00ad 7 for women, 12 for men, and one for people on wheelchair. There will be also medical area and daily medical staff which our guests can appoint. This simple thing will hopefully fix once and for all the problem with access to showers in Brussels. We\u2019re in the capital of Europe, but for people on the street there is only La Fontaine, which provides one shower per person a week, and you even have to be lucky to get it.\nObviously, if we have showers, we need to have laundry. And the lockers. A huge problem among this community: there are virtually no lockers in Brussels, therefore people constantly get robbed and lose their things. As a result, they end up in a vicious circle of bureaucracy to get back whatever papers and permissions they need, and incredible insecurity. We will have 400 lockers, from super small for medicine and documents, to bigger ones.\nAnd finally, we would like to open a help desk at DoucheFlux one day. Which means we don\u2019t want to become the only organization covering all their needs \u00ad but to provide them with information on where they could be offered help with other problems. We want this to be accompanied by the first centralized website, simple and intuitive so that people who don\u2019t speak French or Flemish will be able to navigate it. It\u2019s incredible how untransparent Brussels is to these people \u00ad they have no idea where to find a lawyer, where to sleep, eat, get their medicine or find work. This idea is supported by everyone from the field in the city.\nWe are also facing some challenges around financing (we think we have reached the limits of private donations in the country at this point) and we consider turning the space into a public-\u00adprivate entity. Our bargaining chip is all our achievement \u00ad we hope the formal institutions will see it as a necessity to support an initiative that has gone so far on its own. We have 50 volunteers, we employ and pay only one person (we want to extend it to at least 2\u00ad3), and all that without a single euro from the state. I\u2019m optimistic about it \u00ad I don\u2019t think anyone would like to see us closed at that point.\nWould you like to share you experience with work with vulnerable social groups? What are the hardships, common misconceptions, institutional obstacles you find exceptionally striking? What is your strategy to engage with these groups and help them overcome mistrust and lack of confidence?\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-08-28 19:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8932"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6684","title":"MakeStorming 2017","content":"\nI'm not part of Generation Y. I'm not part of the older generation either.\nI am neither a scientist nor a sociologist but I observe the world as it is and I try to have an impact in it.\n\nI am not really a specialist in any particular field. At most, I am a good generalist. What I do is connecting the dots, creating links, bringing well-being in environments in which I try to create value. Some would say I bring resilience.\n\nNot so long ago I had to decide what to put on my business card. I finally combined two ideas, so I wrote Lean & stereo contractor\/facilitator. Indeed, I had knocked for almost 10 years on the door of the social economy, which has become social entrepreneurship and which continues to mutate to meet the demands of markets that do not raise the interest of the private sector but that are neither big enough for the public. The third which often has grassroot origins.\n\nThe testimony I would like to make is that of front-line actors for whom the world is full of opportunities and who humbly seek to be an actor of change at a time when everything is accelerating.\n\nThe values \u200b\u200bthat I carry and tried to synthesize in my business card are those of agile actors. Lean means going through iterations before setting-up a comprehensive plan and establishing a strategy. The concept of stereo relates to the progress made in the world of 3D capture. Virtual Reality (VR) has a lot of facets including stereoscopy, which has existed since the film era.\n\nBack to Care Change, I have always had the feeling of being able to change the things surrounding me. The challenge is to see if I could scale-up and bring this change to a larger environment. It has been a year now since I have been able to free myself from the stress of working on a project, for a boss and a structure. I work today to find projects in which I have the leverage to validate assumptions while bringing intrinsic value to the holders of such projects.\n\nMy approach is pretty simple. The assumptions I want to validate are always more or less similar. As a citizen and practitioner I am able to describe and initiate a project to make it readable for an environment at the crossroads of 3 areas: the Private Sector (PS), the Powers public and the World Philanthropy (MP)\n\nToday what I thought was possible, what I long sought to free myself from -the stress- seems accessible, so I want others to find their space of expression. I work to make this state of mind possible every day. Today I can choose the missions in which I want to invest time, so I have found a balance, albeit fragile, that allows me to concentrate in making the World as I imagined.\n\nI am not telling the story of a guy who left his job because he was burnt out or the story of a guy who had enough of his life in the private sector. I will not tell the story of the social worker exhausted by a heavy administrative and institutional burden. The story of a guy who, day after day, limited the capacity of the frontline actor tired of solving everyday problems and not recognizing that it was social action fueling those resources. Make sense.\n\nThis is to deliver the testimony of a player who can move from one side of the mirror to the other. Who moves from the private to the public just to give meaning to his quest.\n\nThe work experience and job sequence that I want to share takes place in the days when I worked with a broker specialized in construction insurance. I was managing customer records. We worked 40 hours a week but had the right to an extra day off per month. Which made a total of 12 days per year.\nThis broker job was clearly outside my reflection area but allowed a true stability and switch to the private sector.\n\n12 days to take a leave or to invest in something that made sense. So I had the opportunity to participate in the first edition of the Belgian Ashoka Impact Program (www.belgium.ashoka.org\/programme-impact). I became the coach of a project that was already present in France, Spain and Ireland. The Associative Group Siel Bleu (www.sielbleu.org) is an organization that offers Adapted Physical Activity (APA) to seniors. The project I was in charge of was called Gymsana in Belgium (www.gymsana.be).\nWe were the winners of the Impact Programme 2013. The aim of the program was to change the scale of 12 projects through a program of 3 months.\n\nMy mission was focused on the working process to streamline the activities of this programme in Belgium. The model copy\/pasted the mode of development practiced in France in other APAs. Siel Bleu had teaching and training materials available to us. But the difficulties in Belgium came from plural sources of funding and the complexity to articulate a coherent budget in the 3 regions of the country.\n\nSiel Bleu made its mark and became an Ashoka Fellow thanks to its ability to offer measurable impact of the activities that stakeholders were proposing. I discovered the rating of Social Return on Investment (SROI) and the inspiration of Fellows, who were ambassadors for change and storytellers capable to trigger the adhesion of other stakeholders to the project. This scientific validation early became the highlight of Siel Bleu and APA quickly convinced the European authorities and the French commissioner Michel Barnier. The Group has experienced a strong growth and has little by little gained respect thanks to its ability to offer an alternative to current standards of care of the elderly. Mainly for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's. But also for type 2 diabetes.\n\nThroughout my rather rich career, I learned in Les Petits Riens (www.petitsriens.be), a Belgian non-profit organization that fights against poverty and exclusion by providing value to second hand goods in order to create economic activity and finance social actions. At Gymsana I understood how to build speeches and tools for impact and offer innovative and disruptive solutions over existing standards.\n\nDuring the transition phase which settles and throughout a period of 20-30 years, I will have the opportunity to witness the transfer of an associative model starting at local grassroot initiatives, towards integration companies in search of a model less dependent on public funding: the social economy. I have seen the sector evolve with the emergence of social entrepreneurs now called ChangeMakers. They are capable of measuring the impact of efforts on topics of interest with value propositions ever more innovative. And today I am involved in a project that may be a Makestorming in 2017, a Brussels FabLabs Network (RBF) which aims to reclaim capacity changes with digital support, either Soft or Hardware. The OpenSource nourishes the hope of individuals to associate and MAKE. Make community, make sense, know how.\n\nIf a paradigm shift is possible is because individuals set the path. This transition is more fluid today thanks to the flux of information and initiatives that tend to liberate innovation for the Common. Propriety licenses, which hitherto created value not for the common good but primarily for the private interest, shatter today. A generation now organizes to make the creation of common property among peers possible. Michel Bauwens, a Belgian citizen, may certainly be recognized as a theorist of this movement for the emancipation of the current model. And FabLabs like BioHackerspace are probably places where ChangeMakers have access to the tools that move the lines.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-08-28 8:46 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8929"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6678","title":"Little Side note: What is the role of the Government in this Bottom-up Open Care project?","content":"\nWhen discussing society\u2019s biggest questions I like to have a discussion with Ginette Bauwens, a figure of the activist scene in Brussels and well-spoken about any subject. She has the looks of a friendly grandmother but the vivacity and energy of a young activist that believes in the power of humans. She played an active role in the recent car free shift of the centre of Brussels but made sure it didn\u2019t become a gentrified zone. She majored in philosophy and made the choice to work all her live half time so she could invest her time in local or global movements.\nFirst when I asked her to give a short opinion about the bottom up imitatives organizing care related projects she responded: I only believe people can give care when it comes from love and friendship. All other forms need to be done by the government to be effective. I was really surprised by this ballsy argument so I invited over for a drink on the hottest day of the year (35\u00b0C!) and we had a tomato juice and a great conversation.\n\nWe dived immediately into the subject. Care is a government issue for\u00a0 her that isn\u2019t at all taken care (pun intended) of. Why does the government give as much power to the pharmaceutical industry for example? Why can Nestl\u00e9 become the number one partner of a government organization called \u2018Kind En Gezin\u2019 that helps parents of new-born through the first year? For her our role as activist and change makers is to put pressure on the government to make change on a big scale possible.\nI explain her how local initiatives are bending the system like the open insulin, chemotherapy in Romania or ways that people are hacking neuroprosthetis. Even if she find them great initiative she is scared that it will not be scalable, for her if the government doesn\u2019t follow, nothing will change on the long term. I ask her why even within this idea people are rather trying to find solutions themselves then going in the street and pressuring the government. It makes sense, she says, you have an illusion doing something more meaningful while starting a project, then putting pressure on a government where the reward will (maybe) be given after many years. Instant gratification is much more popular, and with bureaucratic complexification people are less temped to get into a long battle with the government.\nBut Ginette isn\u2019t the person to only be sceptic and give critic towards ideas. She likes finding solutions. So before I explain her the principle of the workshop we talk a bit further on the big problems ahead. For her everything can be put into three categories: poverty, elderly care and work ethics. Poverty makes it impossible to take care of each other; it is a vicious circle that is difficult to get out of. Even with the best projects, people without money will not get towards it. Elderly care is also a big problem in European countries, care became profit and it is all about efficiency. Only a rearrangement about how we look at elderly care can get us out of this problem. Finally there is the way we look at work and how it makes us sick: burn out is one of the biggest epidemics of this century and involves pulls the whole family downwards. Not one political party is discussing these problems on a larger scale and that is problematic for her. The resources are there, but the unwillingness of changing is bigger. Politicians aren\u2019t trained to be vectors of change; they are the ones that bring continuity. It\u2019s the civilians that need to push the change and politics to implement it.\nDark times ahead? Maybe, but this discussion made me think more clearly about the workshop and what we need to take notice of when bringing care-project together. Like within the makers movement it is important to find a balance between corporate and counter culture partners, within care it is also important to have an open approach towards policy makers. Yes we are in a ruff path at the moment, and trust is at an all time low towards politicians. But therefor it is the moment to open our arms to welcome them towards new ways of organizing care. We need much more and easier collaboration between projects. We need especially that knowledge of the government to tackle complex problems with multiple partners. We need to take them by the hand and show them what there is possible within an open care system\nThe discussion I want to open towards the community is: Is involving the policy makers important, or will it be obsolete in the future? What kind of dialogue can care taking projects take towards it?\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-08-26 15:32 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6677","title":"Rethinking Healthcare Professions Curricula in a Open Knowledge frame","content":"\nFor the past few years I\u2019ve been busy rethinking the way healthcare is delivered to patients and how health communication and prevention are being constructed as information for the benefit of the public. Being an adjunct professor lecturing Sociology of health at the University of Parma I have a good starting point - not exactly a healthcare expert person, but a sociologist with a huge passion for e-learning and innovation in education, working on the change from within.\nMy idea is that the change should take place in the training and education sphere about how professionals and practitioners become such. Innovation and openness of knowledge must become the cutting edge paradigm within universities, hospitals and healthcare policies.\n\u00a0\nI\u2019ve been granted research scholarships for the past years and I use them to bring change in two main areas of education: technologies and practices of innovation. It\u2019s about bringing these two aspects, also existing in collaborative economies, communities, in hacker groups and activists promoting open access to knowledge, data and technology to stubborn, hermetic ecosystems of higher education. \n\u00a0\nMy current project, a weblab named Puntozero (http:\/\/puntozero.github.io\/), explores the ways in which teachers, professors, tutors and students -used to the traditional model of lecturing a class and equipping people with theoretical knowledge and in-field training- might integrate in a community of practice to innovate the way of learning. This year there are about 150 students involved. The brainstorming about proposals include more talking to the patients, who want to collaborate and surely want to see medicine more friendly, more efficient, more human. It is important to change the way we see health care - not as a prestigious, restricted profession for a selected group of professional, but as a practice that has been there for thousands of years, a huge amount of collective wisdom that pioneered and support what we call medicine and care right now. \n\u00a0\nIt\u2019s fascinating to play with the idea of a healthcare student classroom where, instead of feeding people with theories, teachers would create space where students meet makers of all sorts and discuss various technological innovations with them, and spend time with their patients, getting hands on experience in various cases. By encouraging sharing of data, more interdisciplinary collaboration, creativity and networking educational institutions could create a new breed of health professionals. Their work style would be more inclusive and horizontal, and they would be more interested in critical thinking and discussion, sharing and transparency. \n\u00a0\nAt the moment I\u2019m working with a couple of small innovations that could lead to improved communication between health professionals and patients. One of them is about involving three trainees in archiving and developing a set of health-related caremojis, accessible in a open, less formal exchange, a tool improving communication and adoption of symbols to represent concepts of concern (e.g.: surgery tools, health conditions, symptoms, etc..). They will be soon ready to be used and evaluated by the students. \n\u00a0\nAnother one is to replace yearly reports from traineeship by an online book, accessible to everyone and encouraging discussion. And it actually did. While i was working as professor I also skipped preparing tests and asked each pupil to come up with one multiple choice question, and out of 150 of them, were chosen random 20 questions set that became the test I made an exam. It was a very democratic, surprising step for students. I tend to be also available online for my students as much as possibile and I put a lot of stress on digital learning and Open Educational Resources (OER) - to save paper, to spare their pockets, to promote more openness, to bring more p2p learning. Finally, I try to skip the usage of huge, expensive books in the classrooms - instead, I look for good, open source materials, and if they\u2019re in English, I ask my students to translate one page each and put it up in Italian as a wiki, available to everyone. There are all these ways in which students are forced to meet and talk, an essential practice, widely absent in the formal education. \n\u00a0\nI\u2019m interested in joining the OPENandchange with the mission of tweaking and\/or revolutionizing the classroom and the health care education and training. I want to create more opportunities for students to meet people who change the way care is given in different ways - by making devices, by creating informal institutions, in fablabs and elderly houses. I want to prepare workshops where makers and patients would be working along the health care providers on new solutions. And I want to empower alternative ways of giving care, outside of the formal profession, initiatives driven by values other than money - by the idea of being helpful, virtue of serving each other, and actual engagement. \n\u00a0\nTherefore i would like to engage other scholars, makers, educators, archivists, patients and who else inspired by an open paradigm of healthcare in contributing to a p2p learning project to advance healthcare professions curricula and innovate where possibile and to open knowledge filed the higher education for healthcare professions. Please add your comment to participate.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-08-26 12:25 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8779"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6674","title":"The Answer to Africa?","content":"\nThe United Nations think that health care is the nub to development, and the forerunner to any of the other Sustainable Development Goals; that is for a country, or a continent...or Africa to develop strongly, there must be sound healthcare system first. I think that there are many suffering in Africa because of the unaffordable, inaccessible, and inadequate health care system, and I think that in order to keep the tolls of death low, perhaps people don\u2019t need to wait for a revolution to the health sector, maybe what we need is an easily accessible, and affordable health alternative. Because of the many polluted rivers, African children die daily from diarrhea. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention tells us that 2,195 children die EACH DAY from diarrhea. Due to the unaffordable health care system, many diabetic sufferers die without receiving proper medication or medical attention. Hence, many African countries like my country, Nigeria, have one of the highest diabetic sufferers and deaths.\nMy name is Ivan Ezeigbo. I am 20 years old, and currently a sophomore at Minerva Schools at KGI, California, USA. I was inspired by Monica Marcu\u2019s book, The Miracle Tree, to research with a team back in Nigeria on the blood regulatory power of the contents of the leaves of a very medicinal plant. It is a herbal plant that has just drawn a lot of attention in its potential to cure over three hundred ailments. This is the Moringa Oleifera. We experimented on Wistar albino rats. The idea was to inject alloxan intraperitoneally to all groups of Wistar albino rats with healthy working pancreas (alloxan increases blood sugar level, thus inducing hyperglycaemia or making them \u201cpseudo-diabetic\u201d). The bioactive agents of moringa leaves were extracted with ethanol and water, and two groups of the rats were treated each with these contents. An additional group was treated with synthetic insulin (insulin is a natural blood regulatory hormone that brings down blood sugar level), and all three groups were observed. We discovered that the group of Wistar albino rats treated with the bioactive agents of the moringa leaves extracted with water had a SIGNIFICANTLY SIMILAR blood sugar level as those treated with synthetic insulin, and less significant with those treated with ethanol. This unearthened two truths. First, moringa has powerful blood regulatory effects, almost equivalent to the natural insulin. Secondly, water is a better extraction agent than ethanol, unlike the case for many other plant leaves. Aside its blood regulatory power, moringa also cures diarrhea, and many other bacterial and fungal infections. It is also a healthy store for numerous nutrients, vitamins and amino acids. It also thrives very well in these tropical regions of Africa, especially the Southern Nigeria. Armed with this knowledge, I took up the entrepreneurial project of making moringa teas using tea bags because this would not only help a lot of poor people in Nigeria, and Africa in general, who cannot afford or obtain quality health care, but would be a cheap and accessible way of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Furthermore, since water is a good extraction agent for moringa, moringa teas would provide consumers the maximal health benefits. Even though, I have not had the necessary funding and have been self-funding this project, my motivation to help people live longer and healthier has kept this dream going, and I have not tired out in bringing this to fruition. I am still conducting researches and experiments on my tea, and I have just purchased about two plots of land for moringa farming. I would still need to set up an industry where these teas will be processed.\nThis is good news to diabetic sufferers in Africa; it is good news to poor children and families in Africa who cannot afford quality health care. This is good news to hypertensive patients and the obese. This is good news to Africa. My dream is that this project greatly lowers mortality rate in Africa, and if we are not being too optimistic, perhaps...just perhaps, we may begin to realize stronger development.\nA link to the paper we published on the experiment with Wistar albino rats: http:\/\/article.sapub.org\/10.5923.j.diabetes.20160503.02.html\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-25 14:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8927"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6672","title":"Shit, sweet smell of money, who cares and time to change !?","content":"\nExcuseme the fowl language, but it\u2019s appropriate here.\u00a0\nWe all know (or will) the insane cost of them. We spend lots of money on them on the household and institutional budgets. Several times a day we throw away these 30 cents items, often without needing to. Every human will or have used them for years. For multinational corporations they are the sweet smell of money, for us\u2026well it depends. Surely a disaster for\u00a0the environment.\u00a0\nWhat are we talking about?\nThis is the situation. You are a caring person and you see tears. What\u2019s the problem?\u00a0Parents know the drill. The usual detection algorithm starts. A check flowchart: pain? hunger? \u2026. or is it the \u2018bottom line\u2019?\nThe sweet or not so-sweet smell tells you what you have to do.\nYou will also know about the silent-positive; no alarm and no change leads\u00a0to a pain in the bottom. We dry the tears and invest in curing the wounds. Soon this leads you to adopt the institutional approach.\nThe institutional approach is to change at specific times, whether needed or not. The vacant slot is usually before feeding and ofthen clean ones goes to pollute our dump-yard. What goes in, must come out and then the sh.t hits the fan. The unscheduled aftermath sometimes goes undetected (silent-positive).\u00a0This scheme goes for our elderly as well. The poor person is left unchanged.\u00a0\nYou know what we are talking about here, don\u2019t you? DIAPERS. Those wonderful disposable ones that have released tremendous time resources, given\u00a0mothers time to breathe,\u00a0for which, we gladly pay the price.\u00a0\nWhat\u2019s the problem? The issues are 1. many times diapers are changed un-necessarily and 2. many times they are NOT changed at the right moment. First case is a waste of money and environmental resources. Second case is health hazard (especially for the elderly).\nThe theoretical solution is simple: Change when needed.\nIn practice: you can\u2019t go around sniffing there every 20 minutes, especially not as institutional employee.\nSolution:\nWith cheap modern technology you could easily make a \u2018pamper sniffer\u2019 (please be aware of active patents). This 10\u20ac sniffer would signal yellow (a drop of pee is absorbed so it\u2019s not yet urgent) red (the sh.t has hit the fan, change now). Those IOT freaks will upgrade to an app telling the carer: what, who, and the GPS coordinates of the sinner.\u00a0\nCritical obstacle:\nYou think Mr. Pumpers will sponsor a 50% reduction of his profit?\nOpportunity:\u00a0\nSomeone could get very rich, society will save and environment spared. Personally I would gladly have paid 100\u20ac for a 'pamper sniffer'\u00a0when my kids were small. I\u2019d happily pay 200\u20ac as a gift for my dad and please go ahead charge my children 1000\u20ac when the time comes where I\u2019m in deep \u2026. (provided the nurse obay the alarm).\nBill of materials (draft). Moist sensor\/gas sensor, battery, led\/buzzer\/xxx, microcontroller\u2026\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-25 12:17 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8837"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6671","title":"HOW I MADE THE CHANGE!","content":"\nAs a global- world citizen I find Switzerland IDEAL for my needs to interact with others around the world. The internet and infrastructure is par excellent and although I dont speak much french or german I still mange to communictae well with others here who pass through this project as most have englsh as their seocnd language. Currently my viewpoint is that decentrlaisation or ism is the way forward for our humanity to go into. It is how we will save this planet from greed-exploitation and most of all ...false prop[aganda! - It is vital for me to work with people who are like minded and pragmatic. ..and who see the way ahead as visionaries..and I came across this project in Month Soleil two years ago...since then I have felt that I am doing something positive to bring in the NEW society. At mont soleil we are trying to create this new culture in the shadow of the old and become a model of what we all would like to see in the age to come. I have been involved in many differnet movemnet and when I discovered the decentralise now! movement which is based on the intelligent understaing and world view which I personally resonate with I am empowered to carry on the struggle.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-25 11:20 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8924"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6670","title":"Using the University that is Rethinking Higher Education to Rethink Mental Health Care for Students","content":"\nI am a member of the Inaugural Class of Minerva Schools at K.G.I., as well as Minerva\u2019s, Mental Health Services Programs Coordinator for Berlin and Buenos Aries. Which sounds great, but seriously, what the heck does that even mean?\nMinerva is a new university that aims to reimagine the paradigm of higher education, based on the science of learning. All classes are seminars, with a flipped classroom structure. Meaning that we students, learn the content on our own and spend time engaging with the deeper concepts behind the material. Moving the emphasis away from the professor teaching and instead towards students learning.\nAll of this is facilitated by Minerva\u2019s online platform where all classes take place. Every student (no more than 20 per class) webcams into class, where the platform allows our professors to more easily check how much everyone is participating in the discussion, send us into breakout groups, and live poll the class. Beyond being of instructional benefit, the online format takes away much of the typical costs of facilities development and maintenance that traditional universities place upon their students. Additionally, it allows Minerva to be a genuinely international experience. Our student body is comprised of students from over 40 countries. We live and travel together to seven cities (in as many countries) in cohorts no greater than 150 students. \u00a0\nThis unique structure has brought together an amazing community, with potential for changing many of the ways we view higher education. However, there is one factor of higher education that I work most with, and that is students\u2019 mental health and wellness! Minerva students\u2019 have necessarily high work loads, a variety of cultures and constantly transitioning lifestyles, which makes it the perfect edge case to gain insights on how to improve mental health care in universities.\nAccessibility of Resources:\nIn the U.S., a 2014 study found that the average ratio of university mental health professionals to students is about 1:2080. This means that students in need of counseling services face long wait lists and a low amount sessions, resulting in care that is often literally too little too late.\n\nThis has a simple fix: dedicate resources so that students who seek help can get it! The real challenge comes in getting students to value their own well being and to reach out when they feel they need mental support. 80% of students who commit suicide (the second leading cause of university student death) never come into contact with any staff from the counseling center. How do we address these issues?\nThe answer is Cultivating Care through Community!\nThis is where my work comes in. As a student working on the school\u2019s mental health team I get work on changes that try and address mental health before it becomes an impediment to education. Currently, I am working on a training for students to learn how to better manage their self care and stress management. Additionally, we are adapting trainings from other universities to include aspects from the science of learning, and create a more lasting impact. A prime example of this is the Student Support Network Training (originally developed at Worcester Polytechnic Institute), where students are nominated by their peers to learn how to better understand their own mental health, as well as support friends by caring for them in crisis and connecting to the resource they need.\nIn addition, it\u2019s no longer enough to focus solely on the counseling department\u2019s efforts to improve students wellness. Our academic team offers periodic sessions with deans and professors to help students improve their writing, time management and other skills that can lead to increased stressed when not appropriately addressed.\nThe Student Experience Team has created a series of traditions that brings the student body together as well, to fight the isolation that can commonly occur when students transition into college. Every monday evening a different student takes a leap of faith and give their \u201cMinerva Talk\u201d, by sharing the story of their life so far. On Wednesdays students gather in small groups for Supper Clubs where they all bring some food to share as they explore questions that push them to be vulnerable.\n\u00a0\nWhile we still working on figuring out a lot of how we address student well being (and build this university) it\u2019s become clear that the future of student care must be holistic and not just reactive.\n\u00a0\nI\u2019m curious to hear your thoughts and also what you are working on! Please connect with me or comment below.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-25 3:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8914"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6669","title":"Creating an alternative rehabilitation system for children wearing a cochlear implant in Romania","content":"\nMy story begins with my daughter Sonia. She was born in 2007 with an extremely rare and complex heart defect. We flew around the world to find a solution for her heart to function as close to normality and we found it. In 2008 in Boston, on the day she was discharged from the hospital with a fixed heart, we discovered she is profoundly deaf. Acquired deafness from the many medical procedures and medication she had for supporting her heart function in her\u00a0first months of life. Right now she is a perfectly normal 9 years old and her hearing is provided by a cochlear implant. The journey to normality was not over yet. Cochlear implants provide only the access to sound, but the brain needs to get used to decoding the sounds it receives. So going down that tortuous road and understanding how a late diagnosis can make auditory-verbal rehabilitation\u00a0much harder,\u00a0I started thinking about solutions for\u00a0children who are already diagnosed and also for those\u00a0that will to be born and possibly suffer from\u00a0congenital hearing loss.\u00a0\nIn 2013 I started an NGO - Asociatia Sonia Maria, willing to get involved\u00a0in providing solutions for children with hearing loss and congenital cardiac diseases. I counselled families of children born with congenital complex cardiac diseases in order to access health care abroad. I helped them transfer their children to a cardiac centre in Munich, Germany where their health issues met the needed medical care. Parents reached out to me for advice and\u00a0support, I helped them contact the clinic and maintain the contact with medical staff abroad. Other times I just I brought medication that was not available in my home country\u00a0or found a connections in countries where needed medication was available and managed\u00a0bringing it to Romania. This saved my daughter\u2019s life at birth, and other children further on. At times I flew with families to Germany, discussed with doctors and supported them during the hard times their children underwent complex surgeries. Once we started dealing with hearing loss, it\u00a0broadened my area of issues that needed to be addressed.\u00a0\nIn 2015 I opened Casa Koala, the first family centred auditory-verbal centre in Romania, with the help of an Australian speech therapist. Viktorija McDonnel\u00a0relocated in Bucharest for two months to help us kick start the project. In Romania there is no other rehabilitation\u00a0centre especially designed for children with hearing loss wearing cochlear implants. We hold individual weekly sessions in the centre and for children living in remote areas we provide tele practice. Children and their families have the opportunity to access this\u00a0program especially created to help families of deaf\u00a0children\u00a0on their road to learning to listen and speak. With a team of three people we try to change the way in which families relate to\u00a0therapy. We\u00a0are trying to\u00a0build\u00a0a community of people who are informed, counselled and supported on their path to speech rehabilitation.\nHaving access to information and seeing how much harder it is for children to acquire speech when they are diagnosed at a late age, I am making efforts to create a Bill that will implement mandatory neonatal hearing screening in all the maternities in Romania. This will mean that\u00a0all the children born deaf will\u00a0be diagnosed at birth and\u00a0they will have the best chance in receiving the proper medical care, the devices that will give them full access to sounds and further on a fair chance in rehabilitation.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-25 0:32 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8926"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6667","title":"WeHandU - maker space for developing solutions for cases of motor impairment.","content":"\nWhat we do\nDemonstration of an OpenCare model of a \u2018makerspace\u2019, We propose a laboratory where people living with motor impairment due to e.g. multiple sclerosis (MS), stroke or spinal cord injury (SCI) can meet and collaborate with other people. There will be mentors (physiotherapists, engineers and designers etc.) and together we will create solutions to personal needs in form of assistive devices. A cooperative model where citizens with various skills can work together on realizing devices for use in everyday life, that will improve or maintain individual functional capabilities. This model will explore ways to transfer research results directly to users (target participants). New and existing ideas will be challenged and transformed into methods and assistive technology for activities of daily living. Initial focus will be to demonstrate how the challenges of mobility can be resolved by helping people's creativity in a social environment. One challenges that people often meet is the need for adaptation of tools to be able to perform day-to-day tasks as .abilities change, In the WeHandU laboratory people will be able (and helped) to implement such changes.\nMore participants = more results\nThe basis of WeHandU is to be volitional participation of people with skills in various aspects of assistive technology. Solutions will vary from realizing simple mechanical aids to involvement of expert researchers. The new infrastructures of makerspaces (also known as fablabs or hackerspaces), allowing the do-it-yourself construction of objects, lend itself as a host for the WeHandU initiative. Here sophisticated devices can be prototyped using advanced machining processes (e.g. 3D printing). A lot of individuals create a personal DIY solutions. Those not marketed or provided by the health service can be manufactured in the WeHandU framework. Likewise subsequent modifications can be easily be implemented as new needs arise. People challenged by MS, stroke and SCI will find help in peers, designers, engineers networking with clinicians as well as people with \u2018soft\u2019 skills in the socializing context of a makerspace. One of the concrete challenges to resolve is addressing the problem of dropped foot . With a vast practical experience we can guide people to select, try or even construct their foot drop correcting stimulator. A device that, despite solid proof of efficiency in scientific literature, has not been adopted by the healthcare systems. Another of the most important problems regards the vanishing hand function. Here a recently developed technology comes in. It\u2019s a open source (meaning that all details of how to replicate are publically available) device for strengthening the hand, using FES (mecfes.wikispaces.com). It has been tested clinically for improving hand function in SCI, but there is no contraindications for applying it to people living with MS. Most important of all, this initiative in synergy with OpenCare will challenge the existing healthcare providers to adopt the model and provide a more user centered approach.\nThe WeHandU idea is mainly concerned about preserving autonomy by assistive technology for the hand function and walking using state of the art technological inventions combined with simple do-it-yourself manufacturing techniques in a socially engaging environment. Use of nowadays rapid-prototyping technologies(es. 3d printing), allows to bring creative people together for an effective low-cost collaboration process which brings real and efficient industrial solutions in relatively short time.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-22 19:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8821"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6665","title":"OpenCare Legal Evasion Guide:  mortal issues for humans helping out","content":"\nTable of contents\n\nLegal tactics\nLogic of this document\n\nLegal tactics\nDon't incorporate\nIf you are not a legal entity, you are obviously exempt from any authorization regime, bureaucracy requirements etc. Your scope for action is limited only by the freedom of individuals in your legal system.\u00a0\nOn the downside, unincorporated initiatives cannot easily use some of the services that legal entity can. They canot hold a bank account, sign a contract, rent an office etc. They rely heavily on the good will of the people who believe in them to maintain coherence, even \u00a0more so than incorporated ones.\u00a0\nThe Helliniko Community Clinic is an example of a very effective care initiative that has decided not to incorporate.\n\"Squat, then negotiate\"\nMany care projects need physical spaces, but buildings have an especially top-heavy regulatory regime in many countries. Rather than ask for authorizations, some groups find it easier to start \u00a0by illegally squatting their building of choice, then negotiating with the owner. The act of squatting creates a problem for the owner; an agreement with the squatters can be presented as the solution.\u00a0\nBelgium (and maybe other countries too?)\u00a0has a legally attenuated contractual form for people and organisations to temporarily occupy buildings. One of its advantages: industrial spaces or office buildings can be temporarily repurposed as living quarters. Loic is an expert in this area \u2013 see here.\nLogic of this document\nStarting with a phrase from woodbine-health-autonomy-center\u00a0\u00a0\n\u201cThis practice may involve working outside the structure of licenses, certifications and insurance. \u201c \nTo my understanding of OpenCare, then this is the very essence. Breaking out of \u2018failed institutions\u2019 https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/escaping-failed-institutions-through-evasive-entrepreneurship\u00a0while staying clear of trouble.\nAs @markomanka remind us: \u00a0...it will break.., but let's skip the simple logical stuff to which we all agree (Being ethical correct, Good Clinical Practice, Protect privacy, Helsinki declaration, Risk assessment\u2026) and make some foothpaths in the illogical legal jungle, mapping the traps and dangerous animals. Let\u2019s also stick to EU continent of bureaucratic beasts.\nTherefore\u00a0this\u00a0proposal of creating a\u00a0living document to collect knowledge, references and safe practice\n(My initial title suggestion:) OpenCare Legal Evasion Guide or How to keep clear of lawsuits\nThere is a start\u00a0in the 100$ overview https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1NKc2bM1FnpQ9zCEveieFr7bIGA9JkI8U_adsBpyma1A\/edit#heading=h.5obrk7n45hk3 but I think it would be better with a dedicated collaborative document.\nDraft for a table of content:\n* How to get around ensurance of responsibility etc..\n* Can you reproduce a patent for non profit or private use? How do you work with or around licensures\/certifications to provide safe care? (from :https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/woodbine-health-autonomy-center)\n*\u00a0How do you interact with existing structures?\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-22 11:54 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8837"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6664","title":"Open Insulin","content":"\nCounter Culture Labs in Oakland is a science-oriented community hackerspace, with a focus on biohacking. In one project taking place at the lab, members are engineering yeast to express milk proteins from non-animal sources - next generation of vegan cheeses and milk. Others are busy developing an eco-friendly bacterial sunscreen.\nOpen Insulin is one of these projects, and its goal is to make it simpler and less expensive to make insulin, starting by investigating some novel ideas for making insulin in e. coli using fewer, easier steps than in common industrial protocols. If successful, the members hope it can be a step towards making generic production more economical, and might also enable more participation in research related to insulin, or production of the medicine at smaller scale, closer to the patients who need it, further reducing costs and giving access to more patients who lack it.\nCounter Culture Labs was founded by a group of hackers with diverse backgrounds and interests in the period from 2011 to 2012, with some members coming from Sudo Room, another hackerspace in Oakland that I participated in founding. Many were also involved in Occupy Oakland, and wanted to establish a more permanent organization with the same community spirit and values. Other members came from Biocurious, another biohacking space in Sunnyvale, in the southern end of the Bay Area. I became involved both because I shared the desire to build a community-focused institution, and because I have diabetes type 1 myself, which means I live with the frustration of costly and tedious treatment regimens day in and day out, and I know how much the standard of care for diabetes patients lags behind what recent research suggests might be possible. So, for my own sake, and for the sake of the others with the condition, I sought to take whatever steps I could to close the gap between the research and what is available to patients on the market right now.\nAbout a year ago, some long-standing discussions around making a bioreactor to produce insulin, which had inspired a few previous attempts, turned more concrete when Isaac Yonemoto, another independent researcher of medical treatments, made some suggestions to us about interesting possibilities for innovation and improvement in existing protocols. We started organising regular meetings, and out of those we then organized a successful crowdfunding campaign, which then opened up connections to professionals who work on various aspects of the problem, both the science and engineering around insulin, and the questions of access to medicine. Through this it came to our attention that access to insulin lags far behind the need even now, and even in the most developed countries - costs of insulin are prohibitive even to many people in the US - and all in all, roughly 50% of those in the world who require it have no access to insulin at all, according to the 100 Campaign, a group working on improving access to insulin around the world. There is almost no generic insulin on the American market at the moment - the first one appeared on the market about two weeks after we finished our crowdfunding campaign last year, but it is a long acting type, which is only part of the therapy required by people with diabetes type 1 (about 15-20% of diabetics in USA have type 1; the rest have type 2). And for those who use an insulin pump, short acting insulin is necessary.\nThe general problem in the first world is that the incentives and interests of producers and patient communities are not aligned.\nRight now we\u2019re focused on achieving the first scientific milestones, which is to produce proinsulin, the precursor of the active form of insulin, in e. coli, in our small-scale community lab. Our lab runs mostly on donated and salvaged equipment and reagents and might be comparable in its capabilities to a lab in a less-developed area of the world where there is the least access to insulin. If we succeed, it would show the possibility that small-scale producers in remote areas might be able to make insulin to satisfy local demand, in places where centrally-manufactured supplies can\u2019t reach due to lack of infrastructure - where what roads there are, if any, do not let refrigerated trucks pass to ship needed pharmaceuticals in. Once we have a protocol that embraces everything from production to purification to near the level of purity of pharmaceutical grade insulin, we plan to approach established generics manufacturers with a case for the economic feasibility of serving the unserved market for insulin, and to partner with them to do the rest of the work of achieving sufficient purity of the product and scaling the methods to production. As we proceed with our work, the main batch of patents around the various forms of insulin are expiring, which will further help us make the case for a comprehensive portfolio of treatments to potential generics manufacturers.\nProvided all this goes well, we might then pursue another idea, closer to our original hope of a bioreactor that produces insulin, and a kind of \u2018holy grail\u2019 goal in the DIY bio world, which is a desktop biofactory, an analog of desktop 3D printers, but for proteins and biologics, which we might develop to first execute one of our protocols to produce insulin, but which we might also design with more flexibility in mind. This would consist of a bioreactor portion that could grow a culture of e. coli or yeast, and then extract and purify a product from it - very roughly speaking, the union of a fermenter with an FPLC, a piece of equipment that purifies proteins. If that is possible, supply of insulin could be placed very close to the demand of the diabetics around the world in a simple, economical package, and reliance on distribution infrastructure would be minimized. It would also reduce the need to have skilled technicians with years of lab experience to execute these protocols by hand.\nUltimately, I hope that opening up the tools for research to more people can help to bring research on cures to patients, and not just treatments. Let me mention a few of the more promising ideas that have had some success in research settings. One approach is to implant functioning pancreatic cells from a donor and protect them from immune attack by various means - hard to scale if you need a constant supply of donors,but it might be possible to grow cultures of the cells in vitro to address this. Another approach is to get the immune system to cease its attack on pancreatic cells, and promote the regrowth of the body\u2019s own insulin-producing cells, either in the pancreas, or in another tissue via gene therapy - a simpler approach to apply once it is developed. Some of the ideas use very inexpensive supplies such as adjuvants, the materials in vaccines that provoke an immune response - and there has been some success using adjuvants alone, or with carefully chosen additions, to get the bodies of diabetic patients to reduce or cease their autoimmune attacks. Other concepts address the metabolic changes behind type 2 diabetes. Several drugs between the research and commercial worlds of medicine can act directly on the metabolic control mechanisms of the body, changing its pattern of energy use and other aspects of metabolism back from the pathological state of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes to the normal, healthy base state. Some of them are small organic molecules, easier to make than proteins such as insulin, but due in part to reasons of cost and incumbency, are not mainstream treatments yet.\nAt the most general level, what we seek to prove is that if an order of magnitude more people get involved in research and development of science and technology, medicine can progress much faster, and might no longer be held back by institutional constraints and perverse incentives in the economics of the institutions. Right now, we\u2019re a group about half a dozen people working regularly on the project, with a few dozen more people in touch every now and then to help out, and a hundred or two in the extended community, ready to answer a question or call for help. Every week or two, someone new comes to the group, who just learned about the project via the media or our regular meetups, and wants to help. Some are complete beginners and end up taking our introductory classes to biohacking, some already have experience but got tired of the limits of the institutions where they worked, or have relatives with diabetes and want to contribute to progress. Though we\u2019re building up a broader community of participation in research slowly, we hope our efforts can plant many seeds out of which future innovations will grow.\nMeanwhile, we are looking to broaden a circle of people who can advise us, experienced scientists and engineers who can help us troubleshoot issues that inevitably come up when investigating the unknown, but we also hope to inspire other groups to work independently in a broader community of innovation. We would like to set up a network of both institutional and DIY researchers living all around the world who have different approaches and ways of making insulin as well as tackling other diabetes and health related issues. Beyond producing drugs, participants might research questions of access to medicine, investigate what patient communities need the most, look at academic publications to identify the most promising research that is not making it out to serve patients, or help establish the effort to build the desktop biofactory. Part of our goal is to prove it\u2019s possible and worthwhile for people outside institutions to take the initiative on these questions, and inspire others to take the lead in their own efforts and bring about the broader changes we seek.\nDo you have any projects in health, medicine, or biohacking that you\u2019d like to work on, but lack people, knowledge, or resources to make it happen? Are you working on a diabetes-related solution? Or do you feel like a network of care biohackers is something you\u2019d like to get involved with? Leave a comment and let us know.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-22 11:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8901"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6661","title":"Helping offgrid health clinics in need of sterilized medical instruments","content":"\nI came across and interesting article thought I would share. Rural clinics in Nicaragua, as well as many other countries often lack a constant supply of electricity required for sterilization. Students designed a solar powered device, called Solarclave to combat this issue and promote healthy practices in rural medicine. Using local supplies that can be replaced and repaired by the user and enable heat to be generated well over the required minimum for sterilzaition. Without electricity- The solution: use\u00a0the sun and creating an efficient and intuitive solar powered device.\nRead the full article and watch the video:\u00a0http:\/\/www.techxlab.org\/solutions\/innovations-in-international-health-solarclave-solar-autoclave\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-18 20:52 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6649","title":"Buoy: Coordinated Crisis Response and Community-based Mutual Aid, without a State","content":"\nBuoy is a software-based communication tool used for improving community responses to distressing situations that affect one or more community members. It is built from the ground up to provide individuals and community organizations with an alternative to State- and corporate-run emergency response infrastructures, such as making a 112 or 911 phone call in Europe or the Sates. It offers a flexible and customizable, intake, dispatch, and field support toolkit for coordinating collective action in the event of crises, whether large or small.\nUsing a smartphone or laptop computer, a community member can assemble one or more crisis support Teams, alert their support Team(s) of where they are and what they need by pressing a single button, and communicate in real-time with their support Team. Importantly, Team members can also coordinate with one another, independent of any communication from the person in crisis.\nBuoy is developed by a growing group of anti-capitalist, anti-racist, prison abolitionists calling themselves the Better Angels. We formed in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street protests in the United States, but are more inspired by movements of militant resistance against capitalist and nationalist domination such as the Zapatistas, and Rojavan Kurds abroad, and Black Lives Matter evictions of police occupation domestically.\nMany people are engaged in parallel efforts to both abolish racist systems of social control such as police and simultaneously supplant them with new systems and structures that genuinely serve a community's needs. As technologists, we recognize that technological advancement amplifies all existing power, which is why we focus technical development efforts to support pre-existing activist and community organization processes, rather than imposing new protocols or procedures. This also means we recognize that Buoy is useless for an individual without a pre-existing social support group, whether that be a Church group, family, or activist collective willing to use the tools together.\nFor this reason, Buoy is built so that it can be easily added to an existing community's social service infrastructure. Rather than embarking on creating new services, caregiving groups can add Buoy as a layer atop their existing websites. So Buoy is not a traditional \"app\" that users download in the app store, but rather a means of adding crisis response, emergency dispatch, and coordination tools to the repertoire of any organization already providing caregiving support to their membership.\nInherent in this design is a decentralized architecture that more closely mirrors the way real-life social networks and grassroots organizations are dispersed. On a technological level, it's also a practical return to the earlier days of the Internet before massive, centralized corporate services dominated the landscape of cyberspace. Nevertheless, Buoy makes use of state of the art mobile technology to provide highly accurate GPS-enabled mapping, live video, and other real-time communication tools that in many cases far exceed the meager capabilities of traditional State-run \"First Responder\" services. And we do it using strictly free software that adds no additional burden to a group's budget.\nExperience has demonstrated that there already exist a vast array of functioning alternatives to State-run care giving institutions and crisis response services. Moreover, for the vast majority of issues that people rely on State-run emergency services for, the State's responses do more harm than good. In contrast, community-run services staffed by the friends and peers of people in need provide a quality of care far superior to the level of care provided by similarly-tasked State or corporate employees. This is most obvious in the case of calling 911 in the United States for issues such as \"noise disturbances,\" which too often end in the murder of a marginalized person at the hands of a police officer.\nEnding such horrors requires, in part, providing ubiquitous access to equally-usable alternatives to existing corporate-State partnerships. Much of this alternative infrastructure already exists in certain areas, in the form of community health clinics and volunteer collectives. But one piece these groups are still missing is the technical \"last mile\" that connects community members in need with the resources that their community's already-existing volunteer services provide when and where they need it.\nThat's where Buoy fits in.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-15 2:29 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8892"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6645","title":"Ordinary objects becoming assistive devices for people with disabilities","content":"\nProfessor Therese Willkomm, of New Hampshire University, shows how to build, with\u00a0ordinary objects, \u00a0positioning systems\u00a0promoting accessibility\u00a0of mobile phones and tablet\u00a0and other other\u00a0assistive devices\u00a0for daily life activities of people with disabilities\u00a0.https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/ATinNH\/videos?view=0&sort=dd&shelf_id=4\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-11 10:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8893"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6644","title":"Woodbine Health Autonomy Center","content":"\nWhere we started\nWoodbine is a hub for building autonomy in the wake of a dying culture. Our mission is to expand collective material and organizational capacities in order to build revolution in the 21st century. With a workshop, library, kitchen, and meeting space, we focus on efforts to self-organize, connect, create infrastructures, and develop greater individual and collective efficacy. \u00a0The Woodbine Health Autonomy Resource Center is a communal space in the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens. \u00a0It is part of the Autonomy General Assembly, which is a gathering space for the different projects that are housed within Woodbine. \u00a0The idea behind Woodbine comes in the wake of Occupy, but takes its motivations from the Zapatistas in Chiapas, the ZADs in France, communities in Rojava, and all those who have struggled for liberation. \u00a0\nAs we begin answering questions of autonomy, we are faced with the myriad of material obstacles in our way. \u00a0Health, or our lack thereof, can be seen as a crucial weakness in the revolutionary struggle. \u00a0We are tied to a \u201cmodern\u201d health system that fundamentally removes our bodies from a larger physical reality. \u00a0We are made to become cells in revolt, aberrant genes, failed organs, physicalities riddled with disease. \u00a0Disease becomes individualized as \u201chealth\u201d and \u201cwellness\u201d becomes commodified. \u00a0States of mental health become symbols of individualized weakness. Propensities toward depressed states, or anxious disorders, and \u201cimbalances\u201d in the brain necessitate chemical intervention, while never addressing the overwhelming emptiness of modern life. \u00a0An insane mind is the mind that can adapt to an insane society, and from the news today, we are surely going insane. \u00a0Insanity as the only rational response to an insane world, but what contemporary visions of \u201chealth\u201d require of us, in order to perpetuate this economy, is that we be atomized, necessarily taking on our struggles alone, seeing them as the individual product of a weak, chemically imbalanced mind. If we refuse this logic, begin to express the anger necessary for a health that recognizes the truly horrific nature of the time we\u2019re living in and develop shared practices of care that diffuse that isolation, we can begin to grow the collective backbone we so desperately need.\nApart from a critique of modern theories on health, we as a community have lost all control over our health. \u00a0Our individualized choices to workout, eat right, not smoke, etc are important, but wholly insufficient to answer the demands of this century. \u00a0In order to access healthcare, we are tied to jobs that are literally killing us, whether it be mental depravity or physical degradation. \u00a0Many people are in constant fear of losing this state granted access, but then are also in fear of having to access such a system, a system that is the cause of more than 50% of bankruptcies. \u00a0Because we have relegated health to these institutions, we have lost our ability to heal ourselves. \u00a0We no longer know the abundance of nature in helping to create health. \u00a0Most people cannot perform basic first aid or use simple techniques for health. \u00a0Many communities lack any cognizance or skill to handle the inevitable emotional collapse of our comrades. \u00a0In addition, these institutions fundamentally cannot address the issues of climate change, economic collapse, or disruption of key infrastructure. \u00a0They are as weak as we are, as evidenced by the effects of superstorms on the health infrastructure of New Orleans and New York. \u00a0How can these institutions help us when the very air we breath is killing us? \u00a0How do they help us adapt to a world without clean water? \u00a0To answer the sadness in our souls to live in a world where we have killed all the fish in the ocean? \u00a0\nTo answer simply, they cannot. \u00a0\nThey are tied to the same system we are, replete with the same fundamental limitations. \u00a0But we are not the same. While we are in chains, we are not of the system. \u00a0\nWe have not always lived this way. \u00a0\nAnd to remember this fact is to regain our humanity. \u00a0\nWhere we are now\nWithin Woodbine, the struggle for autonomy has been broken down into specific \u201ctracks\u201d, meant to focus our attention on tangible obstacles to building functioning communities. \u00a0The health track is composed of a mix of health professionals and those with informal training in various health practices. \u00a0We place an emphasis on re-creating a sense of community wellness and the dissemination of skills. \u00a0We work to create ties with those who practice herbal medicines, massage, kinesiology, acupuncture, meditation, yoga and other forms of so called \u201calternative\u201d medicine. \u00a0We work on owning our own definition of wellness, from the physical to the mental. \u00a0In addition, we investigate current systems of western medicine, skills, and ultimately, work to develop an ability to manipulate these institutions to serve our goals. \u00a0We do not reject modern methods of medicine, but rather recognize the need to detach the knowledge from the oppressive institutions that guard it. Food and the environment have a fundamental role in health, and because of this, will have their own tracks to address their wide breadth of knowledge. \u00a0Overall, this track allows us to answer the questions of how do we begin the process of removing our physical and mental minds from an oppressive system, to reclaim our control over health and use health to increase our collective autonomy. \u00a0\nWithin the city, there is a public health infrastructure with clinics and hospitals. \u00a0While there are significant problems associated with these institutions, they do provide much of the emergency and chronic care in the city. \u00a0There are also spaces dedicated to holistic type medicine, although many of these are inaccessible to large portions of the population. \u00a0For these reasons, we started by building a health resource center within our Woodbine space. \u00a0The space is meant to be a means to involve community members, understand the care-related skills they have, and be an informational center. \u00a0We have public open times for the community, staffed by one of our members. \u00a0We also have begun offering a series of basic skills, including basic first aid, wound care,community health, food and nutrition, wellness, and many others. \u00a0Our goal is that participants can use the informational aspect to understand their disease process, find resources of different modalities, and either receive aid in navigating the health systems in place or find treatment within the space itself. \u00a0And finally, we have a preventative aspect, with our communal Sunday dinners, organic farm share, and weekly workout sessions, where we are beginning the process of owning our own health.\nWhere we are going\nOur overarching goal is to examine what health autonomy would look like for us here in the city. \u00a0We are beginning with the basics by providing ways to interact with neighbors, to think of health in a communal sense, and to aggregate the people and resources from which to begin our journey. \u00a0Our short term goal is to continue with our introductory skill shares, create concrete ways to navigate the overwhelming health infrastructure that exists, and build a health community. \u00a0We are also beginning to experiment with providing care outside of the realm of state control. \u00a0This practice may involve working outside the structure of licenses, certifications and insurance. \u00a0Our intention is always to heal, and so we must find ways to do so that protects providers and patients. \u00a0As we progress, we will consider creating a larger clinical space, with more emphasis on offering a range of clinical modalities. \u00a0Finally, as Woodbine looks to expand our sense of territory to upstate NY, we will look to an expansion of the project to include a more rural context, likely in the form of a functioning low-fee\/no-pay clinic. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nAs we move through the journey towards health autonomy, we find ourselves in a context that has removed us from our ability to understand our reality . \u00a0We fight that disconnection and work to build the infrastructure that can allow us the space to envision a new existence. \u00a0We look forward to hearing your stories, to understand your struggles and to collectively create the foundations to answer these monumental questions. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nMy questions for peers doing related work elsewhere\u2026\n\n\nHow do you create sustainability? \u00a0Donation based\/grant based\/fee based?\n \n\nHow do you interact with existing structures?\n \n\nHow do you work with or around licensures\/certifications to provide safe care?\n \n\nContact us:\nWoodbine.nyc\nWoodbine Health Autonomy FB group\n\n\n\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-08-11 3:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8896"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6642","title":"Designing communities of care - Belgium Design Council's story\/OPENandchange","content":"\nI'm an Interior Architect, Business Woman, Mother and active citizen. I have been running my own Design business for the past 9 years ever since I have left the corporate hospitality world. I started with my company Design2Style in partnership with my Husband, designing residential & interiors and developing brand design for companies. Over time, my interest and knowledge of design thinking and strategy increased, gaining experience in projects and from attending various conferences on the subject, which resulted in moving forward, evolving personally and professionally. I launched Belgium Design Council, which applies design thinking on the project's infrastructural level. This allowed me to move from aesthetic design to applying design thinking processes in \u2018designing\u2019 communities.\nWe're working on several projects at the moment. I've got increasingly interested in Business Improvement District concept over the last couple of years, which existed since the 1960\u2019s\/70\u2019s in the Northern America, and concentrated on socio-economical regeneration for business and communities as a whole. The combination of a geographical zone including businesses, community, people and the collaboration of those elements creating successful public, private and citizen partnerships, in order to enhance people's lives and environments. Creating sustainable socio\/economic regeneration. BIDs and similar partnerships have been launched around the world - in Sweden, Scotland, Germany, England - and one of them is our non-profit organization of BIDs Belgium. We're also planning to launch BID EU in the near future, in order to create a platform for sharing best practices with each other and filter these down to ground level. I'm planning to concentrate on specific target groups - besides the regular social innovation aspect, there will also be the social inclusion of elderly, youth, special needs people and on ways in which we can involve them and make them feel more as a part of the community. There is a plan for the pilot version to be launched in September in my own community in Brussels, Koekelberg, in collaboration with the municipality. We will address the project to both 300 businesses of this district and 3 other neighboring districts.\nWe have also been developing and presenting the general information and interactive sessions for the BIDs in Brussels. We invited architects, developers, retailers, freelancers and members of the communities and explained the concept, but also ask them for feedback. There has\u00a0been positive feedback and some are really keen on implementing, but they need guidance - and we want to prepare and adapt the framework which has been shared by other BID countries, which would be useful and simplify the launching of BIDs across Belgium. The model works this way: by defining the geographical zone, having a collaborative approach to working together as a community, whilst addressing the issue that is of priority and defining the projects for that area. BIDs can be supported by a levy that business owners, citizens, and the municipality contributes to. Crowd-funding has also been used to support local projects. Some cities have it already in Belgium, albeit these are a slightly different models - Mechelen and Ghent for example. The BID is a non-profit organization, with a task force representation with an open source, collaborative and transparent approach and it needs to be inclusive of the Open Care element.\nI also have a personal project close to my heart - in which Belgium Design Council works on also. It's about special needs children. As there is a personal background to it - one of my sons is nearly 11 yrs old and\u00a0is autistic, with emotional and behavior regulation challenges. As we have been dealing with this since he was 2 yrs old, I have observed there is a big gap between what's available on the grassroots level for parents and at an institutional level. There is no support in the communities for parents with children with special needs for example. This personal project is about injecting more tools and awareness with creating more inclusive care in the communities themselves - also by using design thinking and visual tools, beyond pictograms available online. I have realized how much sensory input and additional energy my son needs and how much its presence could help him move around and understand things better - and visual designers and illustrators could greatly help such children. As Belgium Design Council we are planning now to fill this gap - one way is to work with the schools where children with special attend. \u00a0Our son will be changing to a further\u00a0specialised school closer to our\u00a0home now. I have spoken\u00a0with the principal\u00a0and he is very interested some of the creative\u00a0inclusive projects I have suggested,\u00a0but the school has\u00a0no time to initiate these - I have the experience and the knowledge and wish gather some support from other parents and see if we can move forward. Same for the people in the municipality, who are very much interested in this kind of work.\nMy Husband and I are also heavily involved in another nonprofit organization in Brussels and volunteer at a local football club, with over 300 youth from various backgrounds. We also have a goal of making this youth more inclusive and open - both for children with special needs, but also for refugees, who get refused from other football clubs around the city for example. We will introduce the first refugee children into the club for the coming season, which we are very proud of, as we see this as part of the wider community work we are involved in.\nIt seems to me that the initiatives, such as BIDs, should, in fact, be initiated by the city itself - and whenever I speak with the politicians, they understand it but resources and knowledge bases are at times limited. It can be challenging when systems and organizations need to change, understand and adopt design thinking themselves in order to be open for such initiatives and collaborations between private, public and citizens. The concept and ideas can appear too complicated, too political, too new and disruptive, yet many cities around the world are seeing the value this can bring.\nThis is why we decided to be active citizens, to get involved in various initiatives we are working on, pulling in our network and knowledge base - and turn things around by, inspiring, collaborating and sharing information, including enlisting more volunteers from the football club to the BIDs projects, showing that non-hierarchical organisations welcome everyone. It's important to talk, share, bring people together, because it's part of the process of change - and this is where OpenCare comes as a partner.\nDo you design better communities yourself? Do you have experience in different projects that solve problems of local groups by mobilizing them and the resources available at hand? Or maybe you know of an interesting project that feeds into this challenge? Share your story by leaving a comment, or by submitting your own post here.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-08-10 11:35 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8898"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6640","title":"ReaGent: Bringing quality biology education to every child equally","content":"\nReagent is a term\u00a0used in chemistry to describe a process in which one determines a presence of a substance by sparking a chemical reaction with it.\nIn Ghent, ReaGent is a space opened by enthusiasts of bioengineering in order to spark interest and passion for natural sciences among the citizens of the city. And to prove that the increasing know-how will play a huge role in innovation and future of technology, also with a local focus.\nPeople are more and more aware that biology will shape future technology, by improving its performance and making it more sustainable. Yet both researchers and students lack access to knowledge about it - especially in a form of a laboratory, where everyone is free to experiment, try, learn, exchange and meet. Biology education is becoming outdated and we need students able to design the sustainable solutions of the future.\u00a0The situation has been changing in the past years across Europe - many graduates, biology enthusiasts, opened biolabs equipped with instruments that they built themselves or that companies were giving away. Surprisingly, it\u2019s a rather common situation - for many of the businesses the costs of maintenance or even disposal of these sophisticated machines is higher than just giving them away to whomever would be interested to use it.\nI have been involved in ReaGent since over a year. The space offers both paid and unpaid access and program - the privileged ones fund this way free classes for poorer children. Part of the funding comes also from the memberships, which guarantee access to the lab 2 days a week.\nPlaces like ReaGent spark creativity in sciences by working in an accessible, open and flexible manner. Their mission now is to give access to this type of education to the whole of Flanders, and extend their network by inviting for example designers to come and create biodegradable materials.\nAs OPENandchange allied, ReaGent would bring about the same qualities to the application: they would bring scientific education, which in turn would be used in innovation and hacking applicable in care.\nIf you have advice or\u00a0another project which is relevant, let's discuss it here. A question to get the discussion going: what is the fairest way in the long term to\u00a0fund\u00a0education outside of, but\u00a0as an addition to, the traditional state-funded system\u00a0- from who\u00a0and how?\n\u00a0\nhttp:\/\/reagentlab.org\/\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-08-09 23:14 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8889"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6633","title":"Huis VDH: how can we build vacant spaces into home-like structures to build up resilience ","content":"\nHello Edgeryders\nFor my fellowship I will write about Huis VDH, which I introduced earlier.\u00a0In short:\n\u2018Huis VDH wants to give time and resources to people to experiment, try, fail and succeed around new models for the present and future of Brussels. We are convinced that the magic happens by connecting citizen\u2019s skills and needs. We aim to become a laboratory for urban change hosting citizens in search of anchor.\u2019\nBut Huis VDH doesn\u2019t fall from the sky. For me, being in good care in the city has always meant having a healthy living environment. To create such a good environment we need good city planners and a great vision on public space. Something Brussels is still lacking...\nOnce upon a time, there was public space.\nFrom 2012\u00a0onwards, I got fascinated by the concept of public space and how to bring it back in the center of everyday life in the city. After reading a call by philosopher Philippe Van Parijs about the urge to design new ways to interact in public space because of the limits of private space in the city, I got involved in Pic Nic The Streets and Canal Park BXL that both asked the government to urgently work on citizen based public space to better the living conditions of each citizen. Both won the political battle, but the result wasn\u2019t really what we were hoping for. Pic Nic The Streets led to a carfree city center, but so poorly planned that a strong movement of anti carfree people could rise and are now threatening to stop \u00a0further reorganisation of the city center. Looking at the plans for the big park, we are scared that gentrification will become an even bigger issue now in the zone around Canal Park. We were hoping for an inclusive design knowing that a lot of poor people are living in that neighbourhood. Now we are continuing to work as an observer with a cargo bike installation called Canal d\u2019Accroche (part of the project V\u00e9lo M2, explained here) in that neighbourhood, hoping to bring them some resilience.\n\nFrom Maison Du People to Huis VDH, a story about citizen centred design.\nSince I was a guide and learned about the architect Horta and his Art Nouveau Style, I\u2019m fascinated with the Maison Du Peuple, a building from the end of the 19th century that housed all kind of projects and people wanting to better society. It was a place where ideals could grow, and people could come listen to each other in an open dialogue. I started working on an open call to repurpose the empty Bourse building into a new Maison Du Peuple, right in the hearth of the city. But just days after finishing the text the attacks in Bataclan occurred and life in Brussels changed dramatically for a couple of weeks\u2026\nI gave it a rest and set my focus on a vacant building above the well-known music bar Bonnefooi: 4 floors, 500m2, and lots of potential, but also lots of work to be done. Without any budget or action plan, I started gathering people in the house, now called Huis VDH. The only thing I knew was that I wanted an inclusive project build from a common idea: Designing a semi-public space in such a way that the wellbeing of the neighbourhood \/ city improves. Huis VDH will therefore become a test case, because it isn\u2019t the first or last vacant space above a shop in Brussels: there are more than 23 000 m2 documented.\nSo there we were, having a space, an open concept and a lot of potential. The first thing we did was taking time to create a common practice: we designed our way of gathering through a futurism session created by Fo.AM that allowed us to gather all ideas from each person who wanted to get involved and, like a funnel, filter only the most common. For us, it was important to make Huis VDH as open as possible, so that any new member with the right mind-set could easily become a full involved partner in the building process. After a philosophical six months, we had the sprout of an idea: Huis VDH was born.\nIt\u2019s all in the name, for Huis VDH it is no other. \u2018Huis\u2019 means \u2018home\u2019 in Dutch and that is what we are aiming to become for people that are drowning in a sea of complexity of city life. We try to not judge each other, but rather think solution oriented: Help out where we can, and bring the right people around the table. Our space is designed to welcome each kind of small organization working on local issues: cultural, social or technological. We try to design each space so it can be multifunctional and become a temporary rest spot for thosein search of an anchor. We believe like edgeryders: \u201c that the power of a community is bigger than the sum of all parts.\u201d\nOne big challenge we will be facing in the next couple of years is to use our talent to organize ourselves within crisis. Big problems are ahead and we need to build up resilience to react quickly to an ever changing surrounding. Huis VDH is trying to take that challenge inside our own development. For us resilience can be developed on four levels: knowledge, vulnerability, out of the box exercise, and modification.\nShared knowledge\nOpen Source is all around us, and also in Huis VDH. After living for 5 weeks in an open source innovation camp called POC21, I find solutions to every kind of problem through this model of thinking. Knowledge is there to be shared and if we create the right methodology we will find more easily solutions to any kind of problems. That is why we started mapping out every encounter we had through metamaps, we budget our work with cobudget and use a sharing file system inside the house.\nShowing your vulnerable self\nWhen working in a collective environment, we tend to show our better self, hiding our flaws in the first place. But a strong collective group is as strong as its weakest link, and therefore we find it important that we are open and honest to each other. Having personal problems is something common, but sharing them is less. We try to create a trust field around Huis VDH where personal development is as important as the common goal of the organization. Caring about each other as a human being before seeing it as a resource for a project. In order to bring this theory into practice, we have made the first floor as cosy as possible, so people can just hang around and talk freely to each other. We make meetings short and efficient so there is time to discuss at the bar the more intimate stuff, not with all, but with whom we trust.\nPutting ourselves outside the system\nIn the first six months, I was convinced we could create a complete system without the need of money. Only through exchange we could rebuild the house. This gave us a clear barrier to work around, and even if after six months we partially let money in our system, we were trained to think about solutions without money by using the skills, knowledge and resources of one another. This is one of the many ways we try to build challenges to ourselves to constantly think out of the box. When crisis occurs, we need to think and find solutions fast. Creating these exercises in a calm period will help create resilience in all members.\nModification as constancy\nFinally, another way resilience can be created is by being in a constantly changing environment. Therefore Huis VDH doesn\u2019t have fixed spaces. Every room can be rearranged to have a different use. Having this as one of the ground rules, we create a constant reality of change that makes us well trained in the art of adaptation, a virtue needed in times of crisis. In September, we will be, thanks to @Nadia, hosting the Open Care Weekend for Brussels.We see it as an opportunity to use our space for a common goal and adapt it while having people using the space. It will be our first external happening and we are really excited.\nWhen working for Huis VDH, I have a phrase by Bachelard that always comes to mind: \u201cOur House is our first universe, a real cosmos in every sense of the word\u201d We can\u2019t forget about the complexity of a home when we want to harmonize it. In cosmos, planets collide, new stars are born and a black hole sometimes sucks up even galaxies. This will be the same for people, ideas and principles. The most important for the wellbeing of this microcosm will be the search for constant balance.\nIn September we will be co-hosting the Brussels OPENandChange Workshop and that will kick off our Huis VDH. In the follow up we are working on a concept called Pirate Kitchen: using the resources from dumpster diving or own grown combined with hobby cooks we want to bring each week around 10 people gravitating around the same interest \/ problem \/ field but don\u2019t know or rarely meet. We wouldn\u2019t give them any explanation about whom they will meet, only that they will have a dinner with interesting \u00a0people. They will have to find out why they are all here, and what they could bring to each other. A sort of blind date for change makers. Could this be an interesting form, or does it already occur in some places?\nI\u2019d appreciate any feedback in a comment below, and see you on 10-11 September for the workshop! \u00a0\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-08 17:40 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8743"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6632","title":"Students design low cost wheelchair for developing countries","content":"\nInteresting read and thought to share: Two UPC students design and build a low-cost wheelchair for use in developing countries.\u00a0The wheelchair can be put together or taken apart in 15 minutes, costs \u20ac70 to make and is built out of two bicycle wheels, two supermarket trolley wheels and a PVC pipe to help address some of these unmet needs and make life easier for the people with motor disabilities who are most in need of assistance.\n\u00a0The design of the DIY wheelchair includes two sizes, Standard and Kids, and the weight of the assembled chair ranges from 15 to 20 kg. The useful life of either model is from three to five years under normal conditions of use. \u00a0Once put together, it performs like any conventional wheelchair and offers the same level of comfort. It has a seat cushion, footrest, push handle, backrest and wheels with handrims so the user can propel the chair and be more independent.\u00a0\u00a0\nRead the full article:\u00a0http:\/\/www.catalannewsagency.com\/society-science\/item\/two-catalan-students-design-low-cost-wheelchair-for-developing-countries\nWatch the video:\u00a0http:\/\/www.diywheelchair.xyz\/wheelchair.php\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-08 12:35 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6624","title":"Amish culture and their approach towards healthcare\u00a0in the US","content":"\nI came across this great article on how the Amish culture and their approach towards healthcare\u00a0in the United States. The Amish -\u00a0a culture of independance and thrift may be a way to balance community support and individual responsibility. A cost-conscious,\u00a0community-based take on American healthcare may be able to teach the general population a thing or two about dealing with a broken healthcare system. Health care practices vary considerably across Amish communities and from family to family. Many Amish use modern medical services, but others turn to alternative forms of treatment within their community. \u00a0The Amish society accepts responsibility for their own actions and chooses not to depend on services offered by the state and Amish communities opt out of the government-funded insurance. Opposed to commercial insurance and they pride themselves on taking care of their own. To assist one another, they willingly offer donations when a member of their community becomes ill.\u00a0It may not fit in this area, but I thought it was an interesting read a thought I would share. \u00a0\nExcerpt from the article: \u00a0\nPlain communities are highly interested in health education and disease prevention.\u00a0Coming from an ethic of thriftiness, many Plain people distrust the motives of hospital administrators and even doctors themselves. They believe a profit motive can influence courses of treatment. They are also keenly attuned to unnecessary expenditures within the system.\n\u201cIn the Amish world, healthcare is seen as a ministry,\u201d says Wengerd, \u201cwhich is exactly what healthcare in the [non-Plain] world used to be.\u201d Remember apprenticeships and house calls? The doctor used to be viewed like a minister who sacrificed his life for the patient, but there has been a shift. \u201cThe patient now sacrifices his livelihood for the doctor\u2019s wellbeing.\u201d \u00a0\nRead the full article here : \u00a0http:\/\/qz.com\/695101\/the-amish-understand-a-crucial-element-of-modern-medicine-that-most-americans-dont\/\n\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-08-05 22:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6622","title":"OPENandChange World Tour!","content":"\n\n\n\n\nEdgeryders, a global action network of change makers in 40 + countries, is organising a joint application to the MacArthur foundation\u2019s 100 Million Dollar grant and invites you to participate.\u00a0\nThis collaborative process was started on the morning of July 18, 2016. Its original intent was to fundraise to support 100 initiatives that contribute towards providing high-quality, affordable health- and social care for all.\u00a0 We know first-hand that it\u2019s difficult for small initiatives to access sufficient resources alone. Especially if they are breaking new ground.\u00a0Our hope with this initiative is to make it easier for people to start deeper collaborations, build collective awareness, and pool resources towards achieving impact at scale.\nBetween now and October 2, are visiting different countries to convene participants in our joint bid for the 100 million USD grant. Each event is hosted by a local initiative which resonates with our own ethos and approach:\n\nSeptember 24, Berlin:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/599135516912506\/\nSeptember 24, Brussels:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/280924708934187\/\nSeptember 25, Paris:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/1243427585675831\/\nOctober 2, New York:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/events\/208119996269998\/\n\nHOW TO PARTICIPATE\nHave a look at the proposal, complete the application (very easy- requires 2.5 hours of your time in total) and come meet us at one of the events:\n\nThe draft proposal is being built here:\u00a0https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1euJ95uJndp-w7xiAaBgLsTXgA2QrugH2VJDfDgraSfw\/edit\nThe application process is available here:\u00a0http:\/\/openandchange.care\n\nWelcome on board,\nwe're very much looking forward to learning and working with you!\nPlease use #OPENandChange to spread the word and coordinate with others\n\u00a0\nPartners\n\n\n..... AND YOU!\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-08-03 21:23 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6620","title":"\u00c9ireann Leverett, the security wizard who's joining OPEN&Change","content":"\nI've met \u00c9ireann for the first time a couple of months ago, during LOTE5 in Brussels. I mostly remember him for knowing probably all brand new, absurd Twitter accounts, and being able to quote quite a lot of their content.\nThen I have learned a bit more - and the more unveiled, the more impressive it got. There is a great reason for us to team up and work on the challenge together: Hacking, internet security, and medical devices. He knows a lot about that stuff.\n\u00c9ireann with his friend, Dr. Marie Moe started investigating the security of pacemakers - as Marie's life actually depends on a little instrument that generates each of her heartbeats. And runs\u00a0on a proprietary code. This means she has to implicitly trust the programmers, and despite her and Eireann\u2019s years of assessing devices for security holes, they wouldn\u2019t normally be \u201callowed\u201d to investigate the security of such devices.\nThis implies how little a regular customer of similar devices is informed about the ways they work, what protocols and tools they use, where their data is stored, etc. It has everything to do with person's safety - and still, companies keep most of the key information secret from the users, making them more vulnerable.\nI suggest you watch this great video from 32C3, where Marie and \u00c9ireann tell about their journey.\nObviously, the issue of safety transcends this case and applies to a whole range of tools that increasingly improve our quality of life and longevity. The security flaws are potentially causing exactly the opposite, making for a health\/life hazard. There are concerns about privacy too, where your medical data flows around the world to companies that may or may not be taking measures to protect it.\nBut that's not all - \u00c9ireann works also as an advisor for European Network for Cyber Security (ENISA), has founded http:\/\/www.concinnity-risks.com\/, and works as a Senior Risk Researcher at Cambridge Centre for Risk Studies. He is loosely affiliated with I Am The Cavalry, a cyber security movement, whose motto is \u201cSafer. Sooner. Together.\u201d\nHe contributes to our OPENandChange application vast expertise in the security of medical devices, and embedded devices. He will be helping DIY makers, programmers, and engineers with training on how to build safer code, and what standards they will want to comply with to produce products for different markets. He's also offering insight into vulnerability research and standards-based research, contributing safety and transparency knowledge to this huge, open swarm OPENandChange wants to become. Lastly, he loves the idea of preparing a consumer training and equipping people who rely on medical devices with knowledge and clear questions they can ask about their own devices.\nFinally, \u00c9ireann has just been announced an Open Web Fellow for Privacy International and he will be taking the word out about our idea while advocating for open cyberspace.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-08-03 13:41 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8512"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6614","title":"An Affordable, Easy-to-Use Water Purification Tablet","content":"\nAccess to potable water is a severe and increasingly pressing health issue for many countries. An affordable solution for poor water quality that will improve health within developing countries.\u00a0Communities will be taught how\u00a0to make the\u00a0filter and the purification drops - made from\u00a0clay, water, saw dust and small amounts of silver. Then it will become a source of local enterprise from the sales of the filter and drops.\u00a0\u00a0\nInteresting read:\u00a0http:\/\/innovatedevelopment.org\/2014\/05\/13\/the-madidrop-an-affordable-easy-to-use-water-purification-tablet\nVideo:\u00a0https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xpsAJ9Bqcmo\nAccess to potable water is a severe and increasingly pressing issue for countries in the Global South. Due to a confluence of factors including overuse, population growth and climate change, an estimated two-thirds of the world\u2019s population will be living in water-stressed areas by 2025. One recent innovation that could potentially revolutionize water purification in poor, rural communities is the MadiDrop.\nThe MadiDrop is a porous ceramic disc that has been infused with silver or copper. When dropped in water, the tablet releases ionic silver or copper that strips away bacteria and pathogens to produce clean, drinkable water. Each tablet is capable of treating 10 to 20 litres of water for up to six months. The result is an affordable, easily distributable and long-lasting alternative for families who lack access to a safe, potable water source.\nThe MadiDrop is the second water treatment technology developed by PureMadi, an organization formed by a group of interdisciplinary students from the University of Virginia. Their first project was the creation of a ceramic water filter factory in South Africa. The filters use local labour, readily available materials (clay, sawdust and water) and are treated with a dilute solution of silver nano-particles that effectively filter out common waterborne pathogens. The PureMadi ceramic filters were designed to create a cheap and sustainable point-of-use water purification solution for low-income households. To date, they have been well-received and highly effective among families in Limpopo province, South Africa.\nThe impetus for the MadiDrop was to apply this successful model to create an even cheaper point-of-use water treatment technology. The MadiDrop can be used in a variety of water storage containers, and at only a few dollars per drop, can provide families with purified water for an extended period of time. Lab results look promising but extensive field testing is still required to determine whether the MadiDrop is a sustainable and culturally appropriate solution. With any luck, the MadiDrop will eventually be widely used to improve clean water access and curb the spread of waterborne diseases in low-income communities.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-08-01 0:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6606","title":"Health care community with focus on \"nutrition\" and \"exercise\" to support cancer patients","content":"\nIn 2015 both of us have been diagnosed with different types of cancer. Ever since we were diagnosed with cancer until the end of our treatment we both were more than convinced our body could fight this and we eventually would win the battle. We were always pretty fanatic with sports and always had a focus on eating healthy. We immediately started to look for information on how to keep our body in the best shape during the chemo and radiation attack. During the first appointments we had at the hospital with a nurse specialized in cancer treatment, we received a lot of information on the treatment itself and its possible side effects. However, there was no information added on (healthy) food, which products to eat best during treatment or information on the possibility to continue exercising.\nAt home our search started at the internet and we looked up questions like: Is it healthy to sport during treatment? What is the best food to eat? Should we be adding supplements to our daily meals? Who can help to keep my body in the best shape?\nThrough the dietician working at the general practitioners office Carry got a first list of products, which could affect the treatment and also some products to prevent loosing too much weight. We did not know if we had to expect a weight loss, because that is what we all think chemo does to your bodies. What we forget is that you get a lot of medicines to fight the treatment side effects, which have again their own side effects, such as potentially gaining weight (take for example prednisone, one tends to store a lot of body liquids that could cause weight increase).\nThe information from the GPs dietician was not sufficient, therefore we asked for the advice of a dietician at the hospital. During the first appointment we asked all kinds of different questions, but we were shocked by the answers. Before we were ill, we ate very healthy, fresh\/fair products, now we got the advice of the hospital dietician to buy ready meals in case we would did not feel well enough to cook. Or in case you would lose weight to eat artificially manufactured nutrition containing ingredients to increase weight.\nCurrently there are all kinds of \u2018food fanatics\u2019 and \u2018health hypes\u2019. We are convinced that healthy food should not be a trend. We don\u2019t want to focus on trends or hypes; our focus lies at informing people about healthy food and \u201cback to basic\u201d. We want to reach the target group of cancer patients, to help them in finding good food to fight the battle of their life. As we experienced ourselves, medical specialists at the hospital don\u2019t have enough time to guide a patient in the best way and many dieticians follow the \u2018old\u2019 rules and are promoting the medical food of the pharmaceutics industry.\nWe want to start a foundation, which will have a wide network of researchers, specialized food coaches, sport coaches and doctors to gather information and advice, on how to compose healthy menu\u2019s for cancer patients and provide information on healthy ways of exercising during your illness. Not only in general, but also customized, for each individual. Our plan is to set up an overview listing healthy products to eat during your treatment, but also listing products, that are particularly unhealthy.\nNext to that we want build up a network to reach out to people who cannot cook or are not able to exercise (or just walk) on their own. Look around to your own environment. If you were aware that there is a single man\/woman, who lives a couple of streets away, which is not able to cook because he\/she is too ill, would you not cook (needless to say that this needs to be in line with the advice of the foundation) for that person? This is called community care.Focusing on the hospital food will be the second target (long-term). Once we start informing patients and start working with researchers, food coaches, sport coaches and doctors, we will eventually be able to slowly change the hospital food.\nFiguring out the healthiest ways to fight your battle by staying in direct contact with your target group is part of specialized care, which would be the future in health care. Not general, but focus on single patients with their own problems\/questions and side effects.\nChallenge\n(Customized) advice serving cancer patients during treatment (chemo, radiation,\u2026) to ensure optimal nutrition and exercise.\n\nfocusing on natural instead of artificially produced ingredients\nemphasizing the importance of regular and moderately intensive exercise.\n\nChannels\nShort-term: online (info and community)\nLong-term: face to face (workshops on two main subjects)\nActivities:\n\ndevelop and maintain a blog\/website\/platform with menu proposals containing healthy ingredients, working together with food coaches and researchers on this. It will be an interactive platform, on which people can also share their own experiences etc.,\ncontact points in the Netherlands on sports coaches to contact for guidance,\nset up sports projects and readings about healthy food and sports for cancer patients,\ncreate communities for healthy cooking, places where people can buy healthy food in case there are not able to cook themselves when they are very ill, or don\u2019t have a partner.\n\nType of community involved\nCommunity consists of cancer patients (no age restrictions or type of cancer)\nSolution proposed; effect on users life?\nEnsure optimal knowledge sharing to enable patients to continue the health-minded lifestyle of before their illness.\n\u00a0\nHow is it open?\nIt is accessible to anybody online (could be perceived as restricting because the community is language specific and starting with the Netherlands!)\n\u00a0\nHow does it \u2018care\u2019?\nThis platform contributes to care by offering a space where patients can share their knowledge and learn from each other concerning the subjects \u201chealthy nutrition\u201d and \u201cexercise\u201d. Also it allows easy access to expert knowledge. The platform is not supposed to replace or complement any scientific research sources. It is solely focusing on the easy access of exactly this information as well as the information shared amongst experts by experience.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-25 22:39 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8878"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6604","title":"The Cytostatics Network seen through the eyes of a member","content":"\nThis story of mine only wanted to come out through an interview carried out online by Noemi. Hopefully it gives you a peek inside the very personal experience of being part of a sort of grand thing \u2013 a network of people becoming active in the healthcare provision chain and caring for each other despite not having met. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nNoemi: Introduce us to the time when the cytostatics network came about. Was someone ill able or unable to access treatment from healthcare providers? How did they go by?\nSabina: It was the fall of 2009 when it all started for me: the dizziness, the fatigue, trouble breathing, walking, doing\u00a0 basically anything. In October, I just put it on my crazy life style: mother of two, finishing the PhD, teaching at the Music University.\n\u00a0In November it was clear something else was going on. So I went to a private lab- the thought of a state hospital was too scary- and had a blood work done. Except it did not work the usual way: the results could not be read due to a strange characteristic of the sample.\nI knew it was a bad sign, so I turned to my adoptive grandmother, dr. Mirjam Bercovici. She figured it out in minutes, wrote me a recommendation letter and sent me to a real hospital. Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia \u2013 a very rare blood disease- was confirmed and three years of fighting it in Romania and Austria followed.\nHow did she know and how does this relate to the problems of cytostatics in Romania?\nFor many years, Mirjam, a hematologist, was the chief of the Pediatric Department in the oncologic ward of the biggest hospital in Romania: Fundeni. She was now long retired, but still having nightmares about kids who could not be saved. Because, you see, even though the treatment had clear indications about when and how to give the medicines, they were not always available. The doctors in her section did miracles. Curing cancer without the necessary drugs is indeed a miracle. The always missed some important dose, they could not offer the kids the standard treatment their colleagues in the West were used to. It was the communist era and everything was very difficult, even for the most important health care center in the country.\nSo when she sent me there, she knew that I would receive the best possible care, but she was also aware of the limitations of a poor system, as populated with amazing doctors as it was.\nDuring my time in Fundeni, I spent lots of time with people dealing with forms of blood cancer. I was \u201clucky\u201d: only had to buy once dexamethason\u00a0for myself, but they were not so lucky:\u00a0 either filling tones of papers to get the newest drugs (the usual line was: we are giving to you, but only with \u201dthe dossier\u201d), either they had to figure out how to obtain certain medication themselves.\nBut two bone morrow aspirations and numerous transfusions later, when my condition worsened, there were talks about a treatment\u00a0 reserved for Hodgkin's lymphoma, Mabthera, or Rituximab. Rituximab was not approved in AutoImmune Hemolytic Anemia in Romania at that time. It still isn\u2019t.\nWas anyone inside hospitals listening or fighting back?\nThe situation was rather strange. The drug was expensive, not approved for my AIHA, but\u00a0available in theory. My roommates\u00a0 with Lymphoma could get it based on the dossier (so not standard). But they were missing other drugs, cheaper cytostatics like Bleomicin, compensated 100% from the state! It was like in the times when Mirjam Bercovici was active, all over again. Like nothing had changed in 40 years. Frustration was working both sides, because treatments sessions were postponed, sick people and doctors being equally worried.\nAll I knew was that doctors advised patients to figure out how to get the drugs. I had no idea how the people got it, as I was preoccupied with my own, at that time unsolvable, health issues.\n\n\u00a0\nTell us how\u00a0one would send or get medicine, about the network and how it worked. Were people afraid of the (il)legality of all this?\nDrained both mentally and financially, I moved to Vienna, became self employed, paid a high tax on healthcare, tried Rituximab with very little success, worked throughout my illness and also got a splenectomy when a terrible\u00a0 relapse made it clear there is no other way out of this. A few months after, I read an article on a website: How I became a member in the cytostatic network. There were many similarities with my struggle: people not having access to medication as cheap as dexamethason, a description of the oldest Pharmacy in Vienna, which I knew so well, and most of all, the solidarity.\u00a0\n\nA few weeks later though, I joined the network of Cytostatics.\u00a0 I was going home for a concert and my good friend Simona Tache shared a status form a Youngman\u00a0who asked if someone is going to Bucharest from Vienna. I knew exactly what it was about, the dots were easy to connect.\nI met Vlad Voiculescu that evening, and the next day I followed the instructions and took the\u00a0 transport to Bucharest. Basically, transportation worked like this: You take the medicines in a thermal bag, put it in the fridge and take them out only when you leave the house for the airport. At the security, you take it out and tell the officers you have sensitive medicine there. Sometime they ask you who is it for, sometimes they don\u2019t. You are only allowed to have it for your self or\u00a0 your family. For me, anyone suffering in Romania is family\u2026.so it never felt like lying.\nIn Bucharest, you had Valeriu waiting for you at the airport, or you met him later in the day. Valeriu is a taxi driver who delivers the cytostatics to the Pavel Association \u2013 a NGO working for the children in Fundeni, or directly to the ones in need, sick people or caregivers. The news about the Network circulated by word of mouth. Some people knew about its existence, some didn\u2019t. The only thing they knew is that there is someone in Vienna who buys medicines if you give him the prescription and that you can pay him when you can. There was no financial gain, on the contrary. Vlad would receive the prescriptions, buy the cytostatics out of his own pocket and then got the money later. Or much later. No deadlines, no pressure. Just the will to help.\nWere all members sufferers or family of sufferers? Was anybody other than Vlad in charge?\nWhen the article about the Network emerged, over 300 people joined the network through the website medicamente-lipsa.ro and found ways to bring home what was missing. Not all of them had sick members of their families. For most, it was just the little they could do in this horrible situation. The website was Med-Alert \u2018s Association\u2019 initiative, where Vlad is a founder, and there were more people involved in obtaining the cytostatics and other medicines. Still, Vlad is the one who got the dice rolling. He has the gift of inspiring others to do good, and it\u2019s contagious. Even though the majority of people involved did not now about each other, and many still do not know until this day, as little contact between the carriers of the medicines has happened. Still, the ones who met in real life bonded immediately and I will always state that the main gain of the Network was the amazing friendships resulting from it.\nHow did things eventually change and what\u2019s the situation so far?\nAfter the article on Hotnews about the Network, a\u00a0high number of interviews with the authorities filled the tv news evening after evening. The situation was indeed outrageous: you pay the taxes, you have medicine 100% compensated by the state because you pay those taxes, but when it comes to it, they are nowhere available in Romania, and you have to buy them outside the country.\u00a0 Cornered by jurnalists, the Minister of Health made hundreds of promises, with some results. Things were sometimes better, and sometimes worse. The whole System in itself acted like a cancer: remissions and relapses.\nAt the moment, Vlad Voiculescu is the new Minister of Health. After a tragic event in October 2015, known as the Colectiv fire, where 64 people died, the whole Government was changed and a lot of young \u2013 under 45- dynamic people were named in key positions.\nOne of the actions that Vlad took in the short period of time he\u2019s been in charge is to make a\u00a0smart alliance with\u00a0 more countries: Bulgaria, Moldova, Croatia, Latvia, Macedonia, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia,\u00a0 in order to get better access to medication. More countries means more people, so a much\u00a0 bigger market, a fact that would discourage the Pharma companies to ignore it by withdrawing a medicine\u00a0 by citing\u00a0 small numbers in sales.\nWhat do you think was the reason for people to participate so actively? If it were another problem and not a deadly disease, would they mobilize as much?\nThe Public opinion in Romania is, unfortunately, used to crises and bad situation concerning healthcare. The media is full of fundraising events for children or young people who need to get treatment abroad, the news are full of reports of malfunctions of the healthcare system.\nIn all this mess, there will always be people willing to contribute in any way to the wellbeing of others.\n\nBut maybe the reason of this high rate participation in the network of cytostatics is older than we think, with roots in the communist era. Back then, there was a solution for everything: from lack of food to lack of clothes. Everyone knew someone who could help. The only area not available for this kind of help was healthcare. Both doctors and patients were helpless against a system that didn\u2019t truly provide for its beneficiaries. So people developed a true phobia of hospitals, seen as horrible places, dirty and dangerous, a place where some medical act was provided, but where the family took care of the sick person in the most common sense of the term: from bed sheets to food and hygiene products. The 80s and the 90s were the worse years in terms of healthcare.\u00a0 The money was less and less, the needs higher.\nThe Network did not come out of nowhere. It came from a long series of malfunctions and struggles, from a time\u00a0 filled with nightmares that still populates one of the best Romanian doctor\u2019s dreams.\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-25 14:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8842"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6603","title":"Doctor.. could you hack me a neuroprosthesis, please?","content":"\n\n\n\nDoctor.. could you hack me a neuroprosthesis, please?\n(The thoughts expressed here are a personal view and do not reflect the opinion of former or current employers)\nWhen I was a little boy, in 1973, Bob Marley was singing Get Up, Stand up for your rights and the article \"Functional electrical stimulation - A new hope for paraplegic patients?\" was published. Now, 40 year on, as a senior researcher in rehabilitation engineering I look back on things that are still true: people still fight and patients still hope. Can we improve life conditions, and how? A fundamental question is: do we meet the \u2018clients\u2019 needs?\nJust to give an example: \u00a0My mother suffered from a slipped disc so passing the vacuum cleaner was a low back pain for her. As a good boy I stated: \"When I grow up mom, I\u2019ll invent a cleaning robot to do the job for you\". Someone beat me to it - the cleaning robot is a reality - it sells well, and substitutes the socializing cleaning woman once offered to the elderly. I see now that a cleaning robot is not what a mother really wants. She just wants a good boy saying: \u201cmom, I'll do that part of the cleaning with you\u201d, and do it right away.\nUntil doing my masters, the disabled people were an unknown phenomenon to me. They were not seen, not talked about. I was introduced to young people suddenly wheelchair bound with very limited personal independence due to a spinal cord injury. \u00a0They were really nice people and kindly explained about the complexity of such sudden change in abilities and about the need to regain some functional movements.\nFirst of all they told me where my ideas were no good and what research needed to be done. Together we coined a method, not an ambitious cure, just a simple idea that could help a bit and during my Ph.D dissertation, we demonstrated feasibility of restoring the hand function using electrical activation of the paralysed muscles. Not a fits all solution and not perfect, but as people say: when you have nothing, a little is a lot, and for some people it works well (see the video)\nWe still research in restoration of walking in paraplegic patients and quite a few assistive devices have been marketed (braces, functional electrical stimulation and robots ).\nI have been active in the field for 20 years working at major rehabilitation institutions, but I\u2019ve only rarely seen patients being offered these assistive technologies and more rarely seen them \u00a0used outside the hospital. Is the problem (as some people with SCI have entrusted me) that there is no such demand or \u2018new hope\u2019 for walking? After all, wheels are more efficient than legs - provided accessibility!!!\nAnother hypothesis could be an issue of lack of flexibility of the healthcare system, not beeing able to provide state of the art technology to patients !?\nStill, for more than forty years we continue producing scientific publications with conclusions like: \u201c\u2026the work carried out so far proves that functional movements can be restored...We therefore believe that patients can benefit. Further research should be carried out\u201d.\nPlease, don\u2019t get me wrong. The research contribute with important results, but obviously there is a problem of transferring the research results into the benefit of people with physical challenges.\nSo far business oriented people responds that it\u2019s because the solutions are not technically good enough, that they only fit a few thousand patients and we continue the research for enhancements to the technology and demonstrate clinically effectiveness.\nOn the other hand less ambitious solutions have been available since the 60\u2019ties, to alleviate the simple problem of foot drop. It applies to thousands of people living with stroke, multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. It\u2019s a little electrical device providing electrical impulses to the muscle that lifts the foot and I\u2019ve encountered many people with stroke and multiple sclerosis who gained significantly in mobility (see this user statement).\nDespite demonstrated clinical efficiency and the immediate advantages it\u2019s almost never proposed to the patients of the health care system (except for the UK [11]). Why???\nSo on the one hand we spend million dollar research to refine technology that is not widely used!!!!. Will our institutions and society implement the provision of such technology!?\nThey need one solution that fits many, because the modern health care model reduce human life in cost\/benefit analysis to numbers. However, as long as assistive technology is not used it\u2019s difficult to identify exactly where to improve it. \u00a0We know that consumers must be involved early in the development, it\u2019s difficult to do so in a realistic setting. We realize that marketing assistive technology is different than selling a robot vacuum cleaner.\nSo a relatively simple method of restoring the hand function in people having broken their neck (cervical spinal cord injury), that has been demonstrated useful in a large clinical trial has not become available to people who really need it because it does not fit the \u2018business model\u2019 \u00a0of modern health care systems !?\nAs an example we experienced that half the participants wanted to take the experimental device with them home. We are not allowed to do that. I\u2019ve only spend around 50 euro to build the prototype in the laboratory, but we are not in the 1970\u2019ies anymore. In the name of assuring \u2018quality\u2019, \u2018safety\u2019 etc, \u00a0we need to manufacture, CE mark, register as a medical device and so on!. \u00a0To provide a patient with a medical device we need to spend hundreds of thousands of euros on paperwork!!! And who is then going to sell at a reasonable price. \u00a0Why should people, already challenged economically by loss of health, spend 5-10 k\u20ac \u00a0for that\u2019s cheap to make?\nThat\u2019s where the revolution of OpenCare \u2013with a subset of community driven provision of assistive technology - comes in.\nCould we leave people with a physical handicap to become a maker, create their own assistive technology?\nWould it be possible for, for example, researchers to help people living with a disability to hack a dropped foot correcting device like connecting an Arduino with an extension board?\nWill doctors provide indications of how to find the assistive technology, which might solve your health issue?\nThat would mean that people should take responsibility for their own rehabilitation devices. They would have full ownership. Clearly they must be guided by healthcare professionals and experts without conflict of interests to ensure that everything is done ethically, safe and sound. How?\nMaybe if we reunite people living with physical challenges with researchers they would both benefit and research becomes action and functionally useful to the society?\nWhat do you think?\nJuly 2016 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Rune Thorsen\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-25 13:23 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8837"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6602","title":"Italianostranieri: why learning and teaching a foreign language for refugees is a form of CARE.","content":"\n\nHello all, my name is Franca, I come from Italy.\nAbout me.. philosopher, interested in post-structuralism, new ways to do international cooperation, passionate about Geopolitics and China-Africa relations. I\u2019ve worked a lot with refugees, doing legal orientation, helping them to find houses, jobs, but also writing projects to get funds to create new spaces of inclusion.\nFor me it\u2019s interesting to see how many edgeryders are interested in migration or refugee issues and what are the connections to spring up from the many well known problems of working with refugees. I think that it\u2019s possible to underline some key issues when talking about care in this context .\n\nHelping Relationships vs Peer Relationships\nKnow your rights vs Rights as a cage\nIntercultural problems and Empathy\nInclusiveness in our society\/community: avoid ideological and too theoretical approach\n\nA little bit about my experience: In particular I would like to speak about my working period during the so called \u201cNorth \u00a0Africa Emergency\u201d for 3 years. It was a really hard situation for our (Italian) reception system. We were in the paradoxical situation to tell them: \u201cyou are an asylum seeker, you HAVE to be an asylum seeker, if you want to have any chances to stay in Europe\u201d.\nIn effect after the Arab Spring Revolution (2011) everything changed. A lot of people that came from Horn of Africa or from other Sub Saharian regions and were in Libya for work decided to come in Europe. Gaddafi\u2019s death meant the end of every agreement \u201cPetrol vs Migrants\u201d that Italian Government had signed with Berlusconi in 2009 (for more details, this Guardian article). So you\u2019d have more asylum seekers in Europe, but also different routes, different countries of origin, different reasons to leave their countries.\nIn 2011 asylum seekers in Italy were more than 40.000 (4 times more than 2010, Eurostat) and Italy became the fourth country for the number of claims submitted, mainly from Nigeria,Tunisia, Ghana and Mali. Most of them have lived for many years in Libya, illiterate in their own native language, living in segregated conditions of work or in the terrible detention centers.\nThe history is long and I\u2019 don\u2019t want to become boring, but only to say that it\u2019s not possible to speak about refugees in general when trying to be of real help. We have to think about the countries where we are and where they come from (for example 90% of Syrian refugees that arrived in Italy decided not to ask asylum here, but in other north EU countries), the migration routes, the particular war conditions, but also the economical ones..\nFor all these reasons it was hard to prepare asylum seekers during North Africa Emergency because they came here for Lybian crisis and most didn\u2019t leave their countries for reasons of \u201crace, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion\u201d (Geneva Convention) or for war crisis in their countries (subsidiary protection). And so it was difficult to explain them that formally they have to be asylum seekers, that we need to find these elements in their stories. How could we help them? I usually do some group or individual meetings to inform them about procedures, about what does it mean to ask asylum and I prepare them for the Audition. How to help them to underline important elements in their stories, not lying... A lot of also ethical questions..(Legislation vs Reality)\nA relation of care: teaching a foreign language\nThe relations between us is a relation of help. Sometimes you can help someone too much.\nThe question is more to create opportunities for people to be really active (refugees as #nospectators). There are language barriers, cultural misunderstandings, different contexts of life, different expectations.\nIn this complex and nonlinear context of work that I would like to start from the first point: the challenge to learn a new language, the language of the recipient country. It could be difficult and, in some situations, also impossible, like a WALL.\nThis could be because learning a language means that you accept to be in a country, you decide to start again your life. For a lot of vulnerable people that are victims of violence (in their countries of origin or during the migration travel) it could become a catalyst of bed experiences.\nSo learning a language becomes the first step to say: \u201cI\u2019m here. I would like to take part in this new society and new community.\u201d\nFor all these reasons we needed to share knowledge and experiences about \u201chow to teach in more effective way?\u201d, we needed to create a community - or better to create a space for a community of italian schools! So we started with: www.milano.Italianostranieri.org\nIt is a platform of the Municipality of Milan to help foreigners find a school of Italian; there are a lot of problems to find the right schools, also because there are a lot of schools but not connected.\nWe saw that there is this tendency to work alone, providing a service but without \u00a0sharing knowledge, critical points.. We knew people that attend 3 different classes, for months, \u00a0but they couldn\u2019t speak Italian!\nSo we decided to open our website to every school, private, public, run by volunteers, by NGOs.\nIt\u2019s not simple to help, to take care of someone. It\u2019s a relation full of responsibilities, and good intentions often aren\u2019t enough. We noticed also some schools that are so active in helping their students, helping them in legal stuff or finding jobs.. But all these activities could be dangerous, create a bubble, a dependence relation, mixed with ideological thoughts ..\nYour students are not yours.\nTo create a community we realized \u00a0real life meetings between teachers and schoolmakers. Every school has the possibility to post directly activities, news. So everyone can have an always updated map of time classes, levels, locations etc; But also a moment of exchange between teachers, methods and materials. The teachers all together wrote also an handbook for teachers (in Italian only). We also created an e-learning database to help people to find free resources on internet and a lot of videos (in 5 languages) to explain Laws. Education system...\n\u00a0\nI\u2019ve been asked what projects I think can really make a difference: Projects that work on the concept of resilience,\u00a0avoid that people identify themselves with their own pain.\nWe saw a lot of people that 5 or 6 months after their arrival start to fade, to turn off. During the first months you hope that your rights became effective, job, home.. But nothing happens. Your life becomes full of complaints.\nA very interesting school that is part of the community is for example, Asnada. It\u2019s a Montessori\/Experimental\u00a0school. The idea is to teach in a different way. Helping people to use this new language not as a \u201cstranger\u201d language. Usually you start to have 2 languages: the native one that is the language of feelings and relationships and a second language that is the language of bureaucracy. The idea is to teach a language that helps you to construct your new identity, \u201ccreate your new life here in a new language\u201d.\nSo the lessons became a workshop where we, all together, construct the language, with different ways, methods (arts, music, plays..) and also being a community.\nSo in my opinion it\u2019s really important to be able to find new ways to take care, creating effective spaces of meeting, of real exchange.\nWork on resilience, opening workshops where people can create something (for ex. FabLabs, Makerspaces..) using open technologies (like Raspberry Pi) could become new ways to take care of people in really big troubles, with strong vulnerabilities and help them to start again.\nMaybe Opencare, Edgeryders community could be the right place where to start!!\nWhat do you think?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-25 11:44 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8807"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6600","title":"Delivering Care - Cure Blindness in Nepal","content":"\nThe second project started in the Himalayas in Nepal but now has spread to six other countries in developing world. Himalayan Cataract Project is a brain child of Dr. Sanduk Ruit, a Nepalese eye surgeon, who invented a cheap and simple method to operate cataract and restore vision. The organization was later on started by Dr. Tabin, American eye specialist who fell in love with the project while on holidays in Himalaya. The duo is now leading the world\u2019s biggest project aiming at removing cataract for the poorest:\u00a0through\u00a0a ten minute microsurgery with\u00a0articial lens\u00a0implantation.\nThe project is extraordinary and has been documented in media all over the world. My favorite aspects of it are:\n\n\nThe lenses used by the doctor are produced in Tilganga in Kathmandu, Nepal, bringing their costs down from 100 dollars to around 3.5 per piece.\n \n\nThe surgery lasts around five minutes per eye, and can be delivered almost anywhere. I saw a documentary about Dr Ruit and his visits in the Himalayan villages, where he opened pop-up clinics and treated dozens of people a day; for most of these people ability to see is crucial not only to their own well-being, but also the condition of the family, which needs their working hands;\n \n\nHis lenses have 98% success rate, same as sophisticated and expensive surgeries delivered in USA (using equipment for 1 million dollars)\n \n\nThe doctor himself has cured around 120.000 people\n \n\nBy funding Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Dr. Ruit created a whole system that provides patients with complete eye care - and the fees that better-off patients pay for their services finance the free surgeries for the others;\n \n\nIn Tilganga they also manufacture eye prosthetic which has similar quality with those produced in the West, but costs 3 dollars, instead of 150.\n \n\nThis simple idea turned out incredibly effective and is tested now in other countries.\nhttp:\/\/www.cureblindness.org\/eye-on-the-world\/press\nhttp:\/\/www.tilganga.org\/\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-07-24 19:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"678"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6599","title":"On delivering care - MV Akha in Assam","content":"\nThere\u2019s not much focus on Asia in our research - therefore, I\u2019d like to present you some inspiring initiatives from India and Nepal, which present a very different approach to delivering care: actually delivering it.\nFirst, of them is MV Akha, a floating clinic that travels along Brahmaputra Netri to the inhabitants of the saporis\/the islands. One look at the map of the region is enough to understand how difficult for them it would be to access hospitals and doctors otherwise. 2500 islands sit on the Indian part of the river, which starts from the Tibetan mountains and flows through the Assam region, being a home to 3 million people, 10% of the region\u2019s population.\nThere are numerous reasons why providing these places with health care is particularly difficult: due to huge shortages of doctors in India to start with (0.7 per 1000 people), shifting territories of these islands, unstable population and difficult living conditions: they\u2019re connected to the land by boats and suffer from frequent energy and drinking water deficit. Not to mention strikingly high numbers in maternal and infant mortality.\nSanjoy Hazarika pitched the idea of floating clinics to the World Bank in 2000 and received their support - 20,000 dollars to start with. One year later the first boat sailed to bring care to the Assamese, and until today, 14 more followed. The project was eventually joined by the state, which established a public-private partnership with the trust and started funding the offered service. Each month around 20.000 people in total are reached by these facilities.\nSome of the doctors who joined the ships helped to improve their service. One of the keys to success is frequency - by ensuring that each island is visited at least once a month it is possible to take good care of immunization and condition of pregnant women. They also bring the basic medicine, which is cheap in India - but if one needs to hire a boat to get it, the costs soar.\nAnd the service provided by the boat is free - the funds provided by the state amount for 72 400 000 million rupees per year - which, after covering the costs of the boat and the staff, means that there are 480 rupees per person left. Around 5 dollars per year.\nMore about the project here: http:\/\/www.c-nes.org\/programmes\/boat-clinics\nPhoto comes from\u00a0http:\/\/www.tehelka.com\/2014\/07\/boat-clinics-provide-healthcare-to-3-million-people-in-assams-river-islands\/\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-07-24 18:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"678"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6590","title":"The Next Generation of Medical Tools May Be Home-Brewed","content":"\nResearcher Jos\u00e9 G\u00f3mez-M\u00e1rquez whose big thoughts shapes Little Devices\", the lab he directs at MIT-\u00a0uses toys to make affordable medical devices.The Little Devices lab takes a DIY approach to designing and building tools, mainly for healthcare.\u00a0 \u00a0A plastic gun can be to create an alarm that alerts nurses when a patient\u2019s IV bag needs changing. And a box of Lego-like building blocks can be used to modify existing medical equipment in numerous ways. He creates devices that bridge the gap between absence of mechanical or electrical engineering or fundamentals of\u00a0product design. Marquez talks about that toys can be the engineered piece or the mechanical bits and pieces that you can harvest and re-purpose.\u00a0G\u00f3mez-M\u00e1rquez happens to have the backing of MIT, yet he is joined by a large and often-unrecognized population of DIYers who are practicing low-cost innovation. Historically, the public has looked to research and development labs at multinational corporations, universities and government labs\u200a\u2014\u200aand has grown accustomed to expensive, complicated devices used more often in elite hospitals than jungles or slums. Not surprisingly, those who make DIY medical devices encounter doubt and even derision constantly.\u00a0Such attitudes are a problem, because the DIY tools dreamed up by backyard inventors, part-time tinkerers and academics like G\u00f3mez-M\u00e1rquez could improve \u2014 and even save \u2014 thousands of lives everywhere, not only in inner cities but\u00a0in communities\u00a0everywhere. We need to toss out our false assumptions about how, and where, new ideas come from \u2014 and recognize that innovation is everywhere.\nInteresting video : \u00a0https:\/\/vimeo.com\/43909074\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-07-20 7:34 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6584","title":"Welcome to #OPENandChange Care : An invitation to join us in shared bid for a 100 Million Dollars to fix health and social care","content":"\nThe MacArthur Foundation has decided to deliver a mighty push to fixing the world\u2019s most hairy, entangled, unfixable problems.\nThe idea is to look hard for a promising organisation, one that has the tenacity and creativity to provide a real solution to a problem (almost any problem is eligible). They will provide the resources: a whopping 100 million dollars.\nWe have been thinking hard about the problem of providing high-quality, affordable health and social care to all. We think we have a candidate solution: provision of care services by communities equipped with open source knowledge and technology. From where we stand, these communities deliver services that are based on modern science (like those provided by the state and the private sector), yet they retain low overhead and human touch (like those provided by traditional communities).\nThis is more than just an idea. We have already connected with tens of initiatives out there, and we suspect there are hundreds, possibly thousands more. We are already seeing a lot of interaction and knowledge sharing happening: we think this could be the beginning of a cycle of prototyping-sharing results- improving-prototyping. With sustained support, this cycle could result in an ecosystem of care services building on a shared body of open knowledge and tech \u2013 and be ready to deploy at scale before our present care systems collapse.\nSo, here\u2019s what we want to do. We want to apply for the 100 million dollar grant, with this solution. But not alone. We volunteer to coordinate a \u201cdecentralized application\u201d, with hundreds of communities, and organizations large and small, a swarm of solution providers working on a cloud of problems related to the provision of health and social care.\nWe think we will win. Why? Because decentralization is, simply, a superior approach. Consider:\n\nWe will deploy much more brainpower than competitors. There are more people in the many communities around care than in any organisation: almost every human has been, at some point, both a care giver and a care receiver. We are all experts, we all have something to contribute.\nWe will use more effectively the brainpower that we do have. Organisations are, by definition, hierarchies: funding one means empowering a small group at the top (senior management, possibly a research group here) to issue the orders for the rest of the organisation to execute. With us, almost everybody is at the top, almost everybody is thinking creatively around her particular corner of the care problem.\nWe are better at learning, because more of us are teachers. Centralised projects maintain coherence via concentration of power and hierarchy. But decentralised ones cannot do that, and they have to rely on knowledge sharing and documentation. With many units collaborating on sharing knowledge and competing (with the world outside, and sometimes with each other) on implementation of care services, you get a highly interconnected network of practitioners. And these networks learn fast: we now have evidence that sociality in access to knowledge and teaching produces better technology than individual smarts. In Edgeryders alone, we have 5,300 documented sharing knowledge relationships.\nWe are more diverse \u2013 and diversity trumps ability. Large, entangled problems tend to be badly defined, so that we are not even sure what kind of expertise will help solving them \u2013 it\u2019s a bit like having a car that won\u2019t start, and you don\u2019t know whether the problem is mechanical, electric, electronic or the car is simply out of fuel. In this case, assembling a team of the best mechanics you can find is a risky strategy, because the problem might turn out to be electric after all, and no mechanic, no matter how good, has the right skills and tools to solve it. A large swarm of initiatives large and small will be vastly more diverse than an organisation (the Edgeryders community alone is present in over 30 countries).\n\nJoin us. You should be involved in applying for the 100 million dollars grant as part of #OPENandChange if you are involved in a grassroots initiative that is contributing towards improved health and well-being of people using\/ interacting with it. You could be an activist or social entrepreneur who got the initiative started in the first place. You could also be a researcher, but you need to have full access to the people behind the initiative.You could also be someone who appreciates the initiative and wants to support it.\nHow to participate. In order to coordinate effectively, all participants are asked to come online in one of the weekly skype calls and tell the others about their work\/ project, interact with the community here and contribute their own project planning to the collective bid.\nGetting started is easy! Just fill in this form (deadline September 10): http:\/\/bit.ly\/29BmwxP\n\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-18 9:37 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6552","title":"My first sharing ","content":"\nI'm Narindra Michel RAKOTOARISOA, I was born near of tropical forest in east of Madagascar, near by raining forest. I have an chronic asthma since when I was 2 due to a medical poisoning. My parents were there to make me extract some of it out of throat. Few days since those\u00a0moments, when weather will have changing,\u00a0I'm cough early 12 hours before its changing, a kind of meteorological detector :-D More than that, there were 9 people\u00a0leaving in a small house of 10m2.\u00a0Majority of Malagasy people we use charcoal as combustion for cooking like us. So it was more and less enough ventilated for all of us. During my childhood I was suffering of heavy breathing and lungs whistling, the fact that I lived next to a forest having\u00a0fresh air and help me to overcome this asthma until my adult life. I didn't know too much people who suffer with the same illness like mine until now...\nMore than the half of the forest in my country has been cutted for combustion, furnitures, slash and burn,... Following population growth from 15 million to 20 during the last 30 years. Public health and sanitation are trying as they can and have to keep us healthy; with this growing population; open fire and carbonic gas are growing following this,\u00a0carbonic gas from factories and cars... Nowadays, 80% of kids under 5 years\u00a0seem\u00a0asthmatic. I know that when I was asking the pediatrician in a pediatric hospital, where I brought my 3 years old nephew for lungs exam. For information, only few people who have enough money can afford treatment like aerosol \"inhale\", medicines,...\u00a0\nRich and powerful people control the destiny and future of my country.\nFollowing this the Malagasy government has decided to stop using plastic bags last December without alternative until now. This is a good idea but the bad effect is some of our \"ravinala\" considered queen and symbolic tree of Madagascar is taking place of the plastic bags ; I heard a rumor that some people on our government brought back \"biodegradable \" plastic bag made with cassava, It's a kind of bag thick than one before. Without label or information about the factory whose made it, probably from one powerful people on the government.\u00a0\nOther than that, without mentioning the massive destruction of large area of primary forest caused by a multinational firm mine project since 2003.\nActually it's our future generations lives is on the line metaphorically and literally. Nature and man can't be separated.\nAs my thoughts, training for peasants for new method of rice planting unsteady of slash and burn. Biogas can replace the charcoal and wood used as \u00a0combustion of 80% of Malagasy people. \u00a0Education for all and ordinance and penalties can be applied for any means of illegal way. \u00a0It's just a small sand into the gears to overcome or slow\u00a0down this fast truck.\nMichel RAKOTOARISOA\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-07-13 19:34 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8857"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6547","title":"In Bangladesh heat relief is brought to the community to benefit their lifestyle ","content":"\nWhat can you make with old plastic bottles? An way to draw cool air into homes using plastic bottles, using raw materials and the \u00a0creating a benefit to the community:\nhere's the story:\nHow Bangladeshi inventors are making eco-friendly air conditioners from plastic bottles\nWhat can you make with old plastic bottles? A vase? A flowerpot? \u2026 an air-conditioning unit? Believe it or not, you can. When inventor Ashis Paul came up with an innovative way to draw cool air into homes using plastic bottles, his whole company got on board to help teach people living in rural Bangledesh to do the same. Since February this year, they\u2019ve helped people to install these units-- which don\u2019t need electricity to function-- in more than 25,000 households in developing areas of the country.\n\u201cMost people live in tin huts\u2026 in the summer, it\u2019s like being in sauna in the Sahara\u201d\n\nJaiyyanul Huq\n\nJaiyyanul Huq is a creative director with the Grey Group, the advertising company that spearheaded\u00a0this social project.\n\u00a0\n\n\n We are a flood-prone nation, so in rural Bangladesh, most people build their homes out of tin, instead of mud. About 70% of Bangladesh's population lives in these homes.\u00a0But the problem with these tin huts is that they get unbearably hot in the summer, especially in northern and central Bangladesh. I\u2019ve been in these huts. It\u2019s like being in a sauna in the Sahara.\u00a0\n \n  One of our creative supervisors, Ashis Paul, started thinking about ways to bring relief to these people. He was turning it over in his mind when one day, he overheard his daughter\u2019s physics tutor explaining to her how gas cools when it expands quickly. Ashis has an \"inventor\" mentality and he\u2019s always been fascinated by science. So, he started experimenting.\u00a0\n \n  He told us about his idea of making an air-conditioner out of plastic bottles. The simplicity of the Eco-Cooler is incredible.\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nAshis Paul designed the Eco cooler.\u00a0\n\nHow to Make an Eco-Cooler\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\nTo make an Eco-Cooler, you cut plastic bottles in half and then mount them on a board.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\nThen, you place the board over a window, with the bottlenecks facing towards the inside of the house.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\nThe change in pressure that occurs when air enters the wider part of the bottle and comes out through the bottleneck cools the air.\u00a0\n\nIt seems uncanny, but the principle is simple. Blow on your hand with your mouth wide open. The air feels hot, doesn\u2019t it? Now, blow on your hand with your lips pursed. It feels like a cool breeze.\n\nThe Eco-Cooler doesn\u2019t require any electricity to function!\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n \"We finalised it just as the weather was getting hot\"\n \n  The Eco-Cooler can decrease the temperature by 5\u00b0C immediately. When it goes from 30\u00b0C to 25\u00b0C, I can tell you that it makes a difference.\u00a0\n \n  The Grey group decided to take it on as a pro-bono project. We like to give back -- it\u2019s core to our company. We decided to make and distribute these units for free. We designed the first prototype in March last year and finally finalised it at the end of February this year. That\u2019s just when the weather starts getting hot in Bangladesh.\u00a0\n \n  \u201cThe streets here are littered with bottles, so the raw materials are easy to find\u201d\n \n  To distribute the Eco-Coolers, we teamed up with Grameen Intel Social Business Ltd.\u00a0because they work in a lot of villages in Bangladesh [Editor\u2019s note: Grameen Intel is social business platform that\u2019s a partnership between NGO\u00a0Grameen and the company Intel]. We sent our teams out to the villages where Grameen Intel works to teach people how to make our Eco-Coolers.\u00a0\n  \u00a0 \u00a0\n  The beauty of it all is how easy these units are to make. First of all, the raw materials are easy to find: people don\u2019t recycle here, so the streets are littered with bottles. We show people how to make them and then ask them to both do it on their own and to teach others. We also made a how-to pdf that\u2019s up on our website and includes an easy step-by-step process.\n \n  It\u2019s free and people get immediate results!\n\n\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-11 21:04 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6541","title":"How can 'the arts' side of culture feed into the work of OpenCare","content":"\nI've been thinking recently about how healthcare and 'the arts' can be encouraged to feed more symbiotyically.\nThere has been a strong push recently in the UK to encourage performing and visual arts to engage more broadly with the themes of care, the body, medical ethics and mental health.\nPart of this has come through the breakdown of the traditional models of funding (National, Regional, Local Council) and a reliance on charitable funding models (Lottery funding, Arts Council, Creative Europe) as well as individual foundations. One of these, The Wellcome Trust (https:\/\/wellcome.ac.uk\/funding) funds areas of the arts that reach into public engagement and arts fields as ways of improving health.\nI wondered if there was an opportunity for Edgeryders to develop a grant that brought together the OpenCare strand with those of us on the cultural side (not that we're really that separate) as a way of developing something (perhaps a offline public engagement project) that can feed into the strands being developed around mental health improvement.\nThere are certainly studies that show that engagement with the arts have a sustained and positive benefit on all aspects of mental health, and i've also seen brilliant theatre work that works across a variety of disciplines.\nThere are a few platforms out there that allow us to engage with similarly interested parties in the field.\u00a0\nhttp:\/\/thesickofthefringe.com\/ - provides a platform for finding new work that supports companies developing and showcase work in this area. I'm in Edinburgh during the festivals this summer, so i would be able to start a dialogue with them and see if they were interested in encouraging people to feed into an ER project.\nIt's all flimsy thought stuff at the moment, but i thought i'd share.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-07-10 18:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6559"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6540","title":"Faircap","content":"\nWhere:\nBarcelona, Spain\nWhen:\u00a02014\nWho:\u00a0Mauricio Cordova\nFew lines description:\n\n\nIs it a device \/ software \/ service\n \n\nFairCap is a device produced with open source technologies.\n\u00a0\n\n\nType of community involved (elders, deaf\/blind\/autism\u2026 disability, etc)\n \n\nThe project is designed to make drinkable water for everyone, but keeping an eye on those people (around 1 billion) who don\u2019t have access to drinkable water and therefore are characterized by premature deaths due to this reason.\n\u00a0\n\n\nHow big is the community involved\n \n\nWhat is the solution proposed\n\n \n How is the project currently affecting users\u2019 life?\n  \n\n\n\nFairCap is a 3D printed filter, the instructions to build it are available to anyone and all the files are easy to download. The project is not completely developed yet, but it is currently available in its basic version. Therefore it is difficult to evaluate the effect on users\u2019s life.\n\u00a0\n\n\nIs the project developed or still in the development phase?\n \n\nThe project is still in the development phase, anyone can have access to the files and improve them. The team is currently trying to design a filter for bacteria and viruses, and is trying to reduce the cost for producing it to 1$.\n\n\nAre there similar projects or attempts to solve the same problem?\n \n\nThere are several: SolarBag \u00ae (http:\/\/www.puralytics.com\/html\/solarBag.php), SOL Water (http:\/\/www.coolhunting.com\/travel\/sol-water-purifying-bag), Solar Water Purifier (http:\/\/3dprint.com\/15917\/3d-printed-water-purification\/)\n\u00a0\nWhy:\n\n\nHow is it open?\n\n \n What kind of license did they use to publish it? (links to documentation\/repo are welcome)\n  \n\n\n\nFairCup is completely open source, available to download and released under Creative Commons licence.\n\n\n\n \n Can you clone\/fork it?\n  \n\n\n\nYes\n\n\n\n \n Is it freely available?\n  \n\n\n\nThe source files are downloadable for free\n\n\n\n \n Is it affordable? (please compare)\n  \n\n\n\nThe estimated price is around 5$, currently. In the future it will be reduced to 1$. Not even comparable to existing patented and commercialized water filters.\n\n\n\n \n Is the community involved in the design process? If yes, how? (is the project offering a solution for the creator needs? Is the project offering a solution for someone close to the creator?)\n  \n\n\n\nThe founder and designer comes from Peru, he experienced in 90s a massive colera outbreak. The diffusion of diseases like colera often happens through contaminated water.\n\u00a0\n\n\nHow does it \u201ccare\u201d?\n\n \n Does it solve a medical issue?\n  \n \n Does it solve a social issue?\n  \n \n Does it solve an everyday issue for a specific (disadvantaged) community? \n  \n\n\n\nYes for questions 1 and 3, it helps 3rd world countries drinking clean filtered water, giving them access to this primary good and avoiding getting viruses and diseases.\n\u00a0\nLink: http:\/\/faircap.org\/\nhttp:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/Open-Source-3D-Printed-Water-Filter\/\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-07-09 1:52 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6539","title":"NightScout","content":"\nWhere:\nUSA (and everywhere in the world)\n\u00a0 \nWhen:\n2014\nWho:\nGroup of parents with diabetic children\n\u00a0\nFew lines description:\n\n\nIs it a device \/ software \/ service\n \n\nNightScout is a software that allows users\u2019 to have on time visibility of glucose levels of people suffering from diabetes type 1.\n\u00a0\n\n\nType of community involved (elders, deaf\/blind\/autism\u2026 disability, etc)\n \n\nThe project started from parents of children with Diabetes type 1, in order to fulfill the need of allowing the to leave a normal life without the necessity of being continuously together to check the glucose levels. It can be used by anyone who believes that its usage would be helpful.\n\u00a0\n\n\nWhat is the solution proposed\n\n \n How is the project currently affecting users\u2019 life?\n  \n\n\n\nThese data can be visualized on phone, smartwatch, pc, by using a cable and sending data to a server, and it doesn\u2019t require the physical presence of the diabetic person.\n\u00a0\n\n\nIs the project developed or still in the development phase?\n \n\nThe project is developed, meaning that it can be currently used by anyone. On the other hand there are still problems and bugs that need to be fixed but the project is fueled by a rich community.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nHow is it open?\n\n \n What kind of license did they use to publish it? (links to documentation\/repo are welcome)\n  \n\n\n\nNightScout is completely open source and accessible to everyone, a license is not specified.\n\n\n\n \n Can you clone\/fork it?\n  \n\n\n\nNightscout repositories on github can be cloned and forked\n\n\n\n \n Is it freely available?\n  \n\n\n\nThe software \u00a0is free, but it requires the costs for device (like smartphone, smartwatch) and cable to connect monitor and device.\n\n\n\n \n Who is the owner of user data?\n  \n \n Is the community involved in the design process? If yes, how? (is the project offering a solution for the creator needs? Is the project offering a solution for someone close to the creator?)\n  \n\n\n\nThis project started as a bottom up need to make parents and diabetic children\u2019s life easier. It is currently involving a wide range of people, who are mainly based on social media groups such as Facebook Pages. Everything is supported by the Night Scout no profit foundation.\n\u00a0\n\n\nHow does it \u201ccare\u201d?\n\n \n Does it solve a medical issue?\n  \n \n Does it solve a social issue?\n  \n \n Does it solve an everyday issue for a specific (disadvantaged) community? \n  \n\n\n\nYes for questions 2 and 3, normally the glucose level can be checked only within 20 feet of distance from the diabetic person. In this way parents can feel more comfortable with giving space and indipendency to their children, having the possibility to monitor the level continuously remotely.\n\n\u00a0\nLink: http:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/citizen-hackers-concoct-upgrades-for-medical-devices-1411762843\nhttp:\/\/www.nightscout.info\/\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-07-09 1:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6538","title":"The eyeRobot","content":"\n\n\nWhere: USA\nYear: 2007\nFew lines description: Nate Barshay prototyped the device, called eyeRobot, using and hacking the existing iRobot Roomba. EyeRobot guides blind and visually impaired users through cluttered and populated environments. The user indicates his\/her desired motion by intuitively pushing on and twisting the handle. The robot takes this information and finds a clear path down a hallway or across a room, using sonar to steer the user in a suitable direction around static and dynamic obstacles. It is also a relatively simple machine, requiring a few inexpensive sensors, various potentiometers, some hardware, and of course, a Roomba Create.\nHow is it open?\n\n\nThe project is downloadable on instructables.com platform under the licence Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic (CC BY-NC-SA 2.5). Anyone can download all the necessary elements for building it. Anyone can download the instructions.\n \n\nAnyone can clone and fork it.\n \n\nThe code is available for free, a Roomba hardware needs to be bought.\n \n\nEyeRobot still provides a much cheaper alternative than guide dogs, which cost over $12,000 and are useful for only 5 years, while the prototype was built for well under $400.\n \n\nHe didn\u2019t prototype this project with a specific community, but he did it for a specific kind of users: blind and visually impaired people.\n \n\nHow is it \u201ccare\u201d?\n\n\nIt solves an everyday issue for blind and visually impaired people. It helps their movements in cluttered and populated environments.\n \n\nLink: http:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/eyeRobot---The-Robotic-White-Cane\/\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-07-09 1:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6537","title":"BITalino: DiY biosignals","content":"\nWhere: Portugal\nYear: 2013\nWho:BITalino - Hugo Silvia is one of the leaders\nBITalino is a low-cost modular body signal sensor kit that makes people able to learn and rapidly create wearables, quantified self apps, or biomedical devices. It enables anyone to create quirky and serious projects alike for wearable health tracking devices. The base kit includes sensors to measure your muscles, heart, nervous system, motion, and ambient light\u2014and it includes a microcontroller, Bluetooth, power management module, and all the accessories needed to start working.\n\u00a0\nHow is it open?\n\u00a0\n\n\nBITalino is based on the Arduino open-source hardware platform but BITalino schematics are not available online and some parts of the documentation are copyrighted. The software is released under GNU \n \n\nAnyone can clone and fork the software\n \n\nThe software is free while the hardware is sold on their website and other distributors: there are available different kind of toolkits, such as: Board Kit (149\u20ac), Freestyle Kit (159\u20ac), Plugged Kit (169\u20ac) and OpenSignals (free). \n \n\nThe kit, which costs \u20ac149 (\u00a3125), includes a set of physiological sensors that can easily detect bio-signals, and software that enables the user to visualise and record data. Usually, bio-signal-acquisition technologies cost about \u20ac10,000-15,000\n \n\nThe data is local\n \n\nIt is not clear whether a specific community was involved in the design process or not \n \n\n\u00a0\nHow is it \u201ccare\u201d?\n\u00a0\n\n\nIt doesn\u2019t solve a specific medical or social issue, but it allows users to build a do-it-yourself system to capture human physiology. It is designed for everyone, it's for students, teachers, makers, artists, researchers, corporate R&D because no electrical skills are required. \n \n\n\nLink: http:\/\/www.bitalino.com\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-07-09 1:07 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6533","title":"How to get involved in OpenCare with no writing time or skills: share your story in Monday's community call 4:30 CET.","content":"\nWe are trying out a new format for the community calls where each Monday,\u00a0two or three people introduce us to their work, while others are documenting and uploading the content online after. This makes\u00a0sharing online\u00a0more\u00a0low efffort,\u00a0especially for those who find it easier to talk than to write :-)\u00a0\nFirst up: Meet Franca Locati!\n\n@Franca works for the Municipality of Milan - Smart City Office. She has\u00a0worked a lot with refugees, doing legal orientation, helping them to find jobs, houses\u2026 but also trying to find innovative ways to be a community. A while ago she set up\u00a0this project for the City called Italiano Stranieri,\u00a0a platform to\u00a0help\u00a0migrants\u00a0living in Milan\u00a0find language schools. Not without challenges though..\nCome meet Franca and #askmeanything :-D\nHow to join?\nLet us know in a comment below if you are coming or if you too are\u00a0up for sharing your story.\u00a0\nThe call happens online, at\u00a0https:\/\/meet.jit.si\/opencare\u00a0(no need to log in, just click and you're in!)\nWhere does it go?\nOn your OpenCarer\u00a0profile uploaded as a story from which\u00a0the community can learn from.\u00a0It\u00a0will contain:\n\nYour Name \u00a0 | \u00a0Twitterhandle \u00a0| \u00a0Project URL \u00a0| Photo \u00a0| Text describing your\u00a0initiative\/challenge, what you\u00a0are doing next and a call for action from the reader.\nWhat do you get out of it:\n! Your story makes you immediately eligible\u00a0for OP3N FELLOWSHIPS\n! Your story and your\u00a0call to action makes it to the daily headlines we're sharing with the network - more exposure, more help for your work.\n! Your story puts\u00a0you on the OpenCare map and turns you into a full fledged\u00a0community member, eligible for Caring On The\u00a0Edge community event, 2017\nSee you Monday!\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-07-07 14:01 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6532","title":"Creating an open co-creation platform for Leeuwarden-Frysl\u00e2n ECoC 2018 ","content":"\nHi everyone!\u00a0\nThis is my very first post here. I've been following the platform for a little\u00a0while now (around 1 year)\u00a0and I am still being\u00a0amazed by your productivity and shared knowledge. I am currently working for Leeuwarden-Frysl\u00e2n European Capital of Culture 2018 as part of the communication and marketing team, where I'm looking into setting up an online platform on which the communities surrounding our cultural programme can join forces and find eachother. This 'looking into' has developed into the subject of\u00a0my bachelor thesis for the course Media and Entertainment Management.\u00a0\nIn my research, I'm specifically looking into the interactions that take place on co-creative platforms and the dialogue between the organisation behind the platform and its users. Now, I know that with you guys\u00a0the\u00a0ownership of the platform itself is a lot\u00a0more open than with\u00a0a crowdsourcing platform such as, say,\u00a0+Acumen or\u00a0OpenIDEO. What you're doing builds more on the concept of open-source rather than crowdsourcing, and you're implementing it in every single part of your operation. Doing this with challenges that relate to\u00a0society and that are produced because of an intrinisic motivation is very impressive! Most other platforms that try to achieve change or develop new concepts do this based on streamlined extrinisic motivations, such as Kickstarter's rewards or simply a cash prize for the best idea.\u00a0\nThus, I would really like to use Edgeryders as a case-study for my thesis. I'm looking for at least two users of the platform to answer a few of my questions over Skype. The questions that I have are based on two models. Firstly, I am trying to find indicators for the quality of the interactions that take place on the platform based on the framework of Prahalad and Ramaswamy\u00a0(2004)\u00a0and, secondly,\u00a0I am trying to create some insight into your overall co-creation activities based on a recent model of Malmelin and Villi (2015).\u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\nEven if you're not willing to be interviewed over Skype, it would be very helpful to me if you could describe how and why you are making use of\u00a0the platform, and to which categories your\u00a0activities on the platform\u00a0fit or don't fit. Also, if you have any questions, tips, ideas, or remarks about everything I've told you so far or regarding the possible platform for Leeuwarden-Frysl\u00e2n 2018, please let me know!\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-07-06 17:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8386"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6531","title":"Related care research -- first case, Maestro!","content":"\nHello everyone,\u00a0 as Wemake we would like to share more research around existing products that align with the concept of care.\u00a0\u00a0 This has been part of our co-design process, and we would like to expand the usefulness by sharing more ideas.\u00a0 Below is a project called Maestro, it offers a new way of control, something which can be further used for solving care issued related to some phyical mobility challenges.\u00a0 The posts to follow will elaborate on different technologies applied in open projects around the theme of care.\n\u00a0\nMaestro\nAbout:\u00a0 Making your own finger mounted input device to control the cursor.\nCountry: USA\nYear: 2015\nBy: Jonggi Hong - student of the course \u201cTangible Interactive Computing\u201d taken by Professor Jon Froehlich at the University of Maryland, College Park. \n\u00a0\nIt is not specified if this project solves a specific medical or social issue. But, surely, it can be a starting point for new projects which can help mobility-impaired people in their everyday issues. Maestro was made as part of the CS graduate course \"Tangible Interactive Computing\" at the University of Maryland, College Park taught by Professor Jon Froehlich. Maestro is an affordablle wearable input device using the orientation of the finger. During this course wearable small devices on the finger has been investigated to provide easy access to PC and surrounding environment (NailO, HandSight). Maestro enables user to do pointing and scrolling based on the orientation of the finger and contact between fingers.\nHow is it open?\n\n\nMaestro has the creative commons licence BY-NC-SA (Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Generic).\n \n\nAnyone can clone and fork it.\n \n\nSource code and 3D printer files can be downloaded for free, some hardware components need to be bought to re-create the device though: \n \n\n\u00a0\n\u00a0BOM\n\n\nArduino Pro Mini https:\/\/www.sparkfun.com\/products\/11113\n \n\n9DOF IMU sensor stick https:\/\/www.sparkfun.com\/products\/10724\n \n\nCopper tape (or any other small conductive material) \n \n\n3 resistors (1~10 mega ohm, big resistance is better) \n \n\nWires, tape \n \n\n3D printer\n \n\nLink: http:\/\/www.instructables.com\/id\/Maestro-finger-mounted-input-device-to-control-the\/\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?time_continue=7&v=JNPBKL6r3es\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-07-06 15:30 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6521","title":"What is \"open\" in open care? Reflections on the Stockholm workshop","content":"\nWhere we started\u00a0\nOpenCare is a very particular research for both its topic and its modality. It wants verify the potentialities of collective intelligence and of a radical open approach to the topic of care.\u00a0\nCoherently with that, the definition of precise research questions (and related methodologies) has not been given a priori, but will emerge steps by step from the same research-related activities (as opposed to what happens with the standard research methodologies).\nGiven that (that, by the way, is what makes OpenCare so interesting for me), I think that the positive tension towards understanding \u00a0where we are and where we are gong should be continuous and should be monitored step by step. On the basis of this tension research questions should be progressively better defined considering: the general research question where we started form, the commitment with UE, the first \u00a0ideas that are \u00a0emerging and, last but not least, a better understanding of who we are and what are the knowledge, skills and experiences we can use.\u00a0\nShared visions and languages\nOn the basis of the discussion I think, that, at least for who expressed themselves (see later, item 5), we agreed on these points:\u00a0\n1. The open care systems is an ecosystems: an environment where, in its best conditions, different care-related entities can emerge, live and thrive. These entities are very diverse in nature. They can be: care encounters, networks of care, enabling systems, different kinds of infrastructures, policies, norms, norms, ... ).\u00a0\nAn ecosystem cannot be designed but can be enriched introducing new caring entities (with the double goal of offering more opportunities for both the caregivers and the care receivers, and for incising its systemic resilince.\n2. The OpenCare croup and community specificity is that we deal with open care ecosystems having a particular experience and credibility on issue related to \"collective intelligence and radical open approach application\" (and not of care issues per se). \u00a0Given that we should orient our community's discussion on topics that coudl be defined like that: which problems and the opportunities arise when \"collective intelligence and radical open approach\" are applied to and issue as \"care\".\n3. Discussing about openness applied to care issues, we have two main dimensions:\n\nthe openness in the processes thanks to which enabling systems (i.e the enabling products, services, places, infrastructures) are designed and realized\nthe openness of care-related services in use (i.e. the openness of the network of care created around the delivery of a service).\n\nBoth these dimensions are important and could be considered separately. Nevertheless, it could also be very interesting to consider the interactions between the two.\u00a0\n4. Given what has been said in the point 2. and 3. an emerging research question could be: How and how much the openness of a design and production process influences the openness of service delivery. And vice versa.\u00a0\nHopefully, other research questions, similar in nature to this one, will emerge.\n5. In my view, the workshop participants who express themselves should agree with these 4 previous assumptions: can we ask them?\nThe problem is that, at least half of the participants did not \u00a0openly expressed themselves. And this seems to me a bad signal. What ca we do to stimualte their opinion?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-07-04 14:58 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8347"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6515","title":"Greece as a hot-spot of transformative future (conversation with Pavlos Georgiadis, part 2)","content":"\nBesides the food, there is a whole chunk of attention devoted solely to climate change. As @Pavlos\u00a0said, since he was a kid he saw degradation all around - his little coastal hometown, in North-Eastern Greece, surrounded by olive orchards, was always the reference point of a good life in a good space. Seeing the country devastated by urban sprawl, beaches consumed by villas and bars, and people being happy about this, worried him since a long time. So, after receiving education in Scotland, Germany, and researching native tribes of China and Thailand, he didn't only come back to Greece to rethink its food culture. He also decided to work on the climate.\u00a0\nPavlos is involved with climatetracker.org, an international team of young writers and quite possibly the biggest environmental youth movement of people from all around the world. These are decentralized and nonhierarchical groups led by activists in the Carribean, Europe, Latin America. They cover events in UN or COPs but also do investigative journalism on a local scale. Their work unmasks lobbies and harmful practices and has been published in key media across the globe. They also organize webinars and campaigns and often encourage writers to concentrate on a certain issue in a given period of time.\u00a0\nAnd Pavlos has an idea. Greece can become a hotspot of international dialogue on sustainability and resilience. As the country struggles with, as Pavlos has beautifully put it, \"restoring the zombie economy\", it innovates and experiments along the way. The social innovation and solidarity, however highly spontaneous and uncoordinated, are the backbone for the change. What would be necessary now is to organize those in collaboration with the right minds from all over the world in order to use the whole potential of this change and build a national economy that is regenerative and sustainable?\u00a0\nEven though Greek politicians and intellectuals in many cases seem stuck decades ago and their resistance to change is huge, what's happening around proves its inescapable. Pavlos thinks the best for them would be to funnel the energy into protecting marginalized groups, including the refugees, to lower their costs of transition.\u00a0\nThe Greek crisis has a side that not many people talk about - how would paying back the debt affects its environment. Pavlos believes paying off the money lent from the international institutions would create a huge ecological debt in terms of lack of sustainable land use and waste management.\u00a0\nNow, as the demos has been neglected and their voice hijacked during the last referendum, it's time to accept, at least tolerate, widespread civil disobedience that will drive the movement. 62% that disagreed has been silent so far, but it will have to speak soon. Even more, what seems to be an alternative idea, is not alternative anymore there - it's the only way out. Greece is exploring the open data tools and sharing knowledge, prototyping new was of accountability, transparency, decision making. And here the health and care appear again. Pavlos has seen plenty of interesting and viable practices and conclusions forming from the bottom-up, grassroots practice in Greece. These are the ways in which delivering health care has changed, in which social organization has challenged the systemic shortcomings. From those experiments and pieces emerges a complex, wide image of more inclusive future. It is built on the exchange of ideas and practices in an open manner. It rethinks the way we deliver care in a more decentralized way, more concentrated on prevention. It reframes urban food systems by educating people on the impact of what they eat on their health. Contemporary lifestyle jeopardizes 50 years of development in the health sector - food related diseases, new viruses, climate change, they all have a huge, negative impact on the quality of our lives. Technology and science, accompanied by open data and sharing, can prevent disastrous effects of those phenomena.\u00a0\nFinally, I asked how would he explain his entrepreneurial path to those opposing the market? He said a couple of things I find hilarious and worth considering. First of all, that activism is for city people - while he wanted to go back to his olive groves and do the farm life. Secondly, there is a dire need of changing the way people do business - in a sustainable way, with respect to diversity, with a different concept of what's valuable. It's not the price of land and potential golf courses, not the cheap fast forest. Thirdly, doing things like bread plates is not a rocket science - but if successful it points towards effective and regenerative entrepreneurship. Therefore, an entrepreneur doing such kind of work realizes the visions of an activist - by actually convincing a chain of restaurants to deliver local, better coffee or beer, by cutting off the middlemen. It means millions of people affected in a positive way. It takes a solid ethical concept and guts to take risks, but it pays off in many ways. And it fills the unemployment gap, which wastes the potential of a whole generation now. Interacting with the system is the way for Pavlos. And I really like the fact he's not used to failing.\u00a0\nYou can read the first part of the article here:\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/transforming-food-systems-in-post-crisis-greece-conversation-with\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-07-02 14:56 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"678"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6514","title":"Fostering Productive Potential in Refugee Camps","content":"\nAn experiment to encourage spontaneous creativity for making a living as a migrant\n\nA short brief of what we have been working on so far is this.\nWith the many organizations already working with refugees in Berlin, we still felt a need for an approach from a different angle and also with a different focus:\nMost\u00a0projects for refugees\u00a0are designed to specifically help the arriving families, children and the single travelling women; but the majority of refugees is barely taken care of in the same\u00a0manner: the young men.\u00a0It is an illogical equation: The young male refugees are often regarded as healthy and fit,\u00a0able to work and therefore are not treated as a priority in terms of care. However; of what\u00a0use could these benefits be if there is nothing to do? In Germany, refugees are not allowed\u00a0to pick proper work for the first three months of their stay. After that period, a working\u00a0permit is needed to apply for a job. The permit, however, is only granted if the person is no\u00a0longer living in a refugee camp. Needless to say, the said three months often pass without\u00a0anything really happening and three months slowly turn into six months and into a year\u00a0- during which there is nothing to do.\nWe are currently working at the Internationales Congress Centrum (ICC) in Berlin- a former congress center that has recently been turned into a refugee camp. Even with the circumstances being unfavourable, the atmosphere at the ICC is quite the opposite: The interaction between the refugees and the staff and security is remarkably free and friendly.\u00a0Volunteers playing with children; refugees and security joking around and everybody is eating at the same table. There is no hint of the provider\/receiver-dilemma that you would witness in other establishments.\u00a0We\u2019ve been warmly welcomed by the people and the relationships have gradually grown more personal since our first visit.\nThe place is led by the Malteser; we were shown around the place by one of their very nice volunteers. She then introduced us to a room of eight Syrians, four of which were ready to help us in our project and provided us with insights.\nBesides stories over everyday rituals like tea and Syrian home traditions, we were shown the little gimmicks to improve the bare rooms where they are living in at the moment: How they pulled out screws and nails from the walls to make clothing hooks; how you make a wall-mounted phone holder with just duct tape and a piece of wood; where to store the food; they showed us how they hack the beds to create more privacy and how to shield the light falling onto the upper beds with merely pieces of wood and a blanket to a point where one could create an entire ceiling with just white cloth.\nWe learnt quickly that the ideas of how to use the space could never occur to someone who has never been in that exact position:\u00a0\nIt was evident that they know best about\u00a0the needs and necessities in their very situation and environment.\nWith the creative potential, the only problem lies in the lack of tools and materials.\u00a0To see what would happen if material were available, we made a little experiment where\u00a0we brought basics like duct tape, cable ties, string and durable cardboard and looked\u00a0what they would think of building intuitively. Despite scepticism in the beginning, it was\u00a0beautiful to witness the moment when everyone in the room joined to figure out the best\u00a0construction for a wall-mounted shelf, built with mortise and tenon joints. The fact the\u00a0project was dealt with in such a manner, shows the willingness to engage these kinds of\u00a0challenges with seriousness and a certain claim to quality and that it is not only about\u00a0practicality and pure function, for such a shelf could have been easily assembled withjust tape and cardboard. It was fun for us to join the working process and thinking with\u00a0them about the construction and making, but more importantly, it was fun for them to be\u00a0challenged in making something useful and to make that beautifully. Mohammed, who\u00a0came up with the idea of using joinery, later joked saying he would love to make such\u00a0shelves for the whole camp - and we hoped, it was not merely a joke, but a mentality that we\u00a0could continue to work with. In fact, we left all the spare materials in their rooms and by our next visit they had built another two shelves and a small storage for clothes under one of the beds.\n\n\n\nWork in progress: Building a shelf\n\u00a0\u00a0\nImage above: One of the shelves that Mohammed made after we left.\nMohammed\u2019s mentality is exactly what we we\u2019re looking for. \nThe question is if more people in the camp would share the same enthusiasm. Ideally, a craftsman could be found to take the role of a tutor to guide the others into the basics of building. On our last visit in the camp we learnt that the the camp\u2019s organizers are taking help of one of the refugees who used to be a tailor. He now has his working space (a table with a sewing machine) at the intern clothes depot and helps fixing the garments before they\u2019re given out.\nWe feel the answer to our problem lies in establishing and expanding that very concept in other camps as well - to involve people in the daily happenings and motivate them to do what they can do best. We will research the willingness amongst the refugees to join such a program as soon as soon as Ramadan is over.\nOur plan to help people improving their living situation by building their own furniture is a first step in that direction. We are working on a solution that doesn\u00b4t require proffessional skills or tools, but motivates people and gives them the feeling of doing something useful for them and the community. To establish this first step we are going to launch a fundraising campaign on StartNext in the next weeks and we are happy about any kind of support! If you have suggestions or similiar\/different experiences: please share!\u00a0\u00a0So we can make this happen, as good as possible :)\n\u00a0\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by\u00a0Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-07-01 22:52 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8589"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6512","title":"Transforming food systems in post-crisis Greece (Conversation with Pavlos Georgiadis, part one)","content":"\nIt was a long, very interesting talk with Pavlos.\nWe started with the reason why our meeting was delayed - and that was the first narrative of care I found in this hour-long discussion.\nThe\u00a0reason was food, or to be more precise - Maiolica, a new restaurant in Sifnos. Georgiadis has been involved with his company \"We Deliver Taste\" (http:\/\/wedelivertaste.com) in consulting the place, crafting the menu, making it local, affordable, Mediterranean. Their consultancy for food businesses connects small producers from all over Greece, trying to change the hospitality landscape in the country. Part of the idea is to tell people about the ingredients, the element of storytelling, which changes customers' relations to the product, and the gastro-landscape of the country.\nPavlos is an ethnobotanist and for 12 years he devoted his career to science, researching for his Ph.D. in Thailand and China. He left this path four years ago to invest time and energy in agrifood and environment - the brainchild of this transition is We Deliver Taste, a company that investigates the food system, from seed to stomach, in which he was joined by two Italians and a Czech. They are not only interested in the processes that bring the food to our tables, but also in the cultures surrounding it, especially the Mediterranean dining customs and love for good food. In one of the side projects, funded by Horizon 2020, they're also concentrating on reforming the digital aspect of the food business by\u00a0preparing pilot, open data systems, tools and applications that will make the path from the farmer to the customer\/industry (hospitals, hotels) more clear, while at the same time keeping people informed and educated about the content of their plate.\u00a0\nBy this multilayered, multifaceted enterprise Pavlos wants to change the paradigm. He believes that if the way we think about the time and space of food, meaning the time spent on preparation, growth, the human experience of food, it will have an impact on climate resilience, climate justice, biodiversity, water and soil conservation and will boost regenerative economies in rural areas.\u00a0\nPavlos targets people in their 50-ties and 60-ties, those who have access to power and money, and believes that educating and informing them is crucial to driving the change. He consciously chose to become part of the market, be open for collaboration with government, and get involved with huge public procurement systems because he thinks demonizing the market is wrong. And\u00a0because there is a dire need for change there. After years of scaling and working for their position, We Deliver Taste are\u00a0now in serious talks with important actors.\u00a0\nOn a smaller scale, there is an idea of creating an edible dish which could be used in the refugee camps. It's not that the idea is brand new, there are some Indian startups that have crowdfunded and done it already - but it's that importing such a product would be counterproductive. Instead, Pavlos\u00a0wants to recreate the whole system necessary for producing such a dish - an industrial designer who'd made the moulds, a baker, ideally struggling to survive in the market, a flour producer, etc.\u00a0\nHe also dreams of a website that would accompany this project. One could see there how much profit it created for the parties involved, work saved on waste management and how many refugees it catered. Besides,\u00a0he wants to create a crowdfunding campaign to donate money to biodegradable plastic producers in Italy, who'd, later on, provide their product to the refugee camps in Greece. The stake is huge - 60.000 refugees, 2 meals a day, which makes a 100.000 dishes a day, and it will happen for years as maybe even a half of them\u00a0will stay in Greece for longer. That would fix the existing problem of waste and even produce compost in large communal digestors to feed the organic agriculture and parks.\u00a0\n\"We have to enter this market fast and with confidence right now. There is not much time for discussions - it's somehow already too late\".\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe second part of the discussion coming briefly.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-07-01 14:20 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"678"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6511","title":"Community call: Let's talk about Op3n Meetups Adventure","content":"\nMonday's 4:30 PM CET call is dedicated to organizing\u00a0a tour to discover care stories and protagonists!\nOpenCare is a global effort to bring together the many, less heard voices of caregivers and caretakers. It started in the beginning of 2016, and now over 100 brilliant people joined from all over, people who contribute to fixing things that are broken: hostility to migrants, European welfare, closed healthcare systems, and more.\nWe meet online and engage with our personal stories, but mostly we are humans and would enjoy real life support and smiles too.. just look back at where we kickstarted this!\n\nOp3n Meetups Adventure is where we make it easier for people all over to contribute to a global care debate, share their story and pool together experiences to discover solutions.\n\n\nWhen is it happening? Between July - September.\nWhere is it happening? All over Europe and beyond.\nOp3n Meetups are for:\n\n\nPeople with an idea, story, technology or proposal about community care\n \n\nPeople who wish to understand and join OpenCare, but can\u2019t or won\u2019t do so on the website\n \n\nFacilitators and conveners who like to brain ache around big issues in cosy gatherings\n \u00a0\n \n\nWhere does it all go?\u00a0We will collectively build a bid for 100 Million USD to fix the care crisis! See MacArthur Foundation\u2019s call for projects at 100andChange.org (more about this in a few days).\nWhat\u2019s the plan?\u00a0In our next community call on Monday 4 PM CET we look at where we can go, who can drive this and what resources are available! Leave a comment with what you are interested in and we\u2019ll discuss it on Monday. Everyone and anyone is welcome to join, we\u2019re meeting here:\nhttps:\/\/meet.jit.si\/opencare\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-07-01 13:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6510","title":"The Shit Show - A Mental Health Awareness Campaign","content":"\n\n\n\n\nSupport the Shit Show on Startnext!\u00a0startnext.com\/theshitshow\nWe have been studying it for 3 months, we have been dealing with it most of our life, we are highly aware of the importance of engaging with it but we still find it incredibly hard to talk about.\nPauline and I are both product design students and together with Nele and Luisa who study communications we are team UP. In the context of \"Hacking Utopia\", a human centered design project at the University of Arts Berlin, we are investigating mental health. This article explains our approach of boosting mental resilience and give you the chance to get involved in our project.\nIn our previous contributions on Edgeryders we described how we started off with the question of making sadness, unproductivity and inefficiency less shameful. We discovered two TED talks that influenced us greatly: The power of vulnerability by Brene Brown and Depression, the secret we share by Andrew Solomon. As later confirmed by the psychologists we interviewed, these talks made us understand that sharing our feelings is a key step towards mental resilience. Establishing a sustainable, personal connection this is necessary for recovery and growth. When we hide our condition, we ignore it, it becomes worse.\nUSER INTERVIEWS\nThe issue of mental health is especially important in the context of youth. Young adults are increasingly affected by issues like anxiety or depression. Their circumstances make them particularly susceptible to psychological stress. As many leave the familiar framework of home and school and move into an uncertain future, the newly independents have to find alternative support structures. New living situations, potentially in a new city or even country, starting university or a job, all these developments entail a multitude of mental pressures. In a time where social media is so influential, standards of self-representation are an added factor. According to one of the psychological guidance counsellors at Studentenwerk Berlin; stress, loneliness and self-image issues are very common results among many students.\nAs part of our research, we interviewed several university students from different backgrounds about negative emotions like these. One question was how they handle situations of feeling sad, stressed or lonely. The main insight was that everyone experienced this shit, but no one liked to deal with it. A prominent theme in the conversations was the difficulty to talk about emotional problems \u2013 be it a missed project deadline, a loss in the family or an eating disorder. It was mentioned\u00a0that it was easier for them to open up to someone who had similar problems and could empathize. However, it is difficult to identify the people that can offer support\u00a0when everyone tries to hide their struggles.\nAs a result, most people\u00a0don\u2019t decide to seek help until they had been in increasing pain for a prolonged amount of time. Yet at this point of outreach, recovery is still far. As we learned from our interviews, it can take months to find care that is suitable to the individual and more months to see any progress. While there is a great spectrum of available options, the general idea of psychological treatment is still stigmatized. It is often not even perceived as a possible solution. The psychologists we interviewed mentioned that many of their patients came to them only after being referred by a general practitioner or friends who had tried therapy themselves.\nYet, we cannot force people to seek help. Keeping quiet about insecurities is a justified mental defence mechanism. When we share our feelings, we are vulnerable, exposed. Oftentimes, the recipient is simply not equipped to offer a good, empathic response. This could almost be described as a societal incompetence,\u00a0stemming from a general lack of awareness.\nOUR GOAL\nWe want\u00a0to challenge the current attitude towards psychological care. Our project tries to de-stigmatize psychological pain and make the sensitive, 'taboo' issue of mental health more present and approachable to the public. We believe that udnerstanding and empathy is vital to provide good care for people that are suffering from emotional distress. We want to make it clear\u00a0that feeling shitty is nothing to be ashamed of, but actually a very common thing. Also, we want the impact of these feelings to be understandable, so that more people can offer informed, helpful responses. When this happens, the threshold of reaching out is lowered, which in return allows problems to be addressed before they develop into serious mental conditions.\nINSPIRATION\nThere are a number of inspiring projects who deal with exactly this issue of awareness. One clever way artists are spreading awareness is over the internet. Tumblr users like Rubyetc, Beth Evans or Sarah\u2019s Scribbles have gained quite a following with their funny, relatable comics about everyday struggles. Seeing that you are not alone in your suffering can be very comforting. Recently, illustrator Gemma Correll created a series of drawings as part of an online awareness campaign for Mental Health America to visualize what #mentalillnessfeelslike. Their campaign encourages people to open up about their conditions and harvest the power of sharing.\nA related approach can be found in the various devices that exist to simulate old age. Suits like \u2018GERT\u2019 are designed to make the wearer feel the impairments that come with aging: stiffness and limited mobility, decreasing strength, blurred sight, muffled hearing. The concept was originally developed to enable caretakers of elderly people to better understand the needs and fears of their patients. Now, gadgets with similar effects, designed by students at Weimar University, are being exhibited at the Hygiene Museum in Dresden, allowing the public to gain the same understanding.\u00a0\u00a0\nIn general, public exhibitions are a valuable source of inspiration when it comes to reaching people and conveying information. A prime example is the 'Happy Show', set up by design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. Verging somewhere between art and education, the show throughly explores the theme of happiness in a graphic, creative and interactive manner. Another show that encourages people to actively engage with the exhibit is Erwin Wurms 'Bei Mutti'. Visitors are isntructed to interact the artefacts on display, effectively becoming a piece of the art themselves.\n\nPROJECT PROPOSAL\nIn order to achieve our goal we propose a combination of an interactive exhibition and an information booth. This pop-up stall can easily be set up at universities events like open days and conferences.\nWe will exhibit various sadness simulators, wearable objects for the crowd to try which simulate the effects of being depressed, stressed or anxious. These objects have been inspired by an online survey we have conducted in order to find out how people physically feel when they are in emotional distress. Out of dozens of responses we have extracted the most common themes: weight on the shoulders, head pulling down, brain fog and a general discomfort in one's body feeling: hot, sticky and itchy. With these results we have designed various objects: A neck bender, a very heavy device to carry on his back being forced to lean forward. A helmet made of tinted transparent acrylic that simulates looking through a veil and muffles the sound of the surroundings and a really uncomfortable ill-fitting coat made of a super itchy and stiff fabric. We have more ideas but for now we have realized these three.\nThose who are\u00a0brave enough to test our simulators will receive a positive feedback. They will get to choose between 3 gifts: Stickers that encourage everyday task such as: \"got out of bad\", \"took a shower\" and \"washed my laundry\" in order to demonstrate how difficult these tasks can be to certain people. They could also choose comforting cynical tea bags that they can grant a friend in need on a rainy day or shit shaped chocolate pralines to compensate for the horrors they have just been through. The exhibition will also include an interactive board in which participants can share their feelings caused by the simulators or just generally and a second board presenting useful information regarding mental issues: how to identify, approachable treatments, support groups and other solutions. The first exhibition will take place during Berlin University of the Arts Semester end's exhibition and we hope it will continue to other universities around berlin and even in other cities in Europe.\nIf you hope so as well you are welcome to join us in a number of ways:\n1. Support our Startnext campaign going online July 20th! Help us fund the first ever Shit Show and enjoy our moody merchandise (link tba)\n2. Spread the word! Our first intention is to raise awareness of mental health issues. Please share our ideas and solutions, you might even help someone.\n(It will also be nice if you would share our Startnext campaign once it's up :)\n3. Participate our research, tell us how you feel when you are down in our survey or just share with us your Ideas and comments. We would love to hear some feedback and improve our project\nPauline Schlautmann: p.schlautmann@udk-berlin.de\nOmri Kaufmann: omri207@gmail.com\n\nThe production of this\u00a0article was supported by Op3n\u00a0Fellowships\u00a0-\u00a0an ongoing program for community contributors\u00a0during May - November 2016.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-06-30 23:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8602"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6506","title":"Helping The Blind See With Sound","content":"\nThis is a story how a new initiative Soundsight Training promises help for blind and visually impaired gain more mobility and independence.\nThe website for Soundsight Training is http:\/\/www.soundsight.ch\n\u00a0\nDeveloping a technology that could sense and reconstruct reality for blind people can be one approach. But, a technology that enables blind and vision impaired to mediate their perception of their environment and interact with their surroundings is actually empowering then to be independent from aid devices.\nMany blind and partially sighted people of all ages are unable to lead independent lives because they are not getting the support they need. The needs of people who lose their sight are many and varied and the support provided must be personalized if it is to meet individual needs. Teaching the blind to see with hearing using echolocation would be a way to make the largest impact, beyond the use of sight. \u00a0The benefits of acquiring this skill changes the way you interact with your surroundings on a daily basis. It decreases limitations and opens the door to new opportunities.\nThe Journey begins\n\nIrene Lanza, Management Engineer, CEO of SoundSight Training, knows it\u2019s possible. Irene came in contact with the Scimpulse Foundation while participating in the Challenge Based Innovation program of Ides2quare at CERN in Geneva. The challenge was to design something that enabled blind people to perceive the surrounding environment. It was then the idea was planted. \u00a0Many opted for a mobile device approach, something else called the attention of Irene. Teaching the blind to echolocate themselves?\nThrough this experience, Irene had the opportunity to interact with the visually impaired. Through working with mothers of blind children and getting to hear their stories, setbacks and concerns the more Irene wanted to do something to support and empower them. Guidance of blind and visually impaired people is a clear unmet need. However, most blind and visually impaired people want to go out and enjoy independent mobility.\nThe environment in which we live is becoming increasingly complex. Even a journey across a city \u00a0requires a range of skills including being able to avoid obstacles on the pavement, to walk in the right direction, play a sport and the list goes on. These tasks may seem trivial, but for someone with a vision impairment, this is a challenge and a skill that needs to be learned. SoundSight enables the development of a hearing talent that compensates for the missing eyesight.\nSee With Sound\n\u00a0\nSoundSight Training was developed to enable the blind to see with sound. Together, with Henrik Kjeldsen and Dr. Marco Manca the first prototype of an echolocation training system, was created.\u00a0\nIt\u2019s a virtual reality environment based on audio. The training is completed with practice in the real world until the student becomes fully independent from the simulation. Further explanation of how can be found here. SoundSight attracted the attention of the Italian government and a number of organisations and advocates that offered its support. \u00a0Among them were, Cecilia Camellini, Champion Paralympic Swimmer. When asked what she thought of SoundSight, \u201cwith training and effort athletes can improve performance.\u201d \u00a0\nExperience the world more independently\nSoundSight Training is a spinoff of the Let Me See Project, the first from the ScimPulse Foundation \u00a0I.M.mortal research program. It was a 3 year journey that started from a workshop and now partners with governmental organizations to impulse the idea forward beyond the prototype stage. Now it has its own heartbeat. SoundSight Training designed to helping people explore the world more independently.\n\u201cThis software has the potential to enrich the lives of people who are blind and visually impaired. Everyone can learn this skill, it\u2019s accessible to everyone and when we design for greater accessibility, everyone benefits.\u201d says Irene Lanza. \u00a0\u00a0\nImproving performance, challenging yourself, to overcome limitations, all of this effects humanity\u2019s growth, expansion and well-being. The challenges for the visually impaired are enormous, so immense are the ramifications for those now living without sight, and so exciting is the initiative on the horizon.\nFor more information about SoundSight initiative, please visit www.soundsight.ch\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-06-30 14:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8708"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6503","title":"FES FOR FOOT DROP","content":"\nI've been suffering from MS since 1999 and it is 7 years since I have experienced dropped foot problem. My left foot doesn't work properly and I've kept on stumbling. In 2011 the Italian NHS provided me with a plastic device, called MOLLA DI CODIVILLA, that is used to mantain my foot up.\nIt is rigid and the foot cannot move: it is like putting your foot in plaster cast. So your muscles don't work anymore and it is not easy to put it in shoes.\nI couldn't bear it and I started surfing the net to look for other solutions.\nI found out the functional electrical stimulator : FES. It is largely used in England, Germany, USA but in Italy.\nIt is a device that, thanks to 2 electrodes put on the peroneal muscle, a light switch pasted under your shoe sole and a little electric box\u00a0gives the electrical impulse to your muscle so your foot can actually move without dropping, giving you a more natural gait.\nThe advantages are that you can put the switch easily in every shoe and the muscle is stimulated so it remains active. I found out different ways to wear the FES putting the little box on boots, under the knee and in the jeans pocket, so I can wear sandals, boots, skirt or even bikini, even with the FES.\nI use the Odstock Medical one, provided by the Salisbury hospital (UK).\nI also tried the German Ottobock and the Ness, but I think they are too big and you cannot change the place of the electrodes at your convenience according to how you would need your foot to move.\nWith Ottobock and Ness the medic pastes the electrodes on a support that you put around your calf.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-06-29 17:05 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8849"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6501","title":"Newcomer - an app that connects people in a playful way","content":"\nAfter a very long research phase me and my team from Newcomer now have conceptualized a smartphone-app, which familiarizes not only refugees but any newcomers with their environment. Our team is working in the Hacking Utopia project at UDK (University of Arts) in Berlin. We are two product designers and two communication students.\nMain target group are refugees why we mostly talked to young men from syria. Of course they are facing a lot of problems and some are probably more serious tha the one we are trying to solve. We found out that -waiting for german bureaucracy to give them the needed papers and learning german- a lot of them feel lost in their new environment. Although our focus is on refugees Newcomer is for everyone, who is new in the city.\nOur App combines different types of challenges in a city-rally taking place in Berlin. They make them explore the town and talk to people. So for exapmple it asks them to take a photo of something, that reminds them of their origin. Also we are inviting Institutions like Bars, Caf\u00e9s and Eventspaces be a part of our project. So for example we lead a participant to a caf\u00e9 and ask him to drink a coffee with someone. Both drinks are half priced so they get in contact by using this discound. With a growing community different app-users could match and meet to solve tasks together and have a nice experience.\nSo our app definitely is no tourist guide. It is more like a motivation-tool to go out and socialize. In two weeks we are starting a crouwdfunding-campaign on start next. Until then we clarify our concept and test it with people. If you have questions or suggestions please feel free to comment.\nMilan\/Newcomer\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-06-28 18:20 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8591"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6499","title":"How I got involved in the Cytostatics Network","content":"\nI am Sabina Ulubeanu, a 36 years old mother who also like to describe herself as \u201e just a composer\u201d.\nIn the autumn of 2009, at 30,\u00a0I suddenly began to feel sick: very weak, short of breath and I became yellow. My daughter was 7, and my son was 2. I was still breastfeeding and thought I was just tired and stressed out.\nWhat came next was an avalanche of\u00a0investigations and meetings with doctors form many\u00a0hospitals. After ruling out all sorts of terrible diseases and trying different treatments with no success, I went to Vienna where my condition was confirmed: Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia.\u00a0The newest drug for AIHA (Rituximab) \u00a0was still not approved in Romania for this rare disease, so I basically moved to Vienna where thet gave it to me, with no positive outcome, and\u00a0finally I had my spleen removed and got well.\nIt happened in \u00a0March 2012.\nIn November 2012 I was again in Vienna for artistic reasons (and the usual check-up). This is when I read for the first time about the Network of Cytostatics. Everything was familiar to me: the oldest pharmacy in Vienna, the office above Mariahilferstr, but mostly, the struggle to regain one's health....\nIt was too soon for me to get involved, tha trauma was too recent.\n\u00a0But in February 2013, a good friend, Simona Tache, shared on Facebook a status about needing someone going to Bucharest from Vienna.\n\u00a0It clicked something inside me and I responded.\u00a0\nWhat came next was overwhelming.\n\u00a0Yes, I travelled\u00a0home with medicine, calmly taking them through security and bringing them to Valeriu, the taxi driver that distributed them to the ones in need.\u00a0More important was the fact that doing a simple thing, an easy gesture, meant helping someone's health and fighting a system that seemed not to care about the people. Everyone I talked to about the network felt the same: it is the least we can do!\n\u00a0I truly believe people have the need to do good, to offer, to help each other.\nThe Network was a way of getting people together for a good purpose. I think it is the main reason it worked so well.\nIt responded the needs of others, but also our own need to give (time\/ help\/ encouragement).\nMy own personal gain, though, was tremendous. Not only you feel good helping others, but I became very good friends with Vlad Voiculescu, the initiator if the Network, supporting each other in many other so called impossible projects or just knowing we are there at a click or phone call away.\nI got involved because I knew what it means to be helpless against a disease and I will remain involved for as long as I will live, because this Network might not be needed now for cancer drugs, but it created a gathering of great souls that will be for sure needed for many other aspects of our society that need deep and profound healing.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-06-27 10:25 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8842"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6484","title":"Escaping failed institutions through evasive entrepreneurship","content":"\nWhen current regulations are obsolete, one solution may be to evade rather than to reform or abide by potentially stifling rules. Evasive entrepreneurship refers to circumventing institutional obstacles as part of novel activity. It is not illegal: it\u2019s done by using new technologies, finding room in existing regulations or working in the gray zone. If successful, it can make the institution being sidestepped irrelevant, or even provoke reform by highlighting its inefficiency. Evasive entrepreneurship is potentially a tool that can aid institutional reform in Europe, in particular in areas where institutions are obsolete or ineffective but where political reform is slow in response.\n\nI use this framework to discuss how initiatives which stem from communities can bring about change. An example used to illustrate this is the Helliniko Metropolitan Community Clinic in Greece, a large volunteer effort which provides health care to low-income patients. The self-organized clinic referred to as the people\u2019s \u201cAlternative Health System\u201d has served thousands of patients parallel to the existing (but ill functioning) health care system.\nAll this is nothing new. Economic and social development often results from entrepreneurs responding to problems or opportunities and enacting change. While high-tech business firms are everyone\u2019s favourite example, this entrepreneurship need not be profit-driven nor abide by existing rules.\nInstitutional entrepreneurship refers to how entrepreneurs are influenced by and influence institutions. It is a field that greatly interest me. Entrepreneurship typically refers to business activity. More fundamentally however it includes all innovative activities aimed at change, not only firms. Other categories include \u201csocial entrepreneurs\u201d who create non-profit organizations, \u201cpolitical entrepreneurs\u201d who recombine resources in the policy arena to bring about reform and \u201ccommunity entrepreneurs\u201d who organize to provide local public goods.\nAccording to Schumpeter, the defining characteristic of entrepreneurship is not earning profits but disrupting the current equilibrium \u2013 the \u201corder of things\u201d inherited from the past. Business entrepreneurs who change the market equilibrium with new technologies, products or organizations are one important group, but the term can be applied to other actions which bring about dynamic change.\nThis post discusses these concepts theoretically as well as giving examples of how specific projects can be viewed within this framework.\nA case illustrating political entrepreneurship is the People's Assembly in Estonia, an online platform for crowdsourcing ideas for reforming electoral and political laws. The public was free to suggest proposals, which were reviewed by experts and discussed by a randomly chosen assembly of a few hundred voters. The People's Assembly was initiated and organized by civil society voluntaries dissatisfied with democratic institutions in Estonia. It uses modern IT-tools to mimic classical democratic associations in smaller polities which allowed for face-to-face discussions and open proposals.\nOne interesting example of \u201ccommunity entrepreneurship\u201d is Prinzessinnengarten, a large urban garden in the middle of Berlin founded and managed by local volunteers. The garden was built in a poorer part of Berlin to experiment with green urban gardening but also as a social initiate. Both the Prinzessinnengarten and the People's Assembly are entrepreneurial in that they are novel responses to opportunity, but clearly not business firms.\nSocial entrepreneurship was also the driving force behind several much larger institutions. The Swiss businessman Henry Dunant is not famous for his private investments but for founding of the Red Cross, for which he received the first Nobel Peace Prize in 1901. More recent example of non-profit entrepreneurs includes Jimmy Wales and Larry Sanger who in 2001 created Wikipedia. The Red Cross and Wikipedia were innovative initiatives which changed the world as much as any entrepreneurial firm and which also required novel ideas, alertness to opportunities, risk taking and organizational effort.\nThe People's Assembly, Prinzessinnengarten, The Red Cross and Wikipedia are examples of novel and to various extents disruptive entrepreneurship, but not of evasive entrepreneurship. These are examples of innovations in practices, technology or organization carried out within the existing institutional framework.\nEntrepreneurs act within the rules of society we call institutions, sometimes defined as \u201cthe humanly devised constraints that shape human interaction\u201d. Formal written institutions include laws, property rights and regulations whereas informal unwritten institutions include as traditions, cultural practices and norms. In the last few years there have some interesting work on how institutions affect entrepreneurs and how entrepreneurs may in turn influence institutions. I have previously written about the interaction of entrepreneurship and institutions.\nInstitutions such as property rights, rules, market structure, the political system and social norms largely regulate society and influence the extent to which entrepreneurial talent is directed toward productive or unproductive activity. Entrepreneurs can in turn work to abide, evade or alter institutions.\nThe common response is to institutions and work whiting the current framework. Altering institutions can take the form of social activism aimed directly at influencing policy makers to reform laws and regulations, such as the environment movement. A perhaps more intriguing way in which entrepreneurs interact with institutions is through evasive entrepreneurship aimed at circumventing formal institutions. Unlike activism, evasive entrepreneurship is not aimed directly at changing institutions by influencing policy makers but at devising ways to work around them.\nOne example includes rides-for-hire application companies such as Uber and Lyft which enable their users to circumvent regulations in the local taxi market. Another example aimed at circumventing intellectual property right and monopoly power includes file-sharing platforms such as The Pirate Bay. An important recent study by Elert and Henrekson discusses evasive entrepreneurship in depth:\n\u201cA well-established idea in the entrepreneurship literature is that entrepreneurs generally abide by institutions, which are therefore seen as the main determinants of entrepreneurship and economic growth. We challenge this idea by providing the first formal definition of evasive entrepreneurship, and argue that it is an important yet underappreciated source of innovation and change in the economy, especially because evasive entrepreneurs through their actions in the market may spur institutional change with potentially important welfare effects\u2026This type of entrepreneurship is a means to test and provoke the existing institutional frameworks, and it also indirectly results in adaptations within those frameworks\u201d.\nSocial activism takes place in the policy arena and deals with unwanted institutions by creating opinion and influencing politicians to directly reforming the institution in question. Evasive entrepreneurship by contrast accepts the institution but devices method to de facto work around it in the real economy. Elert and Henrekson discuss the distinction:\n\u201cUnlike institution-altering entrepreneurs, evasive entrepreneurs do not use political means to change institutions, but instead affect them through their activities in the market [...] they do not directly try to change institutions through political means at the higher levels of the institutional hierarchy\u201d\nAn entrepreneur who devises clever ways to evade taxes by using tax-havens may cause harmful economic effects. An early definition of evasive entrepreneurship is efforts in \u201cevading the legal system or in avoiding the unproductive activities of other agents\u201d. Adam Smith had this figured out already in 1776. He wrote that individuals could circumvent institutional constraints unfavorable to commerce, and added that the effort of individuals to better their condition is \u201cnot only capable of carrying on the society to wealth and prosperity, but of surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions with which the folly of human laws too often encumbers its operation\u2019\u2019.\nElert and Henrekson agree. Evasion can be both a bad and a good thing, depending on the specifics.\n\u201cIf evasive entrepreneurship circumvents institutions that are welfare enhancing, it is likely to decrease welfare, but if there are other motives behind these institutions or if they have become obsolete (act as impediments) due to technical and\/or organizational change, evasive entrepreneurship is likely to raise welfare\u201d.\nIt is more likely that evasive entrepreneurship act as a vehicle of regulatory change by provoking it when the institutions being evaded is obsolete or inefficient. In these cases, evasive entrepreneurship has the additional benefit of pointing to inconsistencies in regulation.\nPolicy-makers may indeed welcome evasive entrepreneurship in many situations. The interest of politicians and society do not always perfectly coincide, for example in settings characterized by rent seeking, corruption, lobbying or group conflict. This can lead to institutional designed to further private interests of politicians or special interests despite being ineffective for society at large. Not all institutional inefficiency is however intentional. In other cases, inefficiency reflects complexity and the fact that optimal policies constantly shift due to technological and social change. In this situation,evasive entrepreneurship palys a Hayekian role by utilizing local information that is known in communities affected by policies but which policy makers in centralized decision making do not have full access to.\nAnother major problem in devising institutions is uncertainty, not the least when dealing with new technologies. When there are large uncertainties, evasive entrepreneurs can serve as an educational source for policy makers by demonstrating by experimenting and testing boundaries, demonstrating on a smaller scale what works and what does not. This is particularly true when there are active communities which self-organize to actively bring knowledge to the surface. In recent years, policymakers have become more aware about the benefits of using self-organized communities as a source of smalls scale experimentation and innovation as a complement for large scale for bureaucracy. Many initiatives fail, but the cost of failure is small, unlike state activity, and easily outweighed by the gains from even a few successful experiments.\nAn example of such innovative initiatives who I recently came into contact with is the tech community Edgeryders, which experiments with open access enterprises to deal with institutional failure in Europe. One fascinating case in evasive entrepreneurship which interested me is in the Greece health care sector.\nHealth care provision is one of the major problems facing the economy. Studies in the field of health economics has documented the difficult problem of health inflation, where expenditure on health care consistently increases faster than the rest of the economy, which puts pressure on public and private finances in both the U.S and Europe. There are however few satisfactory answers to what can be done about this.\nThe Greek health care system in addition collapsed following the economic crisis. Edgeryders works with a very interesting case study on evasive entrepreneurship in the Greek health care sector. Health care provision in Greece faces major difficulty following the financial crisis, with brought the public to the brink of bankruptcy and in addition led to many Greeks losing their jobs in a country where the national health service is tied to employment. This led to many unemployed Greeks losing their insurance virtually lacking access to public health care and no money to pay for private clinics.\nOne response to institutional failure was Metropolitan Community Clinic, a self-organized initiative evading existing institutions to provide health care to those lacking health care. Edgeryders write:\u00a0\n\u201cThis is a very strange animal as health care providers go. It has no legal existence. Its literature proudly proclaims: \u201cMCCH is a volunteer organization without Legal or Taxable status and it is not a 'Non-Profit-Making-Organisation'.\u201d Maria: \"We are technically illegal\". It does not accept donations in money. It does accept donations in kind: medicines, equipment, blood sample analyses. It operates from a building that belongs to the Municipality of Helliniko-Argyropoulis. Though none of its employees works in the building, the Municipality still pays the electricity and phone bills that the MCCH generates\u201d\nTraditional economic theory might in the past have concluded that this arrangement is impossible, but work in New Institutional Economics by Elinor Ostrom and others have shown that self-organized governance systems can use norms, internal trust and reciprocity even when formal structures and property rights are lacking. The MCCH may serve as an illustration of Ostrom's Law: \u201cA resource arrangement that works in practice can work in theory\u201d\nThere are apparently several similar health-care clinics in Greece circumventing the institutional framework as a response to policy failure. I find this an interesting example of evasive entrepreneurship, and plan to evaluate the MCCH as a case of evasive entrepreneurship as a response to institutional failure together with my college Erik Lakomaa. Elert and Henrekson in their study focus on for-profit evasive entrepreneurship, but conceptually nothing precludes non-profit evasive entrepreneurship.\nIn discussed above, the benefits of evasive entrepreneurship are particularly important in situations when existing institutions do not function well, which makes Greece a suitable case study. This and other cases are interesting to evaluating if evasive entrepreneurship may be utilized to identify, resolve or reform obsolete institutions in Europe. \u00a0\nPhoto credit: Charles Knowles on flickr.com\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-06-21 0:42 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8496"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6482","title":"Interview with Rosalie and her parents #teamable","content":"\nOn monday we met 11 year old Rosalie and her parents for a drink. During the pregnancy, Rosalie lost the frontal part of her brain. Thus she has difficulties to talk, but she understands everything. Rosi is a very attentive young girl. She has spasticity and sits in a wheelchair. The wheelchair supports her in an upright position.\u00a0\nRosalies parents told us, that there was no barrier-free playground when she was little. Her parents used to carry her out of the wheelchair so that she could play at the playground. Rosalies parents actually advocate this, since she was then given the opportunity to experience variety. She learned, felt and experienced things outside of her wheelchair. Apart from this, she didn't feel different from the other kids anymore.\u00a0\nThe family emphasized, that the variety and the new feeling a child gets when being or playing outside the wheelchair, is much more valuable than one might imagine.\u00a0But unfortunately there is no equipment, no seats, which supports the body and ensures children with paralysis or spasticity a comfortable seat, for example while swinging.\u00a0Her mother gave us the example of a beanbag chair. Thanks to its soft filling, the beanbag ensures a cozy seating and adapts to the body at once. The beanbag chair is body ergonomically.\nThe interview and the experiences the family has already made, gave us a whole new view of needs.\nAfter a little observation and a couple of statements, we narrowed it down to the main elements, which are most popular by children in different ages: sandbox, swing, slide.\u00a0We made sketches and gathered ideas of how each element could be inclusive. After adding the beanbag chair into our sketches, they led more and more into a swing.\nSo we minimized our target group into children at the age of 2 to 10 years, due to weight and hight.\nRight now, we have a few ideas and sketches for a swing, in which you can sit or lay down together as two. Already existing swings inspired us, like in the pictures below.\nThe strength of our concept is currently more on the inclusion than on accessibility. Our idea of the swing is more about togetherness and common experiences with children with and without disabilities.\nWe could not imagine before, that inclusion and accessibility are two different topics\/areas. Looking at our first idea of the playground and the current one, our current one is not barrier-free. The swing can not be used with a wheelchair. However, the current swing gives children the opportunity to experience moments outside their wheelchair, in a suitable way.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-06-18 8:14 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8595"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6481","title":"development of our design challenge","content":"\nOur last design challenge was \u201ehow might we help society to drop down social and environmental barriers, because that is what disables people.\u201c\nWe understood that the word society is too big in this context and we need to narrow it down.\u00a0So we asked ourselves what is our target group? Where would it be most useful to start with all our gained insights? We decided to focus on children.\u00a0\nKeeping in mind the insights we gained from Raul Krauthausen, that because of a non barrier-free environment, there won't be meetings with people with and without disabilities. This leads to prejudices and fears. It was our goal to work on accessibility in order to make meetings happen. Thus, our target is a barrier-free enviroment. In connection to children, the best place to start is the playground.\u00a0\nOn a barrier-free playground children with and without disabilities can play together and meet each other. This way we could counteract fears of contacts in an early age\/stage.\nThe idea was to give children with and without disabilities the opportunity to play together on one drive. Our goal was to develop an inclusive device, which two children with disabilities, two without or one with and one without disabilities, could use and have fun with.\nWe started to make further interviews with kids and their children, to gain more insights in this matter.\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-06-18 8:01 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8595"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6479","title":"Interview 4.0 #able","content":"\nRecently we had a telephon interview with Peter*, whos child has certain limitations. As one of three kids Fabian* grew\u00a0up in a endearing family, which gives\u00a0him on one side as much personal and special support and on the other side treat him like his two older brothers.\u00a0\nFabian\u00a0lost half of his brain function after having a stroke, which lead to spastic hemiparalysis.\u00a0Because of that further problems came up like a malposition of his hips and a curvature of the spine.\nWhen I met him he was full of power, running around, shaking everybodys hand and laughing. But most of the time he should sit in his wheelchair, in order to guard against swollen and painful knees. Because of a cognitive limitation Fabian\u00a0is receiving all the stimuli. As we can focus on one thing and block our environment out, Fabian\u00a0can not filter environmental information. That makes him most of the time an observer, someone who is rather watching\u00a0than being in the focus of interest. Since one year his parents noticed\u00a0an aggressivity against himself, because he starts to reflect on himself, his position and possibilties. A psychologyst told them that often kids with disabilities that are more supported are more reflecting themselves and know\u00a0what limitations they have compared to\u00a0kids that are not getting that well supported.\u00a0\nGetting that special and individual support is really important for them, that's why the parents decided to send Fabian\u00a0to a school for physically handicapped kids.\u00a0There they will have a class with about eight kids, one teacher and one pedagog. Trained assistants with different specializations\u00a0like physiotherapist, care worker or ergotherapist are working in the school as well. Peter\u00a0said that inclusion or integration is the actual content and sounds good,\u00a0but it does not always work, as we can see in Fabians\u00a0case.\nAnd that individuality makes it even difficult on playgrounds to build it barrierfree.\u00a0\nFor Fabian, who can walk and run but not grab, force or push with his one arm, playgrounds would need to have different requirements than for other handicapped kids.\nSwinging is a really nice, exciting and relaxating activity.\u00a0Swings with only a plank do not fit Fabian\u2019s physical needs, since he is not able to hold himself with one arm. Laying on a birds nest swing is more easy for him.\nSlides are good to use in case the entrance is easy to reach. Climbing nets or round ladders makes it difficult for Fabian.\u00a0\nWater and Sand is an interesting sensorial material, that all childs love. Playing in the mud, splashing with the water, diging holes or baking sand cakes are activities that could be on hip height and done while sitting in a wheelchair.\nGetting this insight from a parents view leades us more in the direction of what kids with handicappes are able to do, what they like, what they prefer and what should have been thought from another perspective.\n\u00a0\n*Names changed to protect privacy\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-06-17 18:49 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8630"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6474","title":"What makes care open? A workshop led by Ezio Manzini","content":"\nThe OpenCare project has already collected incredible, humbling stories of community-driven care. We expect more, many more, to be rolling in in the coming months. But here's the catch: these stories are extremely diverse. They all do have some vague resemblance, but it is surprisingly hard to come up with a clear set of criteria to parse what is open care from what is not. For most people, open care seems to be like pornography: easy to recognize, but hard to define.\u00a0This workshop attempts to shine some light on the matter, helping the OpenCare team and community converge on a shared vision of just what it is that we are studying.\nPractical information\nThe workshop is led by\u00a0@Ezio_Manzini and lasts about three hours. It is organized for the OpenCare research team, but, within reason, open to the community and the public. If you wish to participate, let us know by leaving a comment below.\nLocation:\u00a0Stockholm School of Economics,\u00a0Sveav\u00e4gen 65\u00a0113 83\nHow to prepare\n\nRead this, the minimal viable common ground.\nChoose one of the stories of care already accrued to OpenCare, and prepare to tell other participants\u00a0why\u00a0you think this is a story of open care. The \"care\" part is generally fairly obvious, so it comes down to saying what makes these initiatives open. You can find many stories and the conversations around them here and here.\u00a0\nMore detailed instructions on how to prepare \u2013 including a detailed agenda \u2013\u00a0are here.\u00a0\nA background paper by Ezio. This expands on the post referred to in item 1 of this list. It is a short read, highly recommended.\u00a0\n\nLooking forward to this!\u00a0\n@Costantino @melancon @LuceChiodelliUB @Lakomaa @Tino_Sanandaji @Massimo @zoescope @Rossana_Torri @Noemi\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-06-15 11:21 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6473","title":"Community Care and Care Structures for Community Activists","content":"\nCommunity-based initiatives contribute in a lot of different ways to the well-being of a community and the people participating. These contributions can take the form of directly supporting people and communities through giving them access to education, healthy food, social support, nature, informations about political and administrative procedures. Indirectly they also allow the development of a culture of mutual help, sharing and empowerment. This post is a description of what we have learned about care structures in communities during our years as community activists building Prinzessinengarten an urban garden in Berlin.\nBut let\u2019s start from the beginning\u2026.\nPrinzessinnengarten: Making gardens from wasteland\n\n\n\n\nAt Moritzplatz, a busy roundabout in the center of bustling Berlin-Kreuzberg, well over a thousand supporters have helped the site to grow, turning a lot that was vacant for 60 years into a flourishing garden. Without specific expertise, with little money and motivated by the idea of a communally used garden in the center of the city, we began in summer 2009 to put down the first roots of a flourishing garden between cement and rubble. By now, a huge diversity of plants is growing here as well as a diversity of social relations. People of different origins and of different ages meet and exchange their knowledge and their experience.\nThe Prinzessinnengarten is a communal project; our vegetable beds are shared without anyone claiming individual ownership. Over the course of four years, supporters from the local community have dirtied their hands in order to. This takes place in a neighborhood that is one of the most densely developed and socially most vulnerable in the city. Here a garden evolved that can sustain itself financially and that grew into a locus of social exchange and mutual learning.\nPrinzessinnengarten, as well as other urban gardens in Germany, have been able to develop small economies around its activities. Prinzessinnengarten has been able to support 15 full-time jobs during it seasons, being financially independent through its economic activities such as horticulture, the tending of a small caf\u00e9, selling its products, as well as giving training in gardening, ecology or the planning of further gardens. At the same time, it has been able to offer high quality, healthy and ecological food at affordable prices.\u00a0\nIn cooperation with local institutions, with universities and international partners, the Prinzessinnengarten became a laboratory for resilient forms of urban development. In a pragmatic manner, we have been asking questions on how to deal with urgent issues such as climate change, dwindling resources, food sovereignty and the loss of biodiversity. The answers being experienced and experimented on all strive toward the creation of a resilient city, not only taking global challenges such as climate change into consideration\u00a0but also incorporating local actors in the building of practical and local solutions. \u00a0\u00a0\nThe success of the garden has been vividly mirrored in vast press coverage: Since 2009, well over a thousand supporters have helped the site to grow \u201efrom an ugly vacant lot to a paradise\u201c (Die Zeit). 60,000 visitors come to Moritzplatz each year to see this \u201ebiotope and sociotope with a model character\u201c (Tagesspiegel), this \u201eutopia in miniature\u201c (Berliner Zeitung)\u00a0\nDespite the garden being a celebrated pioneer project and undisputed value even by official sources, in 2012 the Berlin Property Fund was commissioned to sell the plot of land on which the garden stands. We only had an annually renewable lease, leaving no prospects for long-term planning. Through the immense support of our public and an increasingly motivated government, the Berlin government decided to return the property the Borough of Kreuzberg-Friedrichshain. The Prinzessinnengarten has been able to establish its model character as a locus of social, ecological and urban change.\nTo discuss questions arising from this kind of community engagement, Elizabeth Calderon-L\u00fcning, Marco Clausen, and Asa Sonjasdotter initiated the Neighbourhood Academy in 2015:a self-organized open platform for urban and rural knowledge sharing, cultural practice and activism. This bottom-up academy combines different knowledge- and experienced-based formats: non-standardized knowledge, hands-on know-how, sensuous narratives and research methods. People, organizations, and projects from different neighborhoods come together. Participants can come from Berlin-Kreuzberg or the region around Berlin just as likely as from Detroit or rural areas in Greece to find common ground for learning and teaching.\u00a0\nSo what have we learned about care structures in communities?\nIn taking over responsibilities in issues that affect the whole society - refugees, climate change, social and ecological justice, to name just a few - community-based and grassroots initiatives play an increasing role in tackling these challenges and their effects on the local level. They are breeding grounds for social innovations and new bottom-up-strategies. Often people take initiative when traditional or institutional forms of care and support decline or do not meet people\u2019s needs. Community gardens and urban agriculture- the field in which I am personally engaged- can serve as a good example. Without being part of planning, or political programs, these places are mostly created by local, self-organized initiatives. Based on local engagement and alternative forms of economy and often without public or financial support, community gardens contribute to the well-being, social inclusion, healthy and sustainable lifestyles, biodiversity, the physical- as well as the social climate. Not only they contribute to the physical health of their participants, but also to their sense of dignity and self-esteem.\nThere is also a downside to community engagement. While community organizations have to promote themselves with success stories to get recognition, political- and financial support, the negative aspects are often less visible. You hear a lot about precarious funding, internal or outside conflicts, political and economic pressure, multitasking, impossible workloads, competition between projects. At the same time, dealing with complex and often rigid political and social institutions, community activists have to become self-trained experts in finances, public relations, lobbying, community-organizing etc. But these fights are long and complex and the institutions and their procedures require a patience that easily outlive the time, the physical and mental resources individuals and grassroots initiatives are able to mobilize.\nOver time, this situation can result in what you might call an \u201eactivism-burnout\u201c. When this happens, physical, mental, and social damages are far too often just seen as a personal or biographical drama. These individual burn-outs are likely to be accompanied by a weakening or even a collapse of the organizations and initiatives that are often carried by the engagement of single individuals. The disintegration can lead to a situation where an organization loses knowledge, expertise, networks, and spirit.\nFor the reasons mentioned above, community care should also include structures to support the people that are directly invested in it. It should create securing and supporting networks. Instead of competing, it should allow people from different initiatives in different fields of engagement to share their knowledge of failure. There should be at once structures of collective learning and consultancy, which at the same time help the individuals to find spaces of trust and recreation. With the Neighborhood Academy, we started informal meetings with members of different groups and initiatives, not only to exchange experience and knowledge and to broaden networks and alliances, but also to deal with stress, conflict, fear, doubt, and failure on a more personal level. Even though this is just a tentative beginning, we experience a need for this kind of care and support structures, which was previously not expressed. Often issues related to the stressful conditions of organizations and community initiatives are externalized into the private and infuse personal relations . Therefore on a structural level, we see these caring structures also as a\u00a0form to win even when you lose.\nCommunity groups often focus on single questions, spaces, conflicts. They often react under economic and time pressure to immediate problems. They act within marginalized or weak political and economical communities. They deal with institutions and stakeholders with more time, much power, and resources whereas they rely on limited personal resources or precarious funding. Simultaneously there are a lot of joy, learning and personal empowerment involved as well as a sense of a meaningful life and community relations. However, the risk of failing is high, which can lead to frustration and disintegration.\nCommunity care structures can help to ease this stress not only in giving support but also in a form of what we call \u201ecollective learning\u201c. They can work as an archive for the knowledge, the experiences and know-how being created in grassroots and community initiatives. Thus, they allow activists to see themselves not only as part of a\u00a0singular local fight that you might win or lose\u00a0but as contributors to a collective living memory.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-06-13 23:01 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8818"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6454","title":"Food security includes the opportunity to cook","content":"\nIn the context of our design challenge, we\u00a0joined the team of \u201c\u00dcber den Tellerrand kochen\u201d in their KitchenHub on May 28th to taste and learn about the many different ways to prepare\u00a0spinach in different countries as for example\u00a0in Afghanistan, Iran, Syria or South Tyrol.\n\u201c\u00dcber den Tellerrand kochen\u201d is a Berlin based social business, which by using food aims at \u201c[\u2026] creating a new togetherness among refugees and locals and achieving long-lasting integration in a process that involves people from all corners of society participating on their own initiative.\u201d (https:\/\/ueberdentellerrandkochen.de\/en\/about\/). About every month they organise a cooking event called \u201c50 shades of\u2026\u201d. This time it was spinach. They put up different cooking stations where we were welcome to help the cooks. The informal and open-minded atmosphere made conversations of all sorts very easy. Here are some pictures of the event.\nFor us the most important insight we gained is the following:\nThe Afghan women who cooked told us that they live in a refugee camp where they do not have any cooking facility and are therefore more than happy about every chance to cook elsewhere. It relaxes and enables them to act out. Every second week they meet up at the KitchenHub to cook. To feel secured it is important to them to be only a small and female group on those days. Therefore the size of the group is kept small even though there has been an increasing demand. Such places are rare and seem to be deeply needed. We are going to cook with one of them in a park to try out whether outside cooking especially in terms of privacy is an option for them as well or not.\nWe heard another related story at our experimental cooking night. Three friends from Syria joined us that day. Two of them are living in an emergency accommodation. The other one got transferred to another camp. The two former do not have access to any kitchen where they live, the latter can use the shared kitchen. From time to time his two friends even join him for cooking, because they really miss doing it.\nNot having access to cooking facilities seems to be a big issue. \u201cFood security\u201d including cooking is part of \u201cfeeling at home\u201d. How can we enable people to do so?\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-06-02 15:56 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8597"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6453","title":"Experimental cooking with a minimum of utensils","content":"\nIn the context of our design challenge we undertook a little cooking experiment. We asked ourselves what is the minimum of tools needed for cooking everyday recipes? Thinking about cooking on the street and therefore designing some mobile advice the equipment question seems relevant to us. How can one transport the object from one place to the other? This is amongst other things determined by the needed utensils. When using the term \u201cneeded\u201d one has to take the whole cooking experience into consideration. We have to ask which tools are needed for preparing a specific dish, but we also have to ask how one feels being limited to these?\nSetting\nTo examine this question we invited people with different cultural backgrounds to a cooking night. They formed a Syrian, an Israeli, an Austrian and a Chinese group. Along with the invitation they all had to chose one everyday dish from their country of origin, which they wanted to prepare. The ingredients and facility were provided. The real task for each group was to choose very limited cooking appliances from three different stations as well as to get along with only one hotplate (either electric plate or camping stove). We uploaded some pictures of the night here.\nReflection\nOverall I would say that everyone had a good night cooking, eating and mostly laughing together. It was great to share so many different dished by the end of the night and therefore get the opportunity to taste so many different things. The reactions to being limited varied from cheating, getting here and there frustrated to laughing, accepting it and becoming creative.\nA few interesting observations, which we have to take into account designing:\n\nEveryone constantly kept running to the water basin at the other end of the room \u2013 for washing vegetables, cleaning the tools for the next steps, washing hands or cleaning the table with a sponge. The Israeli cook also told us, that water is one of the most important things for him while cooking.\nThings got dirty very quickly. While trying for example to bake Kaiserschmarrn (cut-up and sugared pancake with raisins) on the camping stove, the pan dropped and some of the still liquid dough ran out.\nPeople got creative. They used empty cans to lay down a ladle or fished out flour chunks using a sieve.\nThe different textures and coatings of a cooking pot \/ pan matter more than we thought. Trying to bake Chinese street food crepes, the group had to change the pan three times before it worked. First they tried out a wok in which the dough unevenly backed thoroughly due to its round form, than the pan surface was to big for the electric plate.\nSome of the hotplates did not get warm enough. They did not have enough power. For some dishes this was fine, but for others as the Syrian fried potatoes a lot of heat was needed.\nBeing asked afterwards the Syrian group explained that being limited in terms of cooking utensils is no real option for them. They managed to prepare their dish but in general there are too many dishes in Syria for which up to 6 cooking pots are needed. It seems to vary from recipe to recipe, but also from food culture to food culture.\n\nWhat else would you like to know about this cooking experiment? Maybe your questions could help us with the analysis.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-06-02 14:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8597"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6443","title":"Trying Too Hard?","content":"\n\u201cDon\u2019t assume a person with a disability is easily offended.\u201d\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u2014\u201cDisability Etiquette\u201d from Wikipedia.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nAt the beginning of the research, we asked ourselves, \u201cWhat is disability?\u201dAccording to Cerebral Palsy: A Guide for Care by Bachrach Miller, the terms regarding disability are defined as such:\n\u201cImpairment is the correct term to use to define a deviation from normal, such as not being able to make a muscle move\u2026Disability is the term used to define a restriction in the ability to perform a normal activity of daily living which someone of the same age is able to perform. \u2026 Handicap is the term used to describe a child or adult who, because of the disability, is unable to achieve the normal role in society commensurate with his age and socio-cultural milieu\u2026All disabled people are impaired, and all handicapped people are disabled, but a person can be impaired and not necessarily be disabled, and a person can be disabled without being handicapped.\u201d[1]\nNowadays, more and more people begin to pay attention to how to address people with disabilities. The use of \u201cpeople-first language\u201d* in English aims to \u201cavoid the subconscious dehumanization when discussing people with disabilities\u201d[2]. However, as the researches continue and after we interviewed a few people with disabilities, we soon realized that language is not really a problem. Every person we interviewed all said that the word \u201cdisability\u201d doesn\u2019t bother them at all and they don\u2019t mind being called \u201cdisabled\u201d because it is a fact. (Interview with Raul Krauthausen by @Moriel).\nSo here is the question, if the language \/ term \/ vocabulary doesn't matter as much as we think, where does the problem really lies?\nAnother example would be: why is it okay to say someone has dark hair but not okay to say someone is a gay or someone is a black especially in the western countries? It is because people who used these terms earlier in the history had a strong prejudice and discrimination in mind. In the end, language was created to describe things as how they are. There is nothing wrong with language itself if people don\u2019t think otherwise to begin with.\nCould it be that some of us\u2014people without physical disabilities\u2014think that the current terms we use are offensive is because we are subconsciously offending them in the first place? So the question is not how to change the language, or other visible things. The question is how we can change people\u2019s opinion.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n* For example: use \u201ca person with a vision impairment\u201d instead of \u201ca blind person\u201d\n1.http:\/\/gait.aidi.udel.edu\/gaitlab\/cpGuide.html\n2.https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/People-first_language\n\u00a0\nThis is a group project on going #able with @Moriel, @ChristineOehme and @Luise Kr\u00f6ning\u00a0\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-06-01 1:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8662"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6442","title":"Interview with Raul Krauthausen","content":"\nOn Sunday the 15th of june i met with Raul Krauthausen. Raul is a activist for disability rights and founder of the nonprofit organisation \u201eSozialhelden\u201c.\nRaul has glass bones and sits in a wheelchair. I asked him several questions and a couple of them i will list in this essay:\nRaul believes that people with disabilities are in a way sorted out of the everyday life. They are in special-needs schools, sheltered workshops, care homes etc. This results in prejudice and fear.\u00a0\n\u201eEvery tenth person in our society has a disability, but not every tenth person in our circle of friends is disabled. That means: They have to be somewhere! We are hidden. In \u201especialized institutions\u201c. We are engaged in sheltered workshops, brought into care homes, because we are too expensive if we want to live alone\u2026\u201c\nIn our conversation, he emphasized, that people with disabilities are always associated with a cost-factor. But not only that. There is always a \u201especial\u201c solution for people with disabilities. He gave me the advice, since I study product design, to always try to include people with disability into my designs. Not to try to find a special solution for people with disabilities but to mainstream it. This would be a big step towards inclusion.\nWe also talked about the \u201e Behindertengleichstellungsgesetzt\u201c. (Disabled-equality-law)\nThis law aims to eliminate or prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities and ensures equal participation of people with disabilities in the life in society and enables them to independent living.\nIn Germany however, only the state is obliged to guarantee accessibility, e.g. in public offices, buildings, etc.\nBut if we compare how often we go to a state office and how often we go to a caf\u00e9, restaurant, cinema or supermarket, it is very unbalanced. Inclusion and participation can therefore only work, if the private sector must be involved. Furthermore private companies provide jobs, that may be also filled up with people with disabilities. It is unrealistic to believe, that the \u201edisabled-equality-law\u201c is sufficient enough, if it only takes the state in the duty.\nSo to make a step towards an inclusive society, it must come to encounters between people with and without disabilities. But for creating encounters, we have to remove barriers. So the cause is the barrier and the result is the non existing encounter. For successful inclusion, in which it is no longer necessary to use term \u201einclusion\u201c, we need accessibility.\nI also asked Raul what he wishes for the social intercourse between people with and without disabilites. This was his answer:\n\u201eMore normality. More everyday life. Not that someone needs to change his behavior, that happens naturally. I don't want to teach a seminar with the topic how to interact with people with disabilities. Everyone will teach it themselves if we meet each other. This would mean, that we need to remove barriers. We have to open schools and universities for people with disabilities. If we would meet each other, we would learn from each other. I personally only learned how to interact with disability by interacting with disability. Its learning by doing. There is no school for that.\u201c\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-06-01 0:30 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8595"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6441","title":"Inclusive by design and not by label","content":"\nHow do we give and receive care?\nIn this context, there exists the dislikable notion of 'vulnerable groups' that need more help than others and thus are limited in their actions. That is especially the case for physically disabled people.\nBut where does disability start? Is it the medical condition which is declaring people as disabled or is it the surroundings, the social environment? Is is the disability which disables?\nOur observation: People are being disabled \u2013 by other people, objects, environments. As such, people aren't disabled, but they are impaired. Only when their impairments collide with the environment, we can talk of disability. Also, often the language used is misleading and leaves a biased image of disability.\u00a0This should be a final call to apply universal design, as design should be as barrier-free as possible\u00a0and disability is to be understood multidimensional.\nTo face our design challenge, we agreed to do research about an superordinate topic: How can we change society's persepective about disability?\nWhile gathering information, we came up with further questions:\nHow can we make environments inclusive from the beginning so that it's not 'us' versus 'them' anymore? How can we focus on what they can do instead on what they can't do? How can we change the exclusive language? Do we only have disabled people because we lable them this way?\nAnd finally, how can we design something which is inclusive by design and not by label? This design question as our current state of research still has to be refined.\nIn order to focus our design question, we tried to narrow down our target group, which is kind of tricky as we want to reach out to the disabled people as well as 'society' as a whole. So we will try to integrate both in our future findings and design iterations.\nSomething which was very clear to us was the following: Shockingly, we know almost nothing about disabilities! So what do we know?\nWe only make assumptions about disabled people facing limitations, not being able to live freely, not being able to have a fulfilled life or to carry out all activities a non disabled person would do. We assume they always need a person they can depend on and face social isolation as well as isolation through physcial objects, meaning barriers.\u00a0Paradoxically, we don't know what they CAN do. We seem to only know what they can't do.\u00a0And we know that there is this exclusive setting for the disabled, prejudice and fear of contact.\nWe searched for leads and areas where disability appears. We found many organizations and projects, like community projects, workshops, events. So the group members did field research by observation, recording, filming, taking interviews and hands-on activities \u2013 with famous motivational speakers and fascinating personalities like Raul Krauthausen, by visiting workshops and by experiencing blindness in a museum.\nDisabled people need barrier-free environments, acceptance, suitable language and connection. They don't need pity, special treatment, including being labled.\nAs there are several types of disabilities, it seems impossible to to address all of them in our design challenge: hearing or visual impairment, psychological, cognitive or motoric impairment \u2013 all of them need a different approach in the design process. Thus, in the iteration process, we are about to develop designs that are as inclusive as possible and that ensure the fundamental right of social participation to people with all kinds of impairments.\nOur mission is to change the negative perception of disability and develop products or services so that people aren't defined by their disablity. We found that disabiltiy is more a social phenomenon: there is no autonomous person, being dependent\u00a0on someone is the most natural thing and everyone has their own restrictions. Childhood plays a crucial part in humans behaviour towards people who seem different as this stage is important for everyone's personal development. Kids don't have any fears of contact.\u00a0\nWe want to make visible that there are benefits for both sides, the care giver and care taker, and we want to enable people to connect with each other through design.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-31 23:17 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8789"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6440","title":"In p\u00e8","content":"\nOne more time,\u00a0 I am writing this story on behalf of a WeMake codesign session attendee, in order to preseve their privacy.\nThe older we grow the more limited our motion become, and the less capable we are of taking care of ourselves. At a certain age, an elderly would need near to 24\/7 attention in order to ensure that they are doing fine.\u00a0 Mainly, they didn't just slip and fall down, while harming themselves or going into coma.\u00a0 As a care giver, it is very frustrating and very stressful not to e able to keep an eye on the people you care for, and because it might be literally impossible to keep company of the ones you care for all the time (even at the caretaking place), life will be easier if a certain device is attached to the ones we care for, and is able to alarm us if they fell down.\u00a0\u00a0 Then we can adjust functionalities of what reactions does this device do after the fall alaram.\u00a0 Call a certain number? Call the police? Wait for the person to cancel the alarm and announce that they are fine.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A badly designed or less functional device will make it difficult for elderly ones to put it on and use.\u00a0 Imagine if someone had a push button necklace that they can press to call the ambulance in case of danger, but because the mecklace looked silly, the person never put it on, and eventually they did die at a certain accident where they could have been saved by the neckalce.\u00a0 Imagine, how the care giver feels?\u00a0\u00a0 Could you?\nWe need a solution that is funtional and inviting where elderly people can put it on, use it, and keep themseleves safe, while lift off some of the concern of the ones who need to take care of them.?\u00a0 Imagine?\nHeader image by J\u00e9r\u00e9my-G\u00fcnther-Heinz J\u00e4hnick This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-31 23:07 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6439","title":"\u201cFatti pi\u00f9 in l\u00e0\u201d  or Step Aside","content":"\nThe below story is written by a third party (Me!), on behalf of a participant at the WeMake codesign session.\nIn any city you can find parking lots reserved for drivers with disaplibity.\u00a0 In all cities!\u00a0 However, the law is different, while some countries allow you to temporarily use the lot while your engine is still on, others don't even let you drive inside, and in both cases, other drivers, who are not disabled, give themselves the liberty to use the available parking lot dedicated for disabled, because the found it empty.\u00a0\u00a0 If you have a disabiliy and you end up never finding the places that are dedicated to you whenever you are trying to park.\u00a0 Wouldn't it be much more fair for everyone, to create a system, that react to others who carelessly took your parking?\u00a0\u00a0 If you are lucky enough, maye the system can alarm the police to come and take action, if not, at least, the system can alarm others that someone without a disability is now stealing a disabled person's place.\u00a0 Possibly, the social aspect is just as important as the legal fine.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What do you think?\nHeader image by Tgv8925, this file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-31 22:46 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6438","title":"Step up","content":"\nGreetings everyone, the below challenge is based on the work done during the co-design session at WeMake. \u00a0We would like to share it as a challenge, to get feedback, give more visibility, and make it easy to collaborate on this idea, if someone is interested.\nThe story is written by a third party (me!), while keeping privacy of the original problem poster safe :)\nIf you are paralyzed, you are most likely using a wheelchair, and if you use a wheelchair, then you need someone to push the wheelchair in order to help you navigate through the city. \u00a0\u00a0Not only does this make the challenged person feel like a burden, but it adds another layer of inconvenience, which is privacy. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Due to the nature of how most wheelchairs are designed, the person who aids the person who needs care, has to accompany this person everywhere, limiting the chances of being able to navigate the city or any place independently while enjoying privacy and a little independence. \u00a0The challenge gets worse in places like train stations, airports, metro stations, basically any place with stairs, an over crowded, and the requirement of different modes of motion. \u00a0Would it be possible to think of a mechanical system that can be attached to all \u201cstandard\u201d wheelchairs, \u00a0that can revolutionize their functionality of the wheelchair, making it possible to access every place and surface easily with it, while keeping the expenses to do so, within limits? \u00a0\u00a0Any thoughts?\n*Header image author Tim99~commonswiki, This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-31 22:28 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6431","title":"What are the expectations about the use of public spaces when it comes to cooking on the street? ","content":"\nThe title picture shows the \"PopUpGrill\" (http:\/\/journal.aetherapparel.com\/2014\/04\/03\/pop-up-grill\/). A great project by Jonas Rylander which we find very inspiring for our design challenge you can read about in the following post.\nWhat are the expectations about the use of public spaces when it comes to cooking on the street?\nEven tough I already put up a short r\u00e9sum\u00e9 of our research phase here, now follows the detailed version to allow an even better understanding for everyone interested. Also we would like to share the other surprising insights we have gained so far. Maybe they are helpful to one or the other and maybe some of you would like to contribute. What are your thoughts on and what is your interpretation of all this? We would be very thankful for any comments!\nTo first introduce us: We are a group of 4 university students from Berlin, three product designers and one socio economic communication designer and call ourselves \u201cA Taste of Home\u201d. How we came up with the name and the following design question, I will tell below:\n\u201cHow can we help newcomers to use public spaces to their full extend because they do not know which activities are legal in these spaces and do not want to act against the law?\u201d\nTwo month ago we went into the field asking ourselves \u201cHow can food preparation contribute to make people on the move feel at home and include other people living in this \u201cforeign\u201d country?\u201d Amongst others we ended up talking to one 24 year-old guy from Syria and one girl from Korea about the same age. One had to flee home and the other moved for love.\nBoth of them are living in a caring environment. One in a shared flat with wonderful people (\u201clocals\u201d) who are all very closed to each other and the other together with her boyfriend who originally is from Germany. After having found out about this we dropped the second half of our starting question \u201c[\u2026] and include other people living in this \u201cforeign\u201d country?\u201d , because we did not see this need anymore. They are already sharing their everyday life with \u201clocals\u201d, therefore also cooking with them. At least in this context one could say, they are well integrated. This left us with \u201cHow can food preparation contribute to make people on the move feel at home?\u201d\nIn terms of food culture we found out that it is mostly about eating as an occasion. It\u2019s about the taste, but even more about the surrounding atmosphere. The Syrian guy once got invited to the home of a Syrian family also living in Berlin for dinner. The food was \u201cyummy\u201d and \u201cIt tasted, just like it does when my mom cooks.\u201d, but what he enjoyed even more were the conversations, the way things were handled around the table. The two little boys of the family were fighting over the remote control just like he and his siblings used to do back home. There was a lot of fooling around which not just he but everyone enjoyed.\nBoth the Syrian guy and the Korean girl are still cooking dishes they know from back home, even though it never tastes as good as it does when their moms cook. They both said that they left home to early to develop great cooking skills and learn all the tricks. In Korea traditionally a woman would only start cooking by herself after her marriage. Nowadays a lot of young people are leaving the country, respectively their parents\u2019 homes, not being married and therefore without the entire knowledge. But as said before, they are both still trying and sometimes calling their mothers to ask for help. The Korean girl once even tried to sign up for a traditional Korean cooking class to improve her skills but unfortunately it was immediately booked up. Since then she has been hoping for a new opportunity. It seems that missing the food one grew up with is a good motivation to become active. Good food triggers people to do something. It is important to put the emphasis on the word something, because both of the interviewees recognized that it is also the missing time, which keeps them from cooking all the recipes they used to love back home. Some just take too much time in preparation: \u201cMaybe 4 to 5 hours.\u201d, the Syrian guy told us. Having to divide their time between work, German classes, socialising and cooking most of the days they are not willing to spent these many hours on the latter.\nBefore going on and explaining how we reshaped our design question with this knowledge in mind, I would like to share one more surprising insight we gained through the two interviews.\nTalking about food and well being the Syrian guy told us that when he had just arrived to Germany, he did not like to eat outside. It disgusted him. Not being able to see the food preparation made him feel uncomfortable. We tried to find out the reason for this, whether it was because he eats Halal, which he does or it was out of cleanliness concerns, but yet could not manage to do so. We still have to ask again. What happened here shows one of the difficulties we had conducting the interviews. The question triggered some awkwardness. This we felt, but why we were not able to tell. Was it because the subject was sensitive to the respondent and his eating customs? Was it because he did want to offend us since we were talking about German food? How can we overcome such awkwardness whenever it occurs in future interviews?\nTo go on with the process of our research I would first like to recall the reshaped design question: \u201cHow can food preparation contribute to make people on the move feel at home?\u201d It still seemed like the question was to broad to be solved in one design project. This is why we changed the target group \u201cpeople on the move\u201d to \u201cyoung migrants\u201d (20-30 years of age). We felt that the latter was more suitable for coming up with a specific design and the people we had interviewed both fit in this category. We then went back to synthesising the interviews once more and found that they were totally worth a second look. There was this whole topic of interactive food customs and traditions we yet had not paid enough attention to.\nReviewing our notes we got to understand, that for the people we had talked to \u201cfeeling at home\u201d in the context of food culture was a lot about the interactive customs and traditions which they had been surrounded by most of their lives. The Syrian guy misses the Syrian nights where as he tells everyone takes their coaches and pillows outside, drinks tea, smokes, chats and just sleeps on the streets. He told us, that this maybe does not happen in bigger towns but in villages as in smaller or medium-sized towns it does.\nThe girl told us that she is missing the Korean street food a lot. Once she tried out a Korean street food market here in Berlin, but did not like it. She went there with some friends. They wanted to have some good Korean food, chat and meet new people. It turned out to be a disappointment. It was too expensive \u2013 there was even an entrance fee \u2013 and the food was just not good. In Korea she always used to eat outside with her friends. Cooking was a family thing; eating out was for all other social events. Considering these stories it made sense to rephrase or specify our question to: \u201cHow can we enable young migrants to integrate interactive food customs \/ traditions they like and bring from their cultures of origin into Berlin\u2019s community life?\u201d Furthermore it was then that we came up with our group name \u201cA Taste of Home\u201d.\nIt finally was the comment of a fellow student, which led us to modify our topic to what it is about now. She told us about an interview her group conducted with three Syrian refugees. During their conversation the interviewees mentioned the huge summer barbecues they always would have had back in Syria: a lot of friends, family, a lot of food, somewhere in the nature, in a park. Having been asked if they are organising similar activities here in summertime, they denied. They thought that in Berlin it was forbidden to have a barbecue anywhere outside and did not want to act against the law seen their uncertain statuses. Still they miss them. It was this story which made us change the question to: \u201cHow can we help newcomers to use public spaces to their full extend because they do not know which activities are legal in these spaces and do not want to act against the law?\u201d\nThis question has to be considered on different levels. The higher-level question is: \u201cHow to harmonize the expectations about how to use public spaces?\u201d What do \u201cnewcomers\u201d, what do \u201clocals\u201d, what does everyone using those places want and how can the once being mutually exclusive to each other being handled? The second level is the topic of cooking on the street. Where, how and in which contexts is cooking in public spaces wanted? And last but not least the design challenge is about getting to know the legal frame and making it graspable for everyone.\nAll this is related to the fact, that there are a lot of refugees staying in camps where they do not have any opportunity to cook at all or even if they receive \u201cfood money\u201d instead of catering, they only have access to a shared kitchen. Another guy from Syria we cooked with lives in such a place. He told us, that the huge number of people who are sharing the kitchen there is often keeping him away from cooking. Though some of his friends who are living in another camp without cooking facilities sometimes join him for cooking. How can we enable them to make cooking a regular part of their lives again?\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-31 13:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8597"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6430","title":"LOTE6: Caring On The Edge","content":"\nWe are already starting to work on the next edition of our annual gathering of the Edgeryders community. To get an idea about \u00a0what comes out of LOTE events, have a look at:\n\nthis report from a previous edition of this annual gathering of the Edgeryders community:\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/1QP8vsQ\u00a0an\nMore coming soon\nMore coming soon\nMore coming soon\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-31 10:49 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6427","title":"Co-design session: announcing prototype01 ","content":"\nDuring the meeting we'll announce the first prototype WeMake will support in the next months.\u00a0\nRead more about the meeting here:\u00a0\nhttp:\/\/wemake.cc\/2016\/05\/30\/annunciamo-il-primo-prototipo-di-opencare\/\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-05-30 22:01 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2604"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6422","title":"PUNTOZERO WEBLAB about innovation and healthcare professions","content":"\nThe World Wide Web is increasingly useful to experiment, produce and research for identities, relations and objects in the field of \"Healthcare & Innovation\" such as Open Source, Open Access, 3D printing and Additive manufacturing, HCWH (Health Care Without Harm), Augmented and Virtual Reality, Co-Working, Workscaping and other important and emerging issues. The bet of PUNTOZERO is to call for interest and shape a networking model motivating healthcare professionals in sharing experiences and co-driving innovation and care programs together with patients and open networks.\nRead our agenda.\nThe idea at the core of PUNTOZERO is that there are still often missing masses -mainly issues and narratives stood and promoted by citizens and patients- in healthcare sets and education curricula. Such issues turn to be interesting especially when dealing about and advocating for innovation, open source and access, DIY, networking, collaboration, communities of practice, etc... Healthcare professions students handle and study subjects and programs about \"healthcare\", but often are not trained and motivated in practice to collaboration and innovation, for a better understanding of the society and such fast-changing world. The web represents a formidable \"umwelt\" for those who like to experiment, network and collaborate even in the field of health information, prevention and biomedical research. It is time to promote open care practices in medical schools, nurse schools and hospitals as well.\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\nThe project includes a accessible site via the github pages and the social networks' groups and profiles; at the same time it supports activities, communication and resources for about 150 students of 5 healthcare professions Masters on 5 e-Learning communities of the University of Parma, in Italy. The MOODLE environment used by students and tutors is shared open source and downloadable from here.\nFree to comment, join and collaborate with us!\n\n\n[] Community [] Contact[] e-Learning[] Research [] Social[] Tutorials\n\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-05-29 12:28 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8779"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6421","title":"Seeing Hands ","content":"\nThe situation for Armenia\u2019s visually impaired has, in many ways, worsened, since the collapse of the USSR. Despite attempts at isolating people with disabilities, Soviet principles of equality inspired policies aiming to turn them into productive members societies as much as possible. They could thus benefit from some level of state assistance. This situation changed, as lack of funding, and general stigma against human imperfection, (ironically also inherited from the Soviets) have made it increasingly difficult for people with disabilities to reach their full potential.\n\u00a0\nGeneral apathy coupled with a lack of political will to tackle some of the issues related to people with disabilities, particularly, the visually impaired. This has lead to the rise of civil society organisations aiming to address these problems head-on on their own. Aside from some NGOs which have been fighting for the rights of the disabled, private sector solutions have also begun to take shape.\n\u00a0\nAmong those is the Seeing Hands massage studio. Seeing Hands came about as the result of my previous work with an NGO for the visually impaired, where I learned about all the challenges, socio-economic problems, and stigma that the beneficiaries faced. Through my work with an NGO for the visually impaired, I found that there are 6,000 blind people in Armenia, and only about 20-25 of them were permanently employed.\n\u00a0\nUpon doing some research, i discovered a Soviet-era plan to train the visually impaired as therapeutic masseurs and built upon that Idea. Enlisting the help of my friend Liana Avetian, a trained and certified clinical masseuse, we began to train some willing pioneers. The basic concept was a massage studio that capitalises on the heightened tactile sense afforded by visually impaired citizens while creating respectable jobs by training and employing them as masseurs.\n\u00a0\nWe also received initial support from UNDP Armenia\u2019s Kolba Labs to open our Massage Studio \u201cSeeing Hands\u201d, in a new location.\n\u00a0\nThough challenging at first, Avetian found that students were fast learners; to compensate for the loss of sight, their other senses were enhanced. \u201cThe receptors in their fingers are very much developed, their hands are like their eyes, It\u2019s perfect for them, but the biggest problem is that sometimes they\u2019re not trusting you easily - because if you don\u2019t see, you will not trust.\"\n\u00a0\n'The organisation is, on one hand, a studio that provides high-quality massages for patrons, and on the other (seeing) hand, it's an opportunity for a too-often marginalised demographic to get access to jobs, training, and empowerment.\n\u00a0\nSeeing Hands also took advantage of Armenia\u2019s recent tech boom, which now employs thousands of IT professionals. This creates a new demographic of well paid middle-class people who spend their days hunched in front of a computer and often developing back pain. This allows us to train more masseurs to meet such a demand. We currently have 4 full time masseurs: 3 men and one woman, and 2 more being trained. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nThis concept has also gotten attention outside of Armenia, and we are already in talks to franchise the model across the region, such as in neighbouring Georgia. We are also considering other private ventures, of Private-Public Partnerships to explore other ways in which people with disabilities can be active, and productive members of society. \u00a0\n\u00a0\nI want to note that a disability could happen to anyone, as is the case with some of my workers, and that it could change a person\u2019s entire life. But that didn\u2019t \u00a0close all of their doors\nSuch social businesses are a positive example to break stereotypes about people with disabilities [and their presumed] inability to work\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-05-29 11:20 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8761"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6420","title":"OpenCare regular call Monday 16:30 CET: open to project team, community and all newcomers","content":"\nMonday afternoon is when the OpenCare crew, community and anyone interested to learn about the project meets online for a one hour of\n\nchatting and sharing ideas about designing better services for social and health-care\nkeeping others in the loop\u00a0with how the work progresses in Milano, Berlin, Brussels and everywhere else where Open Care communities are growing\nmaking plans for upcoming activities\n\nWe document the sessions and post them online in weekly blogposts about what is going on, and where people can jump in to help each other.\nThe call takes place at 16:30 CET in this\u00a0online room:\u00a0https:\/\/meet.jit.si\/opencare\nLet us know you're coming by pressing \"Attend\" below (make sure you are logged in).\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-05-29 10:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6419","title":"Language Barrier \u2013 How can we build a Bridge? ","content":"\nLanguage Barrier \u2013 How can we build a Bridge?\nNon-Germans want to learn German and want to take part in social life.\nGermans are not as enthusiastic yet. They don`t want to feel obligated.\nHow can we still create social interaction?\nThat\u00b4s what we already tried out;)\u00a0SPRACHPICKNICK\nIDEA AFTER RESEARCH:\nGiving German people a SIGN which could be a print on a shirt, sticker, bag, what ever that says: \u201cHey, join us!\u201d\/\u201dDon\u00b4t be shy!\u201d\/\u201dTake part!\u201d\u2026\nThey\u00b4ll have the opportunity to put it on in a situation where they want foreign people to participate \u2013 Non-Germans wouldn\u00b4t have a as hard time to bring oneselfes to do the first step.\nBackground and research\u00a0\nPeople say the are willing to help, but they don\u00b4t want to feel obligated!\nThere are two parties: the\u00a0NEWBIES\u00a0on the one hand and the Germans, or\u00a0LOCALS\u00a0on the other hand.\nBoth of them are having\u00a0different needs\u00a0because they are in\u00a0different situations.\nWe were doing surveys with both groups.\n-NEWBIES:\n-NEWBIES are looking so badly for LOCALS who would like to spend just a little time with them!\n-NEWBIES are afraid of doing the first step towards LOCALS.\n-NEWBIES are afraid of being rejected.\n-LOCALS:\n-LOCALS are willing to help.\n-But they say they don\u00b4t have that much time and don\u2019t want to have more appointments.\n-LOCALS don\u2019t want to be responsible.\n-They want to stay spontaneous.\nHow can we balance those two perspectives?\nThe Campaign\n\n\nSAY HEY is a line of branded sports equipment, weather resistant stickers, bags and posters designed to facilitate social interaction between people who are attempting to learn a new language and customs, and local residents who like to engage in cultural exchange... or just make new friends :)\nSAY HEY is a tag that shows how open you are for new people to join. It will bring Berliners and newbies together.\u00a0\nSupport our crowdfunding campaign: https:\/\/www.startnext.com\/sayhey\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-05-27 18:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8590"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6416","title":"When do you decide that running from a failed medical system is no longer an option?","content":"\nRecently the worst fears of Romanian medical state infrastructure came true. Hexi Pharma, a major company selling disinfectants to hospitals all over the country was discovered to have diluted their products even 10 times from the labelled concentration, to the point of causing infections of thousands of patients in the system over the last years (news\u00a0here).\n\nThis is just scratching the surface and confirms deep system fail: (1) underfunding and horrendous infrastructure making large numbers of young doctors leave - to give you an idea, more Romanian doctors are working in other EU countries (>20K) than in Romania (10-13K) (2) the perverse circle of paying under the counter - there is no way out: if you\u2019re not paying as a patient, you risk not being watched over; if you\u2019re a doctor and refuse the \u201cgift\u201d, you show weakness and worry patients; you\u2019re also a threat for colleagues because you\u2019re messing up with their system. \u00a0\nThis post is not a rant about the system, it's to share\u00a03 stories and how they connect with it as much as we like to escape it. Special thanks to @Moushira for contributing questions along the way ","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-05-26 13:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6401","title":"\"A Taste of Home\" or the use of public spaces","content":"\nHow can we help newcomers to use public spaces to their full extent, because they do not know what activities are legal in these spaces and are afraid to act against the law?\nThis is the design challenge we want to solve during the on-going term or lets just say face at the moment. It came up to us through some interviews we and friends conducted in the last weeks with refugees or other newcomers in Berlin. What are your thoughts on this?\nTo make it easier for everyone interested to follow I will try to sum up the thoughts we had and the experiences we made recently.\nStarting with the question \u201cHow can food help people on the move to feel at home wherever they are at the moment?\u201d amongst others we got to talk to a 24 year old guy from Syria and a girl from Korea about the same age. One had to flee home and the other moved for love.\nSome of the most remarkable insights we got are about food some are not. Two I want to share because they add to our design question.\nThe guy misses the Syrian nights where as he tells everyone takes their coaches and pillows outside, drinks tea, smokes, chats and just sleeps on the streets. Maybe this does not happen in big towns he says but in villages as in smaller or medium-sized towns it does.\nThe girl told us that she is missing the Korean street food a lot. Once she tried out a Korean street food market here in Berlin, but did not like it. She went there with some friends, to chat, meet new people and have some good Korean food but it ended up being too expensive, there was even an entrance fee and the food was just not good. In Korea she always used to eat outside with her friends. Cooking was a family thing; eating out was for all other social events.\nAfter those interviews we talked about the \u201cBerlin Thaipark\u201d, were mostly Thai women sell homemade southeast Asian dishes on their blankets more or less being tolerated by the bureaucracy; about a great project by the New York based designer Candy Chang called Street vendor guide where she visualizes the most commonly violated rules in this context for the vendors themselves; and asked ourselves: How can we enable migrants to integrate the interactive food customs \/ traditions they like and bring from their culture of origin into Berlins community life?\nLater on one of our fellow students told us the following:\nA group of Syrian refugees mentioned the huge summer barbecues they would always have in summertime back in Syria: a lot of friends, family, a lot of food, somewhere in the nature, in a park. When being asked if they are doing similar activities here in summertime they deny. They think that it is forbidden to have a barbecue anywhere outside and do not want to act against the law seen their uncertain status. Still they miss them.\nThat basically is how we ended up facing the design question already mentioned above: How can we help newcomers to use public spaces to their full extent, because they do not know what activities are legal in these spaces and are afraid to act against the law?\nSo far we, a group of 4 university students, call our little project A Taste of Home and would be more than happy about any comments.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-05-22 22:49 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8597"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6390","title":"Notes from community call on emotional health and possibly inappropropriate conversation.","content":"\n\nFrom\u00a0http:\/\/rubyetc.tumblr.com\/tagged\/mh\u00a0(ht\u00a0Pauline)\u00a0\nFirst thing that happens during our first ever community meeting online is that the technology doesn\u2019t work. What follows is a hilarious 1.5 hr conversation conducted via a combination of voice, sign language, lip reading and chat.\nWe were joined by @Pauline and @Omri Kaufmann from UDK Berlin, @Costantino \u00a0and @ChiaraFrr in Milano, @Nadia\u00a0and a new community member - Christina whose mission with The Meraki People is to restore and preserve the cultural heritage of mount Parnonas in Greece by turning it into a green production and cultural oasis.\nIn our intros we discovered most of us approach mental wellbeing in terms of how to make support more accessible - by inventoring and designing solutions, by opening up a conversation. I saw two big strands in the conversation that can inform our search:\nA. Is it safer for an online conversation to only deal with the soft side of mental health? That is, exclude suicide and death?\u00a0\nNoemi mentioned how deep suicide is in Ireland both among males and females, as well as it is underreported - it\u2019s not even ranking top in Europe (like former Soviet countries). Pauline added that in Sweden, suicide is the most common cause of death in people between 18-35. Costantino said this was dangerous to approach in OpenCare, even though we know it\u2019s increasingly being flagged in the tech activist sector (see re:Publica session Hacking with Care).\nTeam JUS was on board!\u00a0They\u2019re working on design that explores vulnerability: We want to research objects that people are handling or certain gestures they are doing while in therapy. Can we find a certain patterns in these behaviours or interactions? Maybe we can do something with it? We found in the interviews\/chats we started with our peers as well that it was very difficult for them to open up. We also had some observations how to create a sharing environment\nTheir design will most probably involve\n\n\nHuman connection\u00a0- \"if you just throw your thoughts in the air without any feedback it is less interesting than if you are sharing with people with whom you have an intimate relationship\" (Nadia).\n \n\nSome external tokens to facilitate this, like\u00a0objects (bridging connection between repetitive gestures and calming yourself down); maybe\u00a0space (pop-up confession booths).\n \n\nB. Or should we really push ourselves over the edge and experiment? Is there relief in black humor?\nThis can be simply by asking people on the streets How are you? and then \"Really, how are you?\". More advanced versions include drawing inspiration from\u00a0funeral traditions involving celebrations of sorts thru\u00a0drinks, food, but also social grieving\u00a0(Eastern Europe,\u00a0Jewish culture,\u00a0Italy, Germany were mentioned). \u00a0.. for the rest I will have to let the notes speak as I won\u2019t do them justice)\nN: How would you design for maximum inappropriateness. What are the most inappropriate jokes you can make in a situation where someone is in pain? How do you piss people off at a Jewish funeral? How to make the grieving person forget about their sorrow and want to kill you instead?\nN: Because there is some relief in black humour.\nP: i love it. dealing with depression through humor and showing your feelings\nO: How do we choose who to talk to?\nP:'survivors'?\nO: I would talk to someone who had a similar experience and can connect with me and understand me.\nN: Anonymous emotionalists. \"let the crazy out in small pieces- not all at once\". XYKD did a fantastic comic on depression https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/depression\/comments\/14txdv\/xkcd_honest\/\nO: 1 I would also talk to someone i know very little or not at all\nNe: +1\n\"What made you understand that you were depressed\"?\nN: My partner said I should probably take a shower.\nP: but that's important too! finding the right kind of treatment;\u00a0therapy varies alot depending on the person too,\u00a0the treatment guy\nN: Inability to take any decisions. Decision to not go to shrink. Just getting stuck.\nP: the scale of our project is probably much smaller than the whole conversation you are interested in having on Edgeryders right?\nP: dark horse is there also\nC:\u00a0this track to do with emotions and mind etc can be a long term track within opencare;\nImperfect, super unreliable tools and unsuitable places to kill yourself.\nPlacebo pills\nHomeopathic poison pill\nPlease join our growing group and help build a sensible brief around emotional wellbeing here.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-17 12:19 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6390","title":"Notes from community call on emotional health and possibly inappropropriate conversation.","content":"\n\nFrom\u00a0http:\/\/rubyetc.tumblr.com\/tagged\/mh\u00a0(ht\u00a0Pauline)\u00a0\nFirst thing that happens during our first ever community meeting online is that the technology doesn\u2019t work. What follows is a hilarious 1.5 hr conversation conducted via a combination of voice, sign language, lip reading and chat.\nWe were joined by @Pauline and @Omri Kaufmann from UDK Berlin, @Costantino \u00a0and @ChiaraFrr in Milano, @Nadia\u00a0and a new community member - Christina whose mission with The Meraki People is to restore and preserve the cultural heritage of mount Parnonas in Greece by turning it into a green production and cultural oasis.\nIn our intros we discovered most of us approach mental wellbeing in terms of how to make support more accessible - by inventoring and designing solutions, by opening up a conversation. I saw two big strands in the conversation that can inform our search:\nA. Is it safer for an online conversation to only deal with the soft side of mental health? That is, exclude suicide and death?\u00a0\nNoemi mentioned how deep suicide is in Ireland both among males and females, as well as it is underreported - it\u2019s not even ranking top in Europe (like former Soviet countries). Pauline added that in Sweden, suicide is the most common cause of death in people between 18-35. Costantino said this was dangerous to approach in OpenCare, even though we know it\u2019s increasingly being flagged in the tech activist sector (see re:Publica session Hacking with Care).\nTeam JUS was on board!\u00a0They\u2019re working on design that explores vulnerability: We want to research objects that people are handling or certain gestures they are doing while in therapy. Can we find a certain patterns in these behaviours or interactions? Maybe we can do something with it? We found in the interviews\/chats we started with our peers as well that it was very difficult for them to open up. We also had some observations how to create a sharing environment\nTheir design will most probably involve\n\n\nHuman connection\u00a0- \"if you just throw your thoughts in the air without any feedback it is less interesting than if you are sharing with people with whom you have an intimate relationship\" (Nadia).\n \n\nSome external tokens to facilitate this, like\u00a0objects (bridging connection between repetitive gestures and calming yourself down); maybe\u00a0space (pop-up confession booths).\n \n\nB. Or should we really push ourselves over the edge and experiment? Is there relief in black humor?\nThis can be simply by asking people on the streets How are you? and then \"Really, how are you?\". More advanced versions include drawing inspiration from\u00a0funeral traditions involving celebrations of sorts thru\u00a0drinks, food, but also social grieving\u00a0(Eastern Europe,\u00a0Jewish culture,\u00a0Italy, Germany were mentioned). \u00a0.. for the rest I will have to let the notes speak as I won\u2019t do them justice)\nN: How would you design for maximum inappropriateness. What are the most inappropriate jokes you can make in a situation where someone is in pain? How do you piss people off at a Jewish funeral? How to make the grieving person forget about their sorrow and want to kill you instead?\nN: Because there is some relief in black humour.\nP: i love it. dealing with depression through humor and showing your feelings\nO: How do we choose who to talk to?\nP:'survivors'?\nO: I would talk to someone who had a similar experience and can connect with me and understand me.\nN: Anonymous emotionalists. \"let the crazy out in small pieces- not all at once\". XYKD did a fantastic comic on depression https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/depression\/comments\/14txdv\/xkcd_honest\/\nO: 1 I would also talk to someone i know very little or not at all\nNe: +1\n\"What made you understand that you were depressed\"?\nN: My partner said I should probably take a shower.\nP: but that's important too! finding the right kind of treatment;\u00a0therapy varies alot depending on the person too,\u00a0the treatment guy\nN: Inability to take any decisions. Decision to not go to shrink. Just getting stuck.\nP: the scale of our project is probably much smaller than the whole conversation you are interested in having on Edgeryders right?\nP: dark horse is there also\nC:\u00a0this track to do with emotions and mind etc can be a long term track within opencare;\nImperfect, super unreliable tools and unsuitable places to kill yourself.\nPlacebo pills\nHomeopathic poison pill\nPlease join our growing group and help build a sensible brief around emotional wellbeing here.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-17 12:19 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"438","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6390","title":"Notes from community call on emotional health and possibly inappropropriate conversation.","content":"\n\nFrom\u00a0http:\/\/rubyetc.tumblr.com\/tagged\/mh\u00a0(ht\u00a0Pauline)\u00a0\nFirst thing that happens during our first ever community meeting online is that the technology doesn\u2019t work. What follows is a hilarious 1.5 hr conversation conducted via a combination of voice, sign language, lip reading and chat.\nWe were joined by @Pauline and @Omri Kaufmann from UDK Berlin, @Costantino \u00a0and @ChiaraFrr in Milano, @Nadia\u00a0and a new community member - Christina whose mission with The Meraki People is to restore and preserve the cultural heritage of mount Parnonas in Greece by turning it into a green production and cultural oasis.\nIn our intros we discovered most of us approach mental wellbeing in terms of how to make support more accessible - by inventoring and designing solutions, by opening up a conversation. I saw two big strands in the conversation that can inform our search:\nA. Is it safer for an online conversation to only deal with the soft side of mental health? That is, exclude suicide and death?\u00a0\nNoemi mentioned how deep suicide is in Ireland both among males and females, as well as it is underreported - it\u2019s not even ranking top in Europe (like former Soviet countries). Pauline added that in Sweden, suicide is the most common cause of death in people between 18-35. Costantino said this was dangerous to approach in OpenCare, even though we know it\u2019s increasingly being flagged in the tech activist sector (see re:Publica session Hacking with Care).\nTeam JUS was on board!\u00a0They\u2019re working on design that explores vulnerability: We want to research objects that people are handling or certain gestures they are doing while in therapy. Can we find a certain patterns in these behaviours or interactions? Maybe we can do something with it? We found in the interviews\/chats we started with our peers as well that it was very difficult for them to open up. We also had some observations how to create a sharing environment\nTheir design will most probably involve\n\n\nHuman connection\u00a0- \"if you just throw your thoughts in the air without any feedback it is less interesting than if you are sharing with people with whom you have an intimate relationship\" (Nadia).\n \n\nSome external tokens to facilitate this, like\u00a0objects (bridging connection between repetitive gestures and calming yourself down); maybe\u00a0space (pop-up confession booths).\n \n\nB. Or should we really push ourselves over the edge and experiment? Is there relief in black humor?\nThis can be simply by asking people on the streets How are you? and then \"Really, how are you?\". More advanced versions include drawing inspiration from\u00a0funeral traditions involving celebrations of sorts thru\u00a0drinks, food, but also social grieving\u00a0(Eastern Europe,\u00a0Jewish culture,\u00a0Italy, Germany were mentioned). \u00a0.. for the rest I will have to let the notes speak as I won\u2019t do them justice)\nN: How would you design for maximum inappropriateness. What are the most inappropriate jokes you can make in a situation where someone is in pain? How do you piss people off at a Jewish funeral? How to make the grieving person forget about their sorrow and want to kill you instead?\nN: Because there is some relief in black humour.\nP: i love it. dealing with depression through humor and showing your feelings\nO: How do we choose who to talk to?\nP:'survivors'?\nO: I would talk to someone who had a similar experience and can connect with me and understand me.\nN: Anonymous emotionalists. \"let the crazy out in small pieces- not all at once\". XYKD did a fantastic comic on depression https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/depression\/comments\/14txdv\/xkcd_honest\/\nO: 1 I would also talk to someone i know very little or not at all\nNe: +1\n\"What made you understand that you were depressed\"?\nN: My partner said I should probably take a shower.\nP: but that's important too! finding the right kind of treatment;\u00a0therapy varies alot depending on the person too,\u00a0the treatment guy\nN: Inability to take any decisions. Decision to not go to shrink. Just getting stuck.\nP: the scale of our project is probably much smaller than the whole conversation you are interested in having on Edgeryders right?\nP: dark horse is there also\nC:\u00a0this track to do with emotions and mind etc can be a long term track within opencare;\nImperfect, super unreliable tools and unsuitable places to kill yourself.\nPlacebo pills\nHomeopathic poison pill\nPlease join our growing group and help build a sensible brief around emotional wellbeing here.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-17 12:19 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6389","title":"Home, sweet Home","content":"\nThe last two weeks we made some research at the Refugee Camp at ICC Messe Berlin. The very nice volunteer Berivan showed us around and we had the chance to talk directly with the people.\nThe first time we visited I was surprised how \u201egood\u201c the atmosphere was. I somehow always thought a refugee camp would be a very sad place, but children were running around playing and everyone was kind of open and nice to each other (from my point of view).\u00a0\nThe ICC Messe is a former congress centrum which was recently rebuilt\u00a0to be a refugee camp. The Big Main Hall is segmented with thin white walls into something like 40 rooms that look like roofless boxes. Instead of doors there are blankets and towels covering the entrances. There are no windows; in this main Hall the light comes from tubes in the ceiling.\u00a0Inside of each room there are 4 bunk beds, so in total 8 people per room\u00a0(familys are usually separated and live in private rooms, also: the rooms are separated by gender).\nUsually the rooms don't have any kind of furniture inside, but the one we were sitting in had a big picnic table and a bench and also a bunch of office chairs. We got offered very sweet black Tea in plastic cups and started sharing stories.\u00a0\nFirstly we asked how people organize themselves in the room.\nThe Camp is designed for people to stay around three months, but most of the people are staying six or more. There are only the bare necessities provided. For example there are no possibilities to unpack the backpacks or suitcases, which are probably unpacked since the beginning of the journey. Thats why the people find solutions, for example they pull out nails from the wall and hang their cloth on these nails. Or they found a piece of metal string which they also used to hang cloth from. There are also some card boxes used as bed table and chest. Hussam (who is diligently learning German) pointed at one of the card boxes saying \u201eK\u00fchlschrank\u201c. We were laughing but it was true! tomatoes, cans of beans and a lot of eggs were stored\u00a0there. Also under the bed was a lot of food (maybe the darkest and coldest spot in the room). The reason for that is that they don't always like food by the caterer and of course you get hungry between the official \u201emeals\u201c. They boil the eggs in a water cooker by the way!\u00a0\nAnother interesting observation was a little plastic cup full of washing powder.(they usually give the dirty cloth away to the washing and get them back clean) Hussam told us that he likes his shirts to be without creases and because there is no way to iron,he washes them with his hands and drys them in the room. That was eye opening for me because, yes they might have nothing but they have dignity and preferences! they start a living.\nAlso very interesting is that in the bunk beds the bottom bed is the preferred bed because they can build a little privacy by hanging towels and sheets at the upper bed. The upper bed is always dependent on the main light system which is switched off at 11 in the night.\nBerivan told us that in one room they build constructions out of a broken bunk bed so that also the upper bed could shield from the light.\nAnother very striking construction was a piece of wood sticked to the wall with duct tape which was supposed to be a smartphone shelf, to watch movies at night.\nAlso they put pictures from magazines on the wall to make the atmosphere a little more cosy.\nBut still even if they find the possibility to hack something there is a lot of stuff just flying around in the room.\nThere was a lot of creativity to make the most out of the given, bit still no tools or materials. Berivan told us they used to give out tools, but because they never came back so there are no tools anymore.\u00a0What if we could support the already existing creativity by opening a space for tools and materials? encouraging them with their ideas and hacks?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-05-16 19:24 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8589"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6388","title":"Under Pressure: On the relationship between creativity and emotional\/mental health","content":"\nSometimes I feel like my friends can\u2019t quite take me seriously when I tell them how much art school is stressing me. When I hear myself describe to them what we do in our courses (like dressing up and dancing around cardboard sculptures of alien Christmas trees), I sometimes find it difficult to take myself seriously. However, as most people that work in a creative field would probably tell you, it really is stressful. Being creative is intense. Apart from the financial uncertainty and competitiveness that tend to run in these professions, the work itself is very demanding, mentally and emotionally. It is very easy to become personally invested in a project, some might even call this is a necessity. Because they are so closely intertwined, it is often difficult to separate between the professional and the personal. How does this affect the way we deal with issues of mental and emotional wellbeing in this context?\nIn Product Design, we are constantly brought to question our surroundings, our decisions, and most importantly, ourselves. There has been a crisis point in almost any project where this turned into seriously doubting myself and hating all the work I had done. Sometimes, it led to absolute public meltdowns. To me it is a strange and uncomfortable feeling to share such intimate moments with people I work with.\nMany of my friends that study creative subjects have told me about similar experiences in their lives, particularly about struggles with insecurity and stress of varying degrees. Are these emotional strains simply an occupational hazard that we as creatives have to accept? Are they something we should embrace, something we actually need to produce meaningful work? There seems to be a romanticized idea of the tragically ailed, mad genius, based on the stories of countless artists like van Gogh or Beethoven that produced some of their best work during periods of Depression or Hypomania. Joshua Walters proposes in his Ted Talk \u2018On being just crazy enough\u2019, that those suffering from mental conditions might just be more sensitive to the world than others and that we can use our \u2018skillness\u2019 to our advantage. Many scientific studies suggest in fact, that there is a link between creativity and mental illness. One theory is that those with strong creative inclination perceive the world with a heightened awareness and tend to be more reflective and ruminate in their thoughts.\nFor me, a host of questions and problematics arise out of this. How do these factors influence people in creative fields in reaching out when in distress? At what point does these different pressures stop aiding creativity and start impeding it? What are your thoughts?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-05-16 16:25 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8602"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6380","title":"Data cleanup done, ready for export","content":"\nThis is mostly for @melancon, but in the spirit of working out loud...\nOpenCare will produce some software to look at online conversations. The first step is to build a simple (non-semantic) social network representation of the OpenCare conversation, which is a subset of the Edgeryders one.\u00a0\nThe problem: the OpenCare conversation is spread across three places.\n\nThe OpenCare Research Group, originally simply called OpenCare\nThe Op3nCare Community Group, created on 2016-02-19 as it became clear that the original group was mixing administrative stuff and content stuff.\nThe new Challenge Response type nodes (here).\u00a0\n\nThe solution:\u00a0\n\nGo through the Research group and assign non-admin content to the Op3n Care community group. Convert into Challenge responses the posts that look more like open care stories.\nKeep all of the content in the Community group.\nKeep all the content in the Challenge Responses.\n\nThis is now done. Guy and I have created views to export the content database thus selected in JSON format. Accessing the views requires admin powers.\n\nusers:\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/admin\/structure\/views\/view\/clone_of_users_for_edgesense\/edit\ncontent:\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/admin\/structure\/views\/view\/guy_content\/edit\ncomments:\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/admin\/structure\/views\/view\/guy_comments\/edit\n\nResults are encouraging. At the time of writing, we have:\n\n54 different users involved in the conversation (includes the OpenCare team!)\n156 between challenge responses, posts, wikis, events.\n1,104 comments\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-05-12 17:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6377","title":"Hacking and Making Care: What's happening with OpenWetware, Biohacking and DIY Science in general?","content":"\n\nWhen I visited Berlin-based artist and hacker Bengt Sj\u00f6len\u2019s studio earlier this week he was developing the hardware for of OpenDrop: an open source digital platform for controlling small droplets of liquids using electro-wetting technology. It struck me that we ought to be looking at open wetware and synthetic biohacking in Op3ncare. Because there is a lot of scope for DIY and citizen science to actually make advances in developing new care solutions. There are many areas where this could help us to solve pressing problems like antibiotics resistance.\nBengt mentioned an experimental initiative to use some of the properties of silk produced from recombinant bacteria to break quorum sensing. This means you break cell-cell communication within and across bacterial species. It matters because this is a contributing factor to a number of clinically relevant things like making harmless bacteria produce enzymes which attack host tissues, produce toxins, stick to hosts and protect themselves while outside hosts. It may also be a way to break their antibiotic resistence\u2026.\nThe reasoning is that antibiotics typically kill or prevent proliferation of bacteria by targeting biomolecules involved in such essential processes as cell wall synthesis, DNA proliferation, or protein synthesis. Treating large populations of bacteria with such agents inevitably selects for a few resistant mutant cells. These proliferate, mutate further, and give rise to antibiotic resistant populations. So you want to get at the entire propulation and since the ability to communicate with one another affects behavior of the entire community....\nWhat makes these kinds of intiatives especially interesting is that they are being done in hackerspaces and garages\u00a0using equipment that anyone can put together from recycled materials.\nThere are already examples where unleashing scientific experimentation amongst the citizenry at large has exceeded expectations.The Malaria Box was an experimental initiative in which 400 diverse compounds with antimalarial activity were distributed in a bid to catalyse drug discovery and research for neglected diseases such as malaria. At a recent medical conference I heard that this initative resulted in several breakthroughs and a number of patents shortly after it was launched.\nI've only begun to scratch at the surface and have come across the Registry of Standard Biological Parts - a growing collection of genetic parts use for building biological devices and systems and IGEM (\u201cwhere future life scientists go to get their freak on\u201d). You can see the mind boggling list of what participants have come up with here (click on \"team abstracts\"\u00a0from previous iGem competitions\u00a0here).\nWhat could be achieved if many more people were engaging in this kind of open experimentation? How can existing care initiatives better achieve their goals in collaboration with their peers doing exciting work in open science and technologies?\nJoin us for OPENandChange\u00a0for this kind of\u00a0projects development sprint to explore how open science and technologies can improve your community care-related project!\u00a0We're mounting a collective funding application and you\u2019ll get to work with brilliant scientists and your peers from different fields, while moving your project forward.\u00a0We're also going on a tour in several cities in Europe this September and you can drop by!\nIt\u2019s first come first served, so don\u2019t wait or risk missing out!\n\u00a0\nImage credit: unknown, sourced from the\u00a0Human Futures website\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-05-12 10:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6377","title":"Hacking and Making Care: What's happening with OpenWetware, Biohacking and DIY Science in general?","content":"\n\nWhen I visited Berlin-based artist and hacker Bengt Sj\u00f6len\u2019s studio earlier this week he was developing the hardware for of OpenDrop: an open source digital platform for controlling small droplets of liquids using electro-wetting technology. It struck me that we ought to be looking at open wetware and synthetic biohacking in Op3ncare. Because there is a lot of scope for DIY and citizen science to actually make advances in developing new care solutions. There are many areas where this could help us to solve pressing problems like antibiotics resistance.\nBengt mentioned an experimental initiative to use some of the properties of silk produced from recombinant bacteria to break quorum sensing. This means you break cell-cell communication within and across bacterial species. It matters because this is a contributing factor to a number of clinically relevant things like making harmless bacteria produce enzymes which attack host tissues, produce toxins, stick to hosts and protect themselves while outside hosts. It may also be a way to break their antibiotic resistence\u2026.\nThe reasoning is that antibiotics typically kill or prevent proliferation of bacteria by targeting biomolecules involved in such essential processes as cell wall synthesis, DNA proliferation, or protein synthesis. Treating large populations of bacteria with such agents inevitably selects for a few resistant mutant cells. These proliferate, mutate further, and give rise to antibiotic resistant populations. So you want to get at the entire propulation and since the ability to communicate with one another affects behavior of the entire community....\nWhat makes these kinds of intiatives especially interesting is that they are being done in hackerspaces and garages\u00a0using equipment that anyone can put together from recycled materials.\nThere are already examples where unleashing scientific experimentation amongst the citizenry at large has exceeded expectations.The Malaria Box was an experimental initiative in which 400 diverse compounds with antimalarial activity were distributed in a bid to catalyse drug discovery and research for neglected diseases such as malaria. At a recent medical conference I heard that this initative resulted in several breakthroughs and a number of patents shortly after it was launched.\nI've only begun to scratch at the surface and have come across the Registry of Standard Biological Parts - a growing collection of genetic parts use for building biological devices and systems and IGEM (\u201cwhere future life scientists go to get their freak on\u201d). You can see the mind boggling list of what participants have come up with here (click on \"team abstracts\"\u00a0from previous iGem competitions\u00a0here).\nWhat could be achieved if many more people were engaging in this kind of open experimentation? How can existing care initiatives better achieve their goals in collaboration with their peers doing exciting work in open science and technologies?\nJoin us for OPENandChange\u00a0for this kind of\u00a0projects development sprint to explore how open science and technologies can improve your community care-related project!\u00a0We're mounting a collective funding application and you\u2019ll get to work with brilliant scientists and your peers from different fields, while moving your project forward.\u00a0We're also going on a tour in several cities in Europe this September and you can drop by!\nIt\u2019s first come first served, so don\u2019t wait or risk missing out!\n\u00a0\nImage credit: unknown, sourced from the\u00a0Human Futures website\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-05-12 10:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"366","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6377","title":"Hacking and Making Care: What's happening with OpenWetware, Biohacking and DIY Science in general?","content":"\n\nWhen I visited Berlin-based artist and hacker Bengt Sj\u00f6len\u2019s studio earlier this week he was developing the hardware for of OpenDrop: an open source digital platform for controlling small droplets of liquids using electro-wetting technology. It struck me that we ought to be looking at open wetware and synthetic biohacking in Op3ncare. Because there is a lot of scope for DIY and citizen science to actually make advances in developing new care solutions. There are many areas where this could help us to solve pressing problems like antibiotics resistance.\nBengt mentioned an experimental initiative to use some of the properties of silk produced from recombinant bacteria to break quorum sensing. This means you break cell-cell communication within and across bacterial species. It matters because this is a contributing factor to a number of clinically relevant things like making harmless bacteria produce enzymes which attack host tissues, produce toxins, stick to hosts and protect themselves while outside hosts. It may also be a way to break their antibiotic resistence\u2026.\nThe reasoning is that antibiotics typically kill or prevent proliferation of bacteria by targeting biomolecules involved in such essential processes as cell wall synthesis, DNA proliferation, or protein synthesis. Treating large populations of bacteria with such agents inevitably selects for a few resistant mutant cells. These proliferate, mutate further, and give rise to antibiotic resistant populations. So you want to get at the entire propulation and since the ability to communicate with one another affects behavior of the entire community....\nWhat makes these kinds of intiatives especially interesting is that they are being done in hackerspaces and garages\u00a0using equipment that anyone can put together from recycled materials.\nThere are already examples where unleashing scientific experimentation amongst the citizenry at large has exceeded expectations.The Malaria Box was an experimental initiative in which 400 diverse compounds with antimalarial activity were distributed in a bid to catalyse drug discovery and research for neglected diseases such as malaria. At a recent medical conference I heard that this initative resulted in several breakthroughs and a number of patents shortly after it was launched.\nI've only begun to scratch at the surface and have come across the Registry of Standard Biological Parts - a growing collection of genetic parts use for building biological devices and systems and IGEM (\u201cwhere future life scientists go to get their freak on\u201d). You can see the mind boggling list of what participants have come up with here (click on \"team abstracts\"\u00a0from previous iGem competitions\u00a0here).\nWhat could be achieved if many more people were engaging in this kind of open experimentation? How can existing care initiatives better achieve their goals in collaboration with their peers doing exciting work in open science and technologies?\nJoin us for OPENandChange\u00a0for this kind of\u00a0projects development sprint to explore how open science and technologies can improve your community care-related project!\u00a0We're mounting a collective funding application and you\u2019ll get to work with brilliant scientists and your peers from different fields, while moving your project forward.\u00a0We're also going on a tour in several cities in Europe this September and you can drop by!\nIt\u2019s first come first served, so don\u2019t wait or risk missing out!\n\u00a0\nImage credit: unknown, sourced from the\u00a0Human Futures website\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-05-12 10:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"438","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6377","title":"Hacking and Making Care: What's happening with OpenWetware, Biohacking and DIY Science in general?","content":"\n\nWhen I visited Berlin-based artist and hacker Bengt Sj\u00f6len\u2019s studio earlier this week he was developing the hardware for of OpenDrop: an open source digital platform for controlling small droplets of liquids using electro-wetting technology. It struck me that we ought to be looking at open wetware and synthetic biohacking in Op3ncare. Because there is a lot of scope for DIY and citizen science to actually make advances in developing new care solutions. There are many areas where this could help us to solve pressing problems like antibiotics resistance.\nBengt mentioned an experimental initiative to use some of the properties of silk produced from recombinant bacteria to break quorum sensing. This means you break cell-cell communication within and across bacterial species. It matters because this is a contributing factor to a number of clinically relevant things like making harmless bacteria produce enzymes which attack host tissues, produce toxins, stick to hosts and protect themselves while outside hosts. It may also be a way to break their antibiotic resistence\u2026.\nThe reasoning is that antibiotics typically kill or prevent proliferation of bacteria by targeting biomolecules involved in such essential processes as cell wall synthesis, DNA proliferation, or protein synthesis. Treating large populations of bacteria with such agents inevitably selects for a few resistant mutant cells. These proliferate, mutate further, and give rise to antibiotic resistant populations. So you want to get at the entire propulation and since the ability to communicate with one another affects behavior of the entire community....\nWhat makes these kinds of intiatives especially interesting is that they are being done in hackerspaces and garages\u00a0using equipment that anyone can put together from recycled materials.\nThere are already examples where unleashing scientific experimentation amongst the citizenry at large has exceeded expectations.The Malaria Box was an experimental initiative in which 400 diverse compounds with antimalarial activity were distributed in a bid to catalyse drug discovery and research for neglected diseases such as malaria. At a recent medical conference I heard that this initative resulted in several breakthroughs and a number of patents shortly after it was launched.\nI've only begun to scratch at the surface and have come across the Registry of Standard Biological Parts - a growing collection of genetic parts use for building biological devices and systems and IGEM (\u201cwhere future life scientists go to get their freak on\u201d). You can see the mind boggling list of what participants have come up with here (click on \"team abstracts\"\u00a0from previous iGem competitions\u00a0here).\nWhat could be achieved if many more people were engaging in this kind of open experimentation? How can existing care initiatives better achieve their goals in collaboration with their peers doing exciting work in open science and technologies?\nJoin us for OPENandChange\u00a0for this kind of\u00a0projects development sprint to explore how open science and technologies can improve your community care-related project!\u00a0We're mounting a collective funding application and you\u2019ll get to work with brilliant scientists and your peers from different fields, while moving your project forward.\u00a0We're also going on a tour in several cities in Europe this September and you can drop by!\nIt\u2019s first come first served, so don\u2019t wait or risk missing out!\n\u00a0\nImage credit: unknown, sourced from the\u00a0Human Futures website\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-05-12 10:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6376","title":"How to change the society's perspective on differences","content":"\nI started this project with the question \u201ehow can i help by giving someone the opportunity to help themselves?\u201c\u00a0\nEveryone wants to be independent in a way. We want to be understood as a person of freedom and to be able to act out of this freedom. The freedom to make one's own choices, and independence of persons is a human right.\nI thought of a scenario, if someone has specific or non-specific difficulties with something or in certain situations, I would design a tool, which can then be used from an individual or a group alone. The goal at first was to provide a product, service, etc., that is actually really needed. Whatever \u201eit\u201c is going to be, it is designed for a need, which I have to find out.\nIt should not result in a situation of one helper and one taker. My thought was to help someone in a functional way, and not take their voice away. I want to contribute, so that people can fulfill theirselves, in the way they want to.\nSo I started to think\/ look for someone who would have difficulties with something or maybe even a difficulty that the person itself is not aware of.\nI thought of children, who still develop their motor skills\/ movement skills, elderly people in which the body in various factors weakens and people with a disability.\nI dug deeper into the term disability. What is disability?\nI asked and still ask myself, where does disability start? Is it the disability itself, that disables people? Or is it the attitude and perception of the society and a non-barrier-free environment which actually disables?\nA lot of people and especially the media are using phrases as \u201etied to the wheelchair\u201c, \u201esuffers from \u2026\u201c \u201edespite the disability\u201c. Thus, a more negative image of disabilities and diseases is shaped.\u00a0\nWhy don't we use phrases as \u201elives in a wheelchair\u201c or \u201ehas a disease\u201c ? This way one does not classify anything. How can a outside observer judge, if a person suffers from a disease and not lives with a disease? Why do we only see the things, that someone can not do? Why do we only see the deficit? Why do we reduce people with a disability to their deficits?\nDoes my original challenge lead me into a new one; how can we change the society\u2019s perspective on differences?\nThe public image of people with a disability restricts rather on sufferers, victims or heroes. Other aspects of life take a back seat.\u00a0At the end of the day, there is not and never will be one human being on this earth, who can do anything. Aren\u2019t we all disabled in a way?\u00a0Having a disability can change someones values and goals. Therefore it can not only mean\u00a0 fate, but a win too.\nWhy do we think that living a happy, fulfilled and satisfied life is easier without disabilities?\u00a0\nWhy do we think the nonplus ultra is a complete and functioning body? And if so, why being content with e.g. two functioning arms, but only writing with one? Why do we only use our feet for standing or walking? Why not writing, eating or doing other things with our feet instead?\nWe limit ourselves without noticing, and at the same time assume that others are limited.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-05-11 18:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8595"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6372","title":"How do we start new OpenCare campaign about emotional health? Join the Community call 16 May 16:30 CET","content":"\nOpenCare is a project run in collaboration with cities,\u00a0maker spaces, research institutes, academia, communities on the ground in Europe, and most of all individuals with deep, genuine experiences, which means each and every one of us.\u00a0Starting now and throughout\u00a0the next year we are building a community\u00a0with\u00a0genuine interest in care and\u00a0availability to share\u00a0and get closer to peers around the world.\nThis Monday we are hosting\u00a0a themed online community call around\u00a0new approaches to mental, spiritual, emotional health.\u00a0\nSeveral edgeryders have brought this topic in the centre of attention, even without the OpenCare team promoting it:\n\nCare in the community\u00a0(a must read, folks)\nOn being a self-entrepreneur\nSharing is scary\nDesign for vulnerability\n\nWe are onto something, but to figure things out we need even deeper conversations.\u00a0\nOn Monday we go though the questions we are asking ourselves about selfcare, depression, medication, peer support, alternatives to living a stressful life and so on.\u00a0We will\u00a0try to put it all together to make a bigger picture and launch a proper Challenge.\n\nEveryone is welcome to join this call, simply enter this live video and chat room:\u00a0\u00a0https:\/\/meet.jit.si\/opencare.\u00a0\nIf you have time ahead of the call, let me know in a comment below if you think emotional distress is something worth approaching like this. We might be far off!\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-10 21:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6365","title":"OpenCare Co-design session  | 4 and 11 May 2016 - Milan  #Localactivity","content":"\n\n\n \n  On 4 and 11 May, WeMake and the City of Milan\u00a0will present the first co-design session for OpenCare project. This two-day\u00a0session is based on designing of collective solutions on care needs.\n  Read more here (in italian)\u00a0\n  http:\/\/wemake.cc\/2016\/04\/18\/opencare-primo-incontro-di-co-progettazione\/\n  Opencare co-design session in Milan\n   4 and 11 May - from 6pm to 9.30 pm\n  WeMake Fablab Makerspace\n   Via Privata Stefanardo da Vimercate, 27\/5\n   20128 Milano, Italy\n   \u00a0\n  Info:\u00a0-\u00a0opencare@wemake.cc\n \n\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-10 13:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2604"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6363","title":"JUS: Design for vulnerability","content":"\nI was lonely for most of my life, I don't have\u00a0anything too complicated with my family and I had a few friends while growing up but I'd never let anyone in. I had never exposed myself or talked about my feelings. As time went by I got better and better at it. A very good listener my friends called me. Even today I still find myself shifting the subject of the conversation whenever it gets to me.\nI tried to act like I was Ok, or maybe I was just not aware. I had an eating disorder and a sleeping disorder and it got pretty bad at some points. Almost every night I'd stay in bed awake waiting\u00a0for my family members to go to sleep, then I'd storm the fridge eating like 4 hungry people, go back to bed feel horrible and couldn't fall asleep.\nI lived like that for many years, sometimes it was better sometimes worst. I can't tell what drove into seeking help but around the age of 22 I told my mother I think I need help. She was very happy that it came from me rather than her as she was thinking the same.\nI started\u00a0going to therapy. It took me nearly 4 months to gain the trust I needed to open my heart but with time my therapist and I became closer and through our conversations I slowly began to understand what my life was missing: love, family and friends. Yeah I've had my loving family, a few friends and a number of short romances but none of it real because I didn't allow it to be, I've never been me.\n4 years later I'm studying industrial design and doing Erasmus in UdK Berlin.\n\nAs part of our human centered design course \"Hacking Utopia\", my partner Pauline and I are focusing on the challenge how we might boost each other's mental and spiritual resilience. After posting here story to Edgeryders, our team member Nele was recommended in a comment to watch Brene Browns Ted talk, The Power of Vulnerability. We have found it so inspiring, it was exactly what we were talking about.\nAt the moment we are trying not to have any idea of how our product will look like so that we can have a neutral research and hopefully a surprising result, but we are looking in the direction of a design intervention that will encourage people to be vulnerable and share their feelings with their loved ones.\n\nBoth Pauline and I went through therapy and we both agree that what was missing in our lives was the ability to share our difficulties with our close ones. We discovered that both of us had to use objects in order to speak to our therapists. I had to put a cushion over my knees and Pauline was always keeping her hands busy by playing with hair bands or ripping pieces of paper, avoiding eye contact.\nWe were wondering whether you might have made any similar interesting experiences\/observations to share with. Do you feel comfortable sharing your feeling with others? Can you get people to open up to you?\nWe are trying to gain insight on what kinds of stressors people find difficult to talk about and how we might make it easier for people to overcome shame and share their feelings, drawing inspiration from any culture, any time.\nAlso, if you have any other Ideas, thoughts, articles, projects, products or whatever you think can inspire us further please let us know.\nThank you so much for reading so far,\nTeam JUS.\nP.s. - We really liked this short video and wish we could make a sofa that feels as good as the hug in the picture above.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-10 10:52 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8675"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6362","title":"Redewendung \/ Turn speech","content":"\nHow can we integrate non-germans by motivating germans to teach them more about their culture \/ lenguage?\nInspiration:\n\"If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head.\nIf you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart\"\u00a0\nNelson Mandela \n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-05-09 23:09 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8598"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6354","title":"JUS: Sharing is scary","content":"\nLong before I was finally diagnosed with depression 1 year ago, I struggled with intense feelings of stress and self-loathing, feelings that were overwhelming me, because I could not really understand what and why I was experiencing. I consider myself privileged to be born into a comfortable middle class life, to have a supportive family and friends, no academic problems. In theory, I was supposed to be happy. So why was I feeling so paralysed and helpless? Considering there are so many people who have it much worse than me, feeling sad seemed irrational, unjustified and shameful.\nEveryone around me seemed to manage just fine, effortlessly juggling scholastic and social expectations. So I thought it must be my fault that I was barely holding it together. I was ashamed to admit that I was struggling and ask for help. When I finally gathered enough courage to talk openly about my problems with my friends and family members, I was stunned how much it resonated. Once I had shared my troubles, many of them would admit some of their own. These were people that I had known for more than 10 years, people that I thought I knew inside out, suddenly telling me about insecurities of theirs that I never even suspected them to have. Such moments of connection were a very special experience.\nHowever, at times it was also exhilarating. It's not easy for either party.\u00a0Opening up, even to the people I trust most,\u00a0took a great deal of mental effort. Then, I didn\u2019t know how to properly express what I felt. And they didn\u2019t know how to react. I didn\u2019t know what kind of reaction I was hoping for. I didn\u2019t want to burden or worry anyone. How often did I find myself alone in my room bawling my eyes out, finally calling my mother or my best friend, just to hang up 5 minutes later even more frustrated and miserable and guilty than before. They were only trying to help me to the best of their abilities, but somehow all well-meant compliments and advice only made me feel worse. I didn\u2019t think they could truly understand me and it was so difficult to communicate what I wanted to say, when I didn't even\u00a0really know what that was myself. When they tried to relate their own experiences to mine, it felt like they were comparing a broken arm to a papercut. When they were trying to give me tips on health and well-being, it felt patronizing, as if I didn\u2019t know and try that already. This was nothing that doing a round of Yoga or 8 hours of sleep or being more social could simply \u2018fix\u2019. Just thinking such things added to my guilt and shame, because it was like I was taking their attempts of help for granted. Devils circle.\nWhat helped me most in the end wasn\u2019t necessarily talking about anything in those situations. Discussing these things with a neutral person such as a therapist was a much better framework for me to sort out my thoughts without the added complications of emotional attachment. The greatest help for me was just someone being there and giving me a hug. Telling me that they know it sucks and just sharing a little bit of the suckiness in that moment.\nEDIT:\nHow do\u00a0you deal\u00a0with emotional issues? In what situations do you share\u00a0your thoughts with others? How does this make you feel? What might prevent you from seeking support?\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-05-09 0:52 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8602"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6353","title":"Care in the Community","content":"\n\u00a0\nWhen we arrived to move into the house, we seemed like an unlikely crew. There were three lads living there already - Kieron, Dave and Billy. Kieron was the leader. He had a drill. Billy was very pale and very thin - kind of morose somehow while at the same time desperately optimistic. He looked like he hadn't seen a vitamin in months. Dave on the other hand, was just mad. At this point, quite obviously, even certifiably, mad. Just a week or so before he had actually escaped from the psychiatric hospital over the road, bringing to mind a scene from 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest'. And over the course of our time together, Dave told me a few stories about that place, that enlightened paragon of metal health provision which had held him body and soul for all of nine months. He told me how he preferred prison, because at least in prison you got a release date. He told me about the electric shock therapy, which left your mind totally scrambled for two or three days, then left you feeling more or less ok for two or three days but with no memory, after which they did it all over again. He told me about being chained to four big guys who were there to 'look after him', even when he went to the toilet. About how if he didn't go along with something that they wanted him to do, sooner or later he'd get held down and recieve a knock-out shot delivered to his buttock, which resulted in unconsciousness and a noticeable reduction in his ability to stand up for his rights. Essentially, he didn't have any rights. He was mad. They could do whatever they wanted to him. The detail that most appealed to my Kafkaesque understanding of faceless institutions, was that the refusal to accept that he was mad was taken as evidence that he was still mad. Refusing to take the pills that made him heavy and slow and stupid was seen as proof that his sanity had still not returned. Now you just try to imagine regaining your mental balance under this kind of perverse authority. They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but I'm not so sure I believe them. Dave's approach was to break out of the place and find himself a squat to live in with a couple of mates and several total strangers, one of whom had been recognised by Kieron from a free party, when they bumped into each other down at the job centre. Its amazing what gets hatched down at the job centre, and I'm not talking about anyone finding a job. But anyway, when we turned up at the squat, Dave was living on the sofa in the lounge in a haze of ashtray cigarettes and cheap cider, eyeing the curtains nervously and never far away from a large knife. You got the feeling he was pretty keen never to go back inside that place if there was anything he had to say about it. And he wasn't leaving the house, or even that room much at this time. Absconders from mental health institutions tend to be automatically served with arrest warrants by the local magistrates, and I don't suppose that was helping his mental health any either. Dave seemed to be doing pretty well as far as I could see, considering everything that he'd gone through so far in his life. He told me his Dad was always drunk and often violent. He said his mother had been killed, shot by a farmer standing in front of her dog trying to protect him while out for a walk. That was when he left home. He'd had a job as the look-out for a gang of thieves that robbed industrial units at the age of nine. A little later he'd gone to live with a family of Irish travellers who'd trained him to be a bareknuckle boxer, a discipline at which he was apparently quite talented. Some time after that he'd bought a house, back when they gave mortgages to people with no job, no credit rating and no intention whatsoever to make even a single repayment. That episode lasted a few months, during which time he acquired an addiction to crack and heroin, or 'brown n white' as it was known on the estate. That was when the mental health issues really kicked in. I could sometimes see the different personalities fighting for control inside Dave's head. So much suffering just couldn't be contained inside one self-image, so the ever resourceful ego just created a couple of others to help take the strain. I think it was fair to say that Dave was feeling the pressure. And of course, he couldn't go to get any medication, because he knew the Doctor would just arrange to have him arrested as soon as he arrived at his appointment. \n\u00a0\nOn the one hand, Kieron and Billy were quite happy to have Dave and his knives living on the sofa. After all, this was a squat, and you never know what might go down. Sometimes you have to defend a place, and while Kieron liked his drill, that was about the limit of his handiness. And if anything serious went off you'd most likely find Billy in a cupboard. So Dave had his uses. And anyway, they were mates. But in this condition, he wasn't exactly easy company. So naturally, Billy and Kieron started to pal up a little. They shared a floor in the house with a kitchen in it, they went outside from time to time. They liked to get stoned together, and have a laugh. But this was unsettling to Dave somehow. He'd been mates with Billy for years, since the time he bought the house. He had no family left, no real friends after all the alcoholism, the drugs, the crime, and the madness. Billy was about all he had. And now he was feeling him drifting away. It all came to a head one full moon. It 'd been building for a while. You could feel it all through the house, under the neon strip lights in the corridors. Tension. The more Dave got wound up, the more Kieron and Billy retreated into their little flat. Sometimes you could hear him shouting incoherently in the lounge on his own. It wasn't very reassuring. But on this particular night, we found him shouting slightly more coherently, and it wasn't at himself. It was directed at Kieron. Dave was pacing the lounge, muttering to himself, wild-eyed. Then suddenly, something snapped. He grabbed his largest knife from under the cushions of the sofa and stormed out in the direction of the stairs. Larissa, sharp as ever, phoned Kieron fast and told him to lock his door. She was just in time. \n\u00a0\n'Yer fuckin big gay bastard! Open t'door.' \n\u00a0\n'Fuck off Dave' said Kieron, with his foot set hard against the door to keep his demented friend from getting in. \n\u00a0\nIt wasn't looking good. Dave was stabbing the door repeatedly with his enormous blade, while Kieron, who fortunately for him liked to eat a hearty meal, was leaning against it with all his weight. \n\u00a0\n'Open t'door or I'll fookin kill yer both'\n\u00a0\nIf I open t'door, that's when you'll fookin kill us both, was more what it looked like. \n\u00a0\nThe rest of us were gathering downstairs in the lounge. We'd known these people a week, and this was the only place we had to live. We were not ecstatic about the situation. And besides, we were worried, as much for Dave as for Kieron and Billy. We really liked Dave. He was a lovely lad, underneath all the addictive behaviour, the paranoia and the threat of imminent violence. I'd had a good connection with him from the start. We both had Irish ancestry. We shared a dark sense of humour. Dave's kind of funny was to make unbelievably hot curries, knowing that Billy didn't like them, but that he had no money and that there was no other food in the house. And then to watch Billy eating them, as his face got redder and redder, and his expressions grew ever more absurd. That was like Dave's perfect joke. So anyway, I headed up the stairs, with Dom close behind. The stairwell was pulsating, neon, harsh light. Nowhere to hide. Kieron's door was closed now, with the giant knife stuck in it, wobbling, and Dave half-shouting half-sobbing, desperately scared of losing his friend, his mind, his freedom. I wondered about his family history, and how much comprehension he had of his own emotional reality. It can't have been easy for him. And I thought about my own safety. But however erratic he'd been acting, I didn't feel any kind of malicious intent would be directed towards me.\n\u00a0\n'Dave, Dave. Dave man, it's me.'\n\u00a0\nDave was in his own world, and it was breaking down.\n\u00a0\n'Dave, what's up man? Why don't you put the knife down?'\n\u00a0\nHe kicked the door a couple of times, just desperate now, more than dangerous. My heart broke for him.\n\u00a0\n'Dave, you're bleeding mate! Look. Let me see that hand.'\n\u00a0\nDave looked at his palm, which had been cut by the knife as he had rammed it repeatedly into the door. It wasn't serious, but it was badly enough to make a fair mess. The sight of his own blood seemed to bring him back to himself. All the fight had gone out of him now. You could see he was ready to be taken care of.\n\u00a0\n'You should get that seen to Dave. You want me to come with you mate, we'll go down to the A&E dept at the bottom of the road?'\n\u00a0\nHe let me lead him away, still staring at his bloody palm, and I placed my arm around his shoulders as Dom discretely removed the knife from the door and hid it out of sight. The crisis it seemed, was over. At least for now. But still, we had an evidently pretty broken human being on our hands, and what the hell were we going to do about that? \n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-05-08 2:48 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8727"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6352","title":"Hodges' Health Career (life chances) Care Domains Model","content":"\nHello everyone\nI am a full-time community mental health nurse based in Ormskirk Lancashire. Since 1998 online Have championed a conceptual framework - Hodges' model which was created to facilitate person-centered, holistic, integrated care and reflective practice. Currently I am researching the model at Lancaster University in Technology Enhanced Learning. My Part 2 project involves evaluating the model by creating a new web resource to prototype specific content types, gather data and create some research interest.\u00a0I plan to use Drupal to create my research platform.\nI have just posted news of OP3N on my blog \"Welcome to the QUAD\"\nhttp:\/\/hodges-model.blogspot.co.uk\/\n- which also lists a bibliography:\nJones, P. (2004)\u00a0The Four Care Domains: Situations Worthy of Research. Conference: Building & Bridging Community Networks: Knowledge, Innovation & Diversity through Communication, Brighton, UK.\nJones, P. (2008)\u00a0Exploring Serres\u2019 Atlas, Hodges\u2019 Knowledge Domains and the Fusion of Informatics and Cultural Horizons, IN Kidd, T., Chen, I. (Eds.) Social Information Technology Connecting Society and Cultural Issues, Idea Group Publishing, Inc. Chap. 7, pp. 96-109.\nJones, P. (2009) Socio-Technical Structures, the Scope of Informatics and Hodges\u2019 model, IN, Staudinger, R., Ostermann, H., Bettina Staudinger, B. (Eds.),\u00a0Handbook of Research in Nursing Informatics and Socio-Technical Structures, Idea Group Publishing, Inc. Chap. 11, pp. 160-174.< br \/> Jones P. (2014) Using a conceptual framework to explore the dimensions of recovery and their relationship to service user choice and self-determination.\u00a0International Journal of Person Centered Medicine. Vol 3, No 4, (2013) pp.305-311.\nYou\u00a0may find this model relevant to your respective projects, if so please get in touch...\nIf you have any key papers, reports or conferences I'd be delighted to hear of your news.\nBest wishes in your work.\nPeter Jones Community Mental Health Nurse CMHT Brookside Aughton Street Ormskirk L39 3BH, UK\n& Graduate Student - Lancaster University: Technology Enhanced Learning Blogging at \"Welcome to the QUAD\" http:\/\/hodges-model.blogspot.com\/ http:\/\/twitter.com\/h2cm\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-05-07 19:42 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8721"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6341","title":"OpenCare \u2013 Il mio personalissimo startup","content":"\n(note: English translation is available here)\n\u00a0\nUna rivoluzione copernicana a lungo attesa!\nEcco, se dovessi riassumere in una frase breve e concisa, questo \u00e8 quanto vivo e quanto vorrei trasmettere al lettore in merito al Progetto OpenCare.\nDiluendo pi\u00f9 prosaicamente il complesso composto \u201cchimico\u201d, che costituisce al momento per me questo Progetto, non posso non focalizzare l'attenzione su alcuni elementi costituenti questa esperienza, attualmente agli esordi, che auspico veramente possa dare a ciascuno di noi la certezza di una rinnovata consapevolezza della capacit\u00e0 di ideazione, di progettazione e di realizzazione dei nostri desideri e delle nostre legittime istanze nonostante i luoghi comuni ed i pregiudizi tutt'ora radicati riguardanti le persone \u201cportatrici di bisogni particolari\u201d, piuttosto che \u201cdis-abili\u201d, \u201cdiversamente abili\u201d, \u201chandicappati\u201d, \u201cminorati\u201d, \u201cnon autosufficienti\u201d e tutto ci\u00f2 che la storia culturale ha elaborato a suon di termini da etichetta continuino ad ostacolare il nostro incedere.\nIl primo elemento che individuo, gi\u00e0 presente all'incipit, \u00e8 sicuramente quello della sorpresa dovuta essenzialmente al fatto di essere chiamati in prima persona ad una azione \u201cmaterica\u201d, concreta, finalizzata alla costruzione di un oggetto piuttosto che di una pi\u00f9 complessa soluzione che ci aiuti a superare una difficolt\u00e0 quotidiana o ci consenta, pi\u00f9 in generale, di raggiungere piccoli o grandi traguardi individuali in materia di autonomia, di integrazione, di partecipazione e di cittadinanza attiva attraverso il diretto coinvolgimento delle nostre conoscenze e delle nostre competenze.\nLa storia del variegato quanto complesso arcipelago dei bisogni \u00e8 infatti costellata da grandissime battaglie umane, sociali, civili e politiche che, nel corso degli ultimi decenni, hanno portato alla conquista di un riconoscimento degli individui quanto persone, in primis, di diritti e doveri alla assistenza, alla istruzione, alla integrazione nel mondo lavorativo e produttivo, pi\u00f9 recentemente, sino alle pi\u00f9 che attuali importanti lotte per una vita autonomamente gestita che riconosca definitivamente lo status dell'autodeterminazione - o della tutela - nel difficile contesto del vivere pienamente e realizzare compiutamente un progetto che vada oltre la \u201ccura\u201d da parte dei propri cari, oltre a quella delle istituzioni. Successi e difficolt\u00e0 che tuttavia solo in questi ultimi anni hanno visto agire nei processi decisionali con un riconosciuto ruolo di protagonisti le persone direttamente interessate. Un cammino spessissimo difficoltoso, che richiede abnegazione oltre che motivazioni solide ed acquisite competenze sul campo, attuato da pochi in favore di molti spesso non consapevoli, iterando almeno per i secondi una sorta di continua delega in bianco in merito al proprio futuro.\nUn colpevolmente atteggiamento passivo, che caratterizza tutt'ora l'esistenza di chi bisognoso di particolari attenzioni, che la forza \u201cdestabilizzante\u201d del Progetto pu\u00f2 mutare risvegliando le coscienze di quei molti che potrebbero e dovrebbero veramente mettersi in gioco.\nIl secondo elemento intimamente correlato al precedente riguarda il ruolo dell'associazionismo \u201cdi categoria\u201d, del terzo settore in generale, che in questi anni \u2013 ma anche oggi ed auspicabilmente domani \u2013 hanno garantito alle fasce deboli della popolazione una vita dignitosa e rispettosa attraverso la creazione, il consolidamento ed il faticoso mantenimento di soluzioni e processi sociali ed assistenziali in sostituzione di un apparato pubblico sempre pi\u00f9 in difficolt\u00e0 e molto spesso privo di sensibilit\u00e0 e visione rispettose dei bisogni individuali quanto povero di capacit\u00e0 strategiche in relazione ai profondi cambiamenti dei quali sono oggetto il sociale e l'amministrazione della cosa pubblica. Lo sforzo pluridecennale di queste realt\u00e0, che racchiude esperienze sia di gratuit\u00e0 che di iniziativa imprenditoriale e che attualmente \u00e8 interessato da una profonda riforma istituzionale e normativa, nel correre del tempo ha prodotto purtroppo anche alcune storture, \u201cdeviazioni\u201d, che se non in rarissime eccezioni contribuiscono nel complesso alla sopravvivenza di una cultura paternalista ed assistenzialista certamente responsabile del sensibile ritardo con il quale oggi affrontiamo le difficolt\u00e0 globali e nel contempo cerchiamo di cogliere le opportunit\u00e0 offerte dalle tecnologie e dalle metodologie ampiamente utilizzate in molti ambiti delle nostre complesse societ\u00e0.\nIl Progetto OpenCare scardina completamente questo \u201cvisione\u201d, ribaltandone completamente l'approccio, introducendo nei delicati ed un po' sclerotizzati meccanismi dell'assistenza e del supporto alla persona concetti e paradigmi mutuati dalla cultura generale delle risorse aperte e liberamente condivisibili da tutti, in una sorta di \u201cfai da te\u201d riveduto ed aggiornato attraverso la disponibilit\u00e0 di strumenti flessibili e potenti a costi estremamente contenuti, che in modo radicale consentono di riposizionare il singolo individuo nella centralit\u00e0 dell'azione trasformandolo da semplice oggetto fruitore di prodotti e servizi generalizzati e spersonalizzanti, oltre che poco economici nelle complesse implementazioni, a soggetto creatore di un sapere accessibile, condivisibile ed esportabile nella sua essenzialit\u00e0.\nUna via percorribile, questo \u00e8 il presupposto e nel contempo l'obiettivo del Progetto, che deve sicuramente sorprendere, sollecitare e coinvolgere soprattutto il \u201cmondo\u201d del bisogno, oltre a quello istituzionale ed economico sociale, per garantire un terreno \u201cdi coltura\u201d favorevole all'avvio di iniziative e progetti che naturalmente rispettino l'integrit\u00e0 delle persone e delle loro legittime aspettative, che debitamente tengano conto del supporto e dell'impegno della collettivit\u00e0 e che ne garantiscano l'azione solidale attraverso le buone pratiche di indirizzo e di governo locale, nazionale e transnazionale.\nLe pi\u00f9 che consolidate tecnologie della comunicazione ed il movimento che si alimenta e ne contribuisce la diffusione e la pervasivit\u00e0 consentono infatti oggi di realizzare una \u201cdemocrazia liquida\u201d, che sfugge completamente ai vecchi canoni conosciuti dalla storia, attuando con maggiore puntualit\u00e0 e concretezza possibili percorsi e processi virtuosi per la qualit\u00e0 globale della nostra vita.\n\u00a0\nIl terzo ed ultimo elemento riguarda la mia dimensione personale.\nDa alcuni anni, per via di una curiosit\u00e0 congenita e di una affinit\u00e0 professionale, osservo il mondo dei makers con crescente interesse alimentato costantemente dai \u201cprodigi\u201d dei prodotti complementari che consentono agli \u201cartigiani del xxi secolo\u201d di realizzare oggetti o soluzioni sorprendentemente efficaci quanto semplici. Arduino, orgoglio autentico del nostro \u201cfare\u201d italiano, insieme ad altri nomi e progetti di caratura internazionale letteralmente \u201crimorchiano\u201d quanti, come lo scrivente, ad un primo stupore e ad una prima titubanza dettata dalla presunta inadeguatezza reagiscono con un progressivo coinvolgimento in azioni ed in attivit\u00e0 che conducono ad una nuova percezione della realt\u00e0, via via pi\u00f9 plasmabile a misura dei \u201cbi-sogni\u201d.\nLa mia disabilit\u00e0 fisica motoria congenita non mi consente di fatto l'azione diretta tramite la manipolazione fisica degli oggetti precludendomi una ampia serie di sensazioni ed emozioni che percepisco vissute nelle persone intorno a me. Tuttavia la mia intelligenza, la mia sensibilit\u00e0 e la mia creativit\u00e0 sopperiscono in buona misura ai miei limiti dandomi comunque la possibilit\u00e0 di vivere compiutamente l'incontro con questi inaspettati compagni di viaggio, l'Associazione WeMake prima ed il Progetto OpenCare dopo, che potenzialmente potr\u00e0 tradursi anche nel compimento di un sogno coltivato sin dai tempi della prima giovinezza \u2013 divenire creatore di oggetti funzionali oltre che esteticamente validi \u2013 insieme a quanto desiderato oggi \u2013 realizzare prodotti e soluzioni di alta tecnologia nell'ambito della residenzialit\u00e0 autonoma per le persone con vari deficit fisico motori e cognitivi \u2013 nutrendo inoltre la segreta aspirazione di trovare finalmente una strada sulla quale realizzare questa mia importante dimensione esistenziale, a lungo in attesa di una autentica rivoluzione.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-03 23:39 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8523"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6339","title":"Recherche im Fl\u00fcchthafen Tempelhof","content":"\nZum Einstieg einer umfangreichen Feldrecherche machen sich Philipp Heinke und Milan Siegers auf den Weg zur Fl\u00fcchtlingsunterkunft am ehemaligen Flughafen Tempelhof. Unser Team aus zwei Produktdesignstudenten -das sind wir- und zwei Gesellschafts- und Wirtschaftskommunikationsstudenten besch\u00e4ftigt sich mit der Frage, wie man durch Interaktionen zwischen Refugees und Locals beide Seiten einander n\u00e4her bringen kann.\n\u00a0\n- 10.30 Treffen: Philipp und Milan am Ubf. \u201cPlatz der Luftbr\u00fccke\u201d\n- 11.00 Begutachtung der Refugee-Unterkunft im Hangar 1-4 (von au\u00dfen)\numz\u00e4unt und gesichert von schroffen Securities wirkt die Speer-Architektur \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0unpenetrierbar\n- 11.15 Wir lernen an der Sicherheitsschleuse zwei Frauen Anfang 30 kennen;\nSie stellen sich als gute Schleuser heraus. Die Eine arbeitet bei THF Welcome und er\u00f6ffnet in dem Komplex am Donnerstag ein Caf\u00e9 der Begegnungen. Die Andere bietet vormittags einen Kaffeekoch-Workshop f\u00fcr 5 m\u00e4nnliche Gefl\u00fcchtete an. Zwei von den Gefl\u00fcchteten sprechen wir zu sp\u00e4terem Zeitpunkt bei einer Zigarettenpause.\n- 11.30 Endlich k\u00f6nnen wir passieren und werden zum neuen Caf\u00e9 neben der Kleiderkammer in Hangar 1 begleitet.\nDort kommen wir in Kontakt mit Pierre Golbach. Er ist Leiter der Aktion \u201cTempelhof Hilft\u201d von THF Welcome. Er meint, es mangele an Helfern in unattraktiven Bereichen, wie der Kleiderkammer. Au\u00dferdem w\u00fcrden vor Allem alleinstehende M\u00e4nner aus mangelnder Empathie zu wenig Aufmerksamkeit bekommen. W\u00e4hrend wir im Caf\u00e9 erste Eindr\u00fccke sammeln, wohnen wir der Abnahme durch den Senat bei. Diese werden von Anwesenden unter vorgehaltener Hand regelm\u00e4\u00dfig als komplizierte B\u00fcrokraten beschimpft.\n- 12.20 Interessiert lassen sich die 5 Gefl\u00fcchteten die Philosophie des Kaffeekochens erkl\u00e4ren.\nIn einer Raucherpause sprechen wir mit zwei Kursteilnehmern namens Mohammed und Faris aus Syrien. Letzterer spricht bereits erste Worte deutsch und versteht auch schon einiges. Die Beiden erkl\u00e4ren uns den Weg der Flucht \u00fcber die T\u00fcrkei nach Deutschland und sagen, Gefl\u00fcchtete blieben f\u00fcr gew\u00f6hnlich 6 Monate in dem Flughafenkomplex.\n- 12.50 Die Security erlaubt uns f\u00fcr 10 Minuten Fotos in der riesigen Halle 1 neben dem Caf\u00e9 zu machen.\nDie Halle steht - bis auf das Klosystem und drei Quarantene-Zelte - weitestgehend leer. Fotos mit Menschen sollen wir vermeiden.\n- 13.15 Pierre ruft f\u00fcr uns eine Helferin der Kampagne \u201cTrialog\u201d an.\nDiese sieht es als Aufgabe an die Bed\u00fcrfnisse der Residents zu erfragen und nach au\u00dfen zu vermitteln. Wir warten trotz angek\u00fcndigten 20 Minuten rund anderthalb Stunden aufs Gespr\u00e4ch. Warten, so wird uns erkl\u00e4rt, sei hier Hauptbesch\u00e4ftigung.\n- 14.50 Endlich kommt die Ansprechpartnerin von \u201cTrialog\u201d zu uns.\nSie wirkt interessiert, warnt aber vor zu hochgesteckten Zielen. Priorit\u00e4t der Residents sei es, aus der Unterkunft raus und in Kontakt mit Berlinern zu kommen. Ein Projekt der \u201cTrialog\u201d-Gruppe sei es Partnerschaften zwischen Gefl\u00fcchteten und \u201cDeutschen\u201d oder Vereinen zu kn\u00fcpfen. Ein Problem sei, dass die Gefl\u00fcchteten trotz umfassender Angebote oft zu faul seien, aktiv zu werden. Als Grund gab sie Unregelm\u00e4\u00dfigkeiten im allt\u00e4glichen Leben an. Sie h\u00e4tte mit ihrem Team schon eine gro\u00df angelegte Interessensaufnahmen im Bereich \u201csportliche Aktivit\u00e4ten\u201d und \u201csonstige Interessen\u201d gemacht. Einen Zugriff auf die Daten verweigerte sie uns. Sie versprach allerdings uns die Ergebnisse noch - grob zusammengefasst - zukommen zu lassen. Nach ihren Angaben leben rund 1400 Menschen im Flughafen Tempelhof. Ein Mal im Monat komme Amnesty International vorbei und gebe den Gefl\u00fcchteten Tipps zu B\u00fcrokratie und Integration in Deutschland.\n- 15.30 Abschied von dem Fl\u00fcchtlingsheim Tempelhof.\nSp\u00e4ter machen wir uns auf den Weg zur Karl-Marx-Sta\u00dfe um m\u00f6gliche Begegnungsorte f\u00fcr unsere Idee eines Pop-Up Caf\u00e9s von und mit Gefl\u00fcchteten ausfindig zu machen. Zum 1. Mai haben wir uns mit dem Konzept bei einem Wettbewerb zum Thema Begegnungen im Bezug auf Fl\u00fcchtlinge rund um die Karl-Marx-Stra\u00dfe beworben.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-05-03 15:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8591"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6336","title":"who needs care?","content":"\nWho needs care? Who receives care? Who gives care? Who is getting benefits?\nWhen I first thought about care- care giving- care receiving, I thought about the people who need care. Old people, Kids, disabled people. People who are helpless without us \u201enormal\u201c people helping them, I thought. But there are a lot more ways of caring. Everyone has a disability (translating it to german its also: Unf\u00e4higkeit, Inkompetenz, Unverm\u00f6gen- i think these words are really important to know when you speak about Disability). I need your care\/help when I need to lift up heavy things, when I have personal problems, when trying to deal with soldering in the workshop, when I fail to motivate myself, and heaps of other things. I do have problems and I want someone to care about me.\nCaring is always an interaction between two or more people. And no matter if you are the care giver or receiver you are always getting benefits. \u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-05-02 14:28 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8630"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6317","title":"Gifteconomy ","content":"\nIn societys where we value \u00a0our actions after the profit we are loosing the view for the needs and gratification. Loosing ourselfs in the routine of daylife. Most of us even forget the impact our actions. Driven by an extrinsic motivation, pushing people into the need of \u00a0\"gainful employment\u201d.\nWe've created and still supporting a system which turns out beeing kind of psychopat. It's a system based on the fear. The idea of not becoming enough. For what else reason should I then trade, istead of sharing? I'm not wanting to condemn, but whiching to have a view on trading itself in condicion of time groups.\nThis article isn\u2019t claming to be scientific. Just tryn to questionizing some strongly ancord habits. :-)\n\u2026.but before having a view on trading I would like to go a step further. Because what is needed before beeing able to trade is property. Property itself can be understood as something taken from the comon. It\u2019s a resource holded by private\/group until accepted trade occurs. Two maigor(possible) problems can be apier from that. Obviosly as soon as there are enough people trading, it creates a force. Resources you\u2019re mainly able to resieve are needed to be in exchange. It\u2019s creating a \u201cneed\u201d to search for trading oportunities for your own service. Which is then aswell creating a extrinsic motivation, which then turns in modern markets in a direction where people following \u00a0\u201coportunities for a trade\u201d instead of activities intrinsic motivated. Like that I find my self where a lot\u2019s people doing jobs they would never do under \u201cnormal condicions\u201d. Having more \u201cmarketpower\u201d is then directly related to having more power over people.\nThere might be many solutions to declining this trend. Me personly resonate quiet strongly to those related to the gifteconomy. Somehow I have the feeling while creating a gifteconomy it\u2019s at the same work on all the habbits which let the world look like how it is now.\nIt\u2019s about sharing and collaboration instead of sensless competition. Same as it creates trust and connections towards each other.\nTaking care about something (someone) \u201cjust\u201d because you want to. You do because you love to help and because you\u2019re passionated about.\nBut what if not enough people think like that? The world is already full of volunteers. And once more resources are free available again, more could do so.\n\u00a0\nStarting with food:\nEverything you\u2019ll like to do not alone you need people. Nothing more brings people that easy together then food. Everybody needs to eat. To have this resource free available could be a big step.\n\u00a0\nWhile 30-40% of all produced food is wasted a good start is about preventing the waste while sharing the saved food freely. In Germany there\u2019s since about 3 years a movent existing called foodsharing just doing exactly this. In this very moment we\u2019re working on to turn it international. While this movment started from the idea of saving food, there\u2019s still the main focus on. Step by step I would like to create a bigger focus direction eatable cities, community supported agricultre and freeGardens.\nIf anybody is interested in here, just conntact me. :-)\nSharing everything (you like to). For that we\u2019re working on a open source multible sharing platform called yunity.org. But it\u2019s not \u201conly\u201d about creating a plattform, it\u2019s on the same about creating\/supporting a social architecture brining people together with a focus on collaration.\n\u00a0\nOnce the MVP of the plattform is finished it will be used in first to turn foodsharing into a international movement. \u00a0\nStatement about communitys:\n...just some in every contry with the same intention, well connected could easily create momentum.\nCreating community\/movement:\nI\u2019m \u00a0looking for a team of 9-30 activists, interested in playing oasis game simliar settings, while traveling together and being filmed.\nI will start with in Europe. (if someone likes to do same\/simliar somewhere else: DO IT! :-))\nDo we need money?\nOne of the only reason why we may feel like, is of having a lack of connections. Once a network is big enough it\u2019s self-supporting. :-)\nThat\u2019s something I\u2019m highly interested to work on.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-27 9:01 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8563"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6314","title":"All you need to know about OpenCare Fellowships: community call 9\/5 at 4:30 PM CET","content":"\n1) Are you\u00a0navigating deep changes in your community and want to make sense of them?\n2) Interested in\u00a0communities-provided care services (social, health, technology based)?\n3) Want to connect with peers and chat about actual solutions?\nOpenCare is a project run in collaboration with cities,\u00a0maker spaces, research institutes, academia, communities on the ground in Europe, and especially individuals, which means each and every one of us.\u00a0Starting now and throughout\u00a0the next year we are building a community of\u00a0Fellows with\u00a0genuine interest in care and\u00a0availability to share\u00a0their\u00a0experience and projects in different corners of the world.\nWe'll dedicate Monday's online meetup\u00a0to explain, ask and learn more about the Op3nCare Fellowship program awarding writing\u00a0and research awards of up to 20 000 euros during the next year.\nAs usual, the time for our call is\u00a0Monday at 4:30 PM CET here:\u00a0https:\/\/meet.jit.si\/opencare (courtesy of edgeryder\u00a0Eirinimal!)\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-27 7:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6308","title":"\"Coeur d'Or\": collaborative efforts for promotional and preventive cardiovascular care in West-Africa","content":"\nI'm Jean-Paul Dossou, from Benin in West-Africa.\u00a0\nSome wise people do perceive already the unsustainability of the current health care provision organization in western developped countries, but this is the dreamed model, that developping countries are running to. Is it possible to \"jump a generation\" in the organization of health care provision in developping countries? This is the underlying question of the \"modern\" collaborative care expriences we are going to share in this post about Coeur d'Or.\nAs a short backgrund, Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) induce yearly about 17 millions of deaths. Over 75% of those deaths occur in LMICs where risk factors are highly prevalent and the health system is poorly adapted to deal with chronicle and highly expensive emergent conditions. In Benin, the prevalence of high blood pressure is about 30%. Health promotion on this poorly funded issue, in this limited resource setting, requires innovative communication tools. To this end, C\u0153ur d\u2019Or (www.facebook.com\/groups\/coeurdor\/ ) was created in 2011, to test the feasibility of using social media for providing promotional and preventive care against CVD in Benin, in a collaborative way.\nWe aim\u00a0here to present briefly\u00a0C\u0153ur d\u2019Or , and some lessons learned so far. We use a case study approach based on participatory observation, (in) formal in-depth interviews with different stakeholders and documents reviews on the solution. \u00a0Social media analytics tools are used for the quantitative analysis of the profiles of the solution users and activity.\nC\u0153ur d\u2019Or is an open Facebook group of 21615 members, mainly from Benin (West Africa). It runs as a tool of keeping in touch with a huge number of the community members, allowing for a double-sense communication, spreading cutting-edge information on CVDs and building a community-based leadership on CVD. The targets are young, mainly from urban and semi-urban areas, educated and active on social media. They connect to the platform using mainly smartphones.\u00a0 A wide range of subjects related to CVDs and Non-Communicable Diseases are discussed from several perspectives. Members can initiate a discussion stream, receive inputs from several profiles of members and get a summary from a medical expert based on key evidence-based prevention measures against CVD.\nThe group stands also as a social mobilization and community participation tools influencing the agenda setting at the national level. It is currently a member of the Multisectorial National Committee against NCDs in Benin, as a leading actor supporting the organization of national campaigns against CVD in Benin each year since 2011.\u00a0 Using its online critical mass and its growing network in traditional media and several public and private institutions, the group is capable of mobilizing each year since 2013 material and financial resources up to 25,000 \u20ac to organize offline activities such as a walk (about 5000 participants each year), risk factors screening, interactive conferences during the world heart day. All those activities help at reaching people that are not active online and are done with the leadership of members that are not health workers.\nThe rapid development of telecommunications improves the access of a growing number of people to Internet and social media. A critical mass of the group improves its political influence and creates a web tool that can help for a viral diffusion.\nC\u0153ur d\u2019Or demonstrates the feasibility of using social media as an innovative approach for offering promotional and preventive care on health issues in sub-Saharan Africa. It opens new windows for thinking and dreaming again for an effective community participation in all its dimensions in the global south.\nThank you very much for your comments and questions.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-25 18:51 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8686"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6304","title":"Community Acupuncture - an ongoing mutation","content":"\nHaving worked at SourcePoint Community Acupuncture on Dartmoor in the South-West of the UK last year, I'm currently in the process of setting up my own clinic in a town nearby.\nCommunity\/multibed acupuncture, if you are not familiar with it, is a new model of acupuncture provision based on the multibed model common in China and Japan. Costs are lower because multiple patients can be treated at the same time, in the same space (in the US, reclining garden chairs are commonly used to keep equipment costs even lower, as in the picture above). This is possible because this style of acupuncture mostly uses distal points on the arms and legs (no undressing required) and, after insertion and manipulation, the needles are left in to continue working for 20 minutes while the next patient is seen.\n[And if you are unfamiliar (or dubious) about what traditional acupuncture can treat, here are some research summaries from the British Acupuncture Council.]\nThis area of the UK has a lot of rural poverty. The town in question used to be a centre of the textiles industry and still has associated businesses, but now is mostly well-known for being poor, backward and depressed in comparison to nearby Exeter or Taunton. A walk down the high street reals the unholy trifecta of economic malaise, high levels of obesity, ill-health and disability, and that indefinable loss of spirit in a town that convinces every young person of passion or ambition to leave the area at the earliest opportunity.\nThe main message is that Community Multibed Acupuncture can be an incredibly powerful intervention in an area like this. The effect seems to come from a combination of:\n1) Effective health care - I've lost count of the number of patients who have come in with stories of months or years of expensive National Health Service treatments that made no difference to their conditions, who then see a large reduction in their symptoms after only one or two acupuncture treatments. (Moves to provide acupuncture on the NHS over the last decades have been faltering and half-hearted, and are now suffering from a pushback against anything considered 'alternative' or 'optional' - which is a shame, as it could save the NHS millions).\n2) Humane treatment - unlike the increasingly isolating and interventionist treatments common in industrial healthcare, the effectiveness of traditional acupuncture shows patients that good health can often be achieved through minimal intervention, through working with the body rather than against it, through self-help, and lifestyle and dietary changes. Demonstrating that a more humane approach to health is possible starts people thinking about what else they need to question.\n3) Collective treatment - something about the nature of receiving shared treatment with other people seems to have an effect on people. Perhaps it cuts through the common Western idea of illness as something private, secret and shameful - whatever it is, sharing one's vulnerability and the act of seeking support and help with other community members seems to have a profound psychological charge.\n4) Affordability - although health care is free ('at the point of use') in the UK, it is, in effect, rationed; waiting lists are getting longer again, and many NHS trusts are effectively bankrupt. C&MACs offer a form of healthcare without the expensive pharmaceuticals, electronics and salaried consultants. Most either offer a reduced rate (e.g. \u00a320) or a sliding scale (e.g. \u00a310-30, where you pay what you want). [I've found problems with both models - resistance to the idea of a sliding scale is very common, and often leads users to undervalue what is being offered. Given that it has taken the District Council 2 months (at this time of counting) to respond to what should be a simple request for licensing, and given that the licence terms for this district are insanely onerous, I have found a degree of freedom and enjoyment in simply offering treatments for free and explaining to patients what sort of average donation is necessary to keep the clinic open.] If all kinds of healthcare were funded equally, acupuncture would prove massively more cost-effective than many 'mainstream' modalities - not to mention less energy-intensive and ecologically-damaging.\n5) Knock-on effects - people who come to the clinic see flyers and posters for other events while they are there. They buy a coffee in the cafe upstairs and bump into other people they know. They go into other shops seeing as they are in town already. People who had given up on the town are excited that something like this would happen there. Maybe some people even wonder whether there is something they could do to get things happening in the local area. These are effects that are common to any community venture, many of which other ERs have mentioned elsewhere. As with education, art, reskilling, etc, the fact that users of the service are making positive changes in their lives, and are already feeling the benefit of being involved, seems to snowball this effect even more strongly.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-25 17:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"1915"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6301","title":"Design Challenge ","content":"\n1) What is the problem\/question you\u2019re trying to solve?\nHow to empower people to have a better understanding for each other through meeting on an eye level?\n2) State the ultimate impact you would like to have.\n- people meeting on an eye level\n- people gaining knowledge about each other and their culture\n- people learning from each other\n- people helping each other\n3) What are some possible solutions to your problems or ways to answer your question?\n- create ways where people are able to meet on an eye level\n- create\u00a0ways for people to have fun together\n- create\u00a0ways that people want to participate\n4) Write down some of the context and constraints that you are facing.\n- feeling of insecurity towards the not yet known\n- fear of binding\/ investigating time\n- not knowing what the outcome would be\n5) Does your original question need a tweak?\nHow to create a situation where people are motivated and have fun to participate?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-25 2:16 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8674"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6300","title":"How do different food cultures facilitate care?","content":"\nFood culture in China vs. Food culture in Germany\nWhen people ask me where I am from, I always need to think for a while to understand what they were asking for. The place I was born and where I spent nearly my whole life until now or the place my parents were born.\u00a0I normally say: \u201eI\u00b4m from Berlin (or \u201eI was born in Berlin\u201c), but my parents come from China.\u201c\u00a0But it\u00b4s in fact a difficult question for me to answer. Because my roots are also from China. And my parents have been in Germany for such a long time.\u00a0When I just say: \u201eI\u00b4m from Berlin.\u201c, sometimes they ask: \u201eAnd your roots\u201c?\u00a0\nLast semester I spent the time in Jena and Kahla, which is in east Germany.\u00a0There I\u00b4ve been told many times: \u201eOh, your German is so good!\u201c In Berlin I\u00b4ve been told this also some times, but not that often. I think the people there are just not used to see people with migration backgrounds that often. I can\u00b4t say it\u00b4s rude that they say it. Actually it\u00b4s a compliment!\nBefore I get to different food cultures, especially the differences between German and Chinese foodculture, I want to write about the topic foodculture in general and how it leads toward communication.\u00a0It has happened many times that after people knew where my roots come from they talk about their touch points with that culture. And often it starts with the food topic! There are many chinese restaurants spread in Europe, so the people get in touch with one part of the culture. Of course the food doesn\u00b4t taste originally like the food in China, but similar. They say: \u201eI love chinese food!\u201c and sometimes they can even say some words, like \u201eni hao\u201c, which means \u201ehello\u201c in Chinese.\u00a0I think that food is a good topic to start a conversation and also a good starting point to get to know the culture of a country!\nFood is a really big topic in China. While people in Germany or Europe often talk about the weather, chinese people talk about food. I realised that on my trip to china last year. The food topic appeared permanently on the way with my mum and her former classmates.\u00a0But you don\u00b4t need to travel that far to get an idea of the chinese foodculture.\u00a0Have you realised that in chinese restaurants are always those round tables with a turning glass plate on it? When my parents, chinese family friends and I go for chinese dinner, we always sit around that kind of table. One person takes a look at the menu and orders many different dishes for everyone. After a while the dishes, beside bowls with rice and a teapot appear on the glass plate. Then the people turn the glass plate to take a bit from different dishes. Everybody has a bowl, but it is so small that you normally take a bit from different dishes, eat a bit and take a bit again. Everybody shares the food with each other. People are chatting, eating and drinking together.\u00a0If you are just four people you don\u00b4t need a round table with a turning plate on in of course. But the procedure is similar. The dishes are in the middle of the table and you pick what you want. With your own chopsticks or a shared spoon. At home we also eat chinese food for dinner and we do it the same way. I like the way of sharing food. The process of eating is somehow very\u00a0interactive, because you also interact with people through interacting with the food.\nIn a German restaurant, everybody usually orders for himself. You focus more on what you would like to eat. It seems to be more individualistic.\nCare through cooking and eating together\nI think taking time for cooking something nice for yourself or other people is also a sign of caring for yourself and other people. It makes fun to cook together and it\u00b4s also possible to learn something from each other. Especially when you have different cultural backgrounds. It is also a possibility to meet on an eye level.\u00a0Also when you eat together, you\u00a0have something to do and have the possibility to start a conversation - maybe about food!\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-25 1:30 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8674"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6299","title":"Free thoughts about CARE","content":"\nWhat is care for me?\u00a0On the first thought care is a feeling for me. Something invisible.\u00a0From the day on we live, we normally experience it -\u00a0e.g. the care of our parents for us. It\u00b4s not just a physical kind of care, but also a mental.\u00a0We care about each other. We\u00a0care about each other even when the person is not physically there.\u00a0Care creates a boundary. A boundary between people.\u00a0Care is a form of dedication. You need trust and love to care about somebody.\u00a0Care means including someone instead of excluding.\u00a0To know that somebody cares about you is really important. It gives you a save feeling. The feeling, that you are not alone.\nA care-relationship can exist between families, friends, people and their pets or plants, a group of people, but also in a society.\u00a0There are many care systems in society (like health care, social care...). But shouldn\u00b4t also the people in society take care of each other?\u00a0Actions like helping an older person across the street\/ offering a seating in the bus,.. can\u00b4t be covered by institutions in society. These small actions can only be covered by people in society.\nBut how to establish the idea of taking care of people in need in society?\u00a0And how to establish actions of caring in society?\nIn a society of care, care is based on reciprocity. People help other people in need and receive help when the time comes when they need it.\u00a0\nCare is based on trust. But how to trust a stranger?\u00a0For the stranger you are a stranger, too.\u00a0Trust can only be developed by getting in touch with each other, by getting to know each other.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-25 0:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8674"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6297","title":"First thoughts and reflections on Open Care","content":"\nFirst Interview\/Brainstorm (german):\n\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Thema Sharing \/ DIY \/ P2P Frage nach allgemeinem Wohlbefinden der Leute \/Community kann das mit gesch\u00e4ftlicher Art und Weise zusammen gebracht werden, oder ist es ehre soziale Geschichte, private Zeit f\u00fcr andere geben, wie kann man eine Symbiose mit Mehrwert f\u00fcr mich und andere schaffen?\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. Thema alte Menschen App mit jungen Menschen zusammen Zeit\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0M. \u00c4hnlich: Junge Menschen aus der ganzen Welt haben alte Menschej in USA angeschrieben: Austausch \/ WinWin alte Leute haben Kommunikatin \/ Junge lernen Eng. \/ Beide Seiten profitieren \/ anders als bei kommerziellen Projekten + m\u00f6glichst gro\u00dfe Gruppe daf\u00fcr schaffen\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Es geht um symbiotischen Austausch\/Interessensvertretung \/ In welchen Bereichen funktioniert das noch \u00fcberhaupt nicht und welche Anreize kann man da schaffen \/ Worauf hat keiner Bock, was ist schei\u00dfe bezahlt oder hat zuwenig Leute die das machen wollen?\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. Technische Mittel der Kommunikation M.: alles was online gemacht werden kann wird dort gemacht, wegen niedriger Hemmschwellen \/ Weg auf sich zu nehmen um in ein Altenheim zu fahren macht keiner, ZB Hemmschwelle Geruch\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0What is care for you? M. \u00dcbersetztung ins Dt. schwierig\/mehrdeutig, sich um jdn k\u00fcmmern?, nicht nur v\u00f6llig sozial und selbstlos, muss auch etwas f\u00fcr mich geben, kann auch nur Spa\u00df sein oder Gef\u00fchl etw Gutes zu tun, Dankbarkeit, irgendetwas muss ich zur\u00fcck bekommen, und auch anderes herum, wenn sich jemand um mich k\u00fcmmert will ich so reagieren, und wenn nicht direkt dann an dritte weiter geben, Sozialwesen, das macht den menschen als human aus\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. Realit\u00e4t: Sozialsystem nicht darauf ausgerichtet\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0M. ist bekannt....ist einfach echt schei\u00dfe bezahlt! Es geht in\u00a0 sehr sehr vielen Lebensberiechen um Geld und das ist schade, es ist einfach so dass Leute, die gutes tun kein geld daf\u00fcr bekommen \/ paralleles System etablieren \u2013 ich habe ein Ferienhaus in den alpen, in liste eintragen, alle k\u00f6nnen hin, gro\u00dfe gruppe bezahlt \/ pures egoistische \u00fcberwinden,\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0um das zu \u00fcberwinden, vllt begriff von eigentum \u00fcberwinden\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. Akte der Solidarit\u00e4t nicht als B\u00fcrde \/ Wie? \/ Arbeitsgedanke \/ Warum nicht Spa\u00df?\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0M. konkretes Bsp. Treppenhaus sauber halten \/ Hausgemeinschaft, L\u00f6sung: Aufteilung oder der der es immer sauber macht bekommt den schl\u00fcssel zum dach oder man entw. Produkt das das treppen sauber machen zum adrenalin erlebnis macht, fahrzeug, \u2013> treppe als rutsche benutzen \/\/ S. Spielansatz \/ Last\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0M. das ist etwas dass man nicht in seinen Lebenslauf schreiben kann\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. gemeinscaften \/ wie unterscheiden sie sich voneinander \/ wenn neue mitglieder rein kommen, wie integrierst du sie?\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0-M. grunds\u00e4tzlich ziemlich interessiert, die bringen ja auch was neues rein \/ uni: Gruppen binden sich aus Interesse, wenn da jmdn neues kommt muss ich mich nicht \u00fcberwinden Kontakt aufzunehmen\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. Stressfull things into opportunities? \/ M. Ort wo sich Menschen gegenseitig helfen, gemeinsam fluchen heulen k\u00f6nnen daraus neue Freundschaften das w\u00e4re jawohl ein win??!?! \/ Ich habe echt wenig Sachen die mir \u00fcberhaupt kein spa\u00df machen, liegt vllt daran, dass davon fast alles mich betrift\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u2043\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0S. Gibt es waren Altroismus? M. Ich glaube sozial handeln schlie\u00dft auf ein selbst zur\u00fcck \/ ist auch gut f\u00fcr mich\nThe first questions I have were:\nHow can you get people to make symbiotic connections with each other by combining their intrest? How can you get people out of their comfortzones by increasing them? Can you make society act more social by making their their help more recognized? Are there new ways to make joyless but neccessary work more enjoyable? Nudging: should we manipulate people in a good way? Do we have to? Aren\u00b4t we doing it all the time anyway? Is there a way to defeat hypocritisy in some areas of social life?\nI let you know the anwers I get. Stay tuned!\nMilan\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-04-24 18:45 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8591"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6295","title":"What do we mean when we talk about care?","content":"\n\n\n\n\nWhat is care? Who gives it?\n\"The state is the main care provider\", say many Europeans. And sure, the welfare state is a major safety net in their societies.\n\"Business is the main care provider\", reply many Americans. They have a point too: their insurance companies, hospitals, and clinics \u2013 most of these are businesses.\nAnd yet, that's not the whole story.\nCare models are failing: per capita health care expenditure grows faster than GDP.\u00a0We need to spend an ever-greater part of our resources just to stay well.\nUnder pressure to get care, the edges of society (the young, the nomads and migrants, the precariat) respond by getting creative. There are many ongoing experiments, large and very small.\n\nA hackerspace in England provides\u00a0a safe space and a sense of identity to the members, many of whom are unemployed, or disabled, or homeless.\nHundreds of enterprising Greeks spawn a whole network of \"shadow\" clinics.\nThree expat adult couples in Belgium decide to\u00a0live under the same roof and be each other's support network.\u00a0\n\nAlong this journey, they (and we all) face deep questions about what care really is.\n\n\n Is it services? Is it human attention and warmth? Is it trying to fix what's wrong with people in need of care? Is it accepting everybody for what they are, with their strengths and weaknesses?\n\n\nCare is deeply human. Everyone has first hand experience of it. Even those of us who are not doctors or nurses or caregivers are occasionally patients (even doctors!); we all have first-hand experience of giving and receiving care.\nWe are collecting stories of care... and using our collective intelligence to make sense of them. We hope to get to a shared view of what people are doing to cope when official systems fail, and how we can help the promising solutions to become more resilient and accessible to more people . So we have started building a community where people are sharing first-hand, personal experiences and deep questions about how\u00a0we are currently giving and receiving care. \u00a0\nIn the two weeks since we got started people have been gravitating towards one another in interesting conversations. Have a look at some of\u00a0the best reads here, and inspiration for you to frame\u00a0your own contribution.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nReflection card graphics by Ola Moller for Edgeryders\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-23 16:04 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6289","title":"re:Publica | Care by Communities: non zero-sum provision of health and social care","content":"\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n\nThe migration issue dominates the European political debate. The influx of migrants, some people say, will break the European welfare system. Any new person coming in is reducing the amount of care that others can get. Care is supposedly a zero-sum game. Is this really the case?\nIt turns out that, when faced with care challenges, communities rise to meet them. By doing so, they step outside of our current paradigm, one of provision of care services by a combination of the state and private business. This changes the game completely to one of decentralization and reciprocity. These services often display an uncanny degree of efficiency. So no, care provision does not need to be zero-sum. There are unexploited resources in the system.\u00a0 But they cannot easily be added to our existing care system. They are too strange: ad hoc, blurry at the edges, often existing in legal gray areas. Unfundable.\nIn this talk\u00a0at re:Publica, we explore some of the amazing care services that communities are providing - right now \u00a0- to people that the state and private business have let down. We then ask how we, as a society, would need to change for them to continue to exist, and to scale where possible.\u00a0\nWe will discuss, among other things:\n\nThe economic truism that \"health care costs can only go up, never down\", and why that's a fallacy.\nThe difficult relationship between care giving and management culture.\nGreece's shadow health care service. 68 clinics with no legal status, don't accept money and provide free health care to people out the public health care system.\u00a0\nA large unofficial refugee camp in France that has developed its own services \u2013 community kitchens, a library and even a theatre!\nA makerspace in England with an incredibly diverse user base, where people find meaning (and income) through engaging with open technologies.\n\nThis talk takes place in Berlin onWednesday, May 4 at 11:15.\u00a0\nSession information and registration on the event website:\u00a0https:\/\/re-publica.de\/16\/session\/care-communities-non-zero-sum-provision-health-and-social-care. NB: We have a \u00a0limited number of\u00a0tickets available for Edgeryders community members. For more information let me know you are interested in coming by hitting the attend button and I'll get in touch with you.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-22 13:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6281","title":"OpenCare Co-design session  | 4 and 11 May 2016 - Milan  #Localactivity","content":"\n\n\n \n  On 4 and 11 May, WeMake and the City of Milan\u00a0will present the first co-design session for OpenCare project. This two-day\u00a0session is based on designing of collective solutions on care needs.\n  Read more here (in italian)\u00a0\n  http:\/\/wemake.cc\/2016\/04\/18\/opencare-primo-incontro-di-co-progettazione\/\n  Opencare co-design session in Milan\n   4 and 11 May - from 6pm to 9.30 pm\n  WeMake Fablab Makerspace\n   Via Privata Stefanardo da Vimercate, 27\/5\n   20128 Milano, Italy\n   \u00a0\n  Info:\u00a0-\u00a0opencare@wemake.cc\n \n\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-19 12:58 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6423"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6270","title":"Open Care meets SanGottardo #SocialStreet","content":"\n\u00a0\nOn\u00a0Tuesday 19th, City of Milan and WeMake will present OpenCare to \"San Gottardo Social Street\". The event will take place at \"Welfare di tutti\" Space\u00a0in Corso San Gottardo, 41, Milan, from 7 p.m.\nThe purpose of the Social Street is to promote socialization between neighbors resident in the same street in order to build relationships, to interchange needs, to share expertise and knowledges, to implement common interest projects, with common benefits from a closer social interaction.\u00a0To reach this zero cost objective, without opening new sites or platforms, Social Street makes use of the creation of Facebook closed groups.\nSo what better place to promote Open Care than another \"open\" community!?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-18 15:16 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8541"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6269","title":"Our power to create the new story of care - London 27 April 2016","content":"\nThis is described as \"a dialogic event for Health and Social Care Professionals and concerned Citizens\u00a0who want to work together to transform Care in the UK.\"\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-18 12:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"446"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6261","title":"On being a self-entrepreneur ","content":"\nIt was in 8th grade I think, when I heard my former best friend Tina say: \u201eTicking off to-do-lists makes me happy.\u201c I still feel the irritation that came along with those words. I just couldn't understand what she was referring to. Did she really enjoy this? Immediately I \u2013 as teens do \u2013 started to question myself: Why wasn't I that self-organized structure-loving girl that always got everything right, made reasonable decisions and planned her life 5 months beforehand?\nAs the years went by, I began to understand that it was not the fact that Tina loved ticking off to-do-lists that\u00a0 seemed so strange to me. It was the logic of efficiency, that I began to see everywhere. Peers trying to \u201eget it all right\u201c, to \u201eavoid failing\u201c. To master their own life as it was some kind of stress test. And to always be ready for the next job interview, a smooth and pleasing CV at hand.\nI was and I am a part of that. And it strikes me that this kind of neoliberal thinking of \u201eyour life (and your success\/failure) is your responsibility\u201c leads us sometimes to very harsh assumptions about ourselves and our peers.\nI can now see all of that in a broader socio-economic context of destabilized markets and societies. We are all, in a way, facing much more uncertain futures than our parents did (while it is extremely difficult to get a full understanding of how this is just a perceived thing or really the case).\nAgainst this backdrop, the topic of mental and emotional resilience seems really a thing we should put our minds to. What does \u201ereal\u201c self-care mean when we are all trained to function? When spiritual practices like yoga and meditation are already a part of improving ourselves, being a good self-entrepreneur who, after a good yoga-session, can function even better, work even longer hours?\u00a0\nI think sharing our vulerabilities and insecurities around failing, missing out and not wanting anymore is crucial at this point. Although there are already some great projects bringing these issues into awareness it seems that for a majority of people the stigma around for example mental illness, burnout etc. is still too big to cope with on their own.\nHow can we turn sadness, unproductivity and inefficiency into an accepted part of life and how can we help people to cope with expectations they can't and don't want to meet?\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-15 17:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8627"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6260","title":"Exhibition in Berlin: Hacking Utopia \u2013 Design concepts for social transformation","content":"\n\nYou may remember that some time ago I mentioned that\u00a0@Susa\u00a0 and I ( @Nadia ) had dreamt up a\u00a0new product design course format for product design students at UDK, one of the better design and art universities in Germany. It's called\u00a0Hacking Utopia- #OpenCare for social and demographic change\u00a0and was born out of our shared experiences as designers.\nMore specifically the frustration with outdated design education that ill prepares students to be able to do meaningful work with their skills and talents. We feel that this should start already during their education so by the time they have graduated they are already up and running their own exciting projects that really contribute towards tackling some of the bigger challenges which affect us all. \u00a0After a lot of work over the past couple of months, especially by Susa, the partnership agreement between Edgeryders and UDK was finalised and last week we launched the first ever edition of this course with a four-day intense workshop.\nOver the next six months each student will be working on design research and product development process that departs from the OpenCare topic and methodologies. They will be doing it in synch with the phases of the larger OpenCare research project. The course participants' documentation and individual reflections from each day are uploaded in the Op3nCare Community Homebase where you are very welcome to leave comments helping them develop their thinking and projects. Or better yet: follow the course and take on the tasks yourself! it's a fun way to unleash some of your creative urges while maybe picking up some new skills...and contributing to the common good :) You may even be eligible for the new fellowship program we are building!\nWhy do this? You get to see the OpenCare topic and challenges from many different perspectives and help shape the students research and product development work so they really are contributing to the Opencare research project. For the students getting feedback from you is an unparalleled way to discover new\u00a0knowledge and broaden their horizons about what is happening in the fields relevant to all our work.\nThe results of the students work will be exhibited in Berlin at Designtransfer UDK and it looks like some of them might run crowdfunding campaigns on StartNext.\nOpening: Wednesday, 20 July, 19.00\nExhibition: 21 July\u2013 24 July, 10.00\u201318.00\u00a0\nAddress:\u00a0Designtransfer UdK, \u00a0Einsteinufer 43-53, 10587 Berlin\nConcept: GastProf. Susanne Stauch\/ID2 & Nadia EL-Imam\/Edgeryders\nTeam: GastProf Dr. Martin Kiel\/GWK, Prof. Jozef Legrand, KM Sarah-Lena Walf, KM Johanna Dehio, Valentina Karga, Svenja Bickert-Appleby, Ludwig Kannicht, Laura Stra\u00dfer, Bj\u00f6rn Weigelt\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-15 12:00 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6259","title":"A new chapter in Other People's Story Books","content":"\nDespite being child to parents who had both been refugees themselves, that part of their past has never been openly talked about in our house.They told me once in full detail and never since. Once in a while, they would share bits and pieces of memories from all the way from Vietnam to Germany: How my grandmother took my mother to the docks in the middle of the night. The boats. The sea. How my father was captured by the Navy. The \"re-education camp\". The second try... the good people at the boarding home they were allowed to stay at. Fellow refugee children they made friends with. Attending school in a totally foreign language at day. Learning that very foreign language in the evenings. Working - and eventually not only being able to make their own living, but being able to make another person's living as well - in other words, not only having a child, but ensuring a safe and promising future for that child.\n\nThat being told, I must confess, I couldn't imagine how it must be to find oneself in such a situation. If I don't know their needs and wishes, how could I possibly dare saying that I'm helping with whatever I think that would help them?\n\nIf a refugee wishes for work, it almost automatically seems like a matter of impossibility: \"We cannot even provide our own people with jobs, how do you think you would fit into that picture?\" Maybe, that was a misunderstanding. Maybe, what was meant was rather: \"I'm tired of sitting around all day. I want to feel useful again. I don't want to be helped only. I also want to be in a position of helping others!\"\n\nI once helped supplying refugees with clothes. Our group of volunteers carried box after box and it would happen that some of the refugees ask to help us. We would refuse their offers and told them that it's okay to go rest and let us do the work.\nI didn't realise at that time that we treated them like children, belittling them, taking their integrity and giving them the feeling of uselessness. Out of arrogant goodwill.\n\nSo how can we care, without degrading them? How can we help re-establishing self-esteem and self-awareness, instead of belittling them? It's clear that they know better about their situation than we do, so how can we support them in finding their own solutions and learn from them, instead of imposing our solutions on something that we have absolutely no clou of?\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-15 11:50 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8592"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6258","title":"Collaborative care. A new generation of services ","content":"\nSince the beginning of human history, care has been exchanged (given and received) inside homogeneous, durable and relatively closed groups of individuals.\u00a0\nFamilies, clans, village communities, urban neighborhoods ...\u00a0\nIn the past century, in parallel to that, care has also been delivered by dedicated institutions: hospital, kindergartens, elderly residences... \u00a0\nToday, for several reasons, the demand on care is growing and becoming more complex, while both the traditional and the modern offer of care are less and less capable of coping\u00a0with it. In our fluid, hyper-individualized societies, families, village communities and urban neighborhoods are weakening (if not totally disappearing). Individuals, given their life structure, have less and less practical possibilities to take care of others (even when, in principle, they would do it).\u00a0\nCare institutions, which were supposed to substitute the traditional community\u2019s and individual\u2019s care, have fewer and fewer economic resources (and often political will) to do it.\u00a0\nThe gap between the growing demand and the shrinking offer of care is the basis of the present care crisis: a lack of care that is practical (the caring system do not succeed in coping with the care demand) as well as psychological (the sense of loneliness deriving from the lack of sense of care throughout the whole society).\u00a0\nTo overcome this crisis brand new care systems have to be imagined and enhanced.\u00a0A first step is to better understand caring activities, considering their nature and diversity.\u00a0\nThe practical\/organizational side of care is particularly important because care is more than exchange of information and knowledge. Care requires proximity and action: doing something for each other, taking time and being committed.\nCare activities. Care activities are quite diverse: they can be performed by whoever could be willing to do it (as shopping for groceries for somebody who is temporarily sick); they can require a lot of time, attention, and assumption of responsibility (as taking care of the daily life necessities of somebody seriously ill); they can require timely actions by highly specialized experts (as performing\u00a0surgery in very specific moments). And so on. \u00a0\u00a0\nIn general terms, these differences are characterized by a set of main parameters:\u00a0\n\n\nTime: duration, frequency, flexibility, \u2026\n \n\nSpace: virtual, hybrid, only physical, \u2026\n \n\nCompetences: normal everyday life socialization, specific diffuse knowledge, specialized expert knowledge, \u2026\n \n\nResponsibility: very low; low, high, very high.\n \n\nDifferent care actions should be attentively analyzed and mapped using these parameters. Intuitively, we can already say that different care activities could be delivered by different actors in different modalities.\u00a0\nTo imagine a new care system, we should\u00a0recognize all the potential caregivers and consider them as resources. Either as effective care resources (when they are already active). Or as potential care resources (when they can be\u00a0activated under certain conditions)\nCare resources. In principle, everybody can care for someone else. He or\u00a0she can do it in different forms (depending on his\/her expertise and time availability), but all of them require attention. In turn, given that attention is a limited resource (each person has a limit in his\/hers capability to give attention), this is true also for his\/her capability to care. Care (both the expert and non-expert one) is a diffuse but limited resource.\u00a0\nPresently, care systems are built on a mix of three main resources:\n\n\nInstitutional care givers (based on professional actors)\n \n\n\n\nThird sector and charity organizations (based on both professional and nonprofessional actors)\n \n\nTraditional care communities (as families, village communities, urban neighborhoods ).\n \n\nWe know that, for different reasons, all of them are in difficulty to cope with the growing care demand. Therefore, the issue is to reshape the system in order to permit to new potential resources to emerge and become effective resources.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nMainstream and countertrends. We have said that, in principle, everybody, depending on his\/her time and expertise, could give some forms of care. But we can observe that today, in the contemporary societies, this care potential, clashes with the dominant culture and practice.\u00a0In the name of individual freedom and convenience, our culture\u00a0tends to assume a careless approach to everything and everyone (the throwaway society extended from things to human relationships). And: a mainstream practice of living that makes it difficult to introduce care activities in the daily life (due to work constraints, to the evolution of families and to their being scattered in different places).\nTherefore, given the present structures of family and work, few people can commit to offering care, especially if this requires continuity, high responsibility and duration in time.\nNevertheless, several examples tell us that there still are several people who could and would dedicate some time\/energy\/attention to well-defined caring activities - if and when an appropriate enabling system would permit them to do it in an easy and flexible way.\nThis limited but diffuse caring availability is the potential resource that the socio-technical innovation should be capable to transform in an effective resource. \u00a0\nIn other words, thanks to an appropriate socio-technical innovation, it should become possible to cultivate and harvest the limited individual caring resources of broader groups of subjects. That is, to catalyze and coordinate existing but not used care resources could be the key to overcoming the crisis of care in contemporary societies.\nHypothesis and vision\nHypothesis. If the close (social or institutional) organizations of the past cannot cope with the dimension and complexity of the present demand of care, they must be opened. That is: the care activities must be divided in smaller\/lighter tasks, and allocated to a large number of actors, each one giving what he\/she is capable\/willing to give.\u00a0\nVision. Open care is an ecosystem of care-related interactions, characterized by being distributed among a large number of individuals, groups and institutions, with different competence, responsibility and commitment: \u00a0from the highly specialized actors and institutions\u00a0to family members, friends and neighbours with no specific knowledge and limited time availability.\u00a0\nViability\nSocial preconditions and enabling systems. To be viable, open care requires two main social preconditions:\n\n\nThe existence of a large number of other actors (relatives, friends, neighbors) willing to care for someone, even though they have practical limits (in terms of time and resource availability).\n \n\nThe existence of dedicated and specialized actors capable of intervening when their competencies are (really) needed.\n \n\nGiven the previous social preconditions, the open care potentialities are made real thanks to the existence of a technological and organizational system capable of catalyzing \u00a0diffuse resources, coordinate them and give their action the needed continuity. More precisely, this enabling system should:\n\n\nmatch different demands with different offers (in terms of competence)\n \n\ngive different care actions coherence and continuity (from the point of view of the care receiver)\n \n\npromote and support both relational and the highly effective ones (i.e. the most specialized, professional interventions).\n \n\nbe organically part of a larger systems: the ecosystem of interactions that represents what today we can refer to as a local community. \u200b\u200b\n \n\nSocial innovation and open care\nThe open care viability is based on the existence of a whole stream of social (and socio-technical) innovation that is already moving in a similar direction.\u00a0\nIn fact, in the complexity of contemporary society we can find several promising cases (some of them are still social prototypes, some others have already reached a more mature stage). For instance:\n\n\nCircles of care: groups of citizen facing the same problem (as: diabetes, allergies, obesity, \u2026 or simply the old age) who mutually support each other, with the supervision of a team of doctors and nurses (a well-known example is the Circle in UK: http:\/\/www.participle.net\/ageing ).\n \n\nNetworks of care: coordinated networks of family members, friends and neighbors, who share and coordinate their efforts to care for a person with serious problems (a well-known example is Tyze in Canada http:\/\/tyze.com )\n \n\nIntergenerational cooperation: organizations that supports the encounter of young and elderly people mainly around the theme of collaborative living (a well-known example is Prendi a casa uno studente (Take a student at home), in Italy: http:\/\/www.meglio.milano.it\/pratiche_studenti.htm )\n \n\nCollaborative inclusion: organizations of migrants and residents collaborating to produce both migrant\u2019s inclusion and social values, for both the migrants and the whole community (an example is: \u00a0Dine with us, in Belgium: http:\/\/dinewithus.strikingly.com ) \u00a0\u00a0\n \n\nConsidering these\u00a0diverse examples, we can observe that they present three common characteristics: (1) some care activities are delivered by non-professional actors; (2) the overall care burden is shared between different subjects; (3) specialized interventions are asked only when they are really needed. \u00a0\nThese examples are interesting because they give us an idea on how open care components could work. Nevertheless, in my view, they are not yet the full representation of the open care vision. \nTo better approximate it, two steps should be taken:\n\n\nTo rethink each one of these service ideas adopting the radically open approach that characterizes the Open Care research.\n \n\nTo consider the whole socio-technical ecosystem, and to improve it in order to give all of them and a multiplicity of similar ones the possibility to flourish\n \n\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-15 11:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8347"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6253","title":"The case for investing in health within the developing world","content":"\nLooks like one for @Nadia.\u00a0\nDeadline for registration is gone, but it can probably be hacked.\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-04-14 11:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6249","title":"Op3n Hangout: Join our weekly call Monday 16:30 CET!","content":"\nMonday afternoon is when the OpenCare crew, community and anyone interested to learn about the project meets online for a one hour of\n\nchatting and sharing ideas about designing better services for social and health-care\nkeeping others in the loop\u00a0with how the work progresses in Milano, Berlin, Brussels and everywhere else where Open Care communities are growing\nmaking plans for upcoming activities\n\nWe document the sessions and post them online in weekly blogposts about what is going on, and where people can jump in to help each other (see Workspace).\nThe call takes place at 16:30 CET in the google hangout, we'd love to meet you!\u00a0https:\/\/meet.jit.si\/opencare\nLet us know you're coming by pressing \"Attend\" below (make sure you are logged in).\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-13 21:23 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6245","title":"How to empower people to have a better understanding for each other through meeting on an eye level?","content":"\n1. What is the problem\/question you are trying to solve\/explore? Frame it as a design question!\nHow to empower people to have a better understanding for each other through meeting on an eye level?\n2. State the ultimate impact you would like to have.\nPeople who do not know each other, but are open to one another.\n3. What are some possible solutions to your problems or ways to answer your question?\nInitiating meetings. Introducing them to one another through friends for example at a dinner party. Making them play together. The game as a heterotopia. Creating the conditions \/ the situations to laugh together. Positive connotated interactions. Having the same goal. Building something together. Having to design \/ build the dishes, cooking utensils together, a hut, the instruments to make music and so on.\u00a0\n4. Write down some of the context and constraints that you are facing.\nTime as something many people feel they are missing. The motivation to come to such events. Fear of the unknown. \n5. Does your original question need a tweak?\nHow to make myself and others want to meet up with strangers? In which cases is this desirable?\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-12 23:15 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8597"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6244","title":"Day 1  Reflexions ","content":"\nDay 1 \nReflexions \n\u00a0\nWe did groups of three persons (Anna, Cindy V, Luisa) two from product design and one from gwk. We start to talk about theme of People on the move that was basically in relation with our personal experiences and people around us that exactly are in the them \u201con move\u201d.\n\u00a0\nIn our group we talked about the people that we know they moved to Germany to try to start a new life with a lot of difficulties but in the same time with a lot of dreams and expectations and how this people, including me, had to adapt their life here and learn all over again.\nWe talk too about what thinking people in Germany about this people on the move. For example; how people help other people to learn about how works the things here. Experiences from Anna and Luisa and how they contributed with friends with a Asylum Solicitudes to find more opportunists to study and work in Germany. \n\u00a0\nWe talk too about how is the feeling from German people about the foreigns that are coming, some people can understand the situation but other people are very heavy and close to foreign. We try to find many answers to understand why people in Germany having a negative reaction for foreigns and possible solutions \u201chow people turn fear into trust\u201d. \nI thin personally was a very interesting conversation because we coming from different context and was really god to hear about experiences from a foreign and from locals about the theme \u201cPeople on the move\u201d. Was important to know both sites to try to find many other possibles ways around this them.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-12 22:17 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8598"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6243","title":"Frame your Design Challenge #1 - Family Care","content":"\n1) What is the problem\/question you\u2019re trying to solve? \nHow does the concept of care change within non-traditional family models and alternative living situations?\n2)\u00a0State the ultimate impact you\u2019re trying to have\nGive people the feeling that they are being cared for.\n3)\u00a0What are some possible solutions to your problem?\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\nMultigenerational living concepts, community meals, platform\/space for interaction and communication (games, workshops, events, service exchange\u2026)\n4) Write down some of the context and constraints that you\u2019re facing\nDemographic differences in the definition of \u2018family\u2019 and \u2018care\u2019\n5) Does your original question need a teak? Try it again. \nHow can we give people the feeling of being cared for when apart from a traditional (ideal) family structure?\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-12 21:07 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8602"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6242","title":"Care as an Expat living in China","content":"\nListening Triads - People on the move (English translation here).\nHast du Erfahrung damit, on the move zu sein?\nIch habe 5 Jahre lang in Guangzhou, China gewohnt \u2013 hingezogen mit 12 \u2013 wegen der Arbeit meines Vaters.\nWie kam es dazu, dass er dahin ziehen musste?\nIhm wurde ein Job angeboten \u2013 wir haben dann entschieden bzw. meine Eltern, dass wir mitkommen, weil wir uns sonst nicht oft sehen w\u00fcrden und es auch eine M\u00f6glichkeit ist den Horizont zu erweitern \u2013 also waren wir people on the move.\nWie war der Moment als du wusstest OK ich muss jetzt nach China ziehen? Hattest du vorher schon mal Kontakt zu China?\nNein. Ich fand\u2018s gut \u2013 eigentlich. Meine Br\u00fcder fanden es richtig schei\u00dfe \u2013 haben geheult und hatten gar keine Lust. Ich war traurig mein Zuhause zu verlassen, aber habe es auch als M\u00f6glichkeit gesehen Neues zu erkunden, neue Sachen, neue Sprache, Kultur und so. Was kann ich noch sagen? Es gibt so vieles. Es war auf jeden Fall schwierig sich dort einzufinden, weil der Alltag und die Einstellung sehr anders waren als in Deutschland. Also insgesamt, wie die Leute gelebt haben. Kultur bedeutet ja nicht nur Tanz und Musik, das schl\u00e4gt sich ja \u00fcberall nieder: wie die H\u00e4user aussehen, wie das U-Bahnnetz aufgebaut ist, wie sich Leute begr\u00fc\u00dfen\u2026\nHat man gemerkt, dass das Alter einen Unterschied macht? Deins und das Alter von deinem Vater, also wie man verschieden den Alltag wahrnimmt und sich integriert als Erwachsener und als Kind?\nDer gr\u00f6\u00dfte Unterschied bestand bei mir und meiner Mutter. Mein Vater hatte ja dort schon Kollegen\/Freunde\u2026sein Alltag war nicht so anders. Meiner Mutter fiel es schwer Kontakte zu kn\u00fcpfen. Wir Kinder sind ja \u00fcber die Schule eingebunden worden. Aber die Erwachsenen mussten sich selbst zurecht finden. Es gab auch Support -Organisationen, aber das waren dann kurze Willkommens-Veranstaltungen und dann ging es nicht weiter. Zudem ist es f\u00fcr \u00e4ltere Menschen umso schwerer die Sprache zu lernen. Als Kind geht das noch leichter.\nIch wei\u00df nicht, ob das jetzt zu pers\u00f6nlich ist\u2026aber was hat deine Mutter dort gemacht? Dein Vater hatte den Job und ihr Kinder die Schule, aber wie war das f\u00fcr deine Mutter?\nSie hatte keine Arbeit\u2026.jetzt speziell. Aber \u00fcber die Jahre hat sie sich selbst integriert in die Gesellschaft der Eltern, Nachbarschaft und Schule\u2026sie war z.B. im Elternbeirat. Und sie hat dann viele gemeinn\u00fctzige Projekte angefangen selber zu organisieren, selbst angefangen Willkommens-Treffen f\u00fcr neue Leute an der Schule zu organisieren, Wochenendausfl\u00fcge f\u00fcr Eltern und Kinder und eine Fu\u00dfball-Liga. Au\u00dferdem hat sie B\u00fccher geschrieben, so Guide-Books, die die wichtigsten Dinge erl\u00e4utern: \u00c4rzte, die Englisch sprechen; wo man Schuhe findet, die gro\u00df genug sind, weil die Asiaten ziemlich kleine F\u00fc\u00dfe haben, 38 findet man noch, aber mit 42 hat man kaum eine Chance, da muss man die Insider-Tipps kennen.\nWarst du auf einer normalen Schule?\nWir waren auf einer internationalen Schule, als experts und sehr abgeschirmt von den locals.\nWas war das f\u00fcr eine Erfahrung? Gut oder schlecht?\nBeides! Ich fand es immer schon einen krassen Unterschied zwischen der chinesischen Kultur und meiner eigenen. Irgendwie ist es schon auch schade, dass man nicht so viel interagiert hat mit Chinesen. Aber durch die Schule habe ich auch die Option bekommen ganz viele verschiedene Kulturen kennenzulernen, auch die chinesische. Man ist viel rumgereist und hat auch schon einiges angenommen. Man hat sich aber schon \u00a0auch als Fremder gef\u00fchlt und wurde auch als Fremder angesehen. Ich wei\u00df nicht ob das deine Frage so beantwortet\u2026\nHast du denn dann China generell als Land empfunden, das offen f\u00fcr sowas ist? Oder eher als ein nicht so offenes Land f\u00fcr Fremde?\nMein Eindruck ist nochmal ein ganz anderer, als der meiner Mutter. Sie hat viel mit chinesischen Organisationen gearbeitet durch ihre Projekte. Ich hatte nie das Gef\u00fchl, das wir feindselig angeschaut wurden, aber es gab auch nicht nur Offenheit. China hat geschichtlich gesehen nicht nur die besten Erfahrungen mit Ausl\u00e4ndern gemacht: Im 20 Jahrhundert wurden sie von verschiedensten Kolonialm\u00e4chten ausgebeutet.\nWie war es f\u00fcr dich dann nach Deutschland zur\u00fcck zu kommen?\nIch bin ja gar nicht direkt zur\u00fcck, sondern erstmal nach England. Aber es war eigentlich, als w\u00e4re ich nie weg gewesen, weil wir auch immer in den Ferien in Deutschland waren. Deutschland ist irgendwie immer mein Zuhause gewesen.\n\u00a0\nReflection - Care on the move\u00a0\nGesundheit war ein Thema, bei dem der kulturelle Unterschied besonders offensichtlich wurde. Die Auffassung von Wohlbefinden hat sehr spirituelle und traditionelle Z\u00fcge in der chinesischen Medizin. Man h\u00f6rt von riesigen Schwarzmarktgesch\u00e4ften, die Haifischflossen und Teile anderer gef\u00e4hrdeter Tierarten f\u00fcr medizinische Zwecke anbieten. Auch andere \u201aalternative\u2018 Heilpraktiken wie Akupunktur, Massagen, Pflanzenheilkunde und bestimmte Bewegungsformen wie Qigong sind sehr beliebt. Es ist ein ganzheitliches Konzept von Gesundheit verbreitet; alles h\u00e4ngt miteinander zusammen, Balance ist ma\u00dfgebend. Die meisten Leute folgen Prinzipien der traditionellen Chinesischen Medizin, obwohl diese nicht auf wissenschaftlichen Fakten beruht und oft ineffektiv oder gar sch\u00e4dlich sein kann. Was hier manchmal als Aberglaube oder Hippiequatsch abgestempelt wird, wird dort weitgehend praktiziert. Weiter noch wird eher der westlichen Medizin und industriellen Pharmazie misstraut.\nAls Ausl\u00e4nder in China war es nicht immer einfach, die richtige Pflege zu bekommen. Kommunikation war die erste H\u00fcrde. Das Gesundheitssystem war ganz anders aufgebaut. Zudem musste man sich neu orientieren: man konnte nicht mehr einfach zu seinem altbekannten Hausarzt gehen, sondern musste erst mal neue Anlaufstellen finden. Es gab gewisse Kliniken und Zahn\u00e4rzte, die unter den Expats verbreitet waren, wo die meisten hingingen, weil dort Englisch gesprochen wurde oder man gar international \u00c4rzte hatte. Doch gr\u00f6\u00dfere Operationen lie\u00df man dann doch lieber in Deutschland machen oder holte sich zumindest eine zweite Meinung in Hongkong ein, dass durch seine britische Besetzung einen sehr starken westlichen Einfluss aufwies. Wieso diese Art Missvertrauen zu den chinesischen \u00c4rzten bestand, wei\u00df ich nicht. Lag es nur an der Angst, sich nicht richtig verst\u00e4ndigen zu k\u00f6nnen oder gab es generell kulturelle Unterschiede im Umgang mit Krankheit? Wie unterschiedlich war der Stand der Technik?\nWas ich wei\u00df ist, dass meine Mutter bestimmte Medikamente zum Beispiel nur in Deutschland kaufen konnte \u2013 auf der anderen Seite waren in China Pillen ohne Rezept zu erstehen, die in Deutschland gar nicht verkauft werden durften. Die Regulationen und Kontrollen waren generell anders. Zudem hat man erfahren, dass Chinesen aus H\u00f6flichkeit nicht gerne \u201anein\u2018 sagen, auch wenn sie wissen, dass sie etwas nicht k\u00f6nnen. Wenn man sich verl\u00e4uft, weil jeder, dem man nach dem Weg fragt, dich in irgendeine Richtung schickt, wenn er die richtige Antwort nicht wei\u00df, ist das nervig. ALs Arzt k\u00f6nnte so etwas jedoch sehr gef\u00e4hrlich sein.\u00a0Wie flie\u00dfen\u00a0solche Gewohnheiten in die\u00a0Pflege\u00a0ein? Wie kann man solche Verst\u00e4ndnisl\u00fccken identifizieren und \u00fcberbr\u00fccken?\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-12 20:43 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8602"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6240","title":"Not a clash of culture but a merge of culture","content":"\nGlobalization made us move and travel a lot. people are changing countries all the time. When you take a closer look at these people you realize how different the motivations of moving are, and\u00a0 depending on the motivation how different the goals and approaches are.\u00a0\nIf you decide to go into another country because you are interested in the culture you will most definitely integrate yourself and be open for the odds and difference you will come across. If you are forced to move though, for example because there is a war in your home country the situation is completely different.\u00a0\nSo on one hand we have the people who are moving maybe even because it looks good in your cv if you have lived in Stockholm for a while and then we have people who are forced to leave their countries for economic reasons or\/and because its dangerous for them to stay.\nSo lets think about the people who are forced to leave their countries,\u00a0lets say they move to Germany. Maybe because they have heard of Germany somewhere but maybe even out of a coincidence because the help Organisation they first came across was German and then they where broad to Germany. If you think about coming into a country without even finding the culture interesting beforehand you can imagine that there are a lot of weird things and habits you will come across. Also from seeing the other culture you will change the view on your own culture. seeing the differences will make you understand your own culture from a new point of view. like for example if you see people eating with knife and fork and you usually eat with chopsticks thats a moment where you separate from the others and realize just what your culture is actually about.\u00a0\nThis I find very interesting these cultures in cultures. I feel like there might even be a completely new interpretation of your own country. I can only think about food examples right now, like if you go to a restaurant and get \u201etypical food\u201c and then you go to the country and they will never serve you that food, because its a new invention born out of a new interpretation from your own country and culture.\nWhat I find really interesting also is the second Generation. They are born in a society and raised by two probably completely different point of views. They inhabit two cultures, two languages, two patterns of behavior. I see it as a great advantage but also it must be super hard to find yourself between these two poles. So hard to make stuff \u201eright\u201c especially if right here and right there are the compete opposite.\nIf I think about my friends who are born in two cultures i have a deep respect for why they have already been through sometimes already in their childhood and what they are now. Its so amazing if you are able to understand two cultures and then maybe even distance yourself and analyze the differences. Take the pieces that you like most and combine them. Its definitely a creative task. Well thats maybe my naive way of seeing it because im not that much involved and even if i have been traveling a lot its very superficial and maybe far from really understanding something.\nWhat i\u00b4m asking myself is how to show what a great advantage the fusion of two culture can be. Not a clash of culture more a mergence. If you think about this in a really basic way a completely different point of view could probably open your eyes and make you creative.\u00a0\nHacking and Making\nTo approach this task its important to firstly hack the habits of a culture.\nSeeing stuff through the eyes of someone else is a really good step. When i visited my grandma this weekend i broad an old friend with me. My grandparents house is something so familiar to me that i lost the ability to see how interesting they actually are and how much cultural value they have. My friends curiosity had a huge impact on me. We had a very close look at all the objects in the house and talked a lot to my grandma about the past.\u00a0\nI understood my own origin in different way. And saw my culture through the eyes of someone else.\nSO the questions that I'm asking myself are:\nHow can we show how great the merging of two cultures can be? fusion not clash of cultures\nHow can we overcome prejudice? or make use of prejudice?\nHow can we manifest respect and acceptance?\nHow can we be at eye level with one another ?\nHow can we make people look through the eyes of someone else?\nHow can we use the odds and peculiarities of a culture in a creative way?\nand probably a lot more to come..\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-12 16:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8589"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6239","title":"Helping Refugees in Denmark is Now a Crime","content":"\nIf you give them a ride, but also if you take them in or even\u00a0feed them you could be prosecuted.\nhttps:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/world\/europe\/denmark-a-social-welfare-utopia-takes-a-nasty-turn-on-refugees\/2016\/04\/11\/a652e298-f...\nAnd this is a list of the many recent laws passed by European nations regarding refugees:\nhttps:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/graphics\/world\/migrant-legislation\/\nI know this is a huge problem with no easy solutions and I do not wish to have simple-minded views about it. \u00a0But some of these laws seem rather bizarre to me, such as:\n\nThe Danish city of Randers made it mandatory for public institutions, including cafeterias in kindergartens and day-care centers, to have pork dishes on their menus.\u00a0\nStates in southern Germany can seize assets from refugees if they are worth more than 750 euros.\nSlovakia said that it will refuse entry to Muslim refugees, instead announcing that it would take in only Christians.\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-12 16:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8169"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6231","title":"What does \"Care\" mean to you?","content":"\nwhat does care mean to\u00a0you?\nUmsorgen, Allgemeinwohl\n- wenn es Teilen einer Gesellschaft schlecht geht, f\u00fcr sie gesorgt wird (im Optimalfall von denen den es besser geht)\n- nicht nur wenn es irgendwelchen Menschen schlecht geht, sondern allgemein f\u00fcr das Allgemeinwohl zu sorgen\n\u00a0\nWie achtest du auf Andere oder wie willst du, dass auf dich geachtet wird?\n- nicht nur, dass mir geholfen wird wenn es mir schlecht geht sondern, dass darauf auch geachtet wird\n- ich habe immer das Gef\u00fchl, dass Care der Staat durch Krankenkassen daf\u00fcr zust\u00e4ndig sind\n- ich denke immer an meinen Nachbarn, der ein psychologisches problem hatte, aber sich keiner darum gek\u00fcmmert hat\n\u00a0\nWie carest du?\n- ich care so, als dass ich sensibel auf mein Umfeld bin\n- utopisches Endziel ist: dass es alle aufeinander aufpassen und niemand allein gelassen wird\n- wenn der Carebed\u00fcrftige ein Gesicht bekommt und ich eine Beziehung zu der Person aufbauen kann, wird besser gekehrt\n\u00a0\nWann ist care keine Last?\n- Aufgaben spielerisch verpacken\n- Verantwortung verteilen\n- Perspektive: Aufteilung Notleidender und Helfender\u2026 dass die Rollenverteilung immer so fest ist\n\u00a0\nwie tr\u00e4gst du dazu bei, dass der Einstieg von Leuten in eine Gruppe vereinfacht wird?\n- Austauch\n- wieder: Rollenverteilung: extern intern\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-04-10 15:32 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8600"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6228","title":"BRIEF #1 for Hacking Utopia Project UdK","content":"\nBRIEF #1\nHU = Hacking Utopia Project UDK\nOC = OpenCare Research Project\nTask#1:\u00a0sign up for project (missing information)\nDeliverable\u00a0HU\nTime: 2\u00a0minutes\nDeadline:\u00a0Sunday, 10.4.\nInstructions:\nhttps:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/11Z3LY3V9zpwjEfDHVOJm28f3bRtRd0l-i2uXzh0dfN8\/edit?usp=sharing\n- - - -\nTask#2:\u00a0Personal Profile\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\nDeliverable\u00a0OC\nTime:\u00a01\/2 hour\nDeadline:\u00a0Sunday, 10.4.\nInstructions:\nMake it easier for us to connect you with one another based on complimentary interests and skills by completing your personal profile on\u00a0edgeryders.eu:\n1.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Login to the platform\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/user\/login\n2.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Go to your profile page:\u00a0bit.ly\/1MilNyk\n3.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Upload your picture\u00a0(the portraits that Bjorn took are all available to\u00a0download here)\n4.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Update your bio with the following information\u00a0(from the collaboration mosaic exercise we did on the last day of the workshop: http:\/\/bit.ly\/23kttrx)\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0a.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Your practical skillset (pick from list \/ add what's missing)\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0b.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0What you are interested in learning during this course\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0c.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0What you are interested in offering\/contributing\n- - - -\nTask#3:\u00a0Upload content from workshop\nDeliverable\u00a0OC\u00a0\/ HU\nTime:\u00a01 hour\nDeadline:\u00a0Tuesday, 12.4.\nInstructions:\n1.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Pull out your documentation from the listening triads on care (exercise from day 1 when you were split into groups of three)\n\u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Open a word processing document and write down your reflections around one or more of the following themes in the context of care\u00a0(if you didn't talk about care or one of the questions we had on the wall, repeat the conversation on skype or talk to yourself):\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a01.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0People on the move.\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Boosting one another\u2019s mental and spiritual resilience\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Hacking and Making\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a04.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Open Science and Technologies\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a05.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Communities & interpersonal relationships\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a06.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Food cultures\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Copy-paste and upload your reflections here\u00a0bit.ly\/1VcakTB\u2028\n\u00a0 \u00a0\n- - - -\nTask#4:\u00a0Frame your design challenge\nDeliverable\u00a0OC \/ HU\nTime:\u00a01 hour\nDeadline:\u00a0Tuesday, 12.4.\nRead: HCD Field Guide p. 31-33 (http:\/\/www.designkit.org\/resources\/1\u00a0or dropbox)\nInstructions:\n1.Repeat the exercise \"Frame your design challenge\" by picking one of the questions from the list we came up with on day 2 (http:\/\/bit.ly\/1N10AsZ) and uploading your responses to the questions on this page:\u00a0bit.ly\/1oGV3fw\n2. Please respond to questions and feedback in the comments as we will give you feedback on your question\u00a0\n3. Refine your question by the 25.4.\n- - - -\nTask#5:\u00a0Research- General\/Intuitive\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\nDeliverable\u00a0OC \/ HU\nTime:\u00a0open\nDeadline:\u00a0Monday 2.5.\u00a0(if possible Monday 25.4.)\nInstructions:\u00a0\u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a02.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Based on the topic and question defined in your design challenge, do online research looking for relevant and inspiring Groups, Projects, Places, Products, Technologies, Tools, Services or Infrastructures.\u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a03.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a04.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Collect everything in a thoughtful text with images and links, if possible by 25.4.\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a05.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Upload the post as a first step towards building your case studies here\u00a0bit.ly\/23gdz1i\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a06.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0If you want feedback, further references etc on what you presented during day 1, just upload your speaker notes- we\u2019ll sort out the rest.\n\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a07.\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Please respond to questions and feedback from your peers as well as members of the edgeryders\/opencare community team who can help you to develop sharp case studies through their input\n- - - -\nTask#6:\u00a0Personal Profile on\u00a0cre8tives.org\nDeliverable\u00a0HU\nTime: 1\u00a0minute\nDeadline:\u00a0Sunday, 24.4.\nInstructions:\nsign up on\u00a0cre8tives.org\u00a0and we do the rest\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-09 19:52 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Task","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"249"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6226","title":"The forces that motivate us....","content":"\n\u00a0\n1. What is the problem\/question you are trying to solve\/explore? Frame it as a design question!\nHow to not push someone to a place or activity but make it come to them?\nWhat actually pulls you towards something, towards doing something?\n2. State the ultimate impact you would like to have. What would make you feel like you did something meaningful with your time?\nWe would like to understand what motivates people to do stuff that they enjoy doing.\n\n3. What are some possible solutions to your problems or ways to answer your question? Think broadly. It's fine to start a project\/learning process with a hunch or two, but make sure you allow for surprises.\nWhat does personal motivation in general mean? What makes people like (care for) something? What sparks interest and motivation in people? What creates flow?\nHow can we break the logical answer mechanism in people? What interview techniques spark an elaborate answer beyond \u201ebecause I like it!\u201c\n4. Write down some of the context and constraints that you are facing. They could be geographic, technological, time-based, or have to do with the population you\u2019re trying to reach.\nSince we haven\u2019t decided on a population that we would like to support, we might face these constraints later. Though we don\u2019t have a precise question that could lead to a fuzzy challenge. We still need to find a point to start a design intervention from.\n5. Does your original question need a tweak? Try it again.\nWhat are the mechanics behind the moment\/process of people being driven towards doing something they care about. It is about the point between an intrinsic intention and an action.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-09 19:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8582"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6225","title":"How to design interaction between people which are strangers to each other?","content":"\nMy question is, how to bring people with completely different cultures, backgrounds and interest to a moment of human interaction.\nIt can be a a very short moment, where people are connected and they are released in there routines again, but with something that remains. In the best case, it could happen, that it creates long term connections but this is not my biggest intention.\nI can imagine to build up installations (maybe super small but many), manage meetings, organize happenings (flash mops) and document all this for a exhibition which presents the activity to a broader public.\nIt will take place in Berlin, basically because our uni is here, but it also is a awesome place for multicultural interaction. The challenges will be to coordinate many people, finding locations and founding the project.\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-09 18:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8594"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6224","title":"Hacking Utopia | Participant skillz and offers for help","content":"\nSkillz im Umfeld\nJan: Allrounder, Zuverl\u00e4ssigkeit, b\u00fcrokratische Hilfe, Korrekturlesen deutsch\nAlice: breites Allgemeinwissen, Korrektur von wissensch. Output, Technik (Reparieren, Einrichten, Erkl\u00e4ren), Unterst\u00fctzung bei handwerklichen Tasks, positiver Support, Antworten zu Haus, Hof und Recht.\nKatja: Texte testen, Korrektur lesen, getting shit done fast, Veranstaltungen organisieren, schwere Sachen tragen, Empathie\/Gem\u00fctlichkeit, Co-Working\nNele: Grafik & Gestaltung, Korrektur lesen, Job & Vertr\u00e4ge, Bewerbung, New Media und Online Shizzl3\nLuisa W: engl. \u00dcbersetzung korrigieren, Motivationsschreiben gegenlesen, Versicherung und Steuer, Rezeptideen, Computerkram\nPauline: Zuverl\u00e4ssigkeit, gut organisiert, nimmt sich direkt Zeit, man f\u00fchlt sich nicht bl\u00f6d (Augenh\u00f6he), zuh\u00f6ren ohne zu werten, Geduld, inspirierend, hilfsbereit ohne Anspruch auf Gegenleistung\nCindy: B\u00fcrokratie Papierkram, deutsche Korrektur, Portfolio Design, Foto, Encouragement, Fahrradreparatur, Inspiration f\u00fcr Design, Find solutions in chaotic situations\nMarie: Aufmunterung, Ratschl\u00e4ge, gute Gespr\u00e4che, Vertrauen, Fahrrad reparieren, \u00dcbernachtungsplatz, Wissen, Laptop reparieren, Handy reparieren, Mitfahrgelegenheit, finanzielle Unterst\u00fctzung, gibt Mut, Arbeitsbeschaffung, Inspiration, Unterst\u00fctzung, Feedback und R\u00fcckhalt\nMoriel: weiter Blick, inspirierend, ehrlich, knallhart, wertet nicht, empathisch, Vertrauen, zuverl\u00e4ssig\nTomma: Hilfe bei Entscheidungen, tagt\u00e4gliche Lebenskrisen \u00fcberwinden, Geborgenheit, Technik, Inspiration, menschliches Wikipedia, Erwachsenenleben Fragen beantworten,\u00a0\nLuisa R: moral support, simplifying stuff, language question german\/english, Computer\/Software, Graphic Design, Typography, Brainstorming, Hands-On questions, technical\/construction, discussions, image related (animation etc), how to integrate playfulness in the progress, politics, making sense of stuff\nDennis: sense of freedom and rebellion, law issues, economics, broad knowledge in history, culture and philosophy, hand crafts, courage, dream protector, sense for easy communication, people who are calm and calming when too enthusiastic, having always pen and paper at hand, humor\nPhilipp: Wirtschaft und Recht, philosophisch-humanistische Fragen, Kunst, Rechtschreib\/Korrektur\/Gegenlesen, technische\/mechanische Fragen, Ehrlichkeit, Grafik&Layout,\nHoney: well traveled, art enthusiast, knowledge about chemics and physics, knows 1000s of books and films, knows club owners, start up investor, english author, knows event organisation, super good music skills, service design\/design thinking, was part of most subcultures, people skills,\nLeonie: Souver\u00e4nit\u00e4t, Unterst\u00fctzung, L\u00e4ssigkeit, Loyalit\u00e4t, Wildheit, Vertrauen, Kreativit\u00e4t, Humor, Pragmatismus, Akzeptanz, Klugheit,\u00a0\nTaina: Ehrlichkeit, Verst\u00e4ndnis, Zur\u00fcckhaltung, Gelassenheit, Trost, Lob, konstruktive Kritik, Reflektion, Humor, Hilfsbereitschaft, Loyalit\u00e4t, Zuver\u00e4ssigkeit,\nJan: being calm, trust, honesty, conscious, maker, being smart, good listener, selbstbewusst,\u00a0\nMilan: psychologische und philosphische Fragen, Materialfragen, b\u00fcrokratische Probleme, Feedback f\u00fcr Hausarbeiten, KFZ, auditive Issues, globale politische Zusammenh\u00e4nge,\nClara: W\u00e4rme, Zusammenhalt, Wissen, Zuh\u00f6ren, konstruktive Kritik, Energie, neutrale Betrachtung von Situation, Diskussionen\/Gespr\u00e4che, Ehrlichkeit, Humor, Vertrauen, f\u00fcreinander Dasein in jeder Situation\nSimon: Organisatorisches, technische Fragen, emotionaler Support, Ruhepol Grafikdesign\/Layout\n\u00a0\neigene Skillz\nTomma: showing new perspectives on an issue\nPauline: inspiring someone, make a person feel better, helping someone to understand sthg, unwirring a complicated thing into manageable pieces, facilitation someone to achieve a goal\nKatja: helping to take a decision, helping to analyse a problem, listening, making a time line, etwas treffend formulieren,\u00a0\nMoriel: zuh\u00f6ren, jemanden zum lachen bringen, ermutigen, ehrlich sein\nNele: Formuiierungs- und Stilfragen, feminist rants und gender issues, kreativer Input, \u00dcbernachtungsm\u00f6glichkeiten, Pflege bei Erkrankungen\nAlice: kulinarische Hilfestellung, cooking for people, Problemstellung abstrahieren und verdeutlichen, Kontexte setzen und formulieren, Buch- und Filmtips\nDennis: building stuff, helping with it, normal stuff, restaurieren von Instrumenten und Handwerkzeugen, simplify stuff, reading and correcting, layout, starting or joining actions\nPhilipp; bicycle repair, fixing stuff in general, problem finding (what's wrong) constructive\/mechanical problem solving, making things hands on, Feedback\/critique, graphic\/layout\nLuisa: mediation, listening, motivation, brainstorming, helping with experiments, calm people down,\u00a0\nLuisa W: personal motivation, connecting people, cooking for people, advice with contemporary art,\u00a0\nClara: zum lachen bringen, Sachen anvertrauen, Ansprechpartner bei Problemen, Ermutigung bei Unsicherheiten, Fragen zur Gestaltung\nMilan: Formulierungen, visuelle und auditive Gestaltungsfragen, semiprofessionelle Adobe-fragen, Klamotten reparieren, Motivation, Covers und Logos entwerfen\nJan: my books, pattern recognition, digging (research), discussions, listening, trying new stuff,\u00a0\nLeonie: Umziehen, Premiere und Schnitt, Sortieren, den richtigen Psychologen finden, kochen und gastgeben, zuh\u00f6ren und Empathie, Kompliziertes vereinfachen, Leute anfeuern und aufbauen\nHoney: \u00dcbersichten herstellen, Details herausziehen, motivieren, zusammen mit Menschen Probleme herausfinden\nTaina: Pflege bei Krankheit, Trost spenden, kleine Gesten im Alltag\/Aufmerksamkeiten, Menschen zusammenbringen, Schnittstelle sein, Korrektur lesen, Freunde bei Entscheidungen beraten, Situationen mit Weitblick analysieren,\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-09 17:27 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6223","title":"Welcome to 'The Jungle' - We've got fun and games","content":"\nBackground to the story\nTo those of us in the UK the Calais \u2018Jungle\u2019 has become synonymous with the migration and asylum crisis that has occurred in Europe over the past 2 years. It is frequently in our papers and on our televisions, yet beyond the UK and the direct environment of Calais the Calais camp has not received the kind of attention it deserves.\n\u2018The Jungle\u2019, as it has become known, is a large camp on the edge of the Calais port area. It sits on top of a series of sand dunes, small lakes and wastelands on the very edge of the French coastline, right by the lorry parking area at the port. Before it was settled it was an industrial dumping ground, and previous checks of the ground have found traces of heavy metallic elements like Cobalt, as well as large amounts of old asbestos panelling that had broken down.\nOn top of all this sits a huge camp for migrants and displaced people from around the world. At last count it stood at around 4900 people, most of whom are trying to claim asylum in the UK.\nAt it\u2019s largest point shortly after Christmas the camp had over 6000 residents. Living in very harsh, cold conditions through the Northern Europe winter.\nOriginally the camp was made up of tents and very temporary structures. But from around September last year a number of new charity organisations and volunteer structures made it their plans to help improve the quality of the camp\u00a0[http:\/\/www.ahomeforwinter.org\/].\nThe camp is largely made up of young men, although there are small numbers of families, women and young children as well as around 350 unaccompanied children between the age of 12-16. A number of organisations sprang up that work with the women and children on site, provided youth clubs, teaching and English lessons. [http:\/\/www.calaidipedia.co.uk\/camp-initiatives] [http:\/\/www.calaisjungleyouth.com\/]\nThe camp has grown up, physically and mentally, over the last 5 years, but has really become a focal point since around 2012. The camp has grown hugely during this time, as well as moving around from site to site.\nAlongside the humanitarian and social aid there are library and reading services [http:\/\/www.calaidipedia.co.uk\/jungle-books-library], theatre and arts activities [http:\/\/goodchance.org.uk\/], community kitchens [https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/OneSpiritAshramKitchen\/][https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/The-Belgian-Kitchen-1736739086546935\/], hot food distribution, dry food goods distribution and daily clothing distributions provided from a central warehouse [http:\/\/www.laubergedesmigrants.fr\/], amongst many others [http:\/\/time.com\/4233206\/calais-jungle-shops\/].\nYou can find out more about a numbers of the organisations that work on the site by visiting [http:\/\/www.calaidipedia.co.uk\/breaking-news] or by reading the No Borders document [https:\/\/welcometocalais.files.wordpress.com\/2015\/10\/welcome-to-calais-booklet_eng_updatedoct15.pdf]\nAlthough MSF, GWB and Unicef run services on the site, and have provided some care to the camps the site itself is not officially recognised by the French or UK governments, and as such has no requirements to meet basic human rights, or follow local building or health and safety guidelines.\nAs a result, no single government or NGO organisation has responsibility for the activities and structures on camp. Everything that has grown up has happened through self-organisation, communication and collaboration between new and existing charities both French-based and in the UK.\nIncreasingly we are seeing aid, and charities from further afield in Europe coming to Calais to help, creating a multi-national series of solutions that have grown up without any direct hierarchy or guidance.\nIn March the French prefecture with the support of the CRS cleared the oldest, largest section of the camp in the south. The intention was to rehouse all of the residents in to a number of local official options; including the La Vie Active container camp [http:\/\/julesferry.vieactive.fr\/]; the brand new official refugee camp in Dunkirk [http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/europe\/france\/12186407\/Frances-first-ever-internationally-recognised-refugee-camp-opens-near-Dunkirk.html] or into asylum\/detention camps around France.\nThe majority of residents in the camp chose to not take these options as they are not looking to seek asylum in France, but are trying to get to the UK to reconnect with families. This disconnect between what the French authorities want to achieve with the residents and what the residents themselves want to achieve goes a long way toward explaining the conflict and central problem at the camp.\nAbout what i have been doing\nFor the past 3 weeks I have been working as a volunteer through the central warehouse, L\u2019Auberge des migrants.\nL\u2019Auberge acts as the central aid and food distribution services for the camps across Northern France, including Calais, Dunkirk and a number of smaller camps around the area.\nL\u2019Auberge exists solely on donations, providing daily hot food deliveries, daily dry food deliveries to allow residents to cook for themselves, clothing drops, and since my arrival a mobile distribution service that goes from shelter to shelter, assessing individual and community needs and providing aid in the form of blankets, sleeping bags, cooking equipment, lights and a number of other personal items.\nAll of these services are coordinated by long to medium term volunteers, who spend their own money and time to care for the people on camp without receiving any direct pay. Sometimes fundraised money is spent to provide accommodation and travel expenses to volunteers but a large majority of people live out here entirely on the own funds.\nThe warehouse was initially set up by a French charity but is now run and \u2018staffed\u2019 by a UK charity HelpRefugees [http:\/\/www.helprefugees.org.uk\/what-we-do\/], who bring in funding and support from around the EU to help provide humanitarian services.\nhttp:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/indepth\/features\/2016\/03\/burying-refugees-die-calais-jungle-160329071028796.html\nTO BE CONTINUED.....\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%23CALAIS\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-09 16:13 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"6559"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6221","title":"PRENDERSI CURA CON STRUMENTI OPEN SOURCE WORKSHOP @ 5\u00b0 Forum delle politiche sociali #LocalActivity","content":"\nThe second free hands-on workshop of the #opencare series will take place this next Thursday 7 april\u00a0in Milan at \u20185 Forum delle politiche sociali\u2019. Come and learn how to create an #IoT #opensource service to monitor and take care of your loved ones remotely.\u00a0\n\nHere Forum\u00a0program \u00a0in italian:\nhttp:\/\/mediagallery.comune.milano.it\/cdm\/objects\/changeme:56745\/datastreams\/dataStream1980833562874032\/content?pgpath=\/SA_SiteCo...\nIf you have the possibility to come, drop us a line:\u00a0opencare@wemake.cc\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-09 15:16 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2604"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6207","title":"My design challenge","content":"\n1. What is the problem\/question you are trying to solve\/explore?\u00a0Frame it as a design question!\nHow do the differences between family relationships influence the concept of care?\u00a0\nFamily is the space in which we learn to care about other people and in optimal situations are being care for from others. Apart from the abstract idea of a close all-loving family, the reality often looks different and a multiple of imbalances can arise within and across different families. Viewing care as a fundamental good necessary to every human being, different family structures influence the social life of people and create misunderstandings across all the ecosystem. Someone who does not, for whatever reason, have access to care from his \u201cnatural\u201d family, has to seek somewhere else, but meets the difficulty to be part of a society in which different types of care are structure and differentiated, i.e. typically hard emotional situations that need a specific type of care are dealt with the family members. Outside of these close circle, misunderstanding arise as why people should care and how to communicate the need for it.\u00a0\nDifferent family-backgrounds often produce individuals who deal with their emotional life differently. We live in a time where family relationships are being redefined and even though alternative families (single mother, single father, same gender marriages, etc.) are officially being more accepted in the open discourse, the psychological and practical implications are being overlooked. For example, turning your friend or lover into the main care giver\u2014role officially being taken by your parents and\/or brother\/sisters\u2014still carries social stigmas and difficulties in assessing the fluid role-relationship in play.\u00a0\n2. State the ultimate impact you would like to have. What would make you feel like you did something meaningful with your time?\nRe-think the traditional role of the family as a protection-space and care-giver; deconstruct its traditional proposes and definitions and underpin the imbalances, paradoxes, holes in the system. Center care as an extremely important aspect of our lives, a fundamental good which can have a domino-effect on all other aspects of our lives when not dealt with properly. Create a common linguistic understanding of different family backgrounds and correlate them to the psychological and social implications they carry out. Care is a fluid good and can be shared without the traditional format of a family.\n3. What are some possible solutions to your problems or ways to answer your question? Think broadly. It's fine to start a project\/learning process with a hunch or two, but make sure you allow for surprises.\nThe definition of family might be broaden or the caring role and relationship be redefined. At the end, the important aspect is to awaken a conscious thinking about caring and its connection to vital energy, well-being and social possibility with other people. The intimacy by which we hide some aspects of our emotional life must be addressed with the hope a post-traditional exchange system can born out of it.\n4. Write down some of the context and constraints that you are facing. They could be geographic, technological, time-based, or have to do with the population yo're trying to reach.\nInitially the question should be limited geographically and anthropologically to the western world. In future, a more global approach could be used.\u00a0\n5.\u00a0Does your original question need a tweak?\u00a0Try it again.\nHow do the differences between family relationships influence the social life and exchange of care between individuals?\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-06 19:10 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8581"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6206","title":"Hello, introducing myself :)","content":"\n\n\n \n  \n   I am Moushira. One of the OpenCare crew from WeMake, and it is time to introduce myself :).\u00a0 Once upon a time I was an architect, building and exploring alternative building techniques with communities in the desert of Morocco and the mountains of Sinai in Egypt.\u00a0 Three years ago, I got a masters in interaction design, and then Arduino started to change my life :). Since then, I have been working on different things, including a project for an opensource laser cutter, called Risha, that operates via mobile phone.\u00a0\u00a0 I am also working on another project that helps introduce Bedouin women and kids in the mountains to smart textiles, and I am a consultant to the Wikimedia Foundation (the one that runs Wikipedia), working on helping find out what readers want (because no body knows yet, imagine!).\n    \u00a0\n  \n   As part of OpenCare team from WeMake, where I am working on both the strategy and the harvesting of the online community and helping the people define projects that they want to implement. Moving on, I will help with physical prototyping aspects.\u00a0 I believe Opencare is a wonderful initiative,\u00a0 that reminds us of simple solutions that can make a difference in our lives, yet nobody thinks about them, because nobody knows those exists at first place.\u00a0 Many thanks to @Costantino for offering me this opportunity.\n   \u00a0\n \n  I speak Arabic, English, French and Spanish (proficiency is in the same order :).\u00a0 I am Egyptian, and these days I live between Alexandria and Dahab (a small city in Sinai)\n  \u00a0\n\nNice to meet you everyone, please let me know if you have any questions.\nMoushira\n\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-06 16:14 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8373"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6202","title":"From challenge brief to actionable: Turn into challenge tasks for Active Learners to try out and then report back","content":"\nHow to turn fear into trust?\nWhat is a rich life?\nHow do\u00a0 reduce the fear of people to get involved in activism?\nHow to expland people's comfort zone? \"chance is logical. People travel, then they come back but never change\"\nHow can happiness and work be put into contact with one another?\nHow does the concept of care change with new family models?\nHow do different food cultures facilitate care?\nWho do we care about? How do we take care of the people about whom we do care?\nHow do people who have fears try to compensate them with certain kinds of trust?\nHow do the differences between family relationships influence the concept of care?\nHow do flexible or contingent situations affect care?\nHow can egoism and care go hand in hand?\nWhy do people feel so bad about doing care work?\nHow to make care work feel like you did something for yourself?\nHow to get people who are analytic, obersvant and emphatic to help people find their way forward?\nHow can we make care work desireable?\nCAREeer has the word care in it. How can we make a career out of care without turning people into managers?\nWhy don't we make a job out of love?\nHow can we raise the socioeconomic value of hands on care work (e.g. wiping bums)?\nHow to remove the social stigma around care work?\nHow to make a person wiping asses into a big boss?\nHow can I find out why care = Altruism?\nHow can you pull someone towards caring, rather than pushing? (health psychology focuses on the latter)\nHow can you lure people into caring (not nudging)?\nHow to not push someone to a place or activity but make it come to them?\nHow to make caring activities\/ opportunities to get involved in caring come to you?\nWhat actually pulls you towards something, towards doing something?\nHow to create a starting point: what makes people motivated to step out of their comfort zone? \"love can give you the sense of home, can give you a bigger comfort zone\"\nHow to create the conditions for people to meet being open to explore and discover how they can build mutual benefits? Not starting from the benefits offered but creating the space for them to become visible\/emerge over time.\nHow to bring people on an \"eye level to get the understanding?\nHow to bring together egoism and care?\nThere is always exchange between the individual and community. At which point between the individual and the community could you step in to change the behaviours of both?\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-06 9:43 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6200","title":"Find Inspiration and Power","content":"\nFor me personally is Challenge 1 \u201cPeople in move\u201d very special because I was a people in move, I\u00b4m a foreign in Germany and I had to adapt my life here. At the beginning was not very easy and it was actually a adventure for me in my way to try to take a place in this society. The other is the Challenge 3 because when I try to find solutions like a designer and discover new skills in this way I think about Why I do this? What is the reason for all that I do? In the such for the answer I can find the most part of my motivation to work and these point is very important for me. Believe in what I do it means to me inspiration and power.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-04-06 1:13 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8598"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6199","title":"[Media] Wars \/ Peacemaking fails","content":"\nWar is like a dirty toilet that no one wants to clean someone said...\nViolence begets violence and war is the\u00a0ugliest\u00a0human invention. For the past \u00a04 days\u00a0our lives here in Armenia have turned upside down...Things are calm in Yerevan but the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh is on everyone's mind. Most people know at least someone who is on the front lines, mostly 18-20 year old boys serving their mandatory 2 year service,\u00a0\u00a0though\u00a0hundreds of volunteers and\u00a0army reserve forces are joining.\nIt\u2019s hard to shift my mind\u00a0and concentrate on\u00a0work at all in this situation...I've been idly browsing and refreshing the news\u00a0(local - only official info that is of course censored, intl - absence of reaction and investigative journalism, and azeri- misleading statements and false accusations)\u00a0since Saturday morning when the shootings began.\nEven though me and most of the people I know haven't really grasped the reality in this information blockade, this is war...this is what war looks\u00a0like...and I do remember the consequences of the Karabakh conflict too well, even though I was only 6 when it\u00a0started...\nFirst thing on my mind -\u00a0I do not want my daugher to witness the horror we've been through...second thought -\u00a0Armenian\u00a0and Azeri people\u00a0should gather at the\u00a0border in masses and have\u00a0free hugs...third thought - war is inevitable, this is the reality, people too brainwashed by their governments, full of false patriotism, nationalism and machism...peacemaking failed once again...\nWe dance and send our\u00a0children to fight the enemy,\u00a0this is the only way...both sides consider each other agressors and feel the necessity to protect themselves\/reclaim their lands....false declarations of ceasefires, provocative war crimes, rejoicing in\u00a0the losses of \"the enemy\" just like in a football match\u00a0and asking the gods to protect our boys on the frontline...and\u00a0the international community that can only do\u00a0so\u00a0much \u00a0as to \"condemn\" the violence...\nThoughts and prayers are not enough here. An escalation of this situation may lead to a full blown\u00a0war that can set this region back for decades.\nAs I am too paralized to form my own thoughts, I'll just quote some of the most objective and reasonable comments I've seen on the internets in the ocean of misleading and incorrect information\u00a0for the past couple of days.\nWe need all the attention and help we can get to spread\u00a0the message out to the world\u00a0to \"illustrate that an oil-rich country whose leader sucks the blood of his own people to add to his growing personal coffers, who stifles freedom of speech and thought, who imprisons human rights activists and journalists, who spews anti-Armenian hate, who refuses to negotiate from a place of integrity is not a trustworthy partner. Show the world how Turkey has vowed to support Azerbaijan till the end. Remind them of our history and tell them our story. Our story through the millennia. Our story of struggle and survival and for our right to have our place on this fragile planet.\" Maria Titizyan\n\"The timing of these events should not be a surprise. Azerbaijan's economy is in terrible shape right now. Their currency dropped 40% in value against the dollar in January. Their entire economy is almost completely tied to oil and oil prices are at the lowest point in a decade. Mass protests against corruption and a depressed economy in Azerbaijan have increased in recent months. Invading Nagorno-Karabagh is an attempt to boost nationalism and act as a distraction from real problems at home. All that plus Russia's deteriorating relationship with Turkey, a strong political ally of Azerbaijan, creates a terrible condition for Azerbajian to act aggressively against Nagorno-Karabakh.\" \u00a0Erik Yesayan\n\"Armed with the knowledge of the history of this conflict, it is easy to discern that it is not in Artsakh\u2019s interests to break the peace and renew hostilities. Instead, it is Azerbaijan that wishes to retake control of land which, due to the political maneuvering of a third higher power, temporarily fell into its hands but over which it has no legitimate claim.\" Aram Hovasapyan\nRight now both sides agreed on a temporary ceasefire\u00a0while Armenia's president is meeting OSCE in Vienna and Azeri PM is in\u00a0Iran to attend a meeting with\u00a0foreign ministers of Iran\u00a0and Turkey...hope this will de-escalate sooner than later...\nAdditional reading:\nhttps:\/\/goo.gl\/ci3lFU\nhttp:\/\/goo.gl\/x4XTSJ\nhttp:\/\/goo.gl\/j6jqUe\nhttp:\/\/goo.gl\/1jv07R\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-05 13:45 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"6028"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6197","title":"Caring for yourself = caring for others","content":"\nEnglish translation here.\nWas bedeutet f\u00fcr dich care?\nIch w\u00fcrde sagen dass es auf jeden fall dieser gedanke mich wahnsinnig fasziniert, ganz stark ganz individuell bei uns selbst anzufangen und erstmal daf\u00fcr zu sorgen dass wir in der gl\u00fccklich sind mit dem was wir machen um das auf andere menschen zu \u00fcbertragen und \u00fcberhaupt in der lage zu sein diese unterst\u00fctzung weiterzugeben an diejenigen die uns umgeben. Weil ich an mir selber einfachm merke dass ich wenn ich selber \u00fcberfordert bin oder nicht gl\u00fccklich bin, dass ich dann komplett zumache und gar nicht so zug\u00e4nglich bin f\u00fcr die menschen um mich herum und ihre bed\u00fcrfnise wahrnehmen kann und meine rolle erf\u00fcllen w\u00fcrde so wie ich das wollen w\u00fcrde. Und das hat f\u00fcr mich auch ganz viel mit den strukturen in denen wir uns bewegen zu tun. Ich besch\u00e4ftige mich viel mit dem gedanken wie will ich leben und wie will ich arbeiten weil ich das selber noch nicht wei\u00df. Weil die modelle in meiner arbeit oder uni mich nicht erf\u00fcllt haben und ich nicht das gef\u00fchl habe mein potenzial nicht voll ausf\u00fcllen zuk\u00f6nnen. Weil ich mich frage: f\u00fcr wen mache ich das eigentlich? Das war meist in meinem leben: andere zufrieden zu stellen, also meine eltern oder die erwartungen der gesellschaft zu erf\u00fcllen. Also eine gewisse rolle zu spielen. Und ich merke dass ich da einfach immer so an diesen punkt komme dass ich so blockiere und so einen shutdown kriege und dann einfach zwei wochen nicht weiterarbeiten kann \u2013 weil ich die relevanz einfach auch nicht habe etwas zu tun, das eben auch nicht gesellschaftlich wirksam ist.\nDiese trennung von leben auf der einen und arbeit auf der anderen seite finde ich pers\u00f6nlich ganz schwierig weil wir den gr\u00f6\u00dften teil unseres lebens ja mit arbeit verbringen m\u00fcssen oder auch wollen aber das heisst dass die arbeit die wir tun, sollte ja auch irgendwie integriert sein in unser leben und ich habe das gef\u00fchl dass sie es eben nicht tun.\nHast du ne idee wie das f\u00fcr dich funktionieren k\u00f6nnte?\nJa, also auf jeden fall fnde ich so ans\u00e4tze wie die sicherung der existenz, sei es in form von nem grundeinkommen, dass du einfach etwas tun weil du es einfach tun m\u00f6chtest. Ich glaube daran dass wir menschen schon das bed\u00fcrfnis haben etwas zu tun, an etwas zu arbeiten, nicht prim\u00e4r weil wir geld verdienen wollen, sondern weil es etwas ist was wir tun m\u00f6chten. Und das rauszufinden, was wir wirklich tun wollen, das w\u00e4re wichtig f\u00fcr mich. Was w\u00fcrde ich tun wenn ich nichts tun m\u00fcsste? Ich glaube, dass wir nie in diesen Zustand wirklich kommen weil wir uns immer darum sorgen m\u00fcssen, wie bezahle ich meine miete, wie bezahle ich mein essen ... es bleibt kein raum mehr daf\u00fcr dinge zu tun die wir tun w\u00fcrden wenn wir uns nicht darum sorgen m\u00fcssten, was wir tun m\u00fcssen um zu \u00fcberleben. Gut und \u00fcberleben... wir befinden uns ja schon in nem system das uns unser existenzminimum mehr oder weniger sichert, was ber immer auch verbunden ist mit barrieren und einem gewissen stigma....\nDas du dann auch zu wenig geld hast und zu wenig selbstvertrauen um das zu tun was du tun willst. Auch wenn du hartz\u00a04 beziehst musst du dich permanent rechtfertigen f\u00fcr deine situation, du musst xy viele bewerbungen schreiben um dich zu bem\u00fchen, irgendwie eingegliedert zu sein und kannst jetzt nicht irgendwie sagen ich beziehe hartz 4 und mache jetzt kunst und schreibe ein buch, weil das system einfach nicht funktioniert.\nCare w\u00e4re f\u00fcr mich ein zustand von selfcare und dann ausgehend davon zeit und ressourcen zu er\u00f6ffnen um f\u00fcr andere da zu sein oder andere in irgend einer form zu bereichern f\u00fcr das was ich selber tun kann.\nAlso erst indem du f\u00fcr dich selbst sorgst kannst du auch f\u00fcr jemand anderen sorgen?\nJa, also erst wenn du nicht abh\u00e4ngig bist von bestimmten sachen bist du erst in der lage dazu, f\u00fcr andere da zu sein und dein potenzial auszusch\u00f6pfen. Vor allem auch zeit, die zeitressource ist ein wichtiger faktor, um f\u00fcr andere da zu sein.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-05 11:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8584"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6195","title":"Befragung","content":"\n\nEnglish translation here.\nLeoni befragt Philipp\nAlso ich muss sagen, dass ich nicht in dieses Projekt gegangen bin und mich mit Care besch\u00e4ftigt habe. Eher habe ich mich mit Hacking Utopia besch\u00e4ftigt. Also was w\u00e4re ein Utopia und wie k\u00f6nnte man das Hacken? Also wie k\u00f6nnte man Utopien entwickeln.\nPflege ist f\u00fcr jemanden da zu sein. Wohlwollend f\u00fcr jemanden da zu sein, wohlwollend auf jemanden einzuwirken. Ein sehr pers\u00f6nliches Bsp. W\u00e4re von meinen Gro\u00dfeltern. Mein Opa ist an Alzheimer erkrankt. Das hat sich \u00fcber drei oder vier Jahre hingezogen. Meine Mutter wollte es so stemmen, dass sie zuhause bleiben und nicht ins Altersheim kommt. Und Pflegebed\u00fcrftig bedeutet Macht abzugeben. Und pflege hei\u00dft in diesem Fall abrufbar zu sein und so zu priorisieren, dass sich alles um die eine Person dreht.\nManchmal bedeutet, dass Oma Nachts mit Taschenlampe einzusammeln. Oder Situationen im Haushalt, wo sie den Herd einfach angelassen hat und etwas Feuer f\u00e4ngt.\nIch wei\u00df nicht, ob ich das gut einsch\u00e4tzen kann, inwiefern es mein Leben beeinflusst hat. Ich war ja relativ jung, als es mein Leben beeinflusst hat. Wir sind bei den Gro\u00dfeltern eingezogen. Meine Mutter fand das gut, dass ich auf dem Land aufwachsen konnte und ich als Kind versorgt wurde. Und dann sind die Gro\u00dfeltern \u00e4lter geworden. Mein Opa ist gestorben und meine Oma demenzkrank geworden.\nDer Pflegebegriff, den ich mit dem Alter verbinde ist nochmal ein anderer als der von Kindern. Aber beide Arten von Pflege \u2013 also Pflege generell ist mit Liebe verbunden. Meine Mutter hat mich geliebt, genauso wie sie ihre Eltern geliebt hat. Diese Liebe gibt einem auch Kraft und die braucht man auch. Sonst ist das ja schwer zu stemmen. In unserem System wird das Verh\u00e4ltnis dann durch Geld kompensiert. Aber da sieht man ja auch, dass es M\u00e4ngel gibt. Da sieht man z.B., dass Pfleger die Zeit sehr eng sehen \u2013 sie sind f\u00fcr 10 min. da und nicht l\u00e4nger. Und dieses schnell-schnell homediensten oder Karitas, das sehe ich auch bei uns im Dorf. Da sind mal \u00e4ltere Leute und da kommt ein Auto vorbeigehuscht und das steht dann mal da f\u00fcr 10 min. und ist dann wieder weg. Da stehen gr\u00f6\u00dfere Unternehmen dahinter, da geht es um Jobs, da geht es um Geld. Die haben ihren durchgetakteten Plan.\nDer Begriff \u201ePflege\u201c ist der gleiche nur der Inhalt ist anders. Der Glaube \u2013 also nicht im religi\u00f6sen Sinne \u2013 der Glaube daran, dass die Person es doch noch alles mitbekommt, was um sie passiert ist auch wichtig. Man denkt ja, dass solche Personen gar nichts mehr mitbekommen. Und da hatten wir auch Gl\u00fcck. Wir haben eine Pflegerin \u00fcber das Internet gefunden, die meine Oma schon im fr\u00fchen Stadium kennengelernt hatte. Und ich habe gemerkt, dass sie sich gut verstehen, als sie meine Oma zum Lachen gebracht hatte. Das darf man auch nicht untersch\u00e4tzen. Meine Oma hatte auch sehr helle Tage. Aber das war alles sehr abrupt. Pl\u00f6tzlich hat sie nicht mehr reagiert. Und ich w\u00fcrde es daran messen, dass die Pflegerin mit meiner Oma wirklich Scherze machen konnte.\nAls ich meine Oma in der Situation im Schnee reinholen musste, als sie dachte, dass sie Milch holen wollte. Und ich will nicht l\u00fcgen, es war f\u00fcr mich als kleiner Junge auch wie ein Abenteuer da im Schneegest\u00f6ber rauszugehen. Und ein bisschen Angst hatte ich auch. Als ich die gefunden hatte, war ich sehr w\u00fctend \u2013 einfach nur w\u00fctend. Aber dann habe ich verstanden, dass sie einfach in einer andere Art Zeitzone war manchmal. Sie sprach von ganz anderen Dingen.\nSehr konkret hing das Alzheimer mit dem Tod meines Gro\u00dfvaters zusammen. Fr\u00fcher gab es sehr strikte Rollenverteilungen. Als mein Gro\u00dfvater verstarb ist ihre elementare St\u00fctze weggebrochen. Und sie konnte es nicht mehr verarbeiten. Sie hatte auch eine Art Schlaganfall, bei dem sie auch \u00f6fter meinen Namen gerufen hat. Sie war da auch l\u00e4nger im Krankenhaus. Danach hat sie immer mehr abgebaut.\nDie ganze Zeit \u00fcber drei Jahre hatte lustige Situationen, sch\u00f6ne Situationen aber auch ganz klar traurige Situationen. Lustig war bspw., dass Haushaltsgegenst\u00e4nde versteckt wurden und dann an Orten aufgetaucht sind an denen man es nicht erwartet h\u00e4tte. Meine Mutter besa\u00df Kaschmirpullower, die meine Oma in die Kochw\u00e4sche geschmissen hatte. Meine Mutter war sehr ruhig in solchen Situationen\nB\u00fcgeleisen angelassen, Kabel verschmolzen. Da muss man eben schnell reagieren. Und auch Verwechslungen, bei denen meine Oma Menschen verwechselt hat.\nMeine Mutter ist Grundschullehrerin. Sie hat versucht mich relativ aus diesen Umsorgungen herauszulassen. Aber wenn sie auf Elternabenden war, musste ich mich bspw. um Oma k\u00fcmmern. Im fr\u00fchen Stadium konnte man noch Brettspiele mit ihr spielen. Sowohl die Pflegering als auch der jetztige Mann (damals Freund) meiner Mutter haben sich sehr aufopfernd mitgek\u00fcmmert.\nWenn wir uns der Aufgabe nicht angenommen h\u00e4tten, dann w\u00e4re es f\u00fcr meine Mutter eine schlimme Last gewesen, dass sie es nicht gewollt oder gekonnt h\u00e4tte. Meine Oma im Altersheim zu lassen w\u00e4re sehr schwierig gewesen f\u00fcr meine Mutter \u2013 mit der Gewissheit zu leben, dass sie nicht da war.\nF\u00fcr meine Mutter war die Situation nat\u00fcrlich schwierig. Es gab gro\u00dfe Einschr\u00e4nkungen im Alltagsleben.\n\u00a0\n\n\nHoney befragt Leoni:\nWie glaubst du k\u00f6nnte man Pflege in unserer Heutigen Welt angehen?\nIn der n\u00e4heren Umgebung?\nIch muss niemanden pflegen.\nEs ist pflege sich mit Freundin zu unterhalten.\nBei dir selbst?\nSich bewegen, den K\u00f6rper Pflegen. Die Psyche Pflegen.\nWarum musst du dich Pflegen.\nDamit ich gesund bleibe.\nIst es ein Problem das Menschen dieses Bed\u00fcrfnis nicht haben?\nUnterschiedlich. Solange du keine Probleme hast musst du dich nicht darum k\u00fcmmern.\nEs kann passieren, dass du MS hast.\nIch wie? nicht ob eine Leib, Seele Trennung Sinn macht. Man kann im Gehirn zeigen, das psychische Probleme sich K\u00f6rperlich H\u00e4usern. Wir haben sie nur noch nicht verstanden. Man kann K\u00f6rper und Geist nicht trennen.\nK\u00f6rperkult?\nSport und Bewegung ist Pflege, aber man muss unterscheiden. Dreimal die Woche rennen gehen kann nicht gesund sein. F\u00fcr manche Menschen eventuell schon. Es geht um die reine Bewegung F\u00fcr die Durchblutung, den Sauerstoffgehalt, die Haut, die Sonne bekommt. F\u00fcr den ganzen K\u00f6rper.\nBewegungsunf\u00e4higkeit.\nIch hatte eine Bekannte die im Rollstuhl sa\u00df. Sie musste alle zwei Stunden nach Hause an eine Ladestation. Eigentlich k\u00f6nnte sie Laufen, doch sie hat Spastiken und traut sich nicht ohne den Rollstuhl zu laufen. Sehr motivierend finde ich die L\u00e4ufer der Paralympics.\nStellst du deine Pflege vor die Pflege anderer?\nDas steht in einem Jing-Jang Verh\u00e4ltnis. Wenn im Flugzeug der Druck f\u00e4llt, wird dir auch gesagt, dass du zuerst selbst die Maske anziehen sollt und dann anderen.\n\u00a0Nur in wenigen Situationen wiederspricht mein Pflegebed\u00fcrfnis dem der anderen. Das Problem ist wenn Leute nicht genug bekommen.\nWir helfen der Menschheit damit?\nNein, das Mittlere Management, macht nichts anderes als andere Leute zu beobachten. Ich denke die Meisten Menschen wollen etwas Sinnvolle tun.\nWie ver\u00e4ndert das das Verh\u00e4ltnis zu anderen, Familie.\nEs ist ein Wechselspiel. In einer Gro\u00dffamilie ist es egal ob zu einem Pflegebed\u00fcrftigen Kind noch ein alter daf\u00fcr kommt. Menschen sind eher daf\u00fcr gemacht in Rudeln zu leben. Es muss ja nicht Zwangsl\u00e4ufig die Familie sein sondern eine Gruppe Menschen, der man sich anschlie\u00dft.\nPflege ist ein Verh\u00e4ltnis. Menschen machen nichts, was sie unertr\u00e4glich finden. Auch bei kleinen Kindern. Wenn du dir das Objektive Betrachtest ist es sehr hart. Rund um die Uhr Betreuung, Nachts Ausstehen. Pflege ist nie Einseitig.\n\n\u00a0\nPhilipp befragt Honey:\nHabe noch nie mitbekommen dass es transdisziplin\u00e4re Zusammenarbeit gibt\nThema war sekund\u00e4r\nJede Interaktion mit der Umwelt ist Pflege\nPflege beruht auf Erfahrung und die haben wir in uns, man kann den Umgang mit der Umwelt antrainieren, wenn ich mit der Weise wie ich mit der Welt umgehe zufrieden bin, dann ist es auch wie eine Pflege f\u00fcr mich selbst\nInsgesamt ist das kapitalistische System in uns ein Chaos ausgel\u00f6st\nWir stehen als Generation st\u00e4ndig im Mittelpunkt\nGesellschaft wertet st\u00e4ndig und Geld bewertet Dinge\nMan kann keine Verantwortung f\u00fcr 300 Leute \u00fcbernehmen und man sucht sich schon genau aus zu wem man seine Verbindung aufbaut\nIch rede mit mir selbst \u00fcber Zeitmanagement obwohl das eigentlich nat\u00fcrlich sein sollte\nDie Intuition wird immer schw\u00e4cher, man muss immer eine Grundlage von Pro und Contra f\u00fcr alle seine Entscheidungen haben\nWirtschaft beeinflusst die Politik sodass die die Leute beeinflussen schneller in den Hamsterk\u00e4fig zu gelangen. In unseren Studieng\u00e4ngen entwickelt man dazu schnell ein Bewusstsein und versucht dagegen anzugehen.\nTendenz zur Meconomy immer mehr Freiberufler weil die Leute realisieren dass sich die Aufgabe f\u00fcr Menschen die sich nicht um mich k\u00fcmmern? Das gleiche gilt auch f\u00fcr die Pflege, man w\u00fcrde ja nicht irgendwelche Leute pflegen die einen permanent fertig machen, es sei denn da ist wieder Geld als Kompensation\nIch besch\u00e4ftige mich sehr stark damit ob man auch ein gesundes Unternehmens-Mitarbeiter-Verh\u00e4ltnis hat, der Mensch kann nicht mehr als 150 Leute in seinem Umkreis verstehen.\nDeswegen besch\u00e4ftige ich mich auch viel mit Holokratie, wo sich alle in kleineren Holons verbinden. Sogar die Gr\u00fcnder arbeiten in Holons.\nAber die Tendenz ist dass es wenige gro\u00dfe Konzerne gibt, die alle Konkurrenz schlucken. Damit liegt die Entscheidungskraft bei wenigen Leuten die sehr komplexe Entscheidungen treffen.\nDas funktioniert vielleicht bei Lebensmitteln die immer gebraucht werden wo sich dann wenige Konzerne die Macht teilen\nDie gro\u00dfen Konzerne haben keine Empathie mehr und daher werden sie sehr skrupellos.\nDU muss st\u00e4ndig vernetzt sein und die Au\u00dfenwelt fordert das auch die ganze ZEit von dir\nEs gibt so eine Sperrrate, ab 750.000 oder mehr kriegst du das nicht mehr mit, Geld ist dann nur noch Macht und es gibt nur noch diese Parameter zum darin denken.\nSie oder er (der Manager\/in) die pflegen ihren Machtstatus. Das ist eine einseitige Interaktion alles dazu herum ist Leere, ein schwarzes Loch. Menschen um sie herum sind alle nur noch Zahlen, egal ob es jetzt der Ehepartner oder die Assistentin ist.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-05 11:26 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8579"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6194","title":"Three perspectives on care...","content":"\n\nWie glaubst du k\u00f6nnte man Pflege in unserer Heutigen Welt angehen? In der n\u00e4heren Umgebung?\nIch muss niemanden pflegen.\nEs ist pflege sich mit Freundin zu unterhalten.\nBei dir selbst?\nSich bewegen, den K\u00f6rper Pflegen. Die Psyche Pflegen.\nWarum musst du dich Pflegen?\nDamit ich gesund bleibe.\nIst es ein Problem das Menschen dieses Bed\u00fcrfnis nicht haben?\nUnterschiedlich. Solange du keine Probleme hast musst du dich nicht darum k\u00fcmmern.\nEs kann passieren, dass du MS hast.\nIch wie? nicht ob eine Leib, Seele Trennung Sinn macht. Man kann im Gehirn zeigen, das psychische Probleme sich K\u00f6rperlich \u00e4u\u00dfern. Wir haben sie nur noch nicht verstanden. Man kann K\u00f6rper und Geist nicht trennen.\nK\u00f6rperkult?\nSport und Bewegung ist Pflege, aber man muss unterscheiden. Dreimal die Woche rennen gehen kann nicht gesund sein. F\u00fcr manche Menschen eventuell schon. Es geht um die reine Bewegung F\u00fcr die Durchblutung, den Sauerstoffgehalt, die Haut, die Sonne bekommt. F\u00fcr den ganzen K\u00f6rper.\nBewegungsunf\u00e4higkeit.\nIch hatte eine Bekannte die im Rollstuhl sa\u00df. Sie musste alle zwei Stunden nach Hause an eine Ladestation. Eigentlich k\u00f6nnte sie Laufen, doch sie hat Spastiken und traut sich nicht ohne den Rollstuhl zu laufen. Sehr motivierend finde ich die L\u00e4ufer der Paralympics.\nStellst du deine Pflege vor die Pflege anderer?\nDas steht in einem Jing-Jang Verh\u00e4ltnis. Wenn im Flugzeug der Druck f\u00e4llt, wird dir auch gesagt, dass du zuerst selbst die Maske anziehen sollt und dann anderen.\n\u00a0Nur in wenigen Situationen wiederspricht mein Pflegebed\u00fcrfnis dem der anderen. Das Problem ist wenn Leute nicht genug bekommen.\nWie helfen der Menschheit damit?\nNein, das Mittlere Management, macht nichts anderes als andere Leute zu beobachten und zu kontrollieren. Ich denke die Meisten Menschen wollen etwas Sinnvolles tun.\nWie ver\u00e4ndert das das Verh\u00e4ltnis zu anderen, Familie.\nEs ist ein Wechselspiel. In einer Gro\u00dffamilie ist es egal ob zu einem Pflegebed\u00fcrftigen Kind noch ein Alter daf\u00fcr kommt. Menschen sind eher daf\u00fcr gemacht in Rudeln zu leben. Es muss ja nicht Zwangsl\u00e4ufig die Familie sein sondern eine Gruppe Menschen, der man sich anschlie\u00dft.\nPflege ist ein Verh\u00e4ltnis. Menschen machen nichts, was sie unertr\u00e4glich finden. Auch bei kleinen Kindern. Wenn du dir das Objektive Betrachtest ist es sehr hart. Rund um die Uhr Betreuung, Nachts Ausstehen. Pflege ist nie Einseitig.\nPflege hat viele Gesichter und ist l\u00e4ngst kein einseitiges Ding, keine Einbahnstra\u00dfe. Alle Interviews die wir heute gef\u00fchrt haben unterscheiden sich stark voneinander im Stil aber die Ergebnisse und Antworten sind alle sehr pers\u00f6nlich. \u00a0Die Details der Geschichten variieren und der Schwerpunkt, das eine ist politischer als das andere.\n\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-05 10:42 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8582"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6193","title":"What can designers and marketers do?","content":"\nThe following is a transcript of a dialog held during a Workshop on Open Care in Sauen, Germany. Jan is a student of social and business communication, while is a\u00a0Dennis product design student, both at the Berlin University of the Arts. We focus on the skills our academic background could contribute to the project, and how our different approaches and skill-set can cooperate in a fruithfoul way.\nDennis asks, Jan answering\nD: Wie siehst du unser Seminarthema aus GWK-Perspektive?\nJ: F\u00fcr mich ist das alles nichts neues, es entspricht dem, was wir im Studium zum\u00a0Inhalt haben. Wir erarbeiten oft Ideen und Konzepte im Framework,um wirtschaftlich funktionieren zu k\u00f6nnen.\u00a0Z.B. finde ich das Unmnastery Projekt interessant. Ein Austausch sollte stattfinden, so dass jeder davon profitieren kann. Best for both.\nIch w\u00fcnsche mir mehr praktisch zu arbeiten, damit ich etwas Neues kennen lerne, vielleicht w\u00e4re es einfacher bereits\neine Idee vorgegeben zu bekommen und diese umzusetzen. Die Kommunikation zwischen GWK und Designer sollte st\u00e4tig stattfinden,um das Projekt zu optimieren.\nMan kann Marketing nicht nach Regeln durchf\u00fchren, es gibt kein Rezept, mann muss versuchen neue Wege zu finden und kreativ zu werden.\u00a0Learning by doing wist immer wieder ein interessanter Ansatz.\nD: \u00dcberschneidet sich die Motivation des Auftraggebers auch mal mit derjenigen des GWKlers?\nJ: Das unterscheidet sich von Fall zu Fall. Es gibt zwei F\u00e4lle: Man arbeitet zusammen und hat die gleiche Motivation am Projekt, nur da\u00df einer\u00a0eher die Idee und die Vision hat, w\u00e4hrend der andere sich um das Praktische k\u00fcmmert; um die Kommunikation. Beidseitiges Interesse amselben Projekt\u00a0ist quasi der ideale Fall. Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, ist der Marketer blo\u00dfer Dienstleister, der nicht hinter der Sache steht.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-05 10:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8581"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6192","title":"How to resolve the fear of the unkown?","content":"\nEspecially when talking to the older people in my circle of friends I quite often realised a huge fear or distrust of the unkown foreign when it comes to the so-called refugee debate. Even though these people are normally very reflected, very human behaving people, who care for eachother, who agree that every human being has the same right to live. How can one explain this contradiction? Theoretical constructs vs. practical experiences might play a huge role.\nIn those talks I found out that it is a lot about missing experiences, missing examples. How to feel empathy? Already being told some concrete stories seemed to help a lot. If one has for example never travelled far, not experienced a lot of different cultures, he or she might be missing positive experiences in terms of personal contact, respectively any experiences at all. How can those experiences be created? How can they happen without being forced?\nWhile travelling we often tend to be more open or we rather take the time to get to know strangers than in our everyday lifes? What is it, that creates that different atmosphere? Can we trigger it at home as well?\nDoes it need a connector to bring locals and migrants together? Another person? How can we create encounters which are based on sympathy and mutual exchange?\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-04-05 0:39 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8597"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6190","title":"Questionmark","content":"\nwhat can we as designers do? designing not only objects, but situations, society\ndesigning society.\nhow can we create a community where everyone respects each other? helps each other?\ndon\u2019t loose the fun!\u00a0\nif i am happy i can give so much more love to other people. What People? who am i in contact with?\u00a0\nam I caring with a smile? how much does my smile give to the bus driver?\nwhat makes me happy?\ncaring doesn\u2019t only mean to give but also to be able to receive. to connect stay in touch.\u00a0\nbe authentic, honest.\nnever loose the ability to laugh about yourself.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nI am not going to change the world.\u00a0\n\u00a0\ntoo negative\n\u00a0\nI want to think about solutions that are sustainable and lead our society to better approaches.\u00a0\n\u00a0\nbetter.\n\u00a0\nWe need to be working together and help each other. thats actually the only way to get out of this fucked up World.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-04 23:54 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8589"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6189","title":"Care = Community","content":"\nWhat is care? To start with such a question a lot comes to mind. Especially after this intense first day of our project kick-off at Sauen, with all these great thoughts, ideas and reflections about what it means to be a human being. I am personally fascinated by the cognitive dissonance I find myself stuck in. This applies to so many aspects of my life. Yes, talking is easy, acting takes effort. It's the same with design, having a nice idea over a glass of wine in the evening? No big deal. But bringing it into life, really doing it and going against all obstacles is a totally different thing. It needs energy, dedication, belief, trust, confidence, help. You need to CARE about it enough to put it into action. So that's one aspect of care. That something\/someone has enough value or meaning for somebody to be considered with putting real physical action into it. Usually this is the fact when we are affected personally. When it's a personal thing. When we are involved. When we are touched. When we are concerned.\nThe expression \"taking care of something\" as a German is a rather rational, dry and goal-oriented task. It somehow misses the core of its literal meaning which is a soft, emotional and gentle interaction. So how do we define this word? How does the culture we live in put it into action? How is it valued, honored? Who should we care for, what should we take care of and most importantly: what is so dear to us that we want to take care of it? Are we being taken care of enough to give something back? We discussed the question of how can something seemingly burden full turn into a joyful engagement. How can we overcome this cognitive dissonance and what is that undefined obstacle that holds us \u200bback. Because it's not laziness. It's not carelessness. Maybe it's a combination of helplessness (of where to start, what to focus), being overwhelmed (by one's own life and tasks) and alone (with an ambition too big for one person). And maybe the answer of today is community.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-04 23:13 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"249"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6188","title":"You and me and everyone we know: The many faces of care","content":"\nToday I had the pleasure of meeting and introducing students from GWK and UDK to the OpenCare project themes and the design (presentation slides available here). What follows are my notes from the final round of discussions in an intense day. Each quote is the transcription of what one individual said. I will be writing a separate post, or possibly even series of posts as the conversations were very rich and offered a lot of things to think about and explore around care.\n\u201cIt was a good experience, I liked meeting people from different backgrounds and the possibility for working together\u2026 Discovering what we each are good and not good at, and how they can fit together. \u00a0As well as what these different backgrounds creates as a perspective towards the project\u201d\n\u201cFor me exploring new projects and ways of working is not new, so changing my setup is not new. Converting ideas to communities. Setting up a framework that people can work within. But for product designers is not the case. I could understand Nadia\u2019s language well..It could be good to translate the language and vocabulary used by the OpenCare project into language easier to use for product designers. Designers are mostly visual, other disciplines less so. Some bridging of languages could be helpful.\u201d\n\u201cWe were discussing the questions on the wall- what care means on fundamental level to us. Under which conditions care is being granted in a community and what that means for us. When discussing integration of people into a group, the separation you make in the beginning affects the integration project...You say there is an external person who should adapt to the community itself, instead of thinking about creating something new from scratch out of the welcoming community and new individials. Especially when you talk about care...you always do the labelling that there is someone who needs help, and I am one to provide help. Maybe getting rid of these labels is important. Also we talked about how social relations to certain people are necessary for providing some kinds of care. And how to solve challenges of providing care for people we don\u2019t already know. You touch people physically (as we did in the opening session today) and it changes relationship immediately e.g. free hugs in public spaces: This changes something very fast. Especially in regards to refugee topic\u2026.Before helping there should be a contact, a communication with people before offering help whether you know they need or not.\u201d\n\u201c We started different no thinking about projects, but our own experiences being people on the move.\u00a0\n\nBeing somewhere where you chose to go\nBeing somewhere you didn't\u2019 pick: job, being refugee, \u00a0being moved by parents...how it affects your mindset\n\nWhat is the difference between these two in terms of care on the move?\nOne person was talking about being in china for job of her father to experience completely difft culture and not being free to decide to go there\u2026.vs choosing to move to a new city voluntarily in a city where many different cultures in Kreuzberg. Just getting to know different food and culture at a very young age and getting to know this in a playful way without much prejudice in your head\u201d\n\u201cWe started off by talking about situations in our lives where we have given care, or seen other people receiving care. Who are those people who have taken on traditional care of caregiving? We quickly started talking about feminist issues and women being caregivers through history. We also talked about the rewards, how giving care is valued, if valued at all or you get financial remuneration\u2026\u201d\n\u201cWe were all answering the question of why we chose the different topics and why we chose them. Mine was about being on the move and the point that is for me very importan is the idea of doing something fo the first time and you have to cope, no matter if you have to do a job or ...you are always doing for the first time. Found a sory in newspaper about caregivers and they tried to set up school for nurses where they given puppets they have to be with for weeks before working with humans. Switch perspective. I found a flyer which was something like a manual for shopping in supermarket in the fifties..they were handing flyers out about how to behave and shop in he supermarket and now people are complaining about refugees not knowing \u00a0how to behave the first time...there is an arrogance... What is possible with products etc to switch perspective and lose embarrassment etc around doing something for the first time. People \u201cmisbehave\u201d because. The first time I met a Syrian guy was during the refugee crisis, it was first time experience for both of us, no just him.\u201d\n\u201cWe were mostly talking about first time experience of meeting some guys from syria. How can we start meeting people on a high level and not relationship that we are giving, and they are receiving donations. That we are both receiving and giving care.\u201d\n\u201cWe started talking about experiences and what think about care, or what we need for our self to be cared for or give care. I found that we had really different ways of talking or explaining. I had difficulties to say what I was thinking and they only understood me when I made examples. And they totally understood me. But when Nema started talking, she could really articulate herself without giving examples. It\u2019s really interesting as a product designer.\u201d\n\u201cWe talked about personal experiences. Because of this we came to many topics- like how it is to be a European or come from another continent. It was nice because we had an open chat with one another, so we had some long discussions. It was nice to hear about other people\u2019s stories because sometimes you don\u2019t talk about it for long, but when you do it for one hour and you have some perspectives on how to give care for refugees but also what it\u2019s like to be a foreigner in Germany.\u201d\n\u201cUnter sich haben sie die kulturellen Unterschiede nicht wirklich gemerkt, wenn man gemeinsam mit vielen Kulturen aufwaechst. Der einzige Unterschied, der immer da bleibt, und erfahrbar ist, ist der kulinarische Unterschied. Vielleicht ist die Perspektive eines Kindes die beste: Unvoreingenommen Dinge aufnehmen, ohne sie direkt zu beurteilen. Gerade als Kind ist es eine grosse Bereicherung, auf so viele unterschiedliche Kulturen zu treffen. Fuer die Erziehung und die Ausbildung der eigenen Persoenlichkeit ist es absolut foerderlich, in Konfrontation mit vielen Kulturen aufzuwachsen.\u201d\n\u201cWe had a discussion about \u201cstranger danger\u201d. Which I have recently been having with people from older generations. When it comes to refugee crisis , even people I know that normally would act very human and never put themselves above another suddenly are afraid when refugees come to the country. In part it is because of the lack of contact; they don\u2019t come naturally to a place where exchange could happen in an uncontrived way. How could this be set up, or how could it happen? We talked about how younger people can be a connector, how it needs a connector...there are many of us who want to engage but don't because the connection is needed and doesn\u2019t happen without being designed. When travelling connecting is very easy, but in your own town you rarely have deep conversations with people you don\u2019t know. Openness as a mindset is very interesting to see how society is structured n our head. How this huge fear that comes out of nowhere. Media says you should have fear now, that the new is threatening. I love my Grandma but when it comes to this topic I think omg we should not even talk about this topic and I have no idea how to change things. I think it\u2019s a lot of empathy, we had a huge fight...it was all about him not letting what\u2019s happen...not wanting to feel it...keeping it theoretical. The next day there was a change of perspective. It\u2019s also overwhelming for many people, related to make yourself vulnerable and allowing yourself to feel. It\u2019s a very delicate and sensitive how to do this contact and get them in touch with their feelings.\u201d\n\u201cWe were talking about different languages. To map out what we can as GWK and product designers (UDK) and to figure out what is the responsibility towards what we are studying. Until now what designers were doing and what we were studying was just about making things beautiful. Are we even responsible towards building towards big visions the way \u00a0OpenCare is doing? As designers we are always looked upon in a very belittling way - as though we are not capable of contributing to the big issues. But I believe it is part of our responsibility as designers to do this work, because ideally we are focusing not on profiting from it but we can do it just to help. Everyone knows we should help, but no one really does it and people still have prejudices and discriminate. Not many of us know how it is to lead a refugee\u2019s life. How many of us have been discriminated against? For me I was born in Germany, but for a moment I thought well all the refugee circus that is going on has nothing to do with me and I thought it is the responsibility of larger organisations like NGos and the Government to deal with...I asked myself what capacity do I realistically have to help. Then I realised that as someone born in Germany, I walk around the street I hear people discriminating against Asians. And I realised it does affect me, and it is my responsibility to help...It is about the right to be a creative and work not just for profit, but \u00a0to help others and how this is deeply human at its core.\u201d\n\u201cI think it is always important to find new symbiotic relationships between people. One Project I\u2019ve come across is one in which there were two groups: one group who wanted to learn English but didnt have connections to do so, and the other group was old lonely group from America. These two groups were able to talk to each other via skype. The Old people had the joy of talking to somebody who was interested in learning. And the young people learned English. It\u2019s very nice to see people caring about each other that way.\u201d\n\u201cFor me it was very interesting to hear what makes something seem foreign and why we feel home. What makes this happen?\u201d\n\u201cWe were still thinking about what is th goal of being a designer and what is a design process...what is the difference to art or to management\/managers job? We came to the point that an artist is focusing on showing problem and designer is trying to find solution and manager is more focused on company\u2019s project and not so much on helping people. It\u2019s a beginning of a discussion.\u201d\n\u201cWe were not talking about the differences between student areas. It was interesting seeing how there was a lot of variation in how interviews were conducted in the different groups as well as within the group were different. I think what I found was that we had very different styles of leading interviews and how different results. I realised I am used to lead an interview and how it has become my only way for me. And it was really interesting to see there are different kinds of ways to lead an interview. I learned how to lead interviews in design thinking...you are asking for stories and ask 5 times why. It\u2019s completely differnt thing when trying to understand a person. It was a very good experience. And apart from that my main insight is that care is always interactional, its not a one way street. The system of capitalism is making it a one way street because there s wlays money in and something out. It\u2019s not evolutionary.\u201d\n\u201cWe talked about the relationships that we have with people from Syria that we know and the experiences we have with them. We try to know why German people are so scared of foreigners and why the German people are sometimes so closed also in a friendship. For example my first time was not so easy to make friends here, german people are really closed the first time..they are not so open to stangers.\u201d\n\u201cIt was really intersting hearing about your experiences and the difficulties you had. Very interesting to talk from a personal perspectives and the fears you have.\u201d\n\u201cWe discussed the five questions we were given. What I noticed te most that care is a very difficult term. We couldn;t find a term for care in german. This is one part that makes the discussion very interesting but also very difficult. A whole lot of people are going in a direction towards the refugee topic, that seems to be very close to people. I heard about a book from two journalists about political language: some words and terms that are used are producing certain realities. When you use some words regularly especially in the media, it becomes a reality and then there is no alternative. Translating care into a german word, and speaking about it means very different thing.\u201d\u00a0\n\u201cWe also tried to approach the topic from a more general angle, what care really means for us. We came to conclusion that care, giving and receiving, is a basic human need and a human right. It\u2019s not a one-way street, but we need to talk about care as a devalued thing in our society. There are people who really love to give are and do not have the right to get something for it. We thought about how to make people who give care more visible. How can we provide some kind of reward or value for the volunteers. And of course we went in the feminist direction but I think it is a really important thing to value care as a huge thing in society.\u201d\n\u201cCare which we translated into Pfleger. Has not only to do with caring about other people and also for yourself. Is it important to care for yourself first or the other way around? It\u2019s a challenge to care for huge number of people at once. Monetization and how it affects our view on people around us: that we cannot be more intuitive because we think about how we can be most effective.This question where german politicians are saying we have to take care of our people, and not just give everything away. Same thing at a different scale. We have to look at how we distributed in different ways. I would like to see politicians say how they care for themselves, I would like to see them living a lifestyle which shows people how to live a healthy life.\u201d\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-04 23:08 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6187","title":"The first Time","content":"\nDas erste Mal sind Erfahrungen, die ganz wichtig sind. On the Move\u2026 Ich habe mich auf die Suche gemacht, Piloten, wie kommt man zum Fliegen, wenn es das vorher nochmal gibt. Badewanne, Simulation, Myelin, Nervenband im Kopf verbunden, am Anfang sind da keine Verbindungen, wenn das erste Mal eine geschaffen wird, wird Myelin abgelagert, umwickelt, je h\u00e4ufiger das passiert, desto schneller funktionieren die Kan\u00e4le. Immer das was fremd ist tut weh. Das erste Mal tut immer weh. Beim Kartenspiel. Das erste Mal verliert man. So ist das auch mit Fl\u00fcchtlingen. Die gr\u00fcne Kiste. Wir hatten eine in der WG. Dann haben wir dar\u00fcber nachgedacht, was ist, wenn wir nicht mehr einkaufen gehen. Es gab fr\u00fcher Karten mit Anleitungen. Das ist 50 Jahre her. Das m\u00fcssen wir den Fl\u00fcchtlingen jetzt auch erkl\u00e4ren.\nIch habe f\u00fcr eine Organisation gearbeitet. Social Impact Lab. Original Unverpackt, das kennt jeder, kommt daher. Ich habe die Leute betreut und ihnen geholfen, ihre Ideen umzusetzen. Wie mit dem M\u00fchlen. Die ersten Ideen sind oft die besten.\n\u00a0\nFrage: Ist nicht Scheitern eines der besten Prinzipien unserer Gesellschaft?\u00a0\nDiese ganzen Diskurse, die dazu gef\u00fchrt werden. In den 70ern, die Hippie Bewegung, dann Wallstreit, jetzt ist Scheitern geil. Scheitern ist nicht geil, das geh\u00f6rt dazu, man darf Scheitern nicht zum Ideal erheben. Wenn das passiert verf\u00e4llt man in Aktionismus. Scheitern geh\u00f6rt dazu und ist auch wichtig, aber man darf es nicht erheben und das passiert gerade. Das zweite zum Scheitern. Ich wollte mal einen Simulator zum Gr\u00fcnden bauen. Was passiert, wenn man in einem Workshop simuliert zu scheitern. Was ist, wenn man dann nicht mehr in der Realit\u00e4t scheitern muss? Die erste Mal Logik versuchen aufzunehmen und daraus zu machen.\u00a0\nGenau, erste Mal, Altenpfleger, Krankenpfleger etc. sollen zuk\u00fcnftig gemeinsam ausgebildet werden. Daf\u00fcr wurden jetzt diese Puppen entwickelt.. Das ist abgefahren, alles muss jetzt generalisiert werden. So ein normalisierter Ansatz macht keinen Sinn. Ein Artikel aus der Zeit.\nFrage: \u00dcbertragung vom ersten Mal scheitern, wie w\u00fcrdest du das im sozialen oder im Open Care Kontext einordnen?\n\u00a0\nOn the Move kommst du ja immer wieder in neue Kontexte. Deswegen w\u00fcrde ich nicht gerne von Fl\u00fcchtlingen reden. Welche Infrastrukturen, Apps, Brillen usw. braucht man, um den ersten Malen zu begegnen?\nFrage: Es gibt zwei verschiedne Perspektiven. Das Beispiel mit dem Supermarkt war einleuchtend. Wir haben alle diese Erfahrung schon gemacht.\nEs gibt eine Dokumentation mit Arno Stern, die gut ist. Der macht freie Malkurse. In der Doku kommt sein Sohn vor. Den hat er komplett ohne Schule aufgezogen und somit seine Neugierde erhalten. Er hatte nie das Gef\u00fchl dumme Fragen stellen zu k\u00f6nnen und hat immer aus dem Gef\u00fchl etwas Neues zu machen eine Motivation gezogen. Wir entwickeln eine Sicherheit durch Wiederholung und Angst vorm Scheitern. Bei ihm ist das andersherum.\nFrage: Habe ich das richtig verstanden? Du hast den Mut zum Scheitern oder versuchst ihm aus dem wegzugehen?\nNe, wie kann man das hinkriegen, dass dieses Scheitern ist, das fruchtbar ist und weniger wehtut. Wie kann man daraus wirklich lernen.\u00a0\nFrage: Aber der Typ, von dem du erz\u00e4hlt hast, der lernt doch?\nJa ja, aber sein Motiv ist es zu lernen, nicht zu scheitern.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-04 19:29 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"8583"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6185","title":"#LocalActivity:  PRENDERSI CURA CON STRUMENTI OPEN SOURCE WORKSHOP @ 5\u00b0 Forum delle politiche sociali","content":"\nThe second free hands-on workshop of the #opencare series will take place this next Thursday 7 april\u00a0in Milan at \u20185 Forum delle politiche sociali\u2019. Come and learn how to create an #IoT #opensource service to monitor and take care of your loved ones remotely.\u00a0\n\nHere Forum\u00a0program \u00a0in italian:\nhttp:\/\/mediagallery.comune.milano.it\/cdm\/objects\/changeme:56745\/datastreams\/dataStream1980833562874032\/content?pgpath=\/SA_SiteCo...\nIf you have the possibility to come, drop us a line:\u00a0opencare@wemake.cc\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-04-04 11:08 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6423"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6184","title":"\"Ransomware\" Targeting Hospitals and Health Care Corps.","content":"\nDue to their high vulnerability.\nhttps:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/wonk\/wp\/2016\/04\/01\/under-pressure-to-digitize-everything-hospitals-are-hackers-biggest-new-t...\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-04-02 20:38 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8169"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6176","title":"Intro","content":"\nFor most of humanity's history, care services \u2013 which today we call health and social care \u2013 were provided by communities: family members, friends and neighbours would check on each other to make sure everyone was fine, keep an eye on each other's children or elderly parents, even administer simple medical treatments. Starting from the second half of the 20th century, developed countries switched to systems where the care providers were professionals, working for the government and modern corporations.\nThis new solution has achieved brilliant results, based on the deployment of scientific knowledge and technology. However, over the past 20 years it has come under growing strain: the demand for professional care (health care, social care, daycare for children, care for elderly people\u2026) seems limitless, but the resources our economies allocate to it clearly are not. Additionally, any attempt to rationalise the system and squeeze some extra productivity out of it seems to dehumanise people in need of care, who get treated as batches in a manufacturing process.\nWhat if we could come up with a system that combines the access to modern science and technology of state- and private sector-provided care to the low overhead and human touch of community-provided care?\nWe are going to attempt to do just that. We are launching OpenCare, a two-year, 1.6 million euro research project to design and prototype new care services. We will:\n\ncollect experiences of community-driven care services\nvalidate them through open discussion, both online and offline.\naugment them with state-of-the-art maker technology (3D printing, laser cutting, biohacking\u2026)\ncombine everything we learn into the design and prototype of next generation community driven care services.\n\nThis is way too ambitious for us to do alone, so we'll do it with everybody, leveraging collective intelligence. The whole process will be \u2013 and stay \u2013 open to anyone who wants to participate. We are working on a social contract to acknowledge each and every contribution, and will not make participants into a crowd of rightless volunteers.\nCare is deeply human. Everyone has first-hand experience of it. Even those if us who are not doctors or nurses or caregivers are occasionally patients (even doctors!); we all have first-hand experience of giving and receving care. So, everyone is welcome to join the conversation and the subsequent prototypes. If you want to be involved you can stay up to date through the newsletter,\u00a0sign up to Edgeryders and come talk to us on our workspace.\nOpenCare is led by YOU, and assisted by a world-class partnership: Edgeryders, the University of Bordeaux, the City of Milan, WeMake, ScImpulse Foundation and the Stockholm School of Economics. We are grateful for the support of the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-01 12:45 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6171","title":"The Regeneration of Meaning","content":"\nIn one of his darkly observant essays on the fall of the Soviet Union and its lessons for present-day America, Dmitri Orlov advises against being a successful middle-aged man :\u00a0\n\nWhen their career is suddenly over, their savings gone and their property worthless, much of their sense of self-worth goes as well. They tend to drink themselves to death and commit suicide in disproportionate numbers. Since they tend to be the most experienced and capable people, this is a staggering loss to society. (Reinventing Collapse, p.122-3)\n\nThe spike in mortality that accompanied the fall of the Soviet Union has few parallels in history. Between 1987 and 1994, life expectancy dropped from 70 to 64, and the group whose likelihood of dying increased most sharply was, indeed, working age men. In other words, despite the material hardships of the period, it was not the weakest and most vulnerable who died in greater numbers, but the physically strong: what was most deadly about the collapse was not the disappearance of the means of staying alive, but the lack of ends for which to stay alive.\nEurope is not going through a Soviet-style collapse. (Or not yet:\u00a0a report from UBS Investment Research\u00a0in September 2011 estimated the costs of a break-up of the Eurozone at 40-50% of weaker countries\u2019 GDP in the first year and 20-25% of the GDP of countries like Germany. For comparison, the total fall in GDP during the break-up of the USSR is estimated at 45%, spread over the years from 1989 to 1998.) The point I want to draw from Orlov, however, is that there is a powerful and complex interrelation between how we make a living and how we make sense of our lives. The consequences of an economic crisis can both lead to and be made worse by the crisis of meaning experienced by those whose lives it has derailed. If this is the case, however, perhaps it is also possible that action on the level of meaning might stem and even reverse the consequences, personal and social, of failing economic systems?\nThe figure of the \u2018graduate with no future\u2019,\u00a0identified by Paul Mason, has the advantage of youth, yet in other ways she resembles Orlov\u2019s successful middle-aged man. People are capable of enduring great hardship, so long as they can find meaning in their situation, but it is hard to find meaning in the hundredth rejection letter. The feeling of having done everything right and still got nowhere leads to a particular desperation. Against this background, the actions of those who might identify with Mason\u2019s description - whether as indignados in the squares of Spain, or as Edgeryders entering the corridors of Strasbourg and Brussels - are not least a search for meaning, for new frameworks in which to make sense of our lives when the promises that framed the labour market for our parents no longer ring true.\n\u00a0Four years ago, in\u00a0\u2018The Future of Unemployment\u2019, I suggested that it might be helpful to distinguish three types of need which, broadly speaking, we have looked to employment to provide. I want to return to this model as a way of structuring a search for examples of effective action on the level of meaning. Departing slightly from the original terms, I would summarise these types of need as follows:\n\nEconomic\/Practical: How do I pay the rent?\nSocial\/Psychological: Who am I in the eyes of others?\nDirectional: What do I get out of bed for in the morning? And where do I see myself in the future?\n\nThose who find it difficult to access the labour market are also likely to find answering these questions more difficult. The stories shared on the Edgeryders platform during 2011-12 illustrate the variety of ways in which young people find their access the labour market limited: not only through unemployment, but underemployment, casualisation and the prevalence of short-term contracts, the increasing cost of education in certain countries, the role of unpaid internships as a path to accessing certain industries. Where skills and qualifications have been acquired through formal education, many find themselves unable to secure work that makes use of these; where skills are acquired informally, the challenge is to represent these effectively to potential employers. Above all, the situation is defined by the interaction between two major processes: a long-term change in the structure of European labour markets, offering new entrants a poorer deal than had been the case for their parents\u2019 generation, has been exacerbated by the effects of the economic crisis that began in 2008.\nIf the situation of those struggling to access the labour market can be expressed in terms of the three types of need set out above, we might note that the last two belong primarily to the domain of meaning: our ability to answer them is closely related to our ability to make sense of our lives. Based on this, I suggest that we look for two stages in projects that might constitute effective action on the level of meaning: first, the ability to substitute for employment in providing social identity and a sense of direction; and, second, the potential for this to lead to new means of meeting practical needs.\nWith this structure in mind, I want to consider briefly a few examples which I think offer clues to what this may look like in practice.\nCenters for New Work: During the collapse in employment in the US auto industry in the early 1980s, the philosopher Frithjof Bergmann worked with employers, unions and community organisations in Flint, Michigan to create the\u00a0Center for New Work. \u2018We are in the beginning of a great scarcity of jobs,\u2019\u00a0Bergmann argued, \u2018but not of work.\u2019 Instead of making redundancies, he proposed that employers share out the remaining jobs on a rotating work schedule. Workers would alternate between extended periods in traditional industrial work and similar periods pursuing \u2018New Work\u2019. The latter included local production to meet practical needs, but also the right of everyone to spend a significant amount of their time pursuing a personally meaningful project.\nAccess Space: In Sheffield, England - another post-industrial city, similarly hit by unemployment in the early 1980s - the artist James Wallbank and friends set up what has become\u00a0the UK\u2019s longest-running free internet learning centre. As\u00a0described by NESTA, \u2018The centre brings together old computers and new open source software to create a radical, sustainable response to industrial decline and social dislocation.\u2019 In conversation, Wallbank has emphasised to me the importance of the social and directional role of participation at Access Space: for those who have been long-term unemployed, the change in the shape of their lives on becoming a regular participant is often huge; by comparison, the change from being a regular participant to entering employment is relatively small. From my own observation, another key aspect of the Access Space model is the power of its insistence on self-referral: this means that participants are drawn from a range of social and economic backgrounds, rather than exclusively from a target group identified by its deprivation. This means that participation at the centre provides an alternative to - rather than a reinforcement of - a negative social identification.\nWest Norwood Feast: In 2010-11,\u00a0the agency I founded\u00a0led a project to co-create\u00a0a community-owned and -run street market\u00a0in south London. This experience reaffirmed my sense of the power of what people can do when they come together to work on something that matters to them. In particular, talking to those involved, I was struck by how positively many of them experienced using their skills as part of the Feast, when compared to their experience in regular employment. Might it be that work that takes place outside of employment is more likely to be experienced as meaningful? And, if so, why? Several possible answers exist. The psychologist Edward Deci famously demonstrated that\u00a0being paid for a task tends to decrease our intrinsic motivation, a phenomenon he explains in terms of the shift of the \u2018locus of motivation\u2019. Meanwhile, as I argued in\u00a0\u2018The Future We Deserve\u2019, the logic of maximising productivity has made industrial-era employment an unprecedentedly anti-social form of work. More practically, though, are there ways we can build a better relationship between meaningful work and our ability to pay the rent?\nHouse concerts: The music industry has been through huge disruption since the 1990s, not least as a result of the rise of filesharing. The solo bass player\u00a0Steve Lawson\u00a0is an example of an independent musician who has spent his career developing new models for making a living and documenting the realities of this on his blog. He sells\u00a0downloads of his albums\u00a0on a pay-what-you-want basis and makes \u2018house concert\u2019 tours on which he plays in the front rooms of fans, many of whom have first met him online. Reading his accounts of this, two things are clear: first, that these models, drawing on the strengths of networked technologies, allow for\u00a0a far more meaningful relationship\u00a0with his audience than was possible in the music industry of the pre-Napster era; and, second, that house concerts also\u00a0make touring economically viable\u00a0for independent musicians in a way that was harder when playing traditional venues. Are there other areas in which socially-embedded grassroots economies can thrive where high-overhead conventional economies struggle? (For another take on the potential of low-overhead economic models, see Kevin Carson\u2019s\u00a0The Homebrew Industrial Revolution.)\nThe Unmonastery: One of the projects to emerge from the first phase of Edgeryders was a proposal for something called an\u00a0Unmonastery: \u2018a creative refuge bound to host problem solvers and change makers, who together work to solve (g)local problems, in exchange for board and lodging.\u2019 At present, this proposal is being developed by a group that met through the Living on the Edge events in 2012. The initial response suggests that young people are willing to take a step down in their material expectations, if this is balanced by sufficient security and autonomy to pursue work which they believe matters. The challenge will be to develop a vehicle for this willingness which is capable of \u2018interfacing\u2019 with existing institutions and accessing resources, which can achieve a reasonable degree of stability, and which does not devolve into a mechanism for exploitation. Daunting as this sounds, it is likely that we will see more experiments along these lines in Europe in the years ahead. (Edventure: Frome, which launched in October 2012, has parallels to the Unmonastery model, although framed in educational terms.)\nFive years into the current crisis, the default future for much of Europe is a world of longer hours and lower wages. Economic regeneration as we have known it could hardly keep up with the social costs of industrial decline, even during periods of sustained growth. That economic collapse can lead into and become entrenched by a collapse of meaning is not just a post-Soviet story, but one that can be traced in many of Europe's former industrial regions, not least the areas of South Yorkshire where I once worked as a journalist.\nThe scale and harshness of those realities makes me hesitate: I do not want to overstate the case for the examples I have discussed here. Yet I would suggest that they may offer clues, at least, towards another kind of regeneration: what might be called a \u2018regeneration of meaning\u2019. There is no guarantee that this will happen, nor that, if it does, it will take the kind of form we would wish to see. However, for those who consider the possibility worth exploring, I have a few questions:\n\nWhat would it take for this to coalesce into something serious?\nHow far along is it already?\u00a0(Is it further than we\/others assume, due to its illegibility?)\nWhere are the other examples that would build the case?\nWhat are the dangers?\u00a0(For example, could the Unmonastery inadvertently become\u00a0the workhouse\u00a0of the 21st century?)\n\n\u00a0\nImage credit: Listening to the Walls - Photo by Bembo Davies, Institute of non-toxic propaganda\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-01 11:06 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"79"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6170","title":"Living Social In Brussels: co-living as a lifestyle for grown-ups","content":"\nFour years ago, as we were planning our move to Brussels, Nadia and I decided to look for flatmates. Most of our friends and family members were rather puzzled: not many couples decide to share their apartment, though they can afford not to. We, however, thought it completely logical. Nadia is Swedish and I am Italian: at the time we lived in Strasbourg, France. That made us a migrant nuclear family, completely cut off from the network of emotional and material support that our friends and families of origin could offer. We were simply too isolated in our Strasbourg apartment, nice though it was; and we decided to try something different. So, we rented a much bigger apartment than we needed and asked the Internet for someone to share it with.\nFour years on, we think the experiment worked. For the last three years we have been living with Kasia and Pierre, a young couple of expatriates (Kasia is Polish, Pierre French). We really enjoy the co-habitation: the home feels more animated, and not a day goes by that we don't chat at least a little bit, over coffee or breakfast. We enjoy the big, airy living room overlooking the city. And, frankly, we appreciate that our lifestyle is really good value for money: thanks to the economies of scale implicit in family life, we pay a reasonable rent for a really nice space.\nAlong the way, we discovered that what makes our living together so enjoyable is that we are so different from each other. We come from four different countries; we are of different ages (Pierre, the youngest, is 19 years younger than me, the oldest); we have very different jobs (Kasia is a dental nurse, Pierre is the manager of a fashion boutique, whereas Nadia and I both belong to the \"what is it that you do, again?\" tribe); Nadia and I travel a lot, whereas Kasia and Pierre tend to be in town most of the time.\nThis works well on many levels. On a purely practical level, when we travel we love the thought that the home is not empty, and in the event of some misfortune (think plumbing failure) they can intervene; and I am sure they enjoy the privacy and the extra space. We pay for electricity, phone and the Internet, they pay for the cleaning services \u2013 less paperwork to do. We have an extra room, which normally serves as Nadia's and my office; but it doubles up as a guest room for the guests of all of us.\nBut there is more to co-habitation than practicality. Kasia and Pierre are lovely people: and, crucially, they are different people from Nadia and myself. We live out the city in different ways. We have different takes on almost everything, from French politics to Belgian beer. Comparing notes with them is always interesting, and I really value their insights and wisdom. Not that we spend all that much time together. I think our co-habitation unfolded in the right sequence: we started by a default attitude of rigorous mutual respect of each other's privacy and spaces. Then, over time, we grew closer, started to share the occasional meal, the occasional outing; we met each other's friends and families, lovely people to the last one. Guess what: we have built a sort of familial-like arrangement in a foreign city, among people who were originally complete strangers to one another.\nIt's working well. So well that, when a year ago our landlord announced that he was reclaiming his apartment and we would have to move out in the summer, we decided to stay together, and to look for a new place as a four-people household. Eventually, we got more ambitious and thought, what the hell, we might as well grow the family. If four people can live so well together in a larger apartment, how would it work with five, or six, or seven in an even larger one?\nIt works well, it turns out. We moved to a lovely loft, and were joined by a third couple (Belgian-Italian). Giovanni and Ilaria have since moved on for family reasons, but we enjoyed their company while we lived together. Their place has been claimed by Thomas, a young French engineer.\u00a0\nWe do this for totally egoistic reasons: we enjoy each other's company, we save money, we live in style. At the same time, we are aware that we are working our way through solving a global problem. Planet Earth has 230 million international migrants; intra-EU migrants like us are 8 million. Many of Europe's young people simply cannot afford to hold their ground: their work, education paths, and love lives lead them to migrate. When they do, they, like us, lose their supporting networks, and it is really hard to rebuild them. Living together, especially in diversity \u2013 the older with the younger, the sporty with the mobility-challenged, the academic with the blue-collar worker \u2013 becomes a platform for sharing our different abilities, and being able, as a household, to solve many different problems, both emotional and practical.\nNone of this is new. You have heard it all before \u2013 at social innovation conferences and workshops, for example, and typically by people who live in middle-class nuclear families. But we have decided to walk this particular talk; it will probably not be the right choice for everyone, but it is the right choice Nadia, Kasia, Pierre and myself; and I strongly believe it might be right for many others. I encourage you to at least consider it for yourself: as more of us make this choice, the real estate market will respond, giving us more spaces suited to our particular lifestyle (in Brussels, for example, is very difficult to find large apartments with 3 or more bathrooms!).\u00a0So, who wants to join?\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-04-01 10:20 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"0","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6156","title":"Op3n Hangout: Welcome to the weekly online community call, Mondays at 16:30 CET","content":"\nEvery week Edgeryders hosts a group video conference call to welcome new people in the Op3nCare community, as well as get up to speed with what is going on and where help is needed.\nParticipating in these calls is a good way to really understand how the project works, and how you can get involved as they are where we\n\nCoordinate the upcoming activities as defined\/required by the OpenCare research project partners\nDiscuss topics and issues that need shared thinking and in some cases, shared decision making\u00a0\nWelcome people from the broader community who wish to get involved in some way\n\nWe document the sessions and post them online in weekly blogposts about what is going on, and where people can jump in to help each other.\nThe call takes place at 16:30 CET in the google hangout: https:\/\/hangouts.google.com\/call\/xynru45ofvf27apnej2n3fjjlae\nNb: While we prefer Open Source\/ Free software, we have not yet found a viable alternative for these calls to google hangouts. If you know of a debugged, stable alternative that you have tested yourself please feel free to let us know about it.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-03-28 13:19 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6148","title":"Helping one another to discover what is already out there!","content":"","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-03-25 17:03 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Chain","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"36"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6143","title":"Shenzhen Assembly - Know thyself and our world in the digital era","content":"\n@Costantino\u00a0and me are here in Shenzhen at Tsinghua University, invited\u00a0 to partecipate to\u00a0 the sixth in a series\u00a0of Sage Bionetworks\u2019 events on open innovation. (read more here\u00a0http:\/\/shenzhenassembly.org\/ )\nThe title is Know thyself and our world in the digital era and focuses\u00a0 on the increasing knowledge through personal sensors, and how this form of open learning in a digital era can be applied to an area of shared concern \u2013 the environment.\u00a0 the meeting will focus on the ubiquity of and the knowledge\u00a0to be gained from personal sensors, and how this information\u00a0can be applied to address issues of real concern.\u00a0\u00a0\nthe 3-day meeting is part conference and part hands-on. We're in the\u00a0Innovation in open science\u00a0project team and we'll:\n\"Explore\u00a0hacker\/maker space projects in digital health and the environment. \u00a0Imagine a gathering where we will tackle the theme of the Assembly by making something together in a state-of-the-art maker space.\u00a0 Luping Xu and Francois Grey, with the help of esteemed leaders in the maker world such as David Li and Eric Pan, will guide participants in a brainstorming session to build software or make objects in a space with equipment such as 3-D printers, sewing machines with conductive thread, microcontrollers, sensors, the works! \"\nThe\u00a0team will be lead by Luping Xu and Francois Grey (active in open hardware community at cyberlab\u00a0- read more\u00a0here\u00a0\u00a0http:\/\/cds.cern.ch\/journal\/CERNBulletin\/2016\/11\/News%20Articles\/2137964?ln=en\u00a0) , and will actively engage with the maker spaces in Shenzhen.\nMore after the event.\nIn the meanwhile some bits about Sage Bionetworks and also the reason why we accepted invitationa and we'll talk about Opencare:\nInspired by open-source software models, Sage Bionetworks co-founder Stephen Friend builds tools that facilitate research sharing on a massive and revolutionary scale:\u00a0https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/stephen_friend_the_hunt_for_unexpected_genetic_heroes\nJohn Willibanks of Sage Bionetworks\u00a0about medical\u00a0data\u00a0https:\/\/www.ted.com\/talks\/john_wilbanks_let_s_pool_our_medical_data?language=en\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-24 18:10 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"3855"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6142","title":"OpenCare Outreach Events | Meeting with families with boys and girls with disabilities, 30 March 2016, Milan - 4.00 pm #LocalActivity","content":"\nLocal staff of opencare (Comune di Milano and WeMake) meets some parents of boys and girls with different abilities.\u00a0The presentation will take place @ WeMake (Via Stefanardo da Vimercate 27\/5 in Milan - MM1 Gorla) on 30 march 2016. h. 4.00 pm\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-24 17:48 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6423"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6141","title":"Belgian Platform for International Health: Annual Seminar 2016","content":"\nAn event run by the Institute of Tropical Medicine (www.itg.be), Nationalestraat 155, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium\nIt was meant to last two days, but has been cut short due to attacks in Brussels.\u00a0\nThe topic of the seminar is Health 2.0: Are we ready to go digital?\nWill participate and then share my notes here.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-24 16:30 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6137","title":"Guide for building the OpenCare online community","content":"\nThe purpose of this document is to help OpenCare project team and community\u00a0members\u00a0learn and master\u00a0basic practices\u00a0to help build\u00a0a global network around the project. We outline\u00a0core processes and tools deployed via http:\/\/edgeryders.eu and encourage\u00a0anyone to step up and use these resources.\nTable of Contents\n\nMain OpenCare communication channels\nWorkspace: how to navigate\nCommunity space: how to onboard\u00a0partners, collaborators,\u00a0members\nChallenges and stories: the main collective intelligence vehicle\n\n Submitting stories\n Euro Engligh as language\n Right to privacy and\u00a0anonymity\n Research data\n\n\nOther online engagement tools and practices\n\n Meetups\n Hangouts\n Working Out Loud\n Mailing lists\n Social media\n\n\nShared documentation\nDisclaimer\nLicense\n\n Main OpenCare\u00a0communication channels\nWe maintain two separate but linked spaces on the web:\n\nA Research Workspace: edgeryders.eu\/opencare-research\n\ndisplays\u00a0basic information about Open Care as an EU funded project;\ncontains all team communication threaded discussions\ninteractive,\u00a0live feed of the project\ndesigned in the spirit of openness (anyone can come in and share content)\u00a0and\u00a0\"working out loud\" (format which the team is committed to)\n\n\nA Community space: opencare.cc\n\nfor community members, old and new people\u00a0or anyone wishing to understand more about how to participate in the project\nhighly curated\u00a0information about the project\ndesigned to explain to the broader community what\u00a0opportunities\u00a0the project provides\nredirects visitors\u00a0to a space on edgeryders.eu and is also\u00a0easily accesible from the main menu of the website (see it on the upper left side)\n\nWorkspace: how to navigate it\nA proposed routine for quickly finding relevant info by project partners:\n\nCheck your email notifications from contact@edgeryders.eu. If something needs your immediate attention, you were probably mentioned in a comment or were assigned a task by the team. The email title will signal this.\nOn the platform, start from the workspace.\u00a0Filter content by clicking on \"Posts\", \"Wikis\", \"Tasks\" etc. so you only see those.\n\nA proposed routine for making sure others see your content:\n\nUse the platform mentions in your texts - \"@username\" (start typing and it should autocomplete. The autocomplete choices show up in red below the edit window). Mentions send an email notification to the person being mentioned, making sure she sees your content.\u00a0\nTo make it easier to find content in the working group, consider naming your new posts using the following structure (it makes it easier to find content by using the search form on Edgeryders):\n[tag: Meta | Comms | Logistics | Events | Consortium\u00a0| Reporting |\u00a0Urgent etc] + title of the post\n\nCommunity space: how to onboard\u00a0partners, collaborators,\u00a0members\nThe simplest way is to point people to the\u00a0Community site.\nIf someone learns about the project and lands on Edgeryders, there are several ways in, described in the How To Participate page: they can sign up on our mailing list, create a user account\u00a0on the platform and follow or\u00a0produce content to become involved. For people who prefer voice interaction, we have Meetups and a weekly Community Call through VOIP. All these are listed on the Meetups page.\u00a0\nAll people who are signed up on edgeryders.eu become community members and agree to the Edgeryders official user, privacy and content licensing policy, made visible to them upon signup.\u00a0Members\u00a0can post on the website, a point at which they are officially welcomed by community managers. @Noemi is primarily in charge of welcoming most users as they sign up and\u00a0answer any questions they might have about using the space or different projects.\u00a0\nOpenCare is building\u00a0its own consent funnel for participation. This is being developed by ScImpulse.\nIf you want to learn about Edgeryders community management practices,\u00a0would like to share the work or\u00a0become a community manager yourself join us here.\nHowever, most Open Care project partners are\u00a0someone's\u00a0contact point for the project i.e. when\u00a0we speak about OpenCare\u00a0in public presentations, events, open consortium meetings, or when\u00a0simply sharing information online.\u00a0Open Care will be different things to different people - it will be general i.e. a way to come together around new care systems;\u00a0or specific i.e. research looking into dementia and supporting the carers. And so on. It's your own responsibility to gauge\u00a0potential interest from someone and point them to relevant information.\nIf there isn't relevant information available online, don't wait for others to do it! Go ahead and set up a post proposing a copy to be added to the Community\u00a0base\u00a0and edgeryders.eu admins\u00a0will do it.\u00a0\nChallenges and stories: the main collective intelligence vehicle\nAs we are spread all over the world, we meet and interact with Open Care community members here online, more than in any other settings. Publishing posts, reading each other and leaving comments to one another's contributions\u00a0is\u00a0how most of the interaction happens.\u00a0\nContent in OpenCare in shared in response to challenges. Challenges are assignments: we describe a problem (for example: what is your experience of giving and receiving care?) and ask the community to respond.\u00a0\nGood practice that you can adopt as much and\u00a0as often as possible:\n\nCheck the current Challenges and responses\nSubmit your stories\nLeave thoughtful comments to other people's stories\n\n\nSubmitting stories\nOnly users who have created an account on Edgeryders and are logged in with their username and password\u00a0can submit stories.\nWhen submitting a story, the user is taken through a number of steps in order to clarify which challenge the story is answering, what personal question is the person trying to figure out, who would be an audience that they prefer, and what general topics they want to file the story under. The editing interface makes it possible to input text, links, to upload images or to embed video or audio files (using the HTML source).\nWhen users create a new piece of content, the other community members who have contributed previously in OpenCare will receive an email notification. Same is true when someone comments other stories.\nEuro English as language \nFor a project with such a strong social networking element, it is absolutely essential that people can interact without mediation nor delay: having someone translate everything we post would be not only impossibly expensive: it would dampen interaction and feedback, making the Open\u00a0experience quite miserable. To get around this problem, we have agreed to encode some rules in the social bargain of Open Care.\nThese are:\n\nyou are welcome to write in your own language. People can always get the gist of what you are writing by running it through Google Translate; however, we encourage you to write in Euro English, the lingua franca the majority of young Europeans use when they move about. I wrote Euro English, and I specifically don't mean the Queen's English: the former is an inclusive, connecting language that most youth speak enough to communicate, the latter is just another language, with its own solid grammar, pronunciation niceties and idiosyncrasies. There are many more people that speak Euro English, than people who speak the Queen's English.\nCommunity members agree to be tolerant of each other's grammar or spelling mistakes. No one is allowed to look down at anyone else for this. We are not stupid or under-educated, we are just writing in a foreign language. Our effort to communicate deserves respect.\nCommunity members who are native speakers of English are kindly requested to keep in mind they are part of a global community, and make their own effort to write in a simple, clear manner.\u00a0\n\nRight to privacy and\u00a0anonymity \nGiven the sensitivity of a topic like care, we\u00a0are encouraging members to feel confortable writing online, but we are aware that this may not be the case for everyone. All our team members are aware of this setback and make it possible for people to submit materials or write their personal stories in two ways: 1) creating a user profile\u00a0which is not linked in any way to their real identity and uploading content from that account or 2) emailing stories and have one of the Open Care curators upload for them.\nResearch data \nAll written content submitted in the OpenCare online\u00a0spaces will be\u00a0aggregated, coded and analysed\u00a0by researchers\u00a0and in agreement with our Data Strategy. For details about the Open Care research, see our original proposal available here\u00a0(pp.18-19).\nOther Online engagement tools and practices\nMeetups\nMeetups are offline or offline\u00a0activities and events where community gets together.\u00a0OpenCare partners and members are encouraged to run OpenCare activities and announce them as Meetups on the Community Space. They can be as small as a presentation at an conference, or a community Meet and Greet.\u00a0\nPartners are already receiving invitations to tell about OpenCare in conferences, university lectures, hackathons etc. Our criterion for accepting or rejecting these invitations is their potential for engagement.\u00a0We do not recommend accepting last-minute invitations: allow\u00a0a minimum of two weeks lead time. This way,\u00a0all of us involved can spread the news that someone in our team is going to be presenting in venue X on day Y, and\u00a0reach out to others who might join you.\u00a0\nPlease post all your intended activities (online\/offline, public meetings, conferences\u00a0etc)\u00a0as events in the Community space:\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n\n1. Click\u00a0here.\u00a0\n2. Enter the information you have prepared for your session. Make sure you also include an image to act as a logo, it will make your event look better on the page. Logos for events are available\u00a0here.\n3. Enter your preferred date and time in the relevant fields.\u00a0\n4. Click Save, you're all set. The event will be listed on the Op3nCare Meetups page.\nNow the next step is to build interest and discussion around your event, email and share the link in your own networks. Use #op3ncare\u00a0so we can help spread it through the Op3nCare social media accounts.\nHangouts\nHangouts are weekly, online and open events where anyone can join.\nAs of April 2016, hangouts happen every Monday at 4:30 PM CET. We are still looking for that perfect open source videoconferencing solution, so\u00a0check the Events page and follow the instructions there.\n\nAlso known as Op3nCare community calls, they serve two purposes at the same time: team coordination and welcoming new people. If you're attending the next, make sure to set the agenda by leaving comments to them.\u00a0Every weeks call will be listed on the Op3n Meetups page.\u00a0\nIf you would like a call exceptionally scheduled, feel free to propose it, write, upload it, and run it (see Communicating your events above).\nIf you are running an activity in Open Care that needs a separate community event, feel free to propose it, write it, and run it (see Meetups section above).\u00a0\nWorking out loud\nThe OpenCare research team is committed to publishing regular public posts to help community members keep track of what is going on and be able to plug in at any time.\u00a0Posts in the OpenCare workgroup marked as such in their title (e.g. [Working out loud] Name of post). They are\u00a0summaries\u00a0of what needs your attention\u00a0every 2\u00a0weeks, feeding in and out of the community calls. Written by @Noemi and other community managers (an example here).\nMailing lists\nAn OpenCare list of supporters and interested people is growing. We send curated content collaborated by community to the list\u00a0members no more than once a month. Sign up here.\nIf you want to include something in it, get in touch with Noemi.\nSocial media channels\nCommunication in Open Care is not centralized, it is\u00a0distributed among all consortium partners, so we are using the channels collectively. To get access to the login info, get in touch with Nadia.\u00a0\n\nOpen Care on facebook\u00a0\n@op3ncare on twitter\nPinterest board\u00a0(by Costantino)\nNewsletter updates\u00a0(sent no more than once a month)\nMailinglist to share social updates (sent on a tighter regular basis)\nHashtags:\u00a0#op3ncare #opencare\u00a0\u00a0\n\nShared project identity visuals, cover photos, thumbnail,\u00a0partners logos etc are listed publicly\u00a0here.\u00a0Feel free to use, modify, re-purpose them as you wish (see License below).\nShared documentation\nA live repository of project updates\u00a0is the workspace:OpenCare Research.\u00a0\nA repository of project documentation (including Consortium Agreement), copy, materials,\u00a0photos,\u00a0cover pages and other miscellaneous is located in the OpenCare\u00a0shared google drive (for Consortium Partners). Make sure if you have new ones to upload them there as well. They become common resource for Open Care community.\u00a0\nDisclaimer\nThe opinions expressed in this website are the responsibility of their author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of Edgeryders as a company, its directors, members or the organisations cooperating with it.\nLicense\nOpenCare\u00a0by\u00a0OpenCare Consortium\u00a0is licensed under a\u00a0Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-03-23 13:58 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6133","title":"Op3n Hangout: Welcome to the weekly online community call, Tuesdays at 16:30 CET","content":"\nEvery week Edgeryders hosts a group video conference call to welcome new people in the Op3nCare community, as well as get up to speed with what is going on and where help is needed. Today's call takes place here:\u00a0https:\/\/hangouts.google.com\/call\/wqqa4tjk6bbyzeuaxr4fss6ziae\nWe document the sessions and post them online in weekly blogposts about what is going on, and where people can jump in to help each other. What we discussed last week:\u00a0How do we navigate the tension between asking for permission and asking for forgiveness?\u00a0\nIf you want to bring something up at the next group conference call, just post a comment here before the event to give us time to coordinate a bit.\nSee you on Tuesday at 16.30 CET!\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-03-22 14:57 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6128","title":"Suicide prevention, dementia, refugee health: Please validate the cases for Op3nCare","content":"\nAfter discussing with colleagues and community members in Edgeryders, I propose we \u201czoom in\u201d from care in general to three specific instances. This will make the discussion more concrete and more relevant to the people out there whom we wish to connect and work with. The price we pay is that we might discourage people with interesting cases that do not fall into this taxonomy (eg. Helliniko). We suggest:\n\u00a0\n\n\nSocial and or health care of refugees in Europe (Challenge brief here)\n \n\nPrevention of Suicide in the hacker community\u00a0(Challenge brief here)\n \n\nHelping both caregivers and care receivers in dealing with dementia\u00a0(Challenge brief here)\n \n\n\u00a0\nThey are a good match for OpenCare, because:\n\u00a0\n\n\nThey involve people in vulnerable situations where dynamics in community connections, or lack of, play a significant role. Can Guy\/Alberto's network science perspective help us to make visible and understand these social flows?\n \n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThey involve some interaction with the formal health and social care system, conditions as well as norms\/behaviors in society at large. Can Erik and Tino's approach help us make sense of this and translating it into institutionally comprehensible language?\n \n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThey involve and require a deep understanding of healing and medical practice, especially the ethical considerations for both caregivers and care recipients. Can Marco, Massimo's and other's work in the field and in the lab help us to identify and understand how to deal with these issues? In the research as well as in the intiatives themselves?\n \n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThe city as a place and institutions is where all of these interactions and relationships live (or do not). Can Lucia and Rossana and others in the city of Milano help us understand how a city can make visible and enable promising approaches and nurturing the people who drive them?\n \n\n\u00a0\n\n\nCan we design interventions offer workarounds to the obstacles these intiatives, and the indivuals they attempt to support (caregivers and care recipients)? What forms could these interventions take in order to unlock more care in the different situations (artefacts, communication, services, processes, upskilling, administrative and legal hacks, policy changes and or something else? Here I think the ingenuity and very particular skillset of Costantino, Zoe and others in the weMake constellation could make a very important contribution.\n \n\n\u00a0\nPlease validate them or counterpropose others. We need to move on. \n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-03-21 15:56 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6119","title":"PRENDERSI CURA CON STRUMENTI OPEN SOURCE WORKSHOP @ FaLaCosaGiusta #LocalActivity","content":"\nThe first free hands-on workshop of the #opencare series will take place this next Friday 18 March in Milan at \u2018Fa la cosa giusta\u2019. Come and learn how to create an #IoT #opensource service to monitor and take care of your loved ones remotely.\nhere in italian:\u00a0\nhttp:\/\/wemake.cc\/2016\/03\/15\/opencare-a-fa-la-cosa-giusta\/\nif you have the possibility to come drop us a line:\u00a0\nhello\u00a0[at]\u00a0wemake.cc\n\nwith @alessandro contini @Cristina_Martellosio @Rossana Torri @Costantino @Silvia_D'Ambrosio @ChiaraFrr\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-03-18 10:15 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2604"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6117","title":"Security Problems with the Internet of Things","content":"\nhttps:\/\/securitybrief.com.au\/story\/information-security-professionals-may-not-be-prepared-iot-after-all\/\nAs you might expect, the IoT is fraught with security holes and a growing population of users who are rather unconcerned about it - mainly because they don't know and don't think about it enough. \u00a0But do you want someone hacking into your Google Car? \u00a0This article points out that many IoT devices and projects don't even know all that connect to them.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-17 15:19 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8169"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6112","title":"OpenCare Outreach Events | Meeting with migrant community, 17 March 2016, Milan - 7.30 pm #LocalActivity","content":"\nTomorrow the second meeting with the Milanese community will take place. Comune di Milano and WeMake, in collaboration with the association \"Villa Pallavicini\" have organized a presentation of OpenCare to engage\u00a0a\u00a0local migrant community. \u00a0\n\nThursday 17 march - 7.30 pm\nVilla Pallavicini\nVia Meucci 3 \nMilano\n\n\n\n\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-03-16 14:14 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6423"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6110","title":"Op3n Hangout #2: How do we navigate the tension between asking for permission and asking for forgiveness?","content":"\n\nDuring today's call\u00a0 @johncoate , @Natalia Skoczylas , @phm and I had the first real project co-design session. A summary of what was discussed [please add what I have missed]:\n\n\nWe discussed three cases:\n\n \n The Diabetes implant: What was an illegal hack in 2012, is now a solution that is available for others. How did this happen? What kind of legal hoops did they have to jump through?\n  \n \n Im many EU countries the welfare infrastructure was designed for populations with planned groth. With more refugees arriving you both have an increase in number of people to care for, and different kinds of needs which is being framed as the source of \" chaos in the system\". Perhaps it would make sense to look at how health- and social care is being managed both in the camps and temporary receoption centres, as well as in the mainstream healthcare providers. \n  \n \n Is there a distincting between the NHS overall (long term) and the temporary refugee situation:\u00a0 Is it just a question of money, or are\/were there some things that can be improved? How does a clinic in Brixton cope with a situation in which you have five hundred people who have just walked to Calais and have broken feet? In addition to the Epidemological situation. \n  \n \n We need raw data about how the healthcare situation is currently being managed, but from first hand sources...ie go out and ask people on the ground. How many doctors, nurses and others are currently active in caring for the new arrivals? Where are the resources coming from, is it mainly charities? Is this information already out there and is anyone aggregating information about the different intiatives providing care services to people?\n  \n\n\n\nSome early \"conclusions\":\n\n\nWhen it comes to DIY solutions to health- and social care problems, there is a key tension between asking for permission and asking for forgiveness. Who\/how can and should we convene around finding legal\/administrative hacks for existing DIY solutions to health- and social care problems?\n \n\nAn obvious path towards achieiving impact is to find, acknowledge and draw support towards people who already are doing important work. This has to happen online on the edgeryders.eu platform in order for us to fullfull our obligations and to stay true to our mission. Does it make sense to run the project in 3-month cycles consisting of the following steps?\n\n \n People reach out to little known but promising initiatives and ask them about their work and post the documentation on platform where we can help edit them into really compelling stories. These stories are designed as informative case studies with a specific call for action from the broader community.\n  \n \n We share their stories online and engage the internet in making sense of the challenges they face, as well as identifying fixes\/hacks\/solutions\/new projects. Part of this is sharing specifications, doing requirements engineering and the necessary background research to determine viability of different proposals.\n  \n \n We build a number of small, focused events in which people existing intiatives with designing and build the identified fixes\/hacks\/solutions and projects. Kind of like the workshop on Collaborative Inclusion...but taking place over a couple of days, in a hacker or makerspace, where you leave having built something that works. Two projects to begin with: BBC Frontline Documentary on Two UK Doctors Helping Refugees | Dutch Volunteer Turns Refugee Boats and Life Jackets Into Backpacks .\n  \n \n \n  BBC Frontline Documentary on Two UK Doctors Helping Refugees - See more at: https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/opencare\/bbc-frontline-documentary-on-two-uk-doctors-helping-refugees#comment-21988\n \n  \n \n \n  BBC Frontline Documentary on Two UK Doctors Helping Refugees - See more at: https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/opencare\/bbc-frontline-documentary-on-two-uk-doctors-helping-refugees#comment-21988\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\n \n  \n\n\n\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-03-15 22:12 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6109","title":"Dutch Volunteer Turns Refugee Boats and Life Jackets Into Backpacks","content":"\nhttp:\/\/www.rferl.org\/content\/lesbos-migrants-turning-boats-into-backpacks-dutch-volunteers\/27587663.html\nis a link to a story about a Dutch woman who made a super clever hack of the junk boat and lifejacket parts to make backpacks out of them using a few simple tools, which she then taught to the refugees. \u00a0An excellent maker story solving a real problem without having to get too high tech or even ask for wither permission or forgiveness..\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-03-15 19:10 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8169"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6108","title":"BBC Frontline Documentary on Two UK Doctors Helping Refugees","content":"\nhttp:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/mediacentre\/proginfo\/2016\/10\/frontline-doctors\nIs a link to a writeup on an hourlong BBC documentary I watched while I was in Amsterdam last week. \u00a0I didn't see a link to watch it online, though the synopsis is very good. \u00a0It would be interesting to follow up with those doctors to see what they are doing about all this now.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-03-15 18:32 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8169"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6086","title":"Sentiment analysis -- play the game","content":"\n[Moving forward with WP5 Tasks 5.2]\nhttp:\/\/www.csc.ncsu.edu\/faculty\/healey\/tweet_viz\/tweet_app\/\nWe have mentioned it would be interesting to provide sentiment analysis feedback to those who would monitor conversations taking place on the forum.\nI am interested in finding an appropriate sentiment landscape, I thought the experiment by C. Healy would be worth trying. You enter words, the app scrapes twitter for you and then\u00a0displays a cloudpoint (points correspond to tweets). Go play!\nI am also interested in your feedback about the utility of such a viz. How would you intuitively use such a represntation? Just look at it? Drive the navigation between posts (here\u00a0tweets) from that viz? Query the posts and get back to the authors' neighborhood (in the crowd of all authors)? Etc.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-10 10:34 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6399"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6078","title":"Meetings with Milanese Community - March 12th, 2016 - Dancing with Open Care!","content":"\nHi everybody,\nNext Saturday the first meeting with the Milanese community will take place. Comune di Milano and WeMake, in collaboration with the association \"Mare Urbano Milano\" have organized a \"liscio\" dancing afternoon to present the project to a\u00a0vivacious community of elderly dancers.\u00a0\n\nmore update soon...\n\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nAlberto\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-03-09 10:17 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8541"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6077","title":"Opencare Press Conference in Milan!","content":"\nHi all,\nwe are excited and preparing last things for the press conference taking place on the 9th of March at 11am at Palazzo Marino (Milan's\u00a0major palace) with Comune di Milano team and WeMake team.\u00a0\nAfter the event we're going to share a report here on Edgeryders.\nbest\nZoe\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-03-08 23:42 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"3855"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6054","title":"Op3n Hangout: Welcome to the weekly online community call, Tuesdays at 16:30 CET","content":"\nEvery week Edgeryders hosts a group video conference call to welcome new people in the Op3nCare community, as well as get up to speed with what is going on and where help is needed. We document the sessions and post them online in weekly blogposts about what is going on, and where people can jump in to help each other.\nBefore we decide on the exact place we need to find the right software. Ideally it should be open source, and allow several people to video chat at the same time. What would be amazing is if it could be embedded here. I found a promising software called appear.in (you can test the room I set up for Op3nCare here), but it is not open source.\nIf you want to bring something up at the next group conference call, just post a comment here before the event to give us time to coordinate a bit.\nSee you on Tuesday at 16.30 CET!\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 20:15 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6053","title":"Documentation | Collaborative inclusion: how migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. A reflexive design exercise","content":"\nImported back from the hackpad:\u00a0https:\/\/lote5.hackpad.com\/FRI-1000-Collaborative-inclusion.-2THjEEYA7Iy. Thanks to all note takers.\nFRI 10:00 | Collaborative inclusion.\nHow migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. A reflexive design exercise.\nLOTE5 session: https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/opencare\/let-s-co-create-our-own-welfare-how-to-design-collaborative\nPlease read the Notes for participants prepared by Ezio and the team: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1PMWB0V\nThis pad text is synchronized as you type, so that everyone viewing this page sees the same text. \u00a0This allows you to collaborate seamlessly on documents!\nEzio: \"Before you try to invent something new, look very attentively for existing solutions in society. Even as you find them, that does not mean you cannot help: these inventions will typically exist, but they will need help, they will be perfectible.\nToday we are going to do just this:\u00a0\n\nWe take an issue \u2013 migration and the influx of refugees\nWe look around at what people are already doing in order to ameliorate the problem.\nWe audit those services from a design point of view and we look at spaces for improvements.\n\nWhat makes a service \"good\"? In the area of design for social innovation we consider services \"good\" if:\n\nThey run on the active participation of beneficiaries.\u00a0\nThey make use of the situated knowledge of everybody involved.\nThey create value for the society at large.\n\nWe look at two main value creation strategies:\u00a0\n\nImproving the case.\u00a0\nEnriching the case's ecosystem \u2013 imagine things around the project that give it positive externalities.\n\nWe are really not qualified to improve the case of services designed and implemented by others. They know so much more than we do about those projects and how they really work. \u00a0Looking to enrich the ecosystem is much simpler. The main question is: what can I, with my peers, do to improve this?\nThese services are targeted at inclusion. Why is it collaborative inclusion? Say we we repair a bicycle, and we do it together: when we have done it, we will not \"simply\" have a working bicycle: we will have a social relationship that can be repurposed to do things other than repairing that particular bicycle. Collaboration is an engine to build social capital, and social capital then produces a flow of new things. But collaboration is tricky: it requires an explicit social contract (what are you promising?) and commitment. Collaboration is also interlinked with the issue of diversity: having diversity is good, because it enhances the resilience of the system, but it also increases the costs of \u00a0collaboration.\u00a0\nYara Al Adib describes the process of arriving in Belgium as a refugee. A visual synthesis is here: https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/lote5\/how-refugees-are-processed-in-belgium. It's pretty heartbreaking: hurry and wait; disempowering sense that there is this impersonal machine dragging you on. Some of the people in Belgium were very empathetic, but you do meet with a lot of stereotypes.\nThe journey is interesting. You meet a lot of people, you learn things. It is also quite challenging, it puts in situations where you have to be brave.\u00a0\nThe cases\nElizabeth from DineWithUs (http:\/\/dinewithus.strikingly.com\/). \"Once a migrant has been processed and is \"legalised\" in Belgium there remains a wall between Belgians and newcomers. I was personally frustrated that I did not know any of them, and all my friends were white. Our idea is pretty simple, just share a meal, learn recipes and teach your own. We have now over 100 registrations, it's working OK but we need to grow.\"\nSara from StudioRefugee (http:\/\/www.studiorefugee.be\/). \u00a0\"We match (graphic) designers (and design-students) with refugees to design products that contain real refugee-stories, then sell the products.\"\nTarik from SmartSocial (http:\/\/www.smartsocial.be\/). \"I have a hospitality startup. What with refugee crisis, we asked ourselves whether we could use that expertise and team towards social housing. So we started a first project serving minors in the European contract. We have a very good relationship with FedAsil Our first obstacle: the owner of the building is not so happy that minor refugees will move into his building. So we tried to convert some of future co-working spaces from our other startup into temporary accommodation for refugees. But we were sued by our neighbours. But we won: we have legal expertise and took the case very seriously. This is a crazy venture, but it is important to address the crisis. I am grateful to my business partners who accepted that I dedicate half of my time to SmartSocial. As entrepreneurs, we know camps are not enough, and should get involved when we see the opportunity.\"\u00a0\nThe design tools (Vishall and Stefanos from Namahn)\n\nStakeholder map. Who are the protagonists of this story? Which groups are affected, or interested? Migrants, for sure, but certainly other people too.\u00a0\nPersona. \"Placeholder\" imaginary persons that we can imagine interacting with our cases.\u00a0\nJourney of Experience. A conceptualization of how people interact with services over time. It forces us to think in terms of time.\u00a0\n\nPlenary restitution\nIn the StudioRefugee case, the area of improvement is how you create value for both refugees and the Belgian host community. The concept is that in addition to turning the venture into a cooperative with shared ownership from refugees, some of the refugees who get involved can become ambassadors for the StudioRefugee. They envision to expand from Ghent to Antwerp, putting one of the refugee-designers in charge. Rand suggestions enabling makers of artefacts, refugees themselves, to sell their own products e.g in Brussels Vintage Market.\nSome of the more detailed discussions:\u00a0\nSelling products is a highly competitive market - > Need to offer customer value proposition\nAlso, where do you start? \u00a0This depends on intent: Is it training people to build skills? \u00a0Is it nurturing exceptional talents? or generating an income stream?\u00a0\n\nIf you start with the people: Find means to be able to train people to develop skills (information, education, financial support)\nIf you start with the talent: Find people with unique skills, incubate them\nIf you start with customer: Find distribution channel, map demand\n\nThere is a discussion about this where some people in the group assert that the venture has to generate an income for the refugees, and not just training- training for what? Founder's answer: Making people happy!\n\nThe DineWithUs group has recommended to advertise the service already from within the refugee camps, using the camps themselves as a communication device. Now people who register from small communities tend to have no match, so they sit idly. We have imagined we could instead ask first registrants from one community to become volunteers, putting themselves out as the reference point of DWU in their local community. Additionally:\n\nPublic feedback: \"we really had fun at our dinner...\"\nCollaboration with chefs.\nPhotographs of participants on the website (it fosters trust)\u00a0\n\"... many more, there is not the time to list them all!\"\n\n[Missed the SmartSocial restitution, please add].\u00a0\n\"Until you know the people you are nothing. The sooner you can attach refugees to a social network, the better.\"\nIs it better to have a generalist service that also refugees can use or should we have specialised, \"exclusive\" services? The refugees in the room (particularly Rand and Orwa) could not really decide one way or the other. They do not like labels, but they do appreciate how difficult it can be for refugees to use generalist services. Ezio: you should have both. Specialised services should \"break the ice\", but then generalist ones should be welcoming towards refugees.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 19:11 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6052","title":"Narratives of Care: Op3n Brunch in Brussels","content":"\n\nOn February 28, we came together in Brussels for the first Narratives of Care Storytelling workshop.\nWhat started with a simple question which developed into deep conversations that are still ongoing days after everyone went home.\u00a0Pauline kindly contributed her notes from the discussions and I uploaded them here. Also Ezio summarised his own reflections around care from a different, but related, discussion here.\nFrom the different conversations I draw the conclusion that a big part of building effective storytelling for our individual care-related initiatives is designing contexts for care that work for us. As care givers and receivers:\nHow to do this effectively? Is it the same for regardless of which kind of initiative you are communicating around, or not? Are there significant cultural differences around care and communication that need to be taken into account or no?\nThis brunch is an opportunity to research and prototype answers to these questions\u00a0 together in a nice and relaxed environment with delicious things to eat!\nBring yourself, your project and anyone you want to invite along. Just let me know a day in advance so I can plan for enough food :))\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 18:51 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6050","title":"Narratives of Care: Op3n Brunch in Brussels","content":"\n\nOn February 28, we came together in Brussels for the first Narratives of Care Storytelling workshop.\nWhat started with a simple question developed into deep conversations that are still ongoing days after everyone went home.\u00a0Pauline kindly contributed her notes from the discussions and I uploaded them here,\u00a0 Ezio Manzini summarised his own reflections around care from a different, but related, discussion here.\nFrom the different conversations I draw the conclusion that a big part of designing narratives is designing contexts for care that work for us. As care givers and receivers.\nHow to do this effectively?Is it the same for regardless of which kind of initiative you are communicating around, or not? Are there significant cultural differences around care and communication that need to be taken into account or no?\nThis brunch is an opportunity to research and prototype this together in a nice and relaxed environment with delicious things to eat :)\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 17:17 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6049","title":"Documentation | Narratives of Care Storytelling workshop","content":"\n\nTalk to me excercise:\n\n\nthe point of the excercise is that there are some implicit information about care.\u00a0\n\n\nThe group slit up in 3 people groups\n\n\none people ask question\u00a0\n\n\none people answer question\n\n\none people is documenting\n\n\neach session is 20'\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nWorkshop Notes (Contributed by Pauline)\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nGoing from the personal and going global to create\u00a0\n\n\n\n Common ground (everywhere)\n\n\n\n\n Connection \u2192 Empathy\n\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nProviding care is providing empowerment for you and the other, helping build steps to autonomy.\n\n\nCreate expectations?\n\n\nResponsibility?\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nWhen does storytelling create empathy? What are the conditions? That it create a connexion to the other person\u2019s circumstances.\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nCommon experiences \u2013 if I have been through an experience, am I more equipped to support the other facing that experience?\n\n\n\u2192 If I was a combatant, I can share my story first then be better equipped to support the combatant I work with.\u00a0\n\n\n\u2192 Create a link through storytelling fro better care?\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThe connexion depends on each particular case \u2013 dependency? There is a very personal experience.\u00a0 It is very different when your web of personal experiences are involved.\u00a0\n\n\n\u2192 The relationship to distance and care is not as simple; it may be easier to care for someone who is not personally involved.\u00a0\n\n\n\u2192 Idea of proximity and whether it is helpful or not\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nIdea of expectations from a particular context: only support certain things in certain circumstances. You only want to care about certain things at certain times so there is the question of:\n\n\nTiming\nContext when shared?\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nImportant concepts for care (therefore to include into storytelling practice):\n\n\n\n Communion\n\n\n\n\n Compassion\n\n\n\n\n Self-care\n\n\n\n\n Awareness\n\n\n\n\n Why you help and whether you are more helped yourself.\u00a0\n\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nBurden of care should be spread among people.\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nSharing care experiences.\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nWhat does this mean for narratives of care?\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n Create a context for storytelling.\u00a0\n\n\n\n\u2192 Get to know each other + basic needs?\n\n\n\u2192 Expectations\n\n\n\u2192 Communication and identity\/sculpture\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n Showcase the offer and manage expectations. But how?\n\n\n\n\u2192 Communication around culture\n\n\n\u2192 Storytelling could also be the basis on which you build the context for care.\u00a0\n\n\n\n Frame it as a tool for empowerment.\u00a0\n\n\n\n\n Shared intentions and part of context.\n\n\n\nWhat stories?\n\n\n\n Does the narrative approach scale as well as we think it does?\n\n\n\n\u2192 Can you actually bring it global? Yes if you recognize the identity and scaling issue?\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n Availability heuristic\n\n\n\n\n Narrative pattern \u2013 \u2018imagine a world where\u2026. Oh yeah by the way it already exists\u2026\u2019\n\n\n\n\n Carriers of narratives \u2013 Fiction of narratives, fables, archetypes or a story pattern (David and goliath, or the fool, the hero who goes on a quest). Look at propaganda in the LRA.\n\n\n\n\u2192 Are there universal stories?\n\n\n\u2192 But is it personalized better?\n\n\n\u2192 Note on George Lucas mythologist\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n David Hume\n\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nConclusion:\n\n\nSpace for care includes a variety of aspects that one should balance nut still take action.\n\n\n\n Intention\n\n\n\n\n Expectations\n\n\n\n\n Context-setting\n\n\n\n\n Storytelling as a tool not a universal answer\n\n\n\n\n Parties\n\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nPassive, Active, Proactive\n\n\nGive - Receive | Request - response = Communication space around care (actively caring)\n\n\nThey are a lot of difficulties in communicating around care.\n\n\nStories \u2013 legends - can be a tool to not directly address the issue but rely and build on universal stories.\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nWhat then would be 5 steps to design your context of care?\n\n\n\u2192 Current future vs ideal future\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 17:11 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6047","title":"Documentation | MASTERS OF NETWORKS: NETWORKS OF CARE","content":"\nImported from the hackpad:\u00a0https:\/\/lote5.hackpad.com\/SAT-0930-1045-MASTERS-OF-NETWORKS-NETWORKS-OF-CARE-hackathon-for-network-scientists-doctors-and-patien.... Thanks to all note takers, especially Rossella B.\nThis is the main conversation\u00a0\nhttps:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/lote5\/masters-of-network-4-networks-of-care\nYou can download Tulip from here\nhttp:\/\/tulip.labri.fr\/TulipDrupal\/\nYou can download the data file here https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/0B7HgdYQcOLwncWhwQ3lKdmZXMmM\/view\nThe data we have are about edgeryders users, which posts they posted and who reacted\u00a0\nwe want to see how they interact, so we want to link them to one another\nTulip\nIf you click on \"user to post\" in tulip, you see emphasized the users that have written the original post, and which posts they wrote, linked to that user.\nIf you click on one of the posts you see information about the post, the text, the date, the title, plus some information that is internal to the software and is not so interesting for us.\nSemantics\nEdgeryders supports in-platform etnographic tagging. Ethnography is a qualitative method to analyze texts and attach tags to the texts that represent what the text says. The tags have to be standardized, so different researchers can be consistent in the use.\u00a0\nIn the past ethnographic researches where limited because it was costly to gather the texts via interviews and transcripts. They are not statistically representative.\nEdgeryders supports in-platform etnographic tagging. Of course, most content in Edgeryders is NOT ethnographically tagged: ethnography is expensive, and we only do it as part of contracts in which ethnography is used to lift collective expert advice from the conversation.\nOnline the texts are already written, so they don't need to be transcribed, and the ethnographers' codes can be kept together with the texts.\nThese tags are composed of super-classes (f.i. \"Topic\" or \"Place\") and they can be nested, and for each super-class you can entry different values (f.i. \"Charity\" or \"Cairo\").\nAn example: the users writes \"Our task will be to explore how we may then model interaction beween users,\" -> the ethnographer attaches the tag \"interaction\" . This tag is added in the html code of the platform, directly linked to the original text.\nWhen this happens, a semantic layer is added to Edgeryders content. \u00a0We can add semantics to the social network representation of the Edgeryders conversation: not just \"who is talking to whom\", but, adding semantics, \"who is talking to whom about what\".\nEdgeryders data\nOn Edgeryders, the ethnographic data are linked to other kind of data, like the profile of the users (age, location etc), the circumstances surrounding the text. We have these ethnographer-coded data only for a specific conversation (because we had financing to gather it). We want to do this again in Open Care.\nOf course you do not have all the information about the context of a conversation, for instance you don't know what happened besides the online platform. We will still miss a lot, and make misinterpretations.\nQuestion (Ezio Manzini): what is the object that you are observing? Is it a conversation on Open Care or is it a conversation on Open Care in the context of the Edgeryders platform, and such and such.\nA problem about \"large scale conversations\": a large number of users does not imply that many people will participate in the conversation. In the course of a EU project called CATALYST we learned that almost no threads have more than 10 participants, even in \"large communities\" like Loomio, with 10K users.\nWe should rephrase the question says Ezio, one that is more precisely the question that can be answered by this tool. Yes, but we need to use the tool to discover the question. You have some questions and in the process you will discover more questions.\nNetwork\nWe have users who initiate posts and reply to posts with comments. We have ethnographers who will tag some of the texts. We want to discover how people interact and what the conversations will be about.\nWhen you click\n\n\"user to user\" in Tulip you actually see the people who interact (have a conversation).\u00a0\nuser to comments: which comments they made\n\"post to groups\" you see the posts that have been added in the group.\nuser to tags tells you which users are talking about a tag - if you believe in collective intelligence you need more than this because you still don't know if these users are talking to each other -> you want to see the conversations between the users that contain this tag, that is when the semantic is important\nwe also want to link concepts to other concepts\n\nHere you an see if a tag was interesting and if it was important. When people share something or comment is a different thing. Relevance can become important as well. (This previous has to do with sentiment analysis) But it is not the core of what we want to do in Open Care. It can be important to single out the people who talk about a topic.\nidealistic idea of human interaction. Deep conversation, rather than big data.\nUser-to-tags networks are not easy to interpret. Guy and Benjamin Renoust introduced semantic edges show me only the edges that include \"real action\" as tag. another idea is visualising two networks, one of people to people and one of tags to tags. if you 'lasso\" a topic you sese the network of people who talked about it. if you lasso two topics you see the people who talked about either (but you can switch view and see who talked about both). if the people have been talking to each other about the tag then the edge becomes red as well, otherwise only the node. If you select a user you can see the tags he's been talking about.\nIn this version of the network, people are connected if one of them reacts to the other's post of comment. If someone reacts to a comment to somebody's else's post, then he'll be connected to the author of the comment but not to the author of the post. It is possible with these data to make different choices.\u00a0\nStart from a tag, say \"open-source software\" and\n\nsee if the people talking about it are also talking to each other. If so, we can speak of \u00a0an emergent group of specialists, emergent because it \"happened\", nobody assigned them to do that. The word \"group\" is critical here: if people were just speaking about open source software in isolation, they could be in total disagreement and not even know about it, but if they are talking to each other about open source software there can be a convergence going on, like when Wikipedians weed out mistakes in the encyclopedia's articles.\u00a0\nlasso those guys and see what else they are also talking about, and get an indicative map of how this emergent group of experts sees the topic.\u00a0\n\nThe present data are \"post-mortem\" of the conversation. The ideal situation is to be able to analyze the conversation with this tool almost \"real-time\", let's say on a daily basis. This, however, has the problem that ethnographic research does not really work that way: ethnographers find it easier to maintain consistency if they work in batch.\u00a0\nGuy: The tool could influence people to do more if it was available. It can be a user tool, besides a research tool. Alberto: However the Edgesense tool was made available to the community, and there do not seem to be that many people looking at it.\nEdgesense\nhttps:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/edgesense\/static\/dashboard.html\nThe color coding are the nodes that are more connected to each other that to other members of the group. If you are very active you have \"your own\" group. For instance Noemi, her group is not exactly a star but very central.\nThe links are directional: two nodes can be linked by two curved lines, one from node a to node b, the other in the opposite direction.\nYou \u00a0can show by degree (number of connections), select only the edges that link to and from the moderators. You can also hide them and see that the network is still holding. Some people fall out, but the giant component remains.\nOpenCare narrative\nThis example also helps clarify Ezio's question above. What is the question that this network representation can answer? The sociology of the network. It helps manage the group. The network we saw on Tulip, it might be worth spending some time to find a bridge between what the tool can do, and the general question \"what is open care\". IN which ways can it be helpful?\nThis network is updated real-time. What would be a proper time frame for a semantic coding? The coding needs some consistency. So the ethnographer will say you make a conversation and then we tag it. The project on open care does not include a real-time semantic coding. That is a lot of work and would be a big addition to the project, needing its own financing.\nKeywords. Quality tracking. Network authoritativeness. You could use the latter to filter what the ethnographer has to code, so the method becomes scalable. Not by using robots (not working with ethnography) but because you use network math to filter the content.\nAuthor generated tags can work if implemented with auto-prompting and proper incentives, Harry Halpin has published on this about Delicious. Ethnography would not agree, Alberto believes., we can't trust it, although we can try it. But the added values is in small numbers, because then it can be used by smaller communities as well.\u00a0\nEzio: the tool also needs to help develop some intervention. For instance spotting the emergent group of experts could be a useful intervention for the Comune di Milano. We need to develop a narrative like that about the tool we saw in Tulip for Open Care. Alberto believes he has a narrative, a strong hypothesis. Collective intelligence. Small scale collective intelligence. Problems are local, resources are local. So if we have a permanent think-tank on a platform and a cheap way to harvest from it, then we have a tool for a local community to use. You can identify the emergent groups of experts on specific topics and look at them rather than having to make a large scale study.\u00a0\nInstead of going up, going big I'm trying to go down, go deep, focus on a small group of people, without drawing a line around them (because then you'd loose the openness).\nEzio: I've never posted. It would be different if someone would ask around if they have something to say. Now I am here and I talk to people, I feel committed. But now I understand that we have to write because if we talk now we cannot register what we say. Alberto: This is the open. You commit to make the things you said available to people you did never even meet.\nEzio: we are collectively writing a document. You should know who the contributors are. At a certain point, you can say this is the book we wrote and these people wrote. The way this book was written has made it possible to work in a certain way. Alberto: yes, in the end, the ethnographic report will say we had these number of people and...\u00a0\nEzio: if I want to participate I have to write and I have to be very attentive. Alberto: you can also choose to be a marginal author, just have a role along the side. And you still are a coauthor. Also the cook who made the lunch at the Lote5 meeting mattered in the making of the book.\nEzio: co-design process. These tools could be part of the solution. We are now a network and there could then be a network of nurses doctors etc. This discussion can in a similar way happen among care-givers? Costantino: the conversation will not be the result of this group, but of a larger group. But the network of care-givers might be not committed, skilled, or motivated to use an online tool.\u00a0\nAs an example it is possible to use the results of the ethnographic study to feed the discussion at the Comune di Milano. Alberto: Ideally you bridge across. Costantino: this is the hard part. If the discussion is not well documented and published in the coming days, then the online community will miss it. And viceversa. So the tricky part is right here. How can we bring them across each other. In terms of artifact, in terms of codesign, our committment is to at least make transparent what are the needs of the people that we are meeting, how are the codesign sessions organised. Upload the design of a artifact online so that other people can contribute. Many levels: design, conversation... We are going far beyojnd ER as it was right now. We are not only creating a book or a report we are also committed to create real prototypes. So we need to go one step forward, so that we have the tools to manage not only the online conversation but also the other levels. But the online conversation is key to all this.\nAlberto: we are not trying to invent a new methodology, just trying to do it well. The online community is key because of permanency, findability, linkability...\nA discussion about Wikipedia, the major difficulty is that we do not own that platform so we can't control. I'm in a village and need info, i go to wikipedia, and ER might use that.\u00a0\nYou can't brief too much in terms of what will emerge in terms of design.\u00a0\nPeople in Milano have clear problems: Where do I leave my kids. You try to solve, and the solutions kind of work and we try to use this process to make it better.\nThe process that we are following here is not the prototype. The prototype we talk about is some care solution. Online the local problem in Milano goes global and someone from France can intervene in the conversation. The prototyping part is in Milan, but care issues are similar all over the world.\u00a0\nIn the Spot the Future project we saw the the international interaction was very valuable. The capability of transferring the knowledge by solutions found abroad to other context is exactly the point that makes it possible to finding new solutions.\nAfternoon session\nTwo groups: quality of data and Wikipedia data\nQuality of data session\nWe used Tulip and Detangler to explore a semantic network dataset similar to the one that will be used for Open Care. We filter our data according to two proxies for quality:\n\npost\/comment length as quality: discard all posts and comments under, say, 100 characters. This would only keep thoughtful contribution.\u00a0\nuser pagerank as quality: pagerank or other eigenvector centrality measures are often associated to correlate to authoritativeness. So, we can reduce the network to the contributions made by the highest-ranking individuals.\u00a0\n\nThe hypothesis is that the reduced semantic social networks would not be much different from the non-reduced ones. If that is confirmed, the methodology is scalable: if you get a ton of content, just filter it for quality, and work only on the top-quality 15%.\u00a0\nWe walked through the exercise and found that our reducing code works. However, we found inconsistencies in the data (many comments and posts with apparently no text \u2013 though, when we checked them on the Edgeryders platform, of course the text was there!). We do not feel confident to draw any conclusion. The group resolved to redo the exercise starting from a fresh extraction. Guy Melan\u00e7on is taking the lead for this.\u00a0\nWikipedia session\nWe made a sketch of a graphic representation of the medical articles on wikipedia in all languages. The larger the node, the more often a page has been visited and links represent the hyperlinks between pages. We use this representation to explore the data and look at emerging patterns. For instance we will compare the structure of the networks in the different language to see if there might be cultural or geographical properties that can lead to interesting research questions.\nThe code for the Wikipedia session can be found here: https:\/\/github.com\/spaghetti-open-data\/visualizing-self-diagnosis\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 15:07 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6041","title":"Hacking Health Bordeaux Event","content":"\nFriday\u00a0Oct\u00a021, 2016\u00a0- Sun Oct\u00a023, 2016\nhttp:\/\/hackinghealth.ca\/event\/hh-bordeaux-hackathon\/\nAdeline came accross this event to be organized in Bordeaux bext fall. The organization behind it is AquitHealth -- I have contacted them as I saw a past student of mine is part of the founders. I should soon meet with them.\nI then wondered how useful it would be to be present at this event (we in Bordeauw will be, but how about others from OpenCare?).\nThe event apparently is partly organized around hacking sessions (interesting for people at WeMake?). I'll post an update as I get to better understand what they are doing and what the event is about.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 12:26 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6399"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6040","title":"Open care as radical socio-technical innovation: reflecting on the shared vision behind the OpenCare project","content":"\nPremise\nIn my understanding, in the first round of the Open Care discussion both the terms \u201ccare\u201d and \u201copen\u201d have been used referring to different meanings.\u00a0This premise is my personal attempt to map these different uses.\nCare\n\nCare referred to a special kind of human interaction: someone (the care giver) gives attention to, and takes action for, someone else (the care receiver).\u00a0\nCare referred to a set of artifacts: the products and services of the system which, in a given time and place, enables the care activities (i.e. the care interaction of the point 1).\u00a0\n\nOpen\n\nA. \u00a0Open referred to the care system: a system is open when different actors have the possibility to play a role. This can happen when the whole activity package is opened and divided into parts with the possibility, for these different parts, to be distributed among different actors. \u00a0\nB. Open referred to the information flow: a system is open when the information on which it is based are open. This can happen when these information are totally visible, accessible and transferable to other systems.\n\nOpen Care\nConsidering the different meanings of \u201ccare\u201d and \u201copen\u201d, in my view, there is a clear correlation between 1 and A, and between 2 and B:\nA1 Open care refers to the final result. That is, it refers to the characteristics of the care system we intend to create: a care system where different actors (experts and non experts) are in condition to play a relevant role.\u00a0\nB2 Open care refers to the design\/production process. That is, it refers to the characteristics of a co-design and co-production process: the process leading to the realization of the products and services on which an aimed care system is based.\u00a0\nOur discussion\u2026\nFor what I have understood until now the general motivation for the research (see the Open Care research introduction) seems to mainly refer to A1, where the consortium profiles and experiences are mostly linked to the B2.\u00a0\nIn my view, at this stage of the Open Care research we should take a clear decision: do we want to deal with A1, with B2 or with both, A1+B2.\u00a0If the choice is for A1+B2, we should clearly define when, where and how we will discuss of A1 and when, where and how of B2.\u00a0\nNB: The following Notes mainly refer to open care assuming the A1 meaning.\u00a0\nCare\nSince the beginning of human history, care has been exchanged (given and received) inside homogeneous, durable and relatively closed groups of individuals: families, clans, village communities, urban neighborhoods ...\u00a0In the past century, in parallel to that, care has been delivered also by dedicated institutions: hospital, kindergartens, elderly residences... \u00a0\nToday, for several reasons, the demand of care is growing and becoming more complex, while both the traditional and the modern offer of care are less and less capable to cope with it. In fact, in the present fluid, hyper individualized societies, families, village communities and urban neighborhoods are weakening (if not totally disappearing) and individuals, given their life structure, have less and less practical possibilities to take care of others (even when, in principle, they would do it).\u00a0\nIn turn, care institutions, which were supposed to substitute the traditional community\u2019s and individual\u2019s care, have less and less economic resources (and often political will) to do it.\u00a0\nThe gap between the growing demand and the shrinking offer of care is the basis of the present care crisis: a lack of care that is not only practical (the caring system do not succeed in coping with the care demand), but also psychological (the sense of loneliness deriving by the lack of sense of care throughout the whole society).\u00a0\nTo overcome this crisis a brand new care systems has to be imagined and enhanced. To move in this direction, a first step is to better understand caring activities, considering their nature and diversity.\u00a0\nThe practical\/organizational side of care is particularly important because care is not only exchanging information and knowledge. Care asks also for proximity and action: doing something for each other, taking time and being committed.\nCare activities. Care activities are quite diverse: they can be performed by whoever could be willing to do it (as to make the shopping for somebody who is momentary sick); they can require a lot of time, attention and assumption of responsibility (as to take care of the daily life necessities of somebody seriously ill); they can require timely actions by highly specialized experts (as surgery interventions in very specific moments). And so on. \u00a0\u00a0\nIn general terms, these differences are characterized by a set of main parameters, as:\u00a0\n\nTime: duration, frequency, flexibility, \u2026\nSpace: virtual, hybrid, only physical, \u2026\nCompetences: normal everyday life socialization, specific diffuse knowledge, specialized expert knowledge, \u2026\nResponsibility: very low; low, high, very high.\n\nDifferent care actions should be attentively analyzed and mapped using this kind of parameters. Nevertheless, intuitively, we can already say that different care activities could be delivered by different actors in different modalities.\u00a0\nIt comes that, to imagine a new care system, we should, first of all, recognize all the potential care givers, considering them as resources: effective care resource (when they are already active) and potential care resources (when they could be activated if some conditions would be given)\nCare resources. In principle, everybody can care for someone else. He\/she can do it in different forms (depending on his\/her expertise and time availability), but all of them require attention. In turn, given that attention is a limited resource (each person has a limit in his\/hers capability to give attention), this is true also for his\/her capability to care. In other word, care (both the expert and non-expert one) is a diffuse but limited resource.\u00a0\nPresently, care systems are built on a mix of three main resources:\n\nInstitutional care givers (based on professional actors)\nThird sector and charity organizations (based on both professional and non professional actors)\nTraditional care communities (as families, village communities, urban neighborhoods).\n\nWe know that, for different reasons, all of them are in difficulty to cope with the growing care demand. Therefore, the issue is to reshape the system in order to permit to some new potential resources to emerge and become effective resources.\u00a0\nMainstream and contra trends. We have said that, in principle, everybody, depending on his\/her time and expertise, could give some forms of care. But we can observe that today, in the contemporary societies, this care potential, clashes with the dominant culture and practice: a cultural attitude that, in the name of individual freedom and convenience, tends to assume a careless approach to everything and everyone (the throwaway society extended from things to human relationships). And: a mainstream practice of living that makes difficult to introduce care activities in the daily life (due to work constrains, to the evolution of families and to their being scattered in different places).\u00a0Therefore, given the present structures of family and work, few people can commit to offering care, especially if this requires continuity, high responsibility and duration in time.\nNevertheless, several examples tell us that there still are several people who could and would dedicate some time\/energy\/attention to well defined caring activities - if and when an appropriate enabling system would permit them to do it in a easy and flexible way.\u00a0This limited but diffuse caring availability is the potential resource that the socio-technical innovation should be capable to transform in an effective resource. \u00a0\nIn other words, thanks to an appropriate socio-technical innovation, it should become possible to cultivate and harvest the limited individual caring resources of broader groups of subjects. That is, to catalyze and coordinate existing but not used care resources could be the key to overcome the care crisis of contemporary societies.\nHypothesis and vision\nHypothesis. If the close (social or institutional) organizations of the past cannot cope with the dimension and complexity of the present demand of care, they must be opened. That is: the care activities must be divided in smaller\/lighter tasks, and allocated to a large number of actors, each one giving what he\/she is capable\/willing to give.\u00a0\nVision. Open care is an ecosystem of care-related interactions, characterized by being distributed among a large number of individuals, groups and institutions, with different competence, responsibility and commitment: \u00a0from the highly specialized actors and institutions, to family members, friends and neighbors with no specific knowledge and limited time availability.\u00a0\nViability\nSocial preconditions and enabling systems. To be viable, open care requires two main social preconditions:\n\nThe existence of a large number of other actors (relatives, friends, neighbors) willing to care for someone, even tough they have practical limits (in terms of time and resource availability) to the possibility of doing it.\nThe existence of dedicated and specialized actors capable to intervene when their competence are (really) needed.\n\nGiven the previous social preconditions, the open care potentialities are made real thanks to the existence of a technological and organizational system capable to catalyze diffuse resources, coordinate them and give their action the needed continuity. More precisely, this enabling system should:\n\nmatch different demands with different offers (in terms of competence)\ngive different care actions coherence and continuity (by the point of view of the care receiver)\npromote and support both relational and the highly effective ones (i.e. the most specialized, professional interventions).\nbe organically part of a larger systems: the ecosystem of interactions that represents what today we can refer to as a local community.\u00a0\n\nSocial innovation and open care\nThe open care viability is based on the existence of a whole stream of social (and socio-technical) innovation that is already moving in a similar direction.\u00a0In fact, in the complexity of contemporary society we can find several promising cases (some of them are still social prototypes, someone else is already arrived to more mature stage). For instance:\n\nCircles of care: groups of citizen sharing a same problem (as: diabetes, allergies, obesity, \u2026 or simply the old age) who mutually support each other, with the supervision of a team of doctors and nurses (a well-known example is the Circle in UK: http:\/\/www.participle.net\/ageing ).\u00a0\nNetwork of care: coordinated networks of family members, friends and neighbors, who share and coordinate their efforts to care for a person with serious problems (a well-known example is Tyze in Canada http:\/\/tyze.com )\nIntergenerational cooperation: organizations that supports the encounter of young and elderly people mainly around the theme of collaborative living (a well-known example is Prendi a casa uno studente (Take a student at home), in Italy: http:\/\/www.meglio.milano.it\/pratiche_studenti.htm )\nCollaborative inclusion: organizations of migrants and residents collaborating to produce both migrant\u2019s inclusion and social values, for both the migrants and the whole community (an example is: \u00a0Dine with us, in Belgium: http:\/\/dinewithus.strikingly.com ) \u00a0\u00a0\n\nConsidering these very diverse examples, we can observe that they present three fundamental common characters: (1) some care activities are delivered by non professional actors; (2) the overall care burden is shared between different subjects; (3) specialized interventions are asked only when they are really needed. \u00a0\nThese examples are interesting because they give us an idea on how open care components could work. Nevertheless, in my view, they are not yet the full representation of the open care vision. To better approximate it, two steps should be done:\n\nTo rethink each one of these service ideas adopting the radically open approach that characterizes the Open Care research.\nTo consider the whole socio-technical ecosystem, and to improve it in order to give all of them and a multiplicity of similar ones the possibility to emerge and flourish.\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-03-03 11:26 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8347"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6035","title":"Hacking diabetes","content":"\nhttp:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2016\/02\/23\/health\/a-do-it-yourself-revolution-in-diabetes-care.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0\nThis is pretty amazing: an entire open source\u00a0ecosystem, from sensors to apps to insulin, emerging from patients.\u00a0\nWhere do we want to store all this stuff?\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-03-01 17:55 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6022","title":"Op3nCare Communications Planning","content":"\n\n\u00a0\n\nCOMMUNICATION ACTIVITIES:\u00a0#COUNTONME LIST, PUBLIC-FACING LOCAL EVENTS, CALLS FOR PARTICIPATION, INTERESTING CONTENT (#op3ncare),\u00a0TRANSLATIONS, HOW-TO\u00a0GUIDES\n\nALL DISCUSSIONS ON PLATFORM:\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/op3ncare\/how-op3ncare-works\nOTHER CHANNELS FOR SPREADING LINKS TO DRAW IN PEOPLE:\u00a0\nMailing list:\u00a0http:\/\/eepurl.com\/bNlau5\nTwitter:\u00a0https:\/\/twitter.com\/op3ncare\nFB:\u00a0https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/op3ncare\/\n\n\nThe Bigger Picture: What is our intention?\n\n\nSensing\/mapping\u00a0of Current Situation\n- Going out finding examples through word of mouth, interviews etc =\u00a0Finding interesting first stories\u00a0\n-\u00a0Pushing out of engaging stories e.g. Helliniko = drawing in more protagonists\u00a0\u00a0\n- Completing challenges\u00a0to secure\u00a0Fellowships (incentives include financial and knowledge\/tech support resources)\u00a0\u00a0=\u00a0Deeper, granular understanding of how they work and which\u00a0obstacles they are coming across\u00a0\n- Which approaches\/experiments\u00a0are promising?\u00a0\nSensing\/Mapping of ideal futures\nAnalysis of data, presentation of first observations and collective interpretation =\u00a0>What do the \u00a0actions \/work \/interventions\u00a0of op3ncarers\u00a0reveal about\u00a0the future they are building? What is the emergent narrative\nPrototyping and testing solutions to move from current futures to ideal futures\n- \u00a0Call for participation in collective intelligence exercise to develop prototype solutions and test them (and document the process + results);=Understanding which obstacles (technical, social, procedural, legal, ethical, financial) Op3nCare initiatives come across\nImplications (Science, Policy, etc)\n.... ?\n\nTHE SOCIAL CONTRACT:\u00a0QUESTIONS FOR PARTNERS\u00a0\n\n1. \u00a0What are you willing to offer participants\u00a0how van you\u00a0help in furthering their own goals based on your skillset.\n2. What will you be doing, what do you want to achieve with it (really) and how can people be part of it?\n3. How can we create a space that permits different\u00a0people\u00a0to discuss?(diverse backgrounds, motivations,\u00a0have discussion\n4. How can you reward those efforts?\u00a0mentions in publications, invitations to conferences, use some of the travel budget to enable people to physically join you.\n\nStakeholder Offer:\u00a0What's in it for Op3nCare participants & protagonists?\n\n\u00a0\nA. Local events - piggybacking\u00a0consortium meetings\n1. Learn (cutting edge knowledge in fields)\n2. Meet (Possible partners, funders\/investors,\u00a0collaborators)\u00a0\n3. Build (high quality communication materials [high quality\u00a0articles]\u00a0prototypes, projects and spin offs)\nB. Online events: Talks, Support developing content, Self Assessment reports, Social\n- Weekly hangouts\nC. Op3nCare Fellowship Program\n\u00a0\n\n\nOp3nCare Fellowships: How Op3nCare can directly\u00a0support\u00a0innovators, sparks action and user collective intelligence to tackle our biggest welfare challenges.\n\nOur fellowship cohort will be comprised of x\u00a0Op3nCare Practitioners and x\u00a0Op3nCare Storytellers. In order to be considered, all candidates must post their efforts in our Op3nCare [Self-Evaluation] Challenge.\nOP3NCARE PRACTITIONERS\nAre you working at the intersections of provision of social and health care, open technologies and communities ? Are you seeking to develop your knowledge and scale your impact? We want you to join our Op3nCare Fellows program!\nSix fellows will be selected from the Op3nCare case story submissions for this 6-month engagement.\nThe selected Op3nCare Practitioner Fellows will be provided with seed funding and support for submitting x nr. of self-evaluation reports and participating actively in the online discussion to generate insights, developing prototypes based on these insights which they then test in their respective communities and sharing the results with Op3nCare.\nEVALUATION CRITERIA\nIn order to be considered for our Op3nCare Fellowship you must post your Op3nCare Case Story Challenge.Your submission must clearly convey that:\n\nYour initiative already exists and been up and running for a minimum of 6 months\nYour initiative is already being used\/contributed to by an existing community\nYour initiative iis responding to needs related to the provision of health- and or social care\nYou are genuinely interested in gaining deeper insights relevant to the work you are doing and that you will commit \u00a0at least one part-time person dedicated to the effort\n\n\u00a0\nOP3NCARE STORYTELLERS\nAre you a storyteller who is passionate about community wellbeing, heath- and social care and looking to get your stories in front of a global audience? We want you to join our Op3nCare Storytelling Fellows program!\nSix fellows will be selected from the Storytellers phase for this 6-month fellowship.\nOp3nCare Storytellers will receive funding and development support to create an engaging article\u00a0on new ways of providing social- and health care in communities. These articles\u00a0will deepen the efforts of care innovators who are making an impact in the movement. These stories will be shared on highly visible media platforms and circuited at industry events and festivals. Op3nCare Fellows will also have the chance to authentically connect and collaborate with a community of passionate storytellers and innovators.>\nEVALUATION CRITERIA\nIn order to be considered for our Amplify Fellowship you must post your Op3nCare Storytelling Challenge. Your submission should: \n\n\nDemonstrate that you have experience with written\u00a0storytelling.\n \n\nDemonstrate interest in innovative and creative approaches to storytelling current (negative)\u00a0futures.\n3. They are also part of a growing community of people figuring out how to build a health and social care system that is safe, accessible, open and participatory.\n\nWhat if we could come up with a system that combines the access to modern science and technology of state- and private sector-provided care to the low overhead and human touch of community-provided care?\nThis is what they, and thousands of others are setting out to do.\n\n4. What will come out of it?\n\nNew knowledge, prototypes and economic models.\n\n5. How will this work, and how can you be a part of it?\nAnimation:\u00a0current situation ---Op3nCare-----> closer to ideal futures via these steps (on a staircase):\n\nOutreach and exchange of experiences\u00a0\nCollaborative sense making\u00a0\n\u00a0Narrative building\u00a0\nPrototyping and testing\u00a0\nPrizes\u00a0\nLOTE6: International Conference and exhibition\nDepends on our findings!\n\nVoice over\u00a0(describing each step of staircase):\n\nOutreach and exchange of experiences:\u00a0It all starts with an invitation for you and others around the world to share personal experiences, observations and examples on the challenge topic. You will share stories of individuals and groups who are building alternative alternatives to existing health-or social care, as well as of others whose attempts were frustrated. The purpose of this is to build a shared repository of stories, each one embedding strategies for improving health- and social care. Some will resonate more than others with participants, and that will signal to the community that a grain of truth has been found. Collectively, we will build knowledge about new approaches towards health- and social care.\u00a0\nCollaborative sense making:\u00a0Once the the goals of Op3nCarers, a range of possible strategies towards them and the obstacles in the way are reasonably clear, the project enters a new phase of (wiki-style) collaborative writing of the Op3nCare fund mission and guidelines. This phase links Op3nCare stories to the social, economic, political and legal context in which they happen: were they enabled by something in particular? Were they hindered by it? What change in could have made the alternative happen, or happen more successfully? By asking and tentatively answering these kinds of question, participants in the process will build shared knowledge and goals. This strategy ensures that both are firmly grounded in real-life, first-person experiences.\nProject Narrative and calls to action:\u00a0We collaboratively synthesise the results of our sense making into a narrative structure for Op3nCare, that is going to set the scene for our interactions with one another. This includes co-designing a fair social contract and ethical guidelines for members. It also includes defining role structures (for example: participants can register as \u201ctrailblazers\u201d sharing stories or \u201cmentors\u201d that help making sense of it), motivational engines (for example: badges, karma points or other forms of recognition for active users), strategic partnerships, style and aesthetics.\nPrototyping and testing:\u00a0t.b.d\nPrizes:\u00a0t.b.d\nExhibition and Summit:\u00a0#lote 6 takes place in September 2017, in Milan.\n\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-02-25 10:49 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6010","title":"Film\/Video Planning","content":"\nNarrative: Op3nCare\n1.\u00a0Who are the Op3nCarers?\u00a0\nWe meet a number of credible, committed\u00a0and qualified people taking responsibility for fixing problems.\u00a0Each presents how they are dealing with a (problematic) situation related to\u00a0health- and social care, science and technologies and or communities.\u00a0\nStart:\u00a0\nBackground: High resolution video -\u00a0Person doesn't say anything, looks straight into camera.\nForeground: Text-\u00a0Full Name,\u00a0Professional title and\u00a0organisational affiliation, Country (location, not nationality)\nVoiceover:\n1. Meet [name of person]. \n2. He\/She is a [professional role\/title\/identity]. \n3. That means he\/she does a,b,c\u00a0and helps you to avoid e,f,g.\n4. [Name of person]\u00a0is currently in situation h\u00a0:\u00a0e.g. \"Marie has\u00a0a pacemaker due to a genetic condition\"\n5. \u00a0He\/She has discovered that [ alarming or surprising thing]\u00a0\n6. [Name of person] is asking [some question relevant to opencare: e.g. in marie's case it is \"What is the social contract for the code running in our bodies?\"\nEnd individual interview snippets with:\nWhat's your story- maybe you have questions you would like to explore with others\u00a0?\nMeet [Name of Person] and the rest of the Op3nCare community\u00a0at www.op3ncare.cc\n2. What do [ Op3nCarers or Names of Interviewees] have in common?\nVoice over: They see a number of trends which together form future we are ill-equipped to deal with.\u00a0For most of humanity's history, care services \u2013 which today we call health and social care \u2013 were provided by communities: family members, friends and neighbours would check on each other to make sure everyone was fine, keep an eye on each other's children or elderly parents, even administer simple medical treatments. Starting from the second half of the 20th century, developed countries switched to systems where the care providers were professionals, working for the government and modern corporations.\nThis new solution has achieved brilliant results, based on the deployment of scientific knowledge and technology. However, over the past 20 years it has come under growing strain:\n- Trend 1: the demand for professional care (health care, social care, daycare for children, care for elderly people\u2026) seems limitless, but the resources our economies allocate to it clearly are not.\n- Trend 2: many attempts to rationalise the system and squeeze some extra productivity out of it seems to dehumanise people in need of care, who get treated as batches in a manufacturing process.\n- Trend 3: Privacy and security concerns in the age of ubiquotous connectivity. Increasingly intimate\u00a0data generated about us and shared beyond our control, or that of the institutions meant to protect our rights.\nAnimation:\u00a0current situations --- current ways of doing things-----> current (negative)\u00a0futures.\n3. They are also part of a growing community of people figuring out how to build a health and social care system that is safe, accessible, open and participatory.\nWhat if we could come up with a system that combines the access to modern science and technology of state- and private sector-provided care to the low overhead and human touch of community-provided care? This is what they, and thousands of others are setting out to do.\n4. What will come out of it?\nNew knowledge, prototypes and economic models.\n5. Ok great, so how will this work and how can you be a part of it?\nAnimation: current situation ---Op3nCare-----> closer to ideal futures via these steps (on a staircase):\n1. Outreach and exchange of experiences\u00a0\n2. Collaborative sense making\u00a0\n3. Narrative building\u00a0\n4. Prototyping and testing\u00a0\n5. Prizes\u00a0 6. Exhibition and Summit\nVoice over (describing each step of staircase):\nOutreach and exchange of experiences:\u00a0It all starts with an invitation for you and others around the world to share personal experiences, observations and examples on the challenge topic. You will share stories of individuals and groups who are building alternative alternatives to existing health-or social care, as well as of others whose attempts were frustrated. The purpose of this is to build a shared repository of stories, each one embedding strategies for improving health- and social care. Some will resonate more than others with participants, and that will signal to the community that a grain of truth has been found. Collectively, we will build knowledge about new approaches towards health- and social care.\u00a0\nCollaborative sense making:\u00a0Once the the goals of Op3nCarers, a range of possible strategies towards them and the obstacles in the way are reasonably clear, the project enters a new phase of (wiki-style) collaborative writing of the Op3nCare fund mission and guidelines. This phase links Op3nCare stories to the social, economic, political and legal context in which they happen: were they enabled by something in particular? Were they hindered by it? What change in could have made the alternative happen, or happen more successfully? By asking and tentatively answering these kinds of question, participants in the process will build shared knowledge and goals. This strategy ensures that both are firmly grounded in real-life, first-person experiences.\nProject Narrative and calls to action:\u00a0We collaboratively synthesise the results of our sense making into a narrative structure for Op3nCare, that is going to set the scene for our interactions with one another. This includes co-designing a fair social contract and ethical guidelines for members. It also includes defining role structures (for example: participants can register as \u201ctrailblazers\u201d sharing stories or \u201cmentors\u201d that help making sense of it), motivational engines (for example: badges, karma points or other forms of recognition for active users), strategic partnerships, style and aesthetics.\nPrototyping and testing:\u00a0t.b.d\nPrizes:\u00a0t.b.d\nExhibition and Summit: #lote 6 takes place in September 2017, in Milan.\n\u00a0\nVoice over and text:\u00a0To learn more about op3nCare and how you can be a part of it, go to www.op3ncare.cc or write to hello@op3ncare.cc\n\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\nInterview Questions:\u00a0\nNeed to be revosed to give us the right material for script above!\n\nWhat is your understanding of what OpenCare is - why should your audience care about it?\u00a0\nWhat will you be exploring\/doing in the project- how will you be working?\u00a0\nWhat activities you will be running - who do you want to get involved and why?\u00a0\n \u00a0\n\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-02-24 1:06 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6009","title":"Op3nCare Resources","content":"\nOpenCare Research workspace\nYou can get an inside view of the OpenCare European funded project (2016-2017). There is a\u00a0discussion group where the curators\u00a0coordinate work, organise, plan, evaluate and so on. Anyone is welcome to join. To visit or participate go here.\nAcademic references\nAnderson, C. (2012). Makers: the new industrial revolution. Random House.\nBarab\u00e1si, A. L., & Albert, R. (1999). Emergence of scaling in random networks. science, 286(5439), 509-512.\nBerg, J. E., & Rietz, T. A. (2003). Prediction markets as decision support systems. Information Systems Frontiers, 5(1), 79-93.\nBogost, I. (2007). Mobile persuasion: 20 perspectives on the future of behavior change (Vol. 1). B. J. Fogg, & D. Eckles (Eds.). Standford, CA: Stanford Captology Media.\nBorgatti, S. P., Mehra, A., Brass, D. J., & Labianca, G. (2009). Network analysis in the social sciences. Science, 323(5916), 892-895.\nBurt, R. S. (2009). Structural holes: The social structure of competition. Harvard university press.\nByko, Maureen (2004). \"SpaceShipOne, the Ansari X Prize, and the materials of the civilian space race.\" JOM Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society 56.11 (2004): 24-28.\nCottica, A. (2010). Wikicrazia: l'azione di governo al tempo della rete: capirla, progettarla, viverla da protagonista. Navarra.\nCottica, A., & Bianchi, T. (2010). Harnessing the unexpected: A public administration interacts with creatives on the web. European Journal of ePractice, 9, 82-90.\nCouncil of Europe (2013). The Edgeryders guide to the future. Council of Europe Press. https:\/\/book.coe.int\/eur\/en\/youth-other-publications\/5792-the-edgeryders-guide-to-the-future.html\nDe Liddo, A., S\u00e1ndor, \u00c1., Buckingham Shum, S. (2012). Contested Collective Intelligence: Rationale, Technologies, and a Human-Machine Annotation Study, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work\nDiplaris, S. et al. (2011). Emerging, Collective Intelligence for Personal, Organisational and Social Use. In: Next Generation Data Technologies for Collective Computational Intelligence (N. Bessis and F. Xhafa, eds.), Studies in Computational Intelligence vol. 352, Springer, pp. 527-573.\nDeng, X. N., & Joshi, K. D. (2013). Is Crowdsourcing a Source of Worker Empowerment or Exploitation? Understanding Crowd Workers\u2019 Perceptions of Crowdsourcing Career.\nDorogovtsev, S. N., & Mendes, J. F. (2002). Evolution of networks. Advances in physics, 51(4), 1079-1187.\nEhn, P; Kyng, M (1987). \"The Collective Resource Approach to Systems Design\". Computers and Democracy - A Scandinavian Challenge. Aldershot, UK: Avebury. pp. 17\u201358.\nEvers, A. & J.L. Laville (2004). The Third Sector in Europe. Edward Elgar.\nGreenfield, A. (2013). Against the smart city.\nGregg, D. G. (2010). \"Designing for collective intelligence.\" Communications of the ACM 53(4): 134-138.\nHayek, F. A. (1945). The use of knowledge in society. The American economic review, 519-530.\nHodas, N. O., & Lerman, K. (2014). The simple rules of social contagion. Scientific reports, 4.\nHong, L., & Page, S. E. (2004). Groups of diverse problem solvers can outperform groups of high-ability problem solvers. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101(46), 16385-16389.\nJacobs, J. (1961). The death and life of great American cities. Vintage.\nJava, A., Song, X., Finin, T., & Tseng, B. (2007, August). Why we twitter: understanding microblogging usage and communities. In Proceedings of the 9th WebKDD and 1st SNA-KDD 2007 workshop on Web mining and social network analysis (pp. 56-65). ACM.\nKamel Boulos, Maged N., and Steve Wheeler (2017). \"The emerging Web 2.0 social software: an enabling suite of sociable technologies in health and health care education1.\" Health Information & Libraries Journal 24.1 (2007): 2-23.\nKedes, Larry, and Edison T. Liu. \"The Archon Genomics X PRIZE for whole human genome sequencing.\" Nature genetics 42.11 (2010): 917-918.\nKlein, M. (2012). Enabling large-scale deliberation using attention-mediation metrics. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 21(4-5), 449-473.\nKrippendorff, K. (2005). The semantic turn: A new foundation for design. crc Press.\nKunegis, J., Blattner, M., & Moser, C. (2013, May). Preferential attachment in online networks: Measurement and explanations. In Proceedings of the 5th Annual ACM Web Science Conference (pp. 205-214). ACM.\nLakomaa, E. (2013). \u201d\u00d6ppna data \u00f6ppnar m\u00f6jligheter: Informatrionsdrivna tj\u00e4nster f\u00f6r den offentliga sektorn\u201d in Andersson, Per, Axelsson, Bj\u00f6rn & Rosenqvist, Christopher (ed.), Det mogna tj\u00e4nstesamh\u00e4llets f\u00f6rnyelse: aff\u00e4rsmodeller, organisering och aff\u00e4rsrelationer, Studentlitteratur, Lund, (2013): 335-347\nLakomaa, E., and Kallberg J.(2013). Open Data as a Foundation for Innovation: The Enabling Effect of Free Public Sector Information for Entrepreneurs. Access, IEEE 1 (2013): 558-563.\nLakomaa, E. (2008). The economic psychology of the welfare state. Diss. Stockholm: Handelsh\u00f6gskolan, Stockholm.\nLane, D. A. (2013). Towards an agenda for social innovation. http:\/\/emergencebydesign.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/Social-Innovation-Manifesto-for-Italy-in-English-Dec-2013.pdf\u00a0\nLaniado, D., Tasso, R., Volkovich, Y., & Kaltenbrunner, A. (2011, July). When the wikipedians talk: Network and tree structure of wikipedia discussion pages. In ICWSM.\nL\u00e9vy, P., & Bonomo, R. (1999). Collective intelligence: Mankind's emerging world in cyberspace. Perseus.\nLewis, K., Kaufman, J., Gonzalez, M., Wimmer, A., & Christakis, N. (2008). Tastes, ties, and time: A new social network dataset using Facebook. com. Social networks, 30(4), 330-342.Manski, C. F. (2006). Interpreting the predictions of prediction markets.economics letters, 91(3), 425-429.\nLowndes, V., & Pratchett, L. (2012). Local governance under the coalition government: Austerity, localism and the \u2018Big Society\u2019. Local Government Studies, 38(1), 21-40.\nManzini, E., & Vezzoli, C. (2003). A strategic design approach to develop sustainable product service systems: examples taken from the \u2018environmentally friendly innovation\u2019 Italian prize. Journal of Cleaner Production, 11(8), 851-857.\nManzini, E. (2015). Design when everybody designs. MIT Press\nMcWilliam, Gil. \"Building stronger brands through online communities.\" Sloan Management (2012).\nMenichinelli, M. (2008) Openp2pdesign.org_1.1 Design for complexity, https:\/\/www.scribd.com\/openp2pdesign\u00a0\nMeyer, M., M. Sedlmair, et al. (2012). The four-level nested model revisited: blocks and guidelines. Proceedings of the 2012 BELIV Workshop: Beyond Time and Errors - Novel Evaluation Methods for Visualization. Seattle, Washington, ACM: 1-6.\nMilligan, C., Littlejohn, A., & Margaryan, A. (2013). Patterns of engagement in connectivist MOOCs. MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 9(2).\nMoggridge, B., & Atkinson, B. (2007). Designing interactions (Vol. 17). Cambridge: MIT press.\nMoreno, J. L. (1943). Sociometry and the cultural order. Sociometry, 299-344.\nMunzner, T. (2009). \"A Nested Process Model for Visualization Design and Validation.\" IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics 15: 921-928.\nNewman, M., A.-L. Barabasi, et al., Eds. (2006). The structure and dynamics of networks. Princeton Studies in Complexity, Princeton University Press.\nNick, B. (2013). Towards a better understanding of evolving social networks, Ph.D. thesis\nNorman, D. (2002). The design of everyday things. Basic books, 2002.\nNoveck, B. S. S. (2009). Wiki government: how technology can make government better, democracy stronger, and citizens more powerful. Brookings Institution Press.\nOliveira, P., & von Hippel, E. (2011). Users as service innovators: The case of banking services. Research Policy, 40(6), 806-818.\nPine, B. J. (1999). Mass customization: the new frontier in business competition. Harvard Business Press.\nPrieto-Mart\u00edn, P., de Marcos, L., & Mart\u00ednez, J. J. (2012). A Critical Analysis of EU-Funded eParticipation. Empowering Open and Collaborative Governance, 241-262.\nRaford, N. (2011). Large scale participatory futures systems : a comparative study of online scenario planning approaches. Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, PhD thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 231 p.\nRenoust, B. et al. (2013). Assessing group cohesion in homophily networks. Advances in Social Networks Analysis and Mining (ASONAM), 2013 IEEE\/ACM International Conference on, 149-155.\nRheingold, H. (1993). The virtual community: Homesteading on the electronic frontier. MIT press.\nSarasohn-Kahn, Jane (2008). The wisdom of patients: Health care meets online social media. Oakland, CA: California HealthCare Foundation\nSestini, F. (2012). Collective awareness platforms: Engines for sustainability and ethics. Technology and Society Magazine, IEEE, 31(4), 54-62.\nSchmitz, J., Rogers, E. M., Phillips, K., & Paschal, D. (1995). The public electronic network (PEN) and the homeless in Santa Monica.\nShirky, Clay (2010). Cognitive surplus: creativity and generosity in a connected age. London: Allan Lane\nShirky, Clay. (2008), Here comes everybody: the power of organizing without organizations, Allen Lane,\nShum, S. B. (2003). The roots of computer supported argument visualization. In Visualizing argumentation (pp. 3-24). Springer London.\nSterling, B. (2014). The epic struggle of the Internet of Things. Strelka Press.\nTapscott, D., & Williams, A. D. (2008). Wikinomics: How mass collaboration changes everything. Penguin.\nTapscott, Don & Williams, Anthony D. (2006). Wikinomics: how mass collaboration changes everything. New York: Portfolio\nTseng, M.M.; Jiao, J. (2001). Mass Customization, in: Handbook of Industrial Engineering, Technology and Operation Management (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Wiley. ISBN 0-471-33057-4.\nTziralis, G., & Tatsiopoulos, I. (2012). Prediction markets: An extended literature review. The journal of prediction markets, 1(1), 75-91.\nUnited Nations Development Programme, 2014. Spotting the Future: Horizon Scanning in Armenia, Egypt and Georgia. https:\/\/github.com\/edgeryders\/documents\/blob\/master\/STFEthnoReport.pdf\nVallance, R. R. (2000, July). Bazaar design of nano and micro manufacturing equipment. In Nanotechnology Workshop, July (Vol. 14).\nVan Abel, B., Evers, L., Troxler, P., & Klaassen, R. (2014). Open design now: why design cannot remain exclusive. BIS Publishers.\nChicago\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\nWatts, D. J., & Strogatz, S. H. (1998). Collective dynamics of \u2018small-world\u2019networks. Nature, 393(6684), 440-442.\nWolfers, J., & Zitzewitz, E. (2004). Prediction markets (No. w10504). National Bureau of Economic Research.\nZanetti, M. S., Sarigol, E., Scholtes, I., Tessone, C. J., & Schweitzer, F. (2012). A quantitative study of social organisation in open source software communities. arXiv preprint arXiv:1208.4289.\nZhang, J., Ackerman, M. S., & Adamic, L. (2007, May). Expertise networks in online communities: structure and algorithms. In Proceedings of the 16th international conference on World Wide Web (pp. 221-230). ACM.\nProject Materials\u00a0\nDesign Materials |\u00a0Visual material: Logos, Banners, Headers, Videos for OpenCare Research Project\nExample Challenge entries | Care by communities: Greece's shadow zero-cash health care system,\u00a0The Regeneration of Meaning\u00a0and Living Social in Brussels- Coliving\u00a0as a lifestyle for adults\nHow-to Guides | Guide for building the OpenCare online community\nMedia documentation, articles | An ongoing reading list\nSocial OpenCare |\u00a0on facebook \u00a0| on twitter | on Pinterest | Newsletter\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2016-02-23 14:15 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5983","title":"OP3N CHALLENGES [work in progress]","content":"We are aware that lot of work relevant to OpenCare does not fall into pre-defined categories. It's part of what makes it so interesting and relevant. At the same time care is such a broad topic that we\u00a0need to zoom in to\u00a0clearly defined instances in order for the discussions to be more concrete and directly useful to people whom we wish to connect and work with. Our solution is to drive the conversation through a number of collaboratively designed calls for contribution to the OpenCare project.\u00a0We call them OP3N CHALLENGES.\n\nPlease feel free to go ahead and get involved in building any of the existing OP3N CHALLENGES:\n\n\n1. Op3nCare Caste Story Challenge: How are you giving and receiving care?\n\nChallenge Brief: Work in progress here.\n\n2. How are care needs of people on the move (e.g. refugees) being managed?\n\nChallenge Brief: Work in progress here.\n\n3. What can we learn from past experiences\u00a0on prevention of suicide in the hi-tech sector (e.g. hacker communities)?\n\nChallenge Brief: Work in progress here.\n\n4. What do promising approaches helping caregivers and receivers to better cope with dementia have in common? \u00a0\n\nChallenge Brief: Work in progress here.\n\n5. How are you exploring OpenSource, DIY and DIT solutions to meet care needs?\n\nChallenge Brief: Work in progress here.\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\nIf \u00a0you don't see what you are looking for, or if you have suggestions for more OP3N CHALLENGES, do get in touch- this project is open in the true sense of the word. Tweet your suggestion to @op3ncare or write to nadia@opencare.cc and we'll follow up A.S.A.P.\n\n\u00a0\n\nSubscribe to the Op3nCare\u00a0newsletter\u00a0for updates coming soon. We can\u2019t wait to see your submissions!\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2016-02-20 17:15 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5958","title":"What ","content":"\nOp3ncare is an EU funded program made up of three things:\n\n\nA PLATFORM where people can share stories, ideas and insights and make new connections;\n \nA diverse and distributed COMMUNITY or network of individuals and groups, mainly in Europe but including the whole world, exploring alternative, more long-term sustainable solutions to healthcare;\nA PROCESS that brings people together from this community to share, inspire, connect and collaborate.\n\nThe aim is to bring together people, virtually or physically, to gather and share stories, ideas and insights. Out of this will emerge new ideas, new solutions and new connections that benefit all.\nWHO?\nThere are two main roles:\n\n\nThe\u00a0Op3ncarers:people who care, and are willing to share their stories about how they care. People like you!\n \n\nThe\u00a0curators: these are people who have created and maintain the platform, and curate the content. Principally this is the hosts, Edgeryders (a consultancy that specialises in community-based solutions to complex societal challenges), Ezio Manzini (a leading design strategist for social innovation), and [insert others as you think relevant],\n \n\nTHE PROCESS\nWe (the curators) have devised a four stage process, described below. We invite you to engage at all and any stage. \u00a0Every single contribution is valued, whether it is telling a story, leaving a thoughtful comment, bringing cake to a community gathering or helping to build a prototype.\n\n\n \n  March\u00a02016 - August\u00a02016\n \n \n  Project phase\n  What we are focusing on\n  How to participate\n \n \n  \n  Collaborative Sensing: Who and what is already out there?\n   \n  \n  Individual Stories (100)\n  \u00a0\n   \n  \n  Contribute a story:\u00a0Say hello and introduce yourself\n  Participate in\u00a0Op3n Meetups\u00a0( to receive invitations to future events, complete an Op3n Challenge)\n   \n \n \n  Objective:\u00a0Discover, understand, acknowledge what people are already doing\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Activities:\u00a0Sharing your own personal stories, interviewing people affected by the challenge topics\u00a0and sharing successful initiatives or analogous examples from other areas.\n  \n  It all starts with an invitation for you and others around the world to share personal experiences, observations and examples on the challenge topic. You will share stories of individuals and groups who are building alternative alternatives to existing health- or social care, as well as of others whose attempts were frustrated. The purpose of this is to build a shared repository of stories, each one embedding strategies for improving health- and social care. Some will resonate more than others with participants, and that will signal to the community that a grain of truth has been found. Collectively, we will build knowledge about new approaches towards health- and social care.\n   \n \n \n  July 2016 - September 2016\n \n \n  \n  Collaborative Sense Making: Where are we going? Where would we like to be going instead...and how can we get there?\n   \n  \n  Case Study Stories (20)\n   \n  \n  Join fellow\u00a0Op3nCare Active Learners\u00a0\n  Join fellow Op3nCare Practitioners\n  Join the Op3nCare Partnership\u00a0\n   \n \n \n  Objective:\u00a0Analyse and structure the information shared in our conversations in such a way as to support op3ncarers desire and ability to constructively engage in society.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\n   Activities:\u00a0Using appreciative enquiry methods and playing with tools like Edgesense to find surprising connections between your experiences and those of other participants.\n  \n  Whether it is because you want to solve local problems, keep governments accountable, avoid expensive mistakes or learn new things about the world in which you live, \u00a0knowledge is power.\u00a0This phase links Op3nCare stories to the social, economic, political and legal context in which they happen: were they enabled by something in particular? Were they hindered by it? What change in could have made the alternative happen, or happen more successfully? By asking and tentatively answering these kinds of question, participants in the process will build shared knowledge and goals.\n   \n \n \n  September 2016 - April 2017\u00a0\n \n \n  \n  Prototyping and Testing: How do our ideas work in practice?\n   \n  \n  Self-evaluation reports\n   \n  \n  Join the Op3nCare Partnership\n   \n \n \n  Objective: t.b.c \u00a0\n   Activities: t.b.c\n  \n  Once the goals of Op3nCare participants, a range of possible strategies towards them and the obstacles in the way are reasonably clear, the project enters a new phase of hands-on, intensive peer-to-peer help.\u00a0We look at each initiative and work together to connect it with the people, knowledge skills, and resources to take it to the next level.\u00a0\n   \n \n \n  April 2017 - September 2017\n \n \n  \n  Impact: How do we take the work forward?\n   \n  \n  Caring on the Edge event, Milan\n  High Impact Publications\n  Strategic Partnerships\n  Spin-off Projects\n   \n  \n  It is too early to say exactly how the work will be taken forward. It will depend on the outcomes of the previous stages. What is fixed is a conference in September 2017 that will bring together all the various strands of work, and can also serve as a launchpad for new initiatives.\u00a0\n   \n \n \n  \n  Objective: It is too early to say exactly how the work will be taken forward. It will depend on the outcomes of the previous stages. What is fixed is a conference in September 2017 that will bring together all the various strands of work, and can also serve as a launchpad for new initiatives.\n  Activities:\u00a0t.b.c \u00a0\n   \n  \n  We collaboratively synthesise the results of our sense-making, prototyping and testing for OpenCare. This includes co-designing a fair social contract and ethical guidelines for all stakeholders including practitioners, policymakers, funders and investors.\u00a0\n   \n \n \n  \u00a0\n  \u00a0\n  \u00a0\n  \u00a0\n \n\n\n\u00a0\nSubscribe to the Op3nCare newsletter for updates coming soon. We can\u2019t wait to see your submissions!\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-02-19 13:14 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5956","title":"OP3N STORYTELLERS","content":"\nACTIVE CHALLENGE\nOp3nCare Storytellers\nBuilding a Community of Op3nCare Storytellers\nWe are building a community of storytellers who are using the power of feed forward stories to shape a global discussion around health- and social care, support care innovators and inspire people to act.\nThis is a space for you to introduce yourself and connect with other community storytellers from around the world who are passionate about crafting and sharing impactful stories. Here are a few prompts to help:\nHow are the questions or themes explored in Op3nCare relevant to you or people about whom you care? What relevant issues or initiatives would you like to solve or explore with others?\nWhat relevant issues or initiatives would you like to solve or explore with others? \nThose who submit to this phase of the challenge will be eligible to apply for our Op3nCare Fellowship Program.\n\u00a0\nSubscribe to the Op3nCare newsletter for updates coming soon. We can\u2019t wait to see your submissions!\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-02-19 12:42 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Minisite page","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5955","title":"OP3N MEETUPS","content":"\nOp3nCare's vision is to deploy collective intelligence to the problem of designing care services by communities, for communities. This mean blurring the distinction between researchers, designers, caregivers and care receivers. \u00a0\nConsistently with this vision, the Op3nCare consortium has decided to make its own meetings open for anyone interested to participate. The ethos is \"one day of talking, one day of doing\": for every day spent on administration issues, we are setting aside another day to do hands-on stuff like design workshops, network data analysis, or hardware hacking, with doors thrown wide open. Additionally, we\u00a0intend to use our meetings to partner up with, and contribute to, events organised by existing communities already working on care, collective intelligence, open source hardware and software hacking.\u00a0We are aware that this marks a clean break with the tradition of closed-doors consortium meetings in European-funded research, even for projects that publish their results with open licenses, and that we are venturing in uncharted territory. But then again, that's why they call it \"research\".\n2016\nFEBRUARY\n26\/2, Brussels, 09:00 -10:00\u00a0|\u00a0How to cope with meltdowns in communities,\u00a0Keynote by John Coate.\n26\/2, Brussels, 09:30 -16:15 |\u00a0Collaborative inclusion.\u00a0How migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. A reflexive design exercise. With Ezio Manzini, Yara\u00a0Al Adib, Gido Van Den Ende and the Syrian New Kids on the Block.\n26\/2, Brussels, 09:30 -16:15 | THE OPEN CARE FILES -\u00a0Welfare through the looking glass.\u00a0Panel hosted by Marco Manca, CERN. With Julia Reda, MEP and Lucia Scopelliti, City of Milan.\n27\/2, Brussels, 09:30 -16:15 |\u00a0MASTERS OF NETWORKS: NETWORKS OF CARE hackathon for network scientists, doctors and patients to make sense of collective intelligence using network science and data.\u00a0Led by Guy Melan\u00e7on and the University of Bordeaux.\n27\/2, Brussels, 14:00 -17:00 |\u00a0Storytelling workshop: Narratives of Care 2016, led by Nadia EL-Imam, Edgeryders and Angelo Di Mambro, journalist and communications consultant.\n27\/8, Brussels, 14:00 -17:00 |\u00a0The long path from invention to innovation. Led by Lorenzo Paolozzi, CERN.\n\u00a0\nAPRIL\n4\/4 - 7\/4, Berlin, 10:00 - 20:00 | OpenCare Labs - Hacking Utopia. Product design workshop. Led by Susanne Stauch, UDK and Nadia EL-Imam, Edgeryders.\nMAY\n18\/5, Berlin, ??:?? -??:?? | CAPS2020 community meeting.\u00a0Not an official Op3n\u00a0meeting, but some of us should go.\u00a0\nAUGUST\nStockholm | Exact date t.b.c. Program under construction.\nNOVEMBER\nMilan | Exact date t.b.c.\u00a0Program under construction.\n\u00a0\n2017\nFEBRUARY\nGeneva | Exact date t.b.c.\u00a0Program under construction.\nJUNE\nBordeaux |\u00a0Exact date t.b.c.\u00a0Program under construction.\nSEPTEMBER\nMilan |\u00a0Exact date t.b.c.\u00a0#LOTE6 | Open Care. Program under construction.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2016-02-19 12:36 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5900","title":"Op3nCare Practitioners | Challenge Description","content":"\n[Progress bar: PRACTITIONERS | RESEARCH | OP3N SELECTION | \u00a0FELLOWS | PROTOTYPES | SELF ASSESSMENT | AWARDS AND FINAL EVENT]\n\u00a0\nACTIVE CHALLENGE\nOp3nCare Practitioners\nBuilding a Community of Op3nCare Practitioners\nWe are building a community of practitioners working at the intersections of provision of social and health care, open technologies and communities. Together our efforts shape a global discussion around health- and social care, support welfare innovators and inspire people to act.\n\u00a0\nThis is a space for you to introduce yourself and connect with other practitioners from around the world who are passionate about making health and social care open source, privacy-friendly and participatory. Here are a few prompts to help: What are you working on? How did you get into this work? What's a health- or social care issue you'd like to solve? Why is evaluation important to you and the movement?\n\u00a0\nThose who submit to this phase of the challenge will be eligible to apply for our Op3nCare Practitioner Fellowship.\n\u00a0\n\nOp3nCare Practitioner Fellows will receive resources and development support to create an in depth evaluation of their activities in health- and social care provision.\nTogether with the selected Op3nCare Fellows, we'll co-create a self-evaluation and analysis process that will generate deep insights about their work, and find direct ways in which it can support, and be supported by, the broader movement to make health and social care secure, resilient and accessible for all. There will also be the opportunity to include these insights in research publications, policy recommendations. Each Op3nCare Practitioner Fellow will also receive suport to develop a high quality communication kit that they can use to promote and draw support for their work (photograph, engaging article and short video (3-4 minutes)). \nMost importantly, Op3nCare Practitioner Fellows will also have the chance to build authentic relationships with a cohort of creative and innovative peers who are passionate about using their knowledge to drive positive change in the movement.\n\u00a0\nOur Op3nCare Practitioner Fellows will:\n\u00a0\n\n\nReceive Eur X,000 in funding to support the production of their prototype development, \u00a0testing and self-evaluation reports\n \n\nReceive training from fellow practitioners, privacy and security experts, technologists, economists, storytellers, activists and policy experts.\n \n\nHave their contributions acknowledged and included in research publictations and shared on highly visible platforms\n \n\nConnect with other passionate practioners and activists making an impact\n \n\n\u200b\nTo be eligible for a Practitioner fellowship we ask you to write a blogpost introducing yourself and your work. Your post must clearly convey that:\n\u00a0\n\n\nYour initiative already exists and been up and running for a minimum of 6 months\n \n\nYour initiative is already being used\/contributed to by an existing community \n \n\nYour initiative iis responding to needs related to the provision of health or social care \u00a0\n \n\nYou are genuinely interested in gaining deeper insights relevant to the work you are doing and that you will commit \u00a0at least one part-time person dedicated to the effort\n \n\n\u200b\nOnce a post has been submitted, it will be published in a closed group on the Op3nCare platform, where Op3nCare community members will leave comments with questions and helpful suggestions to make your post even better before publishing it \u201clive\u201d. We appreciate how hard you are already working to run your project, so once you and the editor are happy to publish your post it on the Op3nCare blog, we give you 200 Eur.\n\u00a0\nThe Op3nCare Practitioner application phase will end on Month Date. We'll then review the submitted stories and and invite x\/y nr. of applicants \n\u00a0\nFellows will be selected by an advisory board of experienced care pracititioners and researchers.\n\u00a0\n\n\u00a0\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-02-11 18:09 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Minisite page","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5895","title":"The Op3nCare fellowship program","content":"\nOpenCare Fellowships\u00a0offer support to individuals contributing to build and understand community-driven care services. The advantages of being a Fellow are:\n\nOther Fellows! We aim to bring together the best minds and the most energetic doers in community-driven care.\nSome financial support\nInvitation to present in OpenCare\u2019s final event (Milan, September 2017).\nYour work included in OpenCare\u2019s research results\n\nWe offer about 20 Research Fellowships.\nResearch Fellowships reward high-level contributions to the OpenCare debate.\nWho can participate: anyone with a story of care. It can be about your project or experience, or about one you know well. To get inspired, read some of the stories already submitted.\u00a0\nHow and when to apply: respond to any one of the OpenCare challenges. We will treat any post as an application. We will offer a Research Fellowship to the authors of the most thoughtful, well-written, interesting posts. We will select about 3 new Fellows a month and announce them on our Blog, starting in May 2016 and ending in November 2016.\nWhat happens if I am offered a Research Fellowship?\u00a0We offer you a small cash reward of 250 EUR. We share your post with the world. We invite you to present your work at our final event. We might ask you to comment other people's thoughts and projects.\nEvaluation criteria for Fellowships\nWe look for entries that meet at least one of the following criteria:\nYou:\u00a0\n\nAre passionate about how we care for each other. You would love to be in touch with smart people who share your passion.\nAre curious, empathetic, a critical thinker. You can appreciate the potential of something even if it's scale is still small. You keep your bulls**t detector on at all times.\nAre practice-oriented. OpenCare Fellows are about action and how things work in practice. Opinions on what the world should look like, but doesn't, are less of a priority.\n\nThe experience you describe or analyse:\n\nResponds to needs in health and social care.\nIs open and participatory.\nHas moved beyond the idea stage, to reach at least that of prototype.\nUses open technology (it can also be for coordination: eg. a community clinic coordinating through a wiki).\n\nInquiries: community@edgeryders.eu\n\nThis page was last updated on Aug 18th 2016.\n\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-02-11 0:46 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5893","title":"HOW TO PARTICIPATE","content":"\nOpencare is an EU funded program that has come out of a Edgeryders community conversation on the future of care. It is\u00a0a\u00a0PLATFORM to share stories, ideas and insights,\u00a0make new connections, coordinate the work; a\u00a0diverse COMMUNITY or network of individuals and groups, mainly in Europe but including the whole world, exploring alternative, more long-term sustainable solutions to healthcare; a\u00a0PROCESS that brings people\u00a0together\u00a0to share, inspire, connect and collaborate. Op3nCare is the community we are building in symbiosis with the research project, but is distinct from it and is meant to continue long after the research project has ended.\nThe aim is to bring together people, virtually or physically, to gather and share stories, ideas and insights. Out of this will emerge new ideas, new solutions and new connections that benefit all.\u00a0Our challenges, projects, and programs are modeled on Edgeryders collective intelligence methodology. This means that we enable our community to develop solutions rooted in people's everyday realities, needs, and lifestyles.\nVALUES\n\nTry to support and build on what is already there.\u00a0We start by sharing experiences and research.\u00a0We do this to discover what is already out there, what is needed by initiatives and the communities they serve. In doing this collaboratively, we increase collective knowledge. We also encourage peers in the movement to acknowledge one another\u2019s good work and build on it, rather than waste resources on duplicating or competing with initiatives.\n\n\nHelp one another to improve y(our) ability to analyze and interpret information.\u00a0We analyse and structure the information shared in our conversations to support community members' desire and ability to constructively engage in society through and about facts, statistics and other pieces of information. In a world of ubiquitous digital connectivity, improving access and use of information helps us navigate meaningfully current ecosystems and societies. Whether it is because you want to solve local problems, keep governments accountable, avoid expensive mistakes or learn new things about the world in which you live, knowledge is power.\n\n\nKeep in mind that we are a diverse community. This is critical: almost anything we can achieve rests on that diversity, so the social contract needs to preserve and enhance it. It is essential that we stay wide open to an influx of new people, insights and skills. This means that we \u00a0can never be a membership-based organization. The minute you draw a line and say \u201cHere, we are on this side, the outside world is on that side\u201d, the community begins to asphyxiate and die. This means we accept and take into account that individuals should be able to choose their own role, as long as it does not limit the autonomy of others. \n\n\nWho does the work, calls the shots.\u00a0The focus of any interaction should be to empower and encourage each one of us to do things. No one gets to sit on the sidelines and tell people not to do things. If you want to make something better, you can add thoughtful suggestions. The suggestions most likely to be implemented are ones which are backed with an offer of hands-on help from the persons making them.\n\n\u00a0\n\nROLES\nThere are two main roles:\n\nThe\u00a0Op3ncarers:\u00a0people who care, and are willing to share their stories about how they care. People like you!\nThe\u00a0curators: these are people who have created and maintain the platform, and curate the content. Principally this is the hosts, Edgeryders (a consultancy that specialises in community-based solutions to complex societal challenges) as well as Ezio Manzini (a leading design strategist for socialecolocial sustainability).\n\n\u00a0\n\nTHE PROCESS\u00a0\nWe (the curators) have devised a four stage process, described below. We invite you to engage at all and any stage. Every single contribution is valued, whether it is telling a story, leaving a thoughtful comment, bringing cake to a community gathering or helping to build a prototype.\n1. Read, comment and post responses to challenges:\u00a0It all starts with an invitation for you and others around the world to share personal experiences, observations and examples on the challenge topic. You will share stories of individuals and groups who are building alternative alternatives to existing health- or social care, as well as of others whose attempts were frustrated. The purpose of this is to build a shared repository of stories, each one embedding strategies for improving health- and social care. Some will resonate more than others with participants, and that will signal to the community that a grain of truth has been found. Collectively, we will build knowledge about new approaches towards health- and social care. ONGOING: PARTICIPATE HERE!\n2. Make sense and build new knowledge:\u00a0Whether it is because you want to solve local problems, keep governments accountable, avoid expensive mistakes or learn new things about the world in which you live, \u00a0knowledge is power.\u00a0This phase links Op3nCare stories to the social, economic, political and legal context in which they happen: were they enabled by something in particular? Were they hindered by it? What change in could have made the alternative happen, or happen more successfully? By asking and tentatively answering these kinds of question, participants in the process will build shared knowledge and goals.\u00a0START: JULY, 2016.\n3. Develop new ideas and see how they work in practice:\u00a0Once the goals of Op3nCare participants, a range of possible strategies towards them and the obstacles in the way are reasonably clear, the project enters a new phase of hands-on, intensive peer-to-peer help.\u00a0We look at each initiative and work together to connect it with the people, knowledge skills, and resources to take it to the next level.\u00a0START: SEPTEMBER 2016.\n4. Defining how we take the work forward:\u00a0It is too early to say exactly how the work will be taken forward. It will depend on the outcomes of the previous stages. What is fixed is a conference in September 2017 that will bring together all the various strands of work, and can also serve as a launchpad for new initiatives.\u00a0 START: APRIL 2017.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-02-10 23:40 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5891","title":"Julia Reda at LOTE5 \u2013 Care track","content":"\nJulia Reda, the only Pirate MEP, is up for coming to LOTE5. We had discussed this possibility back at 32C3.\nShe is part of a group of European lawmakers concerned with software transparency. That includes cars (the infamous Volkswagen diesel engines), Internet of Things, implants etc. I asked her to say something like:\n\nEurope is attempting to regulate software transparency. This has consequences for medical (implants, prosthetics) and social (sensors) care.\u00a0\nThis gives us some windows for impact: that is, how OpenCare's results could be useful to which regulatory processes.\u00a0\n\nStrategically, I like the idea to start working with lawmakers at the beginning of OpenCare. We might increase our impact by spinning off reports and memos that Julia and others like her find useful, and deploy on their parliamentary activity.\nI propose we put it in the OpenCare Files session, which is at this point from 16.30 to 17.30 on Friday 26th. I suggest we do only one thing in that session: a Q&A discussion introduced by a robust intro on \"debunking welfare\" by @markomanka. Marco could equally play host, asking some participants to come forward and linking what they have to say to the main theme. Such \"special participants (or panelists, if you like) could be:\n\nJulia herself (transparency of software and care).\n@Luciascopelliti\u00a0or @Rossana Torri\u00a0(prototyping community welfare: what works and what does not).\n@Costantino\u00a0or @zoescope\u00a0(DIY aids for care).\n\nI expect that @Lakomaa\u00a0might have something to add to Julia's points on regulation.\u00a0If Simona shows up, we'll figure out how to fir her in.\u00a0\nDo you all agree?\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-02-10 23:21 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6018","title":"Welcome","content":"Op3nCare is a global community working together to make health- and social care accessible for all, open source, privacy-friendly and participatory. It starts from the assumption that state and private institutions will be unable to meet the demands for care in the 21st century and that new, more open, participatory, community-based methods are required.\n\nSIGN UP | JOIN AN OPEN MEETUP\u00a0| ABOUT THIS PLATFORM\n\n!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=\/^http:\/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+\":\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,\"script\",\"twitter-wjs\");\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\tGetting started is easy!\u00a0To find and connect with others over shared interests, we recommend you do three things:\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSign up for the\u00a0daily headlines\u00a0- It's our curated list of three best-of posts on opencare related topics\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCreate an Edgeryders account, upload a picture you like, and add a short biography\/description\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tLet your\u00a0fellow community members know a little more about you -\u00a0share\u00a0your story in a post.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\u00a0\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-02-10 22:52 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5884","title":"Food for thought - Masters of Networks 4","content":"\nIn the same line as what the LOTE5 food team is doing, here are some ingredients you may want to taste before we meet at MoN4.\nAs explained on the MoN4 page, we will be looking at a compilation of conversations that took place on the edgeryders portal \u2013 something in the flavor of what OpenCare could be dealing with in a near future.\nThat is, the conversations we will be looking at are still visible on edgeryders.eu (Alberto, correct me if I\u2019m wrong. You can probably also specify which project we are dealing with.)\nWhat you should do before we meet\nFor those who have time. Just project yourself in the task of monitoring and\/or understanding what is happening in the community, based on the content of online interactions.\nCome up with questions you\u2019d need to elucidate. Examples are:\n\nWould it be useful to see the process in action, seeing how comments get posted and thus attached to initial posts? How do actors distribute among posts? Are posts all connected (a walk from person to comment to person to comment to \u2026 ultimately leads to visit everyone and every post)?\nWhat topics do people discuss about? Does everyone discuss about all topics, do subgroups specialize around some topics? Do some user peck from topic to topic? Do people on average focus on a few topics?\n\nVisualize it!\nWe\u2019ll be using visualization as much as possible during MoN4 to trigger discussion, to illustrate ideas and communicate on our findings and approaches.\nWe rely on a rather simple methodology that is perfectly illustrated in the figure below.\n\n\nInitiate questions, and at the same time collect anything you believe may be useful (shoebox).\nRefine questions, structure and organize shoebox into duly exploitable data.\nFormulate hypothesis, and ultimately test hypothesis whenever possible.\nUse images, and more usefully interactive sessions to let the data speak and back your hypothesis\/conclusions.\n\nNext step is: what material do we have to try to answer these questions?\nData\nConversations are compiled in a somehow cumbersome manner by data geeks, but I nevertheless post here all the json files (coming soon) for those who like raw meat (I\u2019m joking, just teasing the vegan crowd who is pampering the meals for LOTE5 J).\nA user file listing all users registered on edgeryders (not all of them did participate in the conversations that were collected). A post file listing all messages posted on edgeryders by users, either as a first post or as comment in a thread. Additional files to support the mining of all this semantic and user soup.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-02-08 19:54 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6399"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5870","title":"Masters of Network 4: Networks of Care","content":"\n\n\n\n\nWhy\nCare happens in networks.\u00a0People take care of each other. They seek advice, medical help and moral support from each other. They exchange knowledge and share resources. They meet, interact, and work together.\u00a0And, of course, no human can live well if he or she disconnects from the fabric of society at large (in recent times, care also happened in big bureaucracies, but that approach has issues. Here we look for something better).\nWe think that this ceaseless exchange is collective intelligence at work.\u00a0Network analysis is a useful tool to understand this process, and perhaps find ways to improve upon it. Thinking in networks\u00a0is a great way to generate fresh, relevant questions.\u00a0How do you know your network is going in the right direction? What is a \u201cdirection\u201d in this context? Is everyone following the same path? Do people group into sub-communities? What are the focus of these (sub) communities?\u00a0\nWhat\nWe come together to find out how networked humans can better take care of each other.\u00a0\nTo do this, we study result-oriented conversations. Conversations are networks: people are its nodes, and the exchanges are its links. It you don't believe us,\u00a0click here to explore the Edgeryders conversation network (allow a few seconds for the data to download). But conversations are networks also in another sense: each exchange contains some concepts. Example of concepts useful in care are: well-being, syringe, diabethes, fitness, prosthetics, etc. We can represent concept in a conversation as a network. Concepts themselves are its nodes; two concepts are linked if\u00a0they are in the same exchange.\u00a0\nPerson-to-person conversation networks tell us who is talking to whom. Are there individuals who act as \"hubs\"? Why? Can we use hubs to improve the process, for example asking them to spread important knowledge?\u00a0\nConcept-to-concept conversation networks tell us how the different concepts connect\u00a0to each other. Are there surprises? Do apparently unrelated concepts tend to come up in the same exchanges? Anomalies might mean something interesting is going on. In fact, spotting anomalies is how John Snow\u00a0invented epidemiology in 1854.\u00a0\nThe fascinating part is this: by looking at the network, we can extract information that no individual in the network has. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Collective intelligence!\u00a0\nHow\nWe look at conversation data taken from Edgeryders and\u00a0build them into a network. We use open source software for network analysis. We then visualize\u00a0and\u00a0interrogate the network to see what we can learn. Our final aim is to prototype methodologies for extracting collective intelligent outcomes from conversations.\nOne great output from the workshop would be to unleash our imagination, and\u00a0specify design & requirements:\n\nWhat views works best? It'll be useful to build it as a mockup if we do not already have it -- use color pens, paper, clips, cardboard and build it into a mock-up!\nFor what tasks? Do we need to move things around? Pile them up to trigger comparison of things on-the-fly? Lasso an item to trigger some computation? -- use post-it notes, cut and paste pieces of paper, draw arrows to turn tasks into real actions (on a screen!).\nUsing what ingredient (data)? What should we feed the system with to accomplish these analytical tasks? -- write them down, cut & paste, associate them with specific tasks, embed them into views.\n\nThe workshop is a unique opportunity to have a design participatory workshop -- we want it to be a source of inspiration to design and build the next generation EdgeSense dashboard!\nWho should come\nMasters of Networks is open to all, and especially friendly to beginners. Patients, network scientists, doctors, hackers and so on all have something to contribute. But in the end\u00a0we are all experts in this domain. We all\u00a0give and receive care\u00a0in the course of our lives, and all humans are expert conversationalists. \u00a0There's an extra bonus for beginners: networks are easy to visualize. And when you visualize them, as we will, they are\u00a0often beautiful and intuitive.\u00a0\nTrust us. We have done this before (check out the video above).\nData\nWe have a dataset drawn from a large conversation that took place on the Edgeryders platform in 2014. It consists of 161 posts and 910 comments, authored by 128 different people. All posts and comments have been annotated by a professional ethnographer. This leaves us with an ontology of relevant concepts: we can use it to build the network.\u00a0\nThat\u00a0conversation was not about care. We will need to be clever, and use different data to figure out a methodology to apply to a future conversation about care.\u00a0\nAgenda and challenges\nThe agenda is simple:\n\nWe will spend the first hour and a half explaining how the data were formed, harvested and converted into a network. We will explore the network together using a software called Detangler, brainchild of the wonderful @brenoust. Detangler is highly intuitive: we can use it to manipulate network without knowing\u00a0any\u00a0network math at all.\u00a0\nThen, we'll hack.\u00a0We can explore the data in many directions. Depending on how many we are, we can split into groups that look at different things. We see at least three possibilities:\n\nVisualization challenge. Create informative and beautiful visualizations starting from our data. Skills needed: design, dataviz, netviz. Coordinator: @melancon (you can call me Guy)\n\n\u200bIts not only about creativity and beauty, it's about interactivity -- a map seen as a malleable object so you can squirk information out of it.\nIt's also about being able to specify graphical design from the tasks you'd need to conduct on the data and its representation on the screen.\n\n How is a node-link view useful? How would you intuitively like to manipulate, filter or change it at will when exploring it?\n Would you feel you need to synchronize the view with a bar chart on some statistics? A scatterplot to figure out if things correlate?\n\n\n\nInterpretation challenge. How many conclusions and hypotheses can we \"squeeze\" from the data? Skills needed: social research, ethnography, network science. Coordinator: @Noemi?\n\nInterpretation is at the core of the process. You play with data, you map it, and iteratively build hypothesis. In the end, you dream you would have provable claims.\n\n\nQuality challenge. Can we think of simple criteria to filter the data for the highest-quality content only (eg: only posts with a minimum number of comments, or of minimum length)? Does the filtering change the results? Coordination: @Alberto\nAnd more. But we insist that every group has a coordinator, who takes responsibility for driving it, sharing the relevant material (examples: software libraries, notes for participants, pseudo code...). If we only have two coordinators, we'll only have two groups. If you think you can lead a group, get in touch with us!\nTentative schedule\n\n9h30 - 11h - @Alberto and @melancon (@Hazem @Noemi) give a start by drawing the overall picture, following the famous adagio \"A picture is worth a thousand words\".\n11h - 12h30 Teams give it a first shot\n\n The viz team will play a game building their ideal visual dashboard using pen and paper, cardboard -- explaining why these features may turn to be essential when exploring or analyzing network data.\n The interpretation team output is critical: the directions they will provide has decisive impact on how data will be used, massaged and turned into visual representations.\n The qualitative team plays a similar role, feeding the intepretation team with high quality content -- their recommendations will make even greater sense if we can link them with paths of interpretation.\n\n\n12h30 - 14h Feed your brain with proteins and glucids.\n14h - 16h\u00a0Teams go back to work and build a proof-of-concept of the ideas \/hypothesis they came up with in the morning session.\n\n Cross-fertilization of ideas with the other teams is encouraged. People may wish to change teams to widen their experience and knowledge.\n Teams prepare a short summary of their findings\/conclusions that will be presented during the wrap-up session.\n\n\n16h - 16h30 Wrap-up. Team presentation, plenary discussion.\n\n\nWho is facilitating\n\n\nA network scientist: Guy Melan\u00e7on, University of Bordeaux.\nA medical doctor: Marco Manca, CERN and ScImpulse Foundation\nA policy maker: Lucia Scopelliti, City of Milan\nAn economist: Alberto Cottica, Edgeryders.\n\nWhen it is, where it is and how to participate\nMasters of Networks 4: Networks of Care is part of LOTE5. It takes place on Saturday, 27th February 2016 at Brussels Art Factory, SmartBE. Sign up by clicking the \"attend button. Leave a comment below to let us know what your skills are, we'll put them to good use! We particularly need people to help us with the documentation of what is done.\nHow to prepare\nHave a look at Detangler, and play with the map just to get a feeling of what can be done. If you have questions, write them as comments to this post.\u00a0\nWhat happens next\nA project called OpenCare will convene a large-scale conversation about care. The work in OpenCare will make good use of the insights generated during Networks of Care.\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-02-03 19:22 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"6399"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5842","title":"After #NowConf | How can mayors, funders and activists collaborate to #unfail the \"refugee crisis\"?","content":"\nOn January 21-22 I participated in NOW, a 2 day event bringing together mayors from cities and towns receiving the largest numbers of refugees from Syria as well as activists and individuals currently seeking asylum in Europe. I will dedicate this post to a brief summary of the key issues highlighted by participants, followed by proposals for how we could contribute towards building actionable and sustainable solutions.\n\nThe first part of the event consisted in a kind of intense briefing of the situation in countries closest to Syria. In a short time the populations of small countries in the region, Lebanon and Jordan, have grown manyfold (1.1 Million refugees in Lebanon, 630,000 in Jordan - in addition to Palestinian refugees already there). Some reading materials with up to date, detailed information:\nArmenia:\u00a0Anna\u2019s report from Yerevan is a good introduction.\u00a0\nJordan: Five Years On | Syria Crisis-related needs and vulnerabilities in Jordan. \u00a0\nWhile many of the cities and towns receiving refugees face similar challenges there is a significant difference. Some are transit locations, which asylum seekers pass on their way on to other destinations. They include major cities in Greece, Italy and Turkey, as well as small coastal towns from which people leave on boats to take their perilous journey across the sea. There, volunteers do their best to care for their immediate physical needs and the mandated administrative\/security procedures to grant them entry onto the mainland.\nOther cities and towns \u00a0are receiving the newcomers on a more long term basis. This happens in two different phases, each one posing its own \u00a0political, administrative and infrastructural challenges for the hosting communities. The first one is the period of time between arrival and the approval or rejection of the person\u2019s application for refugee status. This period could be very long, as in the case of the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, or that of Mr. Teferi in Norway. The second one is the period that begins once an individual has secured refugee status. In this period, the challenge is navigating the difficult period between receiving the papers and being fully established in the social and economic life of the host new community.\nWhile the details differ, the problems and needs mentioned by mayors, NGOs and activists fall into one or more of the following:\n\nResource efficiency: How to get better at covering necessities of both refugees and citizens\/ residents on very limited resources? As an example Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world and 70 per cent of the population suffers from inadequate water supply below the national standard of 100 liters\/person\/day. Aging infrastructures, inefficiencies in operation and maintenance. interrupted provision of water services etc. Could resource scarcity be mitigated through Open Source technologies for recycling of sewage, seawater desalination at scale, deep drip irrigation etc? Affordable, modifiable technologies are required to manage the current crisis as well as to secure peace in the region.\nInteroperability, knowledge transfer and Institutional memory: I heard many calls to \u201cmake information available about how the system works\u201d, and \"calls for online platforms to fix a perceived\u00a0lack of information\" thought to be a \"key obstacle for labor market access\". Here too I head that \u201cwe need a database of all the initiatives and resources available to help refugees\u201d and \"we need to make existing information about getting your paperwork done, how to set up a new business etc\".\u00a0There are\u00a0three underlying assumptions: 1) That some people understand in detail \u201chow the system works\u201d as a whole and 2) That they can transmit that kind knowledge into brochures or documents and that 3) This information material will make the system navigable and penetrable for newcomers. These three assumptions do not hold up to scrutiny and could fill an entire blogpost with reasons as to why. For now I will simply refer you to the Brickstarter report as it is a light, beginner-friendly introduction to some of the issues.\nScalability of public services: How to build\/rethink provision of public services so that they can accommodate changes in the number of people to serve? Many of the participants complained about the lack of resources to provide education or training for newcomers. Others mentioned the provision of health and social care services, especially psychological support for the traumatised. I heard a lot of calling for more resources to be put into existing services, but little examination of how existing services are performing and even less awareness about more effective, flexible and cost-efficient approaches. Are we sure that throwing money onto more of the same will result in better outcomes? \u00a0Sugata Mitra\u2019s work on Minimally Invasive Education, Miguel Chavez\u2019s experienced from\u00a0building Makerspaces in Favelas, Freifunk and many others offer alternative approaches with promising results. The political will, and practical ability, to welcome and accommodate newcomers depends on it. In this recent talk, I present a proposal for how we can break out of the zero-sum thinking in the provision of care services as an antidote to rising social tensions between social groups.\n\nOne of the outcomes of the conference was that Mayors from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Austria signed a declaration\u00a0to work together in solidarity across borders:\n\nPolitically, this is an important signal. However the event didn\u2019t get into the part I find the most interesting- how they expect to go from intention to implementation.\nSo what is needed in order for this commitment to be delivered on? Based on discussions with mayors, activists and refugees it looks like the participants at NOW need:\n\nEfficient and sustainable coordination across geographic, linguistic and technological barriers.\nA globe-spanning sustained effort to help community leaders, mayors, politicians and fight back against populist rhetoric and divisive narratives.\nAbility to learn about and experiment with novel or unconventional approaches towards tackling root causes of problems which affect both newcomers and the host communities which welcome them.\n\nIn practice this would require:\n\nActive engagement of a lot of affected people in mapping and making sense of urgent problems related to a sudden influx of newcomers in education, housing, employment\/entrepreneurship, language\/social skills and finance. The reason being that those affected will only get behind efforts to solve problems if they trust the people involved, and have shared ownership in the process. Part of what builds trust is if people can recognise their own perspective, language and experiences in the description of the situation. That they are taken seriously as experts in their own lives- that their own ambitions, words and thoughts weigh at least as much as input of credentialed domain experts (who may never have set foot in the neighborhood). This was echoed by newcomers frustrated by discussions about training them to fit into pre-defined slots in society, based on what they perceived to be unfounded assumptions by institutional actors about what they could or could not achieve: \u201cDo not put a cap on my dreams, just give me access to the tools and see what I can build with them\u201d.\u200b\nContinuous mapping and connection of different private, public and third sector actors efforts into coherent shared plans that take into consideration the budgetary, logistical and political constraints within which each group is working. I can tell you from experience that is it not easy. The reason being that the incentives are aligned against it. We all agree that at the system level good documentation saves everyone time and resources. At the individual level it is more difficult to motivate the additional investment of time and effort. Where you see people doing this consistently is where it is a part of a shared culture and work ethos. To get this going you have to create the incentives for people to do additional work involved, instill the ethos, teach people the workflow and enforce it top down. Over and over. Until there is a critical mass doing it and others can share the effort of spreading and maintaining the enabling culture.\n\nTake a minute to think about what this means.\nIf the participants in the event want to see the transnational cooperation happen in practice, then they will have to learn to think and work as networks of individuals interacting inside, outside and all around different organisations. Each working at the hyperlocal, micro-level, while sharing and learning with others working in different contexts as a natural part of the everyday workflow\u2026 not just something afforded to people who can travel and spend 2 days talking with one another at a conference. And all of this done in ways that build granular, immediately relevant and continuously updated institutional memory accessible to all. Affecting behavioral change at this scale is hard, but it can be done.\nI think we can contribute in two ways.\n1. At LOTE5 we are organising this reflexive design exercise on Collaborative inclusion: how migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. The event is run by Ezio Manzini, one the world's leading designers for social innovation. You can partner with us\u00a0if you want to help make it into a workshop on addressing specific problems tied to reception and inclusion of asylum seekers. Or just sign up and participate.\n2. We also have a way to produce cheap, accurate ethnographic data around problems like the ones mentioned above, with a focus on surfacing creative and actionable solutions. This would enable you to engage a large number of participants (thousands) in a participatory process for designing solutions to meet their own needs. This methodology is being employed\/supported by a growing number of actors including the current Swedish minister of Nordic cooperation and strategic foresight, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United Nations Development Program and United Nations Volunteers as well as the cities of Milan and Matera in Italy, and of Bucharest in Romania. We have developed a methodological guide for doing this - email me if you would like a copy (cannot post online): nadia@edgeryders.eu.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-01-28 0:40 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5842","title":"After #NowConf | How can mayors, funders and activists collaborate to #unfail the \"refugee crisis\"?","content":"\nOn January 21-22 I participated in NOW, a 2 day event bringing together mayors from cities and towns receiving the largest numbers of refugees from Syria as well as activists and individuals currently seeking asylum in Europe. I will dedicate this post to a brief summary of the key issues highlighted by participants, followed by proposals for how we could contribute towards building actionable and sustainable solutions.\n\nThe first part of the event consisted in a kind of intense briefing of the situation in countries closest to Syria. In a short time the populations of small countries in the region, Lebanon and Jordan, have grown manyfold (1.1 Million refugees in Lebanon, 630,000 in Jordan - in addition to Palestinian refugees already there). Some reading materials with up to date, detailed information:\nArmenia:\u00a0Anna\u2019s report from Yerevan is a good introduction.\u00a0\nJordan: Five Years On | Syria Crisis-related needs and vulnerabilities in Jordan. \u00a0\nWhile many of the cities and towns receiving refugees face similar challenges there is a significant difference. Some are transit locations, which asylum seekers pass on their way on to other destinations. They include major cities in Greece, Italy and Turkey, as well as small coastal towns from which people leave on boats to take their perilous journey across the sea. There, volunteers do their best to care for their immediate physical needs and the mandated administrative\/security procedures to grant them entry onto the mainland.\nOther cities and towns \u00a0are receiving the newcomers on a more long term basis. This happens in two different phases, each one posing its own \u00a0political, administrative and infrastructural challenges for the hosting communities. The first one is the period of time between arrival and the approval or rejection of the person\u2019s application for refugee status. This period could be very long, as in the case of the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, or that of Mr. Teferi in Norway. The second one is the period that begins once an individual has secured refugee status. In this period, the challenge is navigating the difficult period between receiving the papers and being fully established in the social and economic life of the host new community.\nWhile the details differ, the problems and needs mentioned by mayors, NGOs and activists fall into one or more of the following:\n\nResource efficiency: How to get better at covering necessities of both refugees and citizens\/ residents on very limited resources? As an example Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world and 70 per cent of the population suffers from inadequate water supply below the national standard of 100 liters\/person\/day. Aging infrastructures, inefficiencies in operation and maintenance. interrupted provision of water services etc. Could resource scarcity be mitigated through Open Source technologies for recycling of sewage, seawater desalination at scale, deep drip irrigation etc? Affordable, modifiable technologies are required to manage the current crisis as well as to secure peace in the region.\nInteroperability, knowledge transfer and Institutional memory: I heard many calls to \u201cmake information available about how the system works\u201d, and \"calls for online platforms to fix a perceived\u00a0lack of information\" thought to be a \"key obstacle for labor market access\". Here too I head that \u201cwe need a database of all the initiatives and resources available to help refugees\u201d and \"we need to make existing information about getting your paperwork done, how to set up a new business etc\".\u00a0There are\u00a0three underlying assumptions: 1) That some people understand in detail \u201chow the system works\u201d as a whole and 2) That they can transmit that kind knowledge into brochures or documents and that 3) This information material will make the system navigable and penetrable for newcomers. These three assumptions do not hold up to scrutiny and could fill an entire blogpost with reasons as to why. For now I will simply refer you to the Brickstarter report as it is a light, beginner-friendly introduction to some of the issues.\nScalability of public services: How to build\/rethink provision of public services so that they can accommodate changes in the number of people to serve? Many of the participants complained about the lack of resources to provide education or training for newcomers. Others mentioned the provision of health and social care services, especially psychological support for the traumatised. I heard a lot of calling for more resources to be put into existing services, but little examination of how existing services are performing and even less awareness about more effective, flexible and cost-efficient approaches. Are we sure that throwing money onto more of the same will result in better outcomes? \u00a0Sugata Mitra\u2019s work on Minimally Invasive Education, Miguel Chavez\u2019s experienced from\u00a0building Makerspaces in Favelas, Freifunk and many others offer alternative approaches with promising results. The political will, and practical ability, to welcome and accommodate newcomers depends on it. In this recent talk, I present a proposal for how we can break out of the zero-sum thinking in the provision of care services as an antidote to rising social tensions between social groups.\n\nOne of the outcomes of the conference was that Mayors from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Austria signed a declaration\u00a0to work together in solidarity across borders:\n\nPolitically, this is an important signal. However the event didn\u2019t get into the part I find the most interesting- how they expect to go from intention to implementation.\nSo what is needed in order for this commitment to be delivered on? Based on discussions with mayors, activists and refugees it looks like the participants at NOW need:\n\nEfficient and sustainable coordination across geographic, linguistic and technological barriers.\nA globe-spanning sustained effort to help community leaders, mayors, politicians and fight back against populist rhetoric and divisive narratives.\nAbility to learn about and experiment with novel or unconventional approaches towards tackling root causes of problems which affect both newcomers and the host communities which welcome them.\n\nIn practice this would require:\n\nActive engagement of a lot of affected people in mapping and making sense of urgent problems related to a sudden influx of newcomers in education, housing, employment\/entrepreneurship, language\/social skills and finance. The reason being that those affected will only get behind efforts to solve problems if they trust the people involved, and have shared ownership in the process. Part of what builds trust is if people can recognise their own perspective, language and experiences in the description of the situation. That they are taken seriously as experts in their own lives- that their own ambitions, words and thoughts weigh at least as much as input of credentialed domain experts (who may never have set foot in the neighborhood). This was echoed by newcomers frustrated by discussions about training them to fit into pre-defined slots in society, based on what they perceived to be unfounded assumptions by institutional actors about what they could or could not achieve: \u201cDo not put a cap on my dreams, just give me access to the tools and see what I can build with them\u201d.\u200b\nContinuous mapping and connection of different private, public and third sector actors efforts into coherent shared plans that take into consideration the budgetary, logistical and political constraints within which each group is working. I can tell you from experience that is it not easy. The reason being that the incentives are aligned against it. We all agree that at the system level good documentation saves everyone time and resources. At the individual level it is more difficult to motivate the additional investment of time and effort. Where you see people doing this consistently is where it is a part of a shared culture and work ethos. To get this going you have to create the incentives for people to do additional work involved, instill the ethos, teach people the workflow and enforce it top down. Over and over. Until there is a critical mass doing it and others can share the effort of spreading and maintaining the enabling culture.\n\nTake a minute to think about what this means.\nIf the participants in the event want to see the transnational cooperation happen in practice, then they will have to learn to think and work as networks of individuals interacting inside, outside and all around different organisations. Each working at the hyperlocal, micro-level, while sharing and learning with others working in different contexts as a natural part of the everyday workflow\u2026 not just something afforded to people who can travel and spend 2 days talking with one another at a conference. And all of this done in ways that build granular, immediately relevant and continuously updated institutional memory accessible to all. Affecting behavioral change at this scale is hard, but it can be done.\nI think we can contribute in two ways.\n1. At LOTE5 we are organising this reflexive design exercise on Collaborative inclusion: how migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. The event is run by Ezio Manzini, one the world's leading designers for social innovation. You can partner with us\u00a0if you want to help make it into a workshop on addressing specific problems tied to reception and inclusion of asylum seekers. Or just sign up and participate.\n2. We also have a way to produce cheap, accurate ethnographic data around problems like the ones mentioned above, with a focus on surfacing creative and actionable solutions. This would enable you to engage a large number of participants (thousands) in a participatory process for designing solutions to meet their own needs. This methodology is being employed\/supported by a growing number of actors including the current Swedish minister of Nordic cooperation and strategic foresight, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United Nations Development Program and United Nations Volunteers as well as the cities of Milan and Matera in Italy, and of Bucharest in Romania. We have developed a methodological guide for doing this - email me if you would like a copy (cannot post online): nadia@edgeryders.eu.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-01-28 0:40 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"5,366","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5842","title":"After #NowConf | How can mayors, funders and activists collaborate to #unfail the \"refugee crisis\"?","content":"\nOn January 21-22 I participated in NOW, a 2 day event bringing together mayors from cities and towns receiving the largest numbers of refugees from Syria as well as activists and individuals currently seeking asylum in Europe. I will dedicate this post to a brief summary of the key issues highlighted by participants, followed by proposals for how we could contribute towards building actionable and sustainable solutions.\n\nThe first part of the event consisted in a kind of intense briefing of the situation in countries closest to Syria. In a short time the populations of small countries in the region, Lebanon and Jordan, have grown manyfold (1.1 Million refugees in Lebanon, 630,000 in Jordan - in addition to Palestinian refugees already there). Some reading materials with up to date, detailed information:\nArmenia:\u00a0Anna\u2019s report from Yerevan is a good introduction.\u00a0\nJordan: Five Years On | Syria Crisis-related needs and vulnerabilities in Jordan. \u00a0\nWhile many of the cities and towns receiving refugees face similar challenges there is a significant difference. Some are transit locations, which asylum seekers pass on their way on to other destinations. They include major cities in Greece, Italy and Turkey, as well as small coastal towns from which people leave on boats to take their perilous journey across the sea. There, volunteers do their best to care for their immediate physical needs and the mandated administrative\/security procedures to grant them entry onto the mainland.\nOther cities and towns \u00a0are receiving the newcomers on a more long term basis. This happens in two different phases, each one posing its own \u00a0political, administrative and infrastructural challenges for the hosting communities. The first one is the period of time between arrival and the approval or rejection of the person\u2019s application for refugee status. This period could be very long, as in the case of the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, or that of Mr. Teferi in Norway. The second one is the period that begins once an individual has secured refugee status. In this period, the challenge is navigating the difficult period between receiving the papers and being fully established in the social and economic life of the host new community.\nWhile the details differ, the problems and needs mentioned by mayors, NGOs and activists fall into one or more of the following:\n\nResource efficiency: How to get better at covering necessities of both refugees and citizens\/ residents on very limited resources? As an example Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world and 70 per cent of the population suffers from inadequate water supply below the national standard of 100 liters\/person\/day. Aging infrastructures, inefficiencies in operation and maintenance. interrupted provision of water services etc. Could resource scarcity be mitigated through Open Source technologies for recycling of sewage, seawater desalination at scale, deep drip irrigation etc? Affordable, modifiable technologies are required to manage the current crisis as well as to secure peace in the region.\nInteroperability, knowledge transfer and Institutional memory: I heard many calls to \u201cmake information available about how the system works\u201d, and \"calls for online platforms to fix a perceived\u00a0lack of information\" thought to be a \"key obstacle for labor market access\". Here too I head that \u201cwe need a database of all the initiatives and resources available to help refugees\u201d and \"we need to make existing information about getting your paperwork done, how to set up a new business etc\".\u00a0There are\u00a0three underlying assumptions: 1) That some people understand in detail \u201chow the system works\u201d as a whole and 2) That they can transmit that kind knowledge into brochures or documents and that 3) This information material will make the system navigable and penetrable for newcomers. These three assumptions do not hold up to scrutiny and could fill an entire blogpost with reasons as to why. For now I will simply refer you to the Brickstarter report as it is a light, beginner-friendly introduction to some of the issues.\nScalability of public services: How to build\/rethink provision of public services so that they can accommodate changes in the number of people to serve? Many of the participants complained about the lack of resources to provide education or training for newcomers. Others mentioned the provision of health and social care services, especially psychological support for the traumatised. I heard a lot of calling for more resources to be put into existing services, but little examination of how existing services are performing and even less awareness about more effective, flexible and cost-efficient approaches. Are we sure that throwing money onto more of the same will result in better outcomes? \u00a0Sugata Mitra\u2019s work on Minimally Invasive Education, Miguel Chavez\u2019s experienced from\u00a0building Makerspaces in Favelas, Freifunk and many others offer alternative approaches with promising results. The political will, and practical ability, to welcome and accommodate newcomers depends on it. In this recent talk, I present a proposal for how we can break out of the zero-sum thinking in the provision of care services as an antidote to rising social tensions between social groups.\n\nOne of the outcomes of the conference was that Mayors from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Austria signed a declaration\u00a0to work together in solidarity across borders:\n\nPolitically, this is an important signal. However the event didn\u2019t get into the part I find the most interesting- how they expect to go from intention to implementation.\nSo what is needed in order for this commitment to be delivered on? Based on discussions with mayors, activists and refugees it looks like the participants at NOW need:\n\nEfficient and sustainable coordination across geographic, linguistic and technological barriers.\nA globe-spanning sustained effort to help community leaders, mayors, politicians and fight back against populist rhetoric and divisive narratives.\nAbility to learn about and experiment with novel or unconventional approaches towards tackling root causes of problems which affect both newcomers and the host communities which welcome them.\n\nIn practice this would require:\n\nActive engagement of a lot of affected people in mapping and making sense of urgent problems related to a sudden influx of newcomers in education, housing, employment\/entrepreneurship, language\/social skills and finance. The reason being that those affected will only get behind efforts to solve problems if they trust the people involved, and have shared ownership in the process. Part of what builds trust is if people can recognise their own perspective, language and experiences in the description of the situation. That they are taken seriously as experts in their own lives- that their own ambitions, words and thoughts weigh at least as much as input of credentialed domain experts (who may never have set foot in the neighborhood). This was echoed by newcomers frustrated by discussions about training them to fit into pre-defined slots in society, based on what they perceived to be unfounded assumptions by institutional actors about what they could or could not achieve: \u201cDo not put a cap on my dreams, just give me access to the tools and see what I can build with them\u201d.\u200b\nContinuous mapping and connection of different private, public and third sector actors efforts into coherent shared plans that take into consideration the budgetary, logistical and political constraints within which each group is working. I can tell you from experience that is it not easy. The reason being that the incentives are aligned against it. We all agree that at the system level good documentation saves everyone time and resources. At the individual level it is more difficult to motivate the additional investment of time and effort. Where you see people doing this consistently is where it is a part of a shared culture and work ethos. To get this going you have to create the incentives for people to do additional work involved, instill the ethos, teach people the workflow and enforce it top down. Over and over. Until there is a critical mass doing it and others can share the effort of spreading and maintaining the enabling culture.\n\nTake a minute to think about what this means.\nIf the participants in the event want to see the transnational cooperation happen in practice, then they will have to learn to think and work as networks of individuals interacting inside, outside and all around different organisations. Each working at the hyperlocal, micro-level, while sharing and learning with others working in different contexts as a natural part of the everyday workflow\u2026 not just something afforded to people who can travel and spend 2 days talking with one another at a conference. And all of this done in ways that build granular, immediately relevant and continuously updated institutional memory accessible to all. Affecting behavioral change at this scale is hard, but it can be done.\nI think we can contribute in two ways.\n1. At LOTE5 we are organising this reflexive design exercise on Collaborative inclusion: how migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. The event is run by Ezio Manzini, one the world's leading designers for social innovation. You can partner with us\u00a0if you want to help make it into a workshop on addressing specific problems tied to reception and inclusion of asylum seekers. Or just sign up and participate.\n2. We also have a way to produce cheap, accurate ethnographic data around problems like the ones mentioned above, with a focus on surfacing creative and actionable solutions. This would enable you to engage a large number of participants (thousands) in a participatory process for designing solutions to meet their own needs. This methodology is being employed\/supported by a growing number of actors including the current Swedish minister of Nordic cooperation and strategic foresight, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United Nations Development Program and United Nations Volunteers as well as the cities of Milan and Matera in Italy, and of Bucharest in Romania. We have developed a methodological guide for doing this - email me if you would like a copy (cannot post online): nadia@edgeryders.eu.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-01-28 0:40 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"366","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5842","title":"After #NowConf | How can mayors, funders and activists collaborate to #unfail the \"refugee crisis\"?","content":"\nOn January 21-22 I participated in NOW, a 2 day event bringing together mayors from cities and towns receiving the largest numbers of refugees from Syria as well as activists and individuals currently seeking asylum in Europe. I will dedicate this post to a brief summary of the key issues highlighted by participants, followed by proposals for how we could contribute towards building actionable and sustainable solutions.\n\nThe first part of the event consisted in a kind of intense briefing of the situation in countries closest to Syria. In a short time the populations of small countries in the region, Lebanon and Jordan, have grown manyfold (1.1 Million refugees in Lebanon, 630,000 in Jordan - in addition to Palestinian refugees already there). Some reading materials with up to date, detailed information:\nArmenia:\u00a0Anna\u2019s report from Yerevan is a good introduction.\u00a0\nJordan: Five Years On | Syria Crisis-related needs and vulnerabilities in Jordan. \u00a0\nWhile many of the cities and towns receiving refugees face similar challenges there is a significant difference. Some are transit locations, which asylum seekers pass on their way on to other destinations. They include major cities in Greece, Italy and Turkey, as well as small coastal towns from which people leave on boats to take their perilous journey across the sea. There, volunteers do their best to care for their immediate physical needs and the mandated administrative\/security procedures to grant them entry onto the mainland.\nOther cities and towns \u00a0are receiving the newcomers on a more long term basis. This happens in two different phases, each one posing its own \u00a0political, administrative and infrastructural challenges for the hosting communities. The first one is the period of time between arrival and the approval or rejection of the person\u2019s application for refugee status. This period could be very long, as in the case of the Palestinian refugees in Jordan, or that of Mr. Teferi in Norway. The second one is the period that begins once an individual has secured refugee status. In this period, the challenge is navigating the difficult period between receiving the papers and being fully established in the social and economic life of the host new community.\nWhile the details differ, the problems and needs mentioned by mayors, NGOs and activists fall into one or more of the following:\n\nResource efficiency: How to get better at covering necessities of both refugees and citizens\/ residents on very limited resources? As an example Jordan is one of the most water scarce countries in the world and 70 per cent of the population suffers from inadequate water supply below the national standard of 100 liters\/person\/day. Aging infrastructures, inefficiencies in operation and maintenance. interrupted provision of water services etc. Could resource scarcity be mitigated through Open Source technologies for recycling of sewage, seawater desalination at scale, deep drip irrigation etc? Affordable, modifiable technologies are required to manage the current crisis as well as to secure peace in the region.\nInteroperability, knowledge transfer and Institutional memory: I heard many calls to \u201cmake information available about how the system works\u201d, and \"calls for online platforms to fix a perceived\u00a0lack of information\" thought to be a \"key obstacle for labor market access\". Here too I head that \u201cwe need a database of all the initiatives and resources available to help refugees\u201d and \"we need to make existing information about getting your paperwork done, how to set up a new business etc\".\u00a0There are\u00a0three underlying assumptions: 1) That some people understand in detail \u201chow the system works\u201d as a whole and 2) That they can transmit that kind knowledge into brochures or documents and that 3) This information material will make the system navigable and penetrable for newcomers. These three assumptions do not hold up to scrutiny and could fill an entire blogpost with reasons as to why. For now I will simply refer you to the Brickstarter report as it is a light, beginner-friendly introduction to some of the issues.\nScalability of public services: How to build\/rethink provision of public services so that they can accommodate changes in the number of people to serve? Many of the participants complained about the lack of resources to provide education or training for newcomers. Others mentioned the provision of health and social care services, especially psychological support for the traumatised. I heard a lot of calling for more resources to be put into existing services, but little examination of how existing services are performing and even less awareness about more effective, flexible and cost-efficient approaches. Are we sure that throwing money onto more of the same will result in better outcomes? \u00a0Sugata Mitra\u2019s work on Minimally Invasive Education, Miguel Chavez\u2019s experienced from\u00a0building Makerspaces in Favelas, Freifunk and many others offer alternative approaches with promising results. The political will, and practical ability, to welcome and accommodate newcomers depends on it. In this recent talk, I present a proposal for how we can break out of the zero-sum thinking in the provision of care services as an antidote to rising social tensions between social groups.\n\nOne of the outcomes of the conference was that Mayors from Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Greece, Italy and Austria signed a declaration\u00a0to work together in solidarity across borders:\n\nPolitically, this is an important signal. However the event didn\u2019t get into the part I find the most interesting- how they expect to go from intention to implementation.\nSo what is needed in order for this commitment to be delivered on? Based on discussions with mayors, activists and refugees it looks like the participants at NOW need:\n\nEfficient and sustainable coordination across geographic, linguistic and technological barriers.\nA globe-spanning sustained effort to help community leaders, mayors, politicians and fight back against populist rhetoric and divisive narratives.\nAbility to learn about and experiment with novel or unconventional approaches towards tackling root causes of problems which affect both newcomers and the host communities which welcome them.\n\nIn practice this would require:\n\nActive engagement of a lot of affected people in mapping and making sense of urgent problems related to a sudden influx of newcomers in education, housing, employment\/entrepreneurship, language\/social skills and finance. The reason being that those affected will only get behind efforts to solve problems if they trust the people involved, and have shared ownership in the process. Part of what builds trust is if people can recognise their own perspective, language and experiences in the description of the situation. That they are taken seriously as experts in their own lives- that their own ambitions, words and thoughts weigh at least as much as input of credentialed domain experts (who may never have set foot in the neighborhood). This was echoed by newcomers frustrated by discussions about training them to fit into pre-defined slots in society, based on what they perceived to be unfounded assumptions by institutional actors about what they could or could not achieve: \u201cDo not put a cap on my dreams, just give me access to the tools and see what I can build with them\u201d.\u200b\nContinuous mapping and connection of different private, public and third sector actors efforts into coherent shared plans that take into consideration the budgetary, logistical and political constraints within which each group is working. I can tell you from experience that is it not easy. The reason being that the incentives are aligned against it. We all agree that at the system level good documentation saves everyone time and resources. At the individual level it is more difficult to motivate the additional investment of time and effort. Where you see people doing this consistently is where it is a part of a shared culture and work ethos. To get this going you have to create the incentives for people to do additional work involved, instill the ethos, teach people the workflow and enforce it top down. Over and over. Until there is a critical mass doing it and others can share the effort of spreading and maintaining the enabling culture.\n\nTake a minute to think about what this means.\nIf the participants in the event want to see the transnational cooperation happen in practice, then they will have to learn to think and work as networks of individuals interacting inside, outside and all around different organisations. Each working at the hyperlocal, micro-level, while sharing and learning with others working in different contexts as a natural part of the everyday workflow\u2026 not just something afforded to people who can travel and spend 2 days talking with one another at a conference. And all of this done in ways that build granular, immediately relevant and continuously updated institutional memory accessible to all. Affecting behavioral change at this scale is hard, but it can be done.\nI think we can contribute in two ways.\n1. At LOTE5 we are organising this reflexive design exercise on Collaborative inclusion: how migrants-residents collaboration can produce social values. The event is run by Ezio Manzini, one the world's leading designers for social innovation. You can partner with us\u00a0if you want to help make it into a workshop on addressing specific problems tied to reception and inclusion of asylum seekers. Or just sign up and participate.\n2. We also have a way to produce cheap, accurate ethnographic data around problems like the ones mentioned above, with a focus on surfacing creative and actionable solutions. This would enable you to engage a large number of participants (thousands) in a participatory process for designing solutions to meet their own needs. This methodology is being employed\/supported by a growing number of actors including the current Swedish minister of Nordic cooperation and strategic foresight, the European Commission, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United Nations Development Program and United Nations Volunteers as well as the cities of Milan and Matera in Italy, and of Bucharest in Romania. We have developed a methodological guide for doing this - email me if you would like a copy (cannot post online): nadia@edgeryders.eu.\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2016-01-28 0:40 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"5,664","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5840","title":"New information on the Manzini workshop ready: only 40 places ceiling","content":"\nHello all, @Ezio Manzini\u00a0and I have had some discussion and come up with a new, much improved, event page.\u00a0\nWe have also claimed the empty slot in the OpenCare files, which has been pushed to 16.00. @markomanka's and Simona Ferlini's talk should go here.\u00a0\nThis is really high quality stuff, and deserves plenty of exposure. @Nadia, @Noemi, @ireinga.\n@KiraVde, I need a picture and short bio of your father. Thanks!\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-01-27 16:05 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5835","title":"Open health data hackathon at CERN, April","content":"\nJust heard about a hackathon in Geneva, April 16-18, about open data in health.\u00a0http:\/\/theport.ch\/home\/open-geneva-2016-campus-biotech\/\nObvious overlap with opencare -- to the point I had to check it wasn't an opencare event I was hearing about through an indirect route!\nApplications close on February 7th.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2016-01-27 11:14 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"3892"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5787","title":"Storytelling Workshop: Narratives of Care 2016","content":"\n\nStorytelling Workshop for people working on initiatives related to care (health- and\/or social care) in their community. As well as for those who are curious to learn more about them.\nThe purpose of this workshop is to help protagonists of grassroots and social innovation projects make it easier to engage support for their work through effective communication materials.\nYou will:\n- Meet others doing relevant work and learn from one another's experiences\n- Learn about effective communication for engaging support in your projects\n- Create a professional quality communication kit for you\/your project (press photos, a short video, as well as an engaging article)\n- Find it useful no matter if you are a beginner or have been doing this for years\nWhen: 28\/2\/2016, 9:00-19:00\nLocation: SmartBe, rue Emile F\u00e9ron 70 \u2013 1060 Bruxelles\nPrice: Free of charge for LOTE5 ticket holders, lunch is included.\nRegistration: Please fill in this form \u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/1SWoWV7\nOrganisers:\nThe Narratives of Care Storytelling workshop is part of the OpenCare initiative championed by Edgeryders Lbg, a not-for-profit company living in symbiosis with the Edgeryders community. It combines elements from the Writer's workshop held in Kathmandu by @Matthias\u00a0and @Natalia Skoczylas, as well as workshops held in Armenia, Egypt and Georgia by @Noemi\u00a0and myself last year.\nDon't have a LOTE5 ticket yet?\u00a0You can get them here:\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/1lsnr3H\nMore on OpenCare: http:\/\/opencare.cc\nMore on Edgeryders Lbg: https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/edgeryders-lbg\/why-and-how\nP.S if you are a writer, filmmaker, photographer, illustrator and might be interested in running this one day workshop with me, please let me know. We do have a small budget for this workshop, so we could pay a small fee for co-facilitators. Get in touch either via a comment below or an email to: nadia@edgeryders.eu\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-01-17 19:12 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5766","title":"People Are Messy : A new play about patient and public involvement in research | Feb 10, Headington, England","content":"\n\"\u00a0Why should the public have a say in what research gets funded and how? Surely doctors and researchers know best? Would you want to influence research tackling your own illness? And what impact does involving \u201clay\u201d people have on questions being asked and money being spent?\nPeople Are Messy,\u00a0by award-winning playwright Judith Johnson, is supported by us and a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award. Devised and produced by Theatre of Debate, its primary aim is to engage young people\u00a0aged 14+\u00a0in an informed debate about the practical,\u00a0ethical and social issues around decision-making and health research.\"\nI'm going and have already gotten my ticket. If you'd like to join me you can register\u00a0here.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2016-01-10 12:15 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Event","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5749","title":"re:publica","content":"\nJust noticed that health is one of the topics for this year's re:publica.\nSeems like a good opportunity for somebody to run an opencare event. Deadline for submitting a proposal is Jan 10th; details at\u00a0https:\/\/re-publica.de\/en\/call-papers\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2016-01-04 14:28 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"3892"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5744","title":"Update from 32C3","content":"\nOpenCare will officially start in three days.\u00a0\nA few of us are in 32C3\u00a0(@Lakomaa, @zoescope, @Costantino, @Nadia\u00a0and myself). \u00a0We are doing good work.\u00a0\n\nNadia onboarded several people, including Marie Moe \u2013 a computer security expert who wears a pacemaker and has discovered it's buggy, hackable and untransparent since it runs on proprietary software \u2013 \u00a0https:\/\/events.ccc.de\/congress\/2015\/Fahrplan\/events\/7273.html\n@msanti, @mstn, @maxlath\u00a0and I did some work on the \"Visualizing self-diagnosis\" project (GitHub \u2013 at the time of writing most stuff is on the wiki, because almost all we do is struggle with Wikipedia and Wikidata's data models).\u00a0\nWe talked to Pirate Party MEP Julia Reda, and decided to stay in touch with a view to giving the European Parliament some ammo to regulate care in a community-friendly direction. Julia has provisionally agreed to show up at LOTE5, and to have a look at points of entry we might use to put OpenCare's results at the disposal of policy makers. What it comes down to: if we do good work, we'll get impact.\u00a0\n\nLooking forward to this, friends. See you in 2016. No surrender.\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-12-29 15:50 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5739","title":"Session at #32c3: Soft Robotics with Matthew from Super-releaser","content":"\nEngineering meets biomatter. The squiggly squishy, compliant bits of biomechanics allow you to produce one size fits all. If someone has physical disability, like cerebral paulsy, giving them a little bit of improved mobility can have huge positive effects.\nFunctionally grated structures:\u00a0Inspired by Bird beaks: Hydrophobic proteins and high water content parts of the body.\u00a0\nExample where functional grating is applied: Cerebral palsy\n- Cost of therapy is very expensive because one on one time with specialists are very costly, and tech used is not modifiable.\n- so they build soft exoskeletons for actuators (for joints) using functional grating principles. Check out their \"Neucuff\"\nAnother example where functional grating is used: Prosthetics\nUses distributed force: see goats' feet as a reference\/description of the principle used to build prosthetics.\n- Feets that are hard metal pads (hard actuators) does not allow you to compensate for unexpected events.\n- Also flies' spatulated hairs on their feet. N++1. Aron Parnell tries to mass manufacture.\nLast example: Replacing atmospheric preassure in space suits with pneumatic preassure, shrinking them to fit human body. Problem: Spring effect. Solution: Don't make mechanical counterpressure suit in one go, but gradually? (not sure I got this right)\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2015-12-27 23:18 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,135","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5739","title":"Session at #32c3: Soft Robotics with Matthew from Super-releaser","content":"\nEngineering meets biomatter. The squiggly squishy, compliant bits of biomechanics allow you to produce one size fits all. If someone has physical disability, like cerebral paulsy, giving them a little bit of improved mobility can have huge positive effects.\nFunctionally grated structures:\u00a0Inspired by Bird beaks: Hydrophobic proteins and high water content parts of the body.\u00a0\nExample where functional grating is applied: Cerebral palsy\n- Cost of therapy is very expensive because one on one time with specialists are very costly, and tech used is not modifiable.\n- so they build soft exoskeletons for actuators (for joints) using functional grating principles. Check out their \"Neucuff\"\nAnother example where functional grating is used: Prosthetics\nUses distributed force: see goats' feet as a reference\/description of the principle used to build prosthetics.\n- Feets that are hard metal pads (hard actuators) does not allow you to compensate for unexpected events.\n- Also flies' spatulated hairs on their feet. N++1. Aron Parnell tries to mass manufacture.\nLast example: Replacing atmospheric preassure in space suits with pneumatic preassure, shrinking them to fit human body. Problem: Spring effect. Solution: Don't make mechanical counterpressure suit in one go, but gradually? (not sure I got this right)\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2015-12-27 23:18 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5729","title":"Visualizing self-diagnosis: recap on the Wikipedia hackathon idea","content":"\nIn a recent call, @melancon\u00a0and I realized we had lost the overview on the discussion about building a visualization of self-diagnosis based on Wikipedia data. This is because this discussion was held in more threads than one.\u00a0\nI fished out a comment that recaps most of what we know on available data and methods. I copy it below for retrievability (see\u00a0here if you want to read it on context).\u00a0\nPage view stats are easy. Wikipedia maintains hourly dumps of all page views stats (documentation). Notice that IPs are\u00a0not\u00a0included in the stats.\nThe difficult part is disentangling the pages about care from the pages about everything else. This cannot be done directly (it is not a field of the dataset); it has to be done by association. There are two ways to do that:\n\nby ontology. There is a Wikiproject Medicine:\u00a0https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Medicine which even maintains its own statistics page. It follows that there is somewhere a piece of code that knows how to tell pages which are part of this project from pages which are not (\"Medical articles are determined to be those NS0 articles tagged within the scope of WP:MED according to a category dump at the time of report generation\"). Somewhere, someone has that code and could give it to us.\u00a0\nby emergence, based (you guessed it) on \u00a0the network of links connecting different entries to each other. Within Wikipedia, you can expect to see pages about medicine to cluster into a community of pages more closely connected to each other than to the rest of the encyclopedia. Something like this seems to be done by tools like WikiLoopr (try it: for example\u00a0http:\/\/www.wikiloopr.com\/diabetes)\n\nThere are at least three interesting questions concerning OpenCare that you could address by looking at Wikipedia data:\n\nWhich entries are people looking up (hint: not necessarily the ones you would think)? Is that indication of self-diagnosis going on? What can we learn about that (example: are some countries more inclined to do that than other countries?). This is a non-network question.\nHow does collective intelligence in Wikipedia relate pages about care to each other? How does this compare to a similar web of relationship, but derived from academic datasets? This question pertains to networks of documents (Wikipedia entries) connected by hyperlinks (somebody did it in 2007).\nHow does collective intelligence proceed in building that content? This question pertains to a network of Wikipedians connected by affiliation (having edited the same page).\u00a0\n\nThere are many visualizations to look up for inspiration.\u00a0\nAdditional resources:\n\nMediaWiki API documentation\nPython code to extract a social network of edits from a MediaWiki dump\nWikisearch, a tool that computes networks of documents centered on a give article. Example:\u00a0http:\/\/wikisearch.net\/search.php?q=Osteoporosis\n\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2015-12-24 14:51 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5718","title":"Introducing SoundSight Training","content":"\nSoundSight Training will help blind people honing their listening to be more aware of the space around them.\nDeveloping a technology for blind people looked really challenging.\nAt first we tried to develop something that could sense and reconstruct reality for them, a cane on steroids of sort.\nBut while becoming closer, friends with them, our vision started changing: we were more and more exposed to their small habits, to their stories, \u00a0their successes and frustrations.\nAnd we realized that they didn\u2019t need a technology that would mediate their perception of the environment, they really needed ways to interact with their surrounding as naturally as possible.\nBut have I introduced us yet? We are @IreneLanza, @markomanka and Henrik Kjeldesen and it\u2019s our pleasure and pride to present SoundSight Training, an educational tool, as the name suggests, to develop and hone the innate ability of humanking to explore one\u2019 surroundings beyond the use of sight.\nIn boring technical details, it is an acoustic virtual reality that simulates in real time the diffusion, reflection and distortion of user emitted sounds in different environments, offering small variations to capture the consequent modulation of sound features in a trial and error learning process, mediated by appropriate feedback about the results.\nOur mission is to make this tool as accessible as possible, and open source, to be owned and tinkered around by its community, and for this reason we are slowly and organically onboarding hackers, and blind people alike, like our friends, Cecilia, Luca and Matteo.\nTrue to this vision, we have turned to crowdfunding as the fundraising strategy of choice, and we are trying to exploit the kickstarter campaign and press attention to mobilitate people, and to experience holding a stake into the success of this adventure.\nWe aim at allowing millions of blind people to train their hearing, and to learn how to echolocate and navigate in living environments.\nSo, down to the important question: would you like to help us? ;)\nhttps:\/\/www.kickstarter.com\/projects\/960729924\/soundsight-training-allow-blind-people-to-see-with\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-12-22 18:03 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"8315"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5678","title":"Should we do something OpenCare-related in 32C3?","content":"\nSome OpenCarers will be in Hamburg for 32C3. Confirmed: @Nadia, @zoescope, @Costantino\u00a0and myself. Should we do something OpenCare-related? Hint: yes. This is a really interesting community.\u00a0\nTwo possibilities, not mutually exclusive:\n\na lightning talk. Who is up for doing it?\nsome hacking, maybe with a view towards the famous network hackathon we have been talking about.\u00a0\n\n@Lakomaa, @markomanka, @melancon: are you coming after all?\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2015-12-10 17:21 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5650","title":"The long view on health: a Long Now Foundation meeting in London","content":"\nOur friend @jimmytidey\u00a0attended the meeting and did a writeup, which I think is well worth reading \u2013 especially on the ethics of data sharing. @Costantino, could you move it to the pinboard?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-11-30 10:47 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5628","title":"3D Printed Peristaltic Pump","content":"\nI've seen many of this project during the years but ...\nis'nt this openCare?? :)\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\nWhat was your goal in building this project?\nFeeding my grandfather is challenging because we were squeezing blended food through ordinary syringes. The feed rate must be slow to keep my grandfather comfortable (not feel bloated). We cannot rush and it also takes a lot of strength. I wanted to make this easier for everybody, as my aunts and uncles do not have unlimited days off, and I really don\u2019t think grandmother has the strength to do this task alone.\n\nhttp:\/\/www.bocabearings.com\/innovation-contest\/ContestantDetails.aspx?ProjectID=221\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-11-24 22:15 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2604"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5617","title":"We;ve been invited to an event by The French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM). Who wants to go?","content":"\n\nThe French National Institute for Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and the French infrastructure BIOBANQUES in collaboration with ISC have a pleasure of inviting to the seminar entitled \u201cCOP21 Responding to Health and Data Challenges. Case for Climate Change and Atmospheric Pollution\u201d, dedicated to the question of optimal climate change policy responses to support data analytics usage for health research. Microbiome will be discussed as a case for relevance of systemic approach towards collecting and analysing environment around humans, especially agriculture, and translating findings to a healthcare and environmental policy.\nPurpose of the meeting:\nIn relation to the Global Agreement to be adopted by the COP21 conference, the planned meeting will focus on areas of health data allowing bio-monitoring of climate related diseases, as well as the wide theme of microbiome and influence of ecosystem on human health. The main objective of the seminar is to outline possible project ideas in above mentioned areas, which would build the case for sustained action by estimation and compilation of the burden of climate changes and the main risk factors, the cost and cost-effectiveness of interventions, the unmet need for prevention and treatment services, and the need for interventions outside the health sector.\nDate: 4 December 2015,\nTime: 10.00 \u2013 16.00\nVenue: INSERM, 101, rue de Tolbiac, 75013, Paris; 10th floor, room 132\n\u00a0\nFor further information, registration and draft agenda go to:\u00a0http:\/\/www.iscintelligence.com\/event.php?id=294\nPlease, register ASAP due to limited space.\nDeadline for registration: 2 December 2015.\nMagdalena Pacholska\nKey Relationships\nISC Intelligence in Science\u00a0\nRue du Trone 4\u00a0\nB-1000 Brussels\u00a0\nTel:\u00a0+32 2 8888111\nMob: +32 470 208 295\nwww.iscintelligence.com\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2015-11-20 11:31 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5535","title":"A Dynamic Chart Showing the Flow of Refugees into Europe","content":"\nExcellent use of data to portray this growing crisis.\n\"It\u2019s been called the largest humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. But while the stories of people fleeing violence and oppression\u00a0have shocked the world, grasping the scale of the number of migrants seeking asylum on the continent can be difficult.\nThat\u2019s where Lucify, a data visualization company based in Helsinki, hopes to help. The company used data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees\u00a0on the origin and destination of all the refugees in its database over three years to create an interactive graphic of the mass movement of people into Europe.\"\nhttp:\/\/www.takepart.com\/article\/2015\/10\/28\/map-that-shows-how-huge-europes-refugee-crisis-really-is?cmpid=tp-fb\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-11-03 18:56 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"8169"}},{"node":{"post_id":"6017","title":"Partners","content":"\nThe OpenCare consortium consists of:\n\nThe University of Bordeaux\nEdgeryders\nScimPulse Foundation\nThe City of Milan\nWeMake - Makerspace and Fablab\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\nThe Stockholm School of Economics\n\nWe formed around a need that emerged within the Edgeryders community in the course of an event called Living On The Edge 4. The main idea was, and still is, that hacker culture and the availability of cheap and open but advanced technology (not only software, but hardware and wetware too) can contribute to ideating and providing care services \u2013 at a time Europe badly needs innovation in this domain. Furthermore, services designed and deployed by skilled communities of hackers are likely to be very different from those provided by the state and the private sector. The discussion proved that tackling the issue of community-drive care required a strongly interdisciplinary approach, covering many areas of expertise. We identified the main ones as follows:\n\nCollective intelligence: how can a community function as a knowledge engine?\nDomain expertise on care: how can communities interface with the academic debate\u00a0on what constitutes care and how it should be done?\nDesign: how can we bring state-of-the-art design for sustainability and service design\u00a0practices into designing care provision?\nOpen hardware: how can rapid prototyping and open hardware platforms be used in\u00a0the participatory design of care services?\nPublic policy design and evaluation: how can community-driven care services be\u00a0integrated in the highly sensitive, highly regulated landscape of European care provision?\n\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-10-26 11:54 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Infopage","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5504","title":"Care by communities: Greece's shadow zero-cash health care system","content":"\nYou enter the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko from a nondescript parking lot in suburban Athens, in an area that hosts a decommissioned American military base. It does not look like much. But it is. It is a very big deal indeed.\nThe MCCH saves people. It provides health care to down-on-their-luck Greeks who have no access to public health care and no money to pay for private clinics. There are many such people, because in Greece access to the national health service is tied to employment. When Greeks lose their jobs, they have a grace period of one year: they'd better find another job within that period, because if they don't they are out of health insurance. If they fall sick, they have to come up with something, or die.\nIt's not just Greeks. It turns out in every European Union countries but the United Kingdom and Italy, employment is a pre-requisite for access to health care. But Greece was hit hardest by the 2008 crisis: many more people than elsewhere have turned into long-term unemployed. Everyone is struggling: \u201cWe had poor people ten years ago, too \u2013 shrugs Maria, a psychologist volunteering at MCCH \u2013 but at that time people could fall back on their families, or their neighbors, for help. Not anymore: their families and neighbors are themselves in trouble, and there's little they can do. People are getting desperate.\u201d\nIn 2011, some senior doctors started comparing notes, and they saw a perfect health care storm brewing at the horizon. \u201cWe knew something very bad was coming, and people would die \u2013 says Maria \u2013 so we decided we must do something.\u201d\n\u201cSomething\u201d in this case turned out to be the MCCH itself. This is a very strange animal as health care providers go.\n\nIt has no legal existence. Its literature proudly proclaims: \u201c MCCH is a volunteer organization without Legal or Taxable status and it is not a 'Non-Profit-Making-Organisation'.\u201d Maria: \"We are technically illegal\".\nIt does not accept donations in money. It does accept donations in kind: medicines, equipment, blood sample analyses.\nIt operates from a building that belongs to the Municipality of Helliniko-Argyropoulis. Though none of its employees works in the building, the Municipality still pays the electricity and phone bills that the MCCH generates. My heart goes out to the anonymous \u201cbureaucrat hacker\u201d that entrusted a government building to an informal group of citizens, which by definition cannot sign contracts or participate in tenders.\nIt is very autonomous with respect to institutions and power. MCCH was recently proposed for the European Parliament European Citizen's Prize 2015, but they very publicly turned it down. Reason: \"Europe is\u00a0an important cause of the problem we exist to address. Don't give us awards, change your policy\".\nIt treats only people who have no access to the public health care system. One exception: low-income families with many children, who are living hand-to-mouth on 450 euro a day and simply cannot afford to buy medicines (Maria: \u201cIt happens\u201d).\nOn top of diagnosis\/prognosis, MCCH supplies free medicines, baby food and nappies.\nIt has 300 volunteers, of which a little over half are doctors of various specialisations and pharmacists.\nIt operates with practically no hierarchy and no management. People decide by themselves what role to play, by joining one of several groups (about 10 members to a group) which exist to carry on specific tasks (like onboarding new patients). An organising committee does its best to keep people on the same page. A weekly meeting votes on general issues. A mailing list deals with specific matters.\nWhen they are not volunteering with MCCH, volunteers exchange services and small favours through a time bank: two massages against one hour of English lessons etc.\n\nThere are now 68 such clinics in Greece. Take a moment to think about what this means: in four years, thousands of enterprising Greeks with no money, no command structure and who do not even know each other have created a parallel health care system that succeeds where the public health service and private sector services both fail: it keeps reasonably safe the poorest strata of the population. Notice that the Greek health care budget in 2011 was over 6 billion euro.\nWait. Self-organised people with no money and no organisation that beat credentialed, moneyed professionals at their own game? We've seen this before. It was Wikipedia outcompeting Encyclopedia Britannica. It was OpenStreetMap pushing to the curbs Garmin and TomTom. It was Facebook groups coordinating disaster relief after the Nepal 2015 earthquakes and the Tbilisi 2015 flash flood, way before the government and NGOs could get their act together. It was Internet-coordinated young newcomers changing the rules of the political game, and even bringing down entire regimes who seemed to have all the power and all the money, in Egypt, Tunisia and Ukraine.\nWe have a word for these phenomena: we call them disruption. They are associated with supplying goods or services in a new way, that substitutes collective intelligence and distributed effort for vertical organisations. This new way happens to be vastly more efficient than the old ones.\nI think the time has come for disruption in health care, and in care services in general. Why? Because, as the OECD pointed out, per capita health care expenditure grows much faster than GDP. In 1970, health care absorbed a respectable 5.2% of the GDP of the average OECD country. In 2008, it absorbed 10.1% (source). The system is under strain, and often \u2013 like in Greece, it reacts by denying care to those who most need it.\u00a0\n\nThis is morally unacceptable, wasteful and stupid \u2013 especially when the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko and so many other experiences like it, in the world of care and outside it, has proven how much farther communities can go in taking care of their members when they are enabled to do it.\nSo, we are getting involved. Edgeryders has partnered up with five world-class organisations in research (University of Bordeaux, Stockholm School of Economics, ScimPulse Foundation), welfare policy-making (City of Milan) and digital fabrication (WeMake) to find, learn from, and enhance the experiences like MCCH all around the world. Our goal is a model of community-driven care services, based on modern science and open technology, but with the low overhead and human touch that communities can provide and large bureaucracies cannot. Our project is called OpenCare; the European Commission has generously agreed to support it through its Collective Awareness Platforms programme.\nWhoever you are you are welcome to join us. After all, if you are human, you have considerable experience of giving and receiving care, and that makes you an expert. If you want to participate, or simply to know more, start here.\nPhoto: Theophilos Papadopoulos on flickr.com\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-10-26 11:43 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"5,366","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5504","title":"Care by communities: Greece's shadow zero-cash health care system","content":"\nYou enter the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko from a nondescript parking lot in suburban Athens, in an area that hosts a decommissioned American military base. It does not look like much. But it is. It is a very big deal indeed.\nThe MCCH saves people. It provides health care to down-on-their-luck Greeks who have no access to public health care and no money to pay for private clinics. There are many such people, because in Greece access to the national health service is tied to employment. When Greeks lose their jobs, they have a grace period of one year: they'd better find another job within that period, because if they don't they are out of health insurance. If they fall sick, they have to come up with something, or die.\nIt's not just Greeks. It turns out in every European Union countries but the United Kingdom and Italy, employment is a pre-requisite for access to health care. But Greece was hit hardest by the 2008 crisis: many more people than elsewhere have turned into long-term unemployed. Everyone is struggling: \u201cWe had poor people ten years ago, too \u2013 shrugs Maria, a psychologist volunteering at MCCH \u2013 but at that time people could fall back on their families, or their neighbors, for help. Not anymore: their families and neighbors are themselves in trouble, and there's little they can do. People are getting desperate.\u201d\nIn 2011, some senior doctors started comparing notes, and they saw a perfect health care storm brewing at the horizon. \u201cWe knew something very bad was coming, and people would die \u2013 says Maria \u2013 so we decided we must do something.\u201d\n\u201cSomething\u201d in this case turned out to be the MCCH itself. This is a very strange animal as health care providers go.\n\nIt has no legal existence. Its literature proudly proclaims: \u201c MCCH is a volunteer organization without Legal or Taxable status and it is not a 'Non-Profit-Making-Organisation'.\u201d Maria: \"We are technically illegal\".\nIt does not accept donations in money. It does accept donations in kind: medicines, equipment, blood sample analyses.\nIt operates from a building that belongs to the Municipality of Helliniko-Argyropoulis. Though none of its employees works in the building, the Municipality still pays the electricity and phone bills that the MCCH generates. My heart goes out to the anonymous \u201cbureaucrat hacker\u201d that entrusted a government building to an informal group of citizens, which by definition cannot sign contracts or participate in tenders.\nIt is very autonomous with respect to institutions and power. MCCH was recently proposed for the European Parliament European Citizen's Prize 2015, but they very publicly turned it down. Reason: \"Europe is\u00a0an important cause of the problem we exist to address. Don't give us awards, change your policy\".\nIt treats only people who have no access to the public health care system. One exception: low-income families with many children, who are living hand-to-mouth on 450 euro a day and simply cannot afford to buy medicines (Maria: \u201cIt happens\u201d).\nOn top of diagnosis\/prognosis, MCCH supplies free medicines, baby food and nappies.\nIt has 300 volunteers, of which a little over half are doctors of various specialisations and pharmacists.\nIt operates with practically no hierarchy and no management. People decide by themselves what role to play, by joining one of several groups (about 10 members to a group) which exist to carry on specific tasks (like onboarding new patients). An organising committee does its best to keep people on the same page. A weekly meeting votes on general issues. A mailing list deals with specific matters.\nWhen they are not volunteering with MCCH, volunteers exchange services and small favours through a time bank: two massages against one hour of English lessons etc.\n\nThere are now 68 such clinics in Greece. Take a moment to think about what this means: in four years, thousands of enterprising Greeks with no money, no command structure and who do not even know each other have created a parallel health care system that succeeds where the public health service and private sector services both fail: it keeps reasonably safe the poorest strata of the population. Notice that the Greek health care budget in 2011 was over 6 billion euro.\nWait. Self-organised people with no money and no organisation that beat credentialed, moneyed professionals at their own game? We've seen this before. It was Wikipedia outcompeting Encyclopedia Britannica. It was OpenStreetMap pushing to the curbs Garmin and TomTom. It was Facebook groups coordinating disaster relief after the Nepal 2015 earthquakes and the Tbilisi 2015 flash flood, way before the government and NGOs could get their act together. It was Internet-coordinated young newcomers changing the rules of the political game, and even bringing down entire regimes who seemed to have all the power and all the money, in Egypt, Tunisia and Ukraine.\nWe have a word for these phenomena: we call them disruption. They are associated with supplying goods or services in a new way, that substitutes collective intelligence and distributed effort for vertical organisations. This new way happens to be vastly more efficient than the old ones.\nI think the time has come for disruption in health care, and in care services in general. Why? Because, as the OECD pointed out, per capita health care expenditure grows much faster than GDP. In 1970, health care absorbed a respectable 5.2% of the GDP of the average OECD country. In 2008, it absorbed 10.1% (source). The system is under strain, and often \u2013 like in Greece, it reacts by denying care to those who most need it.\u00a0\n\nThis is morally unacceptable, wasteful and stupid \u2013 especially when the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko and so many other experiences like it, in the world of care and outside it, has proven how much farther communities can go in taking care of their members when they are enabled to do it.\nSo, we are getting involved. Edgeryders has partnered up with five world-class organisations in research (University of Bordeaux, Stockholm School of Economics, ScimPulse Foundation), welfare policy-making (City of Milan) and digital fabrication (WeMake) to find, learn from, and enhance the experiences like MCCH all around the world. Our goal is a model of community-driven care services, based on modern science and open technology, but with the low overhead and human touch that communities can provide and large bureaucracies cannot. Our project is called OpenCare; the European Commission has generously agreed to support it through its Collective Awareness Platforms programme.\nWhoever you are you are welcome to join us. After all, if you are human, you have considerable experience of giving and receiving care, and that makes you an expert. If you want to participate, or simply to know more, start here.\nPhoto: Theophilos Papadopoulos on flickr.com\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-10-26 11:43 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5504","title":"Care by communities: Greece's shadow zero-cash health care system","content":"\nYou enter the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko from a nondescript parking lot in suburban Athens, in an area that hosts a decommissioned American military base. It does not look like much. But it is. It is a very big deal indeed.\nThe MCCH saves people. It provides health care to down-on-their-luck Greeks who have no access to public health care and no money to pay for private clinics. There are many such people, because in Greece access to the national health service is tied to employment. When Greeks lose their jobs, they have a grace period of one year: they'd better find another job within that period, because if they don't they are out of health insurance. If they fall sick, they have to come up with something, or die.\nIt's not just Greeks. It turns out in every European Union countries but the United Kingdom and Italy, employment is a pre-requisite for access to health care. But Greece was hit hardest by the 2008 crisis: many more people than elsewhere have turned into long-term unemployed. Everyone is struggling: \u201cWe had poor people ten years ago, too \u2013 shrugs Maria, a psychologist volunteering at MCCH \u2013 but at that time people could fall back on their families, or their neighbors, for help. Not anymore: their families and neighbors are themselves in trouble, and there's little they can do. People are getting desperate.\u201d\nIn 2011, some senior doctors started comparing notes, and they saw a perfect health care storm brewing at the horizon. \u201cWe knew something very bad was coming, and people would die \u2013 says Maria \u2013 so we decided we must do something.\u201d\n\u201cSomething\u201d in this case turned out to be the MCCH itself. This is a very strange animal as health care providers go.\n\nIt has no legal existence. Its literature proudly proclaims: \u201c MCCH is a volunteer organization without Legal or Taxable status and it is not a 'Non-Profit-Making-Organisation'.\u201d Maria: \"We are technically illegal\".\nIt does not accept donations in money. It does accept donations in kind: medicines, equipment, blood sample analyses.\nIt operates from a building that belongs to the Municipality of Helliniko-Argyropoulis. Though none of its employees works in the building, the Municipality still pays the electricity and phone bills that the MCCH generates. My heart goes out to the anonymous \u201cbureaucrat hacker\u201d that entrusted a government building to an informal group of citizens, which by definition cannot sign contracts or participate in tenders.\nIt is very autonomous with respect to institutions and power. MCCH was recently proposed for the European Parliament European Citizen's Prize 2015, but they very publicly turned it down. Reason: \"Europe is\u00a0an important cause of the problem we exist to address. Don't give us awards, change your policy\".\nIt treats only people who have no access to the public health care system. One exception: low-income families with many children, who are living hand-to-mouth on 450 euro a day and simply cannot afford to buy medicines (Maria: \u201cIt happens\u201d).\nOn top of diagnosis\/prognosis, MCCH supplies free medicines, baby food and nappies.\nIt has 300 volunteers, of which a little over half are doctors of various specialisations and pharmacists.\nIt operates with practically no hierarchy and no management. People decide by themselves what role to play, by joining one of several groups (about 10 members to a group) which exist to carry on specific tasks (like onboarding new patients). An organising committee does its best to keep people on the same page. A weekly meeting votes on general issues. A mailing list deals with specific matters.\nWhen they are not volunteering with MCCH, volunteers exchange services and small favours through a time bank: two massages against one hour of English lessons etc.\n\nThere are now 68 such clinics in Greece. Take a moment to think about what this means: in four years, thousands of enterprising Greeks with no money, no command structure and who do not even know each other have created a parallel health care system that succeeds where the public health service and private sector services both fail: it keeps reasonably safe the poorest strata of the population. Notice that the Greek health care budget in 2011 was over 6 billion euro.\nWait. Self-organised people with no money and no organisation that beat credentialed, moneyed professionals at their own game? We've seen this before. It was Wikipedia outcompeting Encyclopedia Britannica. It was OpenStreetMap pushing to the curbs Garmin and TomTom. It was Facebook groups coordinating disaster relief after the Nepal 2015 earthquakes and the Tbilisi 2015 flash flood, way before the government and NGOs could get their act together. It was Internet-coordinated young newcomers changing the rules of the political game, and even bringing down entire regimes who seemed to have all the power and all the money, in Egypt, Tunisia and Ukraine.\nWe have a word for these phenomena: we call them disruption. They are associated with supplying goods or services in a new way, that substitutes collective intelligence and distributed effort for vertical organisations. This new way happens to be vastly more efficient than the old ones.\nI think the time has come for disruption in health care, and in care services in general. Why? Because, as the OECD pointed out, per capita health care expenditure grows much faster than GDP. In 1970, health care absorbed a respectable 5.2% of the GDP of the average OECD country. In 2008, it absorbed 10.1% (source). The system is under strain, and often \u2013 like in Greece, it reacts by denying care to those who most need it.\u00a0\n\nThis is morally unacceptable, wasteful and stupid \u2013 especially when the Metropolitan Community Clinic at Helliniko and so many other experiences like it, in the world of care and outside it, has proven how much farther communities can go in taking care of their members when they are enabled to do it.\nSo, we are getting involved. Edgeryders has partnered up with five world-class organisations in research (University of Bordeaux, Stockholm School of Economics, ScimPulse Foundation), welfare policy-making (City of Milan) and digital fabrication (WeMake) to find, learn from, and enhance the experiences like MCCH all around the world. Our goal is a model of community-driven care services, based on modern science and open technology, but with the low overhead and human touch that communities can provide and large bureaucracies cannot. Our project is called OpenCare; the European Commission has generously agreed to support it through its Collective Awareness Platforms programme.\nWhoever you are you are welcome to join us. After all, if you are human, you have considerable experience of giving and receiving care, and that makes you an expert. If you want to participate, or simply to know more, start here.\nPhoto: Theophilos Papadopoulos on flickr.com\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-10-26 11:43 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"366","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5500","title":"Check out this article on health hacking in UK","content":"\n\n\"Tired of waiting for a monitor for his diabetes, Tim\u00a0Omer made his own. He\u00a0is one of a growing number of patients circumventing medical companies in favour of a homemade healthcare revolution\"\nhttp:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/lifeandstyle\/2015\/oct\/26\/health-hackers-patients-taking-medical-innovation-into-own-hands\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-10-26 10:19 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5499","title":"Acting out death in South Korea suicide prevention school","content":"\n\nMy personal interest in community driven care is it's ability to take into account, and answer to, the different dimensions of well-being and interlinking of different kinds of need...beyond the healthy\/sick dichotomy. Susanne Stauch is running an OpenCare product design course at UDK, the largest Art and Design university in Europe. We developed the concept and course together, it's taking shape here. The focus is developing helpers, and looking at the social aspects of care, so Im going to be focused on this for a while :)\nThis article popped up in my feeds (don't ask) today and it reminded me of this post I wrote about rituals around death and mourning (or lack thereof) in contemporary culture:\n\"Ideally, this exercise in death could also emphasize the fact that each of us is here for a reason. And that each of us has a unique set of gifts, talents, experience and wisdom to share. If we are not utilizing these in some way - both to bring us joy and to help others in some way - then both we as a collective, as well as some individuals (whom we may never know) - suffer from this loss - whether we realize this or not. If we are not actively shining our light - the world becomes a darker place.\" - Linda K.\nhttp:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/news\/article-3284587\/Learn-dead-day-Suicidal-people-locked-coffins-bizarre-death-experience-schools-South-Korea-40-people-kill-day.html\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2015-10-25 18:53 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5498","title":"Look at the effect of nesting a preschool within a nursing home","content":"\nA lot of non-techn(olog)ical hacking can be thought of in \"care\"...\nhttps:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AlexLeeWorld\/videos\/vb.580326075440714\/940431519430166\/?type=2&theater\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2015-10-23 19:02 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2424"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5478","title":"Building OpenCare: Notes and reflections after my keynote at Politics For Tomorrow","content":"\n\nDoing public presentations is an inevitable part of building new projects and reaching out to potential clients and partners. It's also a costly investment of time and we owe it to one another to help improve the returns. This post is the first in a series where I share my own notes and reflections from talks, worshops etc. Hopefully others will do the same so we can learn together...\n\nYesterday I presented the OpenCare project to an audience for the first time at Politics For Tomorrow, an event organised by @Caroline_Paulick-Thiel. I do a lot of presentations but found this one (slides with speaker noteshere particularly difficult for three reasons:\n\nit's the first time attempting to weave together and present a new story\u00a0\nthe audience is in a new context for me: Germany + design thinking + politics\nI was also asked to do a workshop \u00a0with @Susa\u00a0so it was more difficult to follow up on leads etc.\n\nMy talk was an attempt at big-picture thinking and pitching a new project to potential clients, funders and strategic partners. Other presentations were more focused on introducing the organisations, presenting their innovation theory\/theory of change and their methodology in compact visualisations.\u00a0\nWhat where the reactions?\nThis is what the illustrator doing a graphic recording of the talk got out of it:\n\nThese are a few comments and tweets:\n\u201cI thought it was really interesting but it was a bit abstract for me\u201d - \u00a0German, female, works on reforming\/ restructuring academic institutions\n\u201cOf all the presentations these two days I found yours was the most interesting, but don\u2019t you come up against a lot of resistance from medical professionals?\u201d- British, male, works at the Young Foundation\u00a0\nVery spontanious appearance at #govlabP4T, now listening to @edgeryders - thanks @DanielGoliasch for the tip! #poc21 @openStateBER\n\u201cHow can #tech enable collective intelligence & #collaboration? @edgeryders #govlabP4T #opensource #socialchange \u201d - @katrin_thinking\n\"In Greece there are 68 clinics serving 10% of population without access to health care, 'illegally' on donations\" @Designamyte\n\u201cWould you be interested in doing consultig for a large environmentalist NGO?\u201d - Austrian?, Male, consultant\n\u201cCan I have your card, I think I have an idea for you...not this year but next one\u201d - German, 40s, demale, on way out of event\n\u275dYou only understand dark matter once you engage w\/ the system\u2014and learn about administrative hacks.\u275e \u00a0@Martin_Jordan\nImprovements\/changes to make ahead of the next presentation:\na) introduction to Edgeryders the vision and history\nb) a case study\nc) in depth presentation of our unique methodologies and tools and how we practically go about applying them\nd) major practical insights\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2015-10-17 10:11 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5448","title":"A simple real-time data-based representation of collective intelligence in care","content":"\n@danohu\u00a0came up with a really good suggestion. Is there any way that we could partner up with Wikimedia to get access to the their data on pageviews of medicine- and care-related Wikipedia pages? Ideally, we would get data (based on their log files) as follows:\n\nIn real time.\nreporting the page visited and the IP address from which the visit comes.\nFrom the IPs it should be possible to count the visits coming from hospitals, which normally use fixed IPs. They might have to be aggregated in such a way that it is not possible for us to identify the individual computer, just the institution.\nFrom the IPs it should also be possible to get lat\/long\n\nThis means you can be a visualization of the world and literally watch humanity look for collective-intelligence built knowledge on medicine and care. It should nicely make the general point that communities already play an important role in care, as well as open the door for all sort of interesting correlations.\u00a0\nWhat do you think?\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2015-10-03 23:12 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5422","title":"Request for input ahead of keynote presentation at a policy event in Berlin in October.","content":"\n\u00a0\n\n\n\n\n\u00a0\nOn October 15 -16 I will be doing a keynote and running a workshop on behalf of Edgeryders at Politics for Tomorrow, an event which gathers German policymakers and various organisations for which the OpenCare project is of relevance. As this will be the first, but probably not last time, which we will be presenting the work in similar contexts I wanted to reach out to everyone on the team. And ask what you think I should make sure to include in the presentation as well as to ask you to help spread information about our participation in it through your networks. Please help me sharpen the introduction to the talk and share suggestions for the talk and workshop. Here is what I have so far:\n\"What would a system of social and health care look like if it was reflecting how we want to be taken care of, and how we want to take care of each other, in a fair and sustainable future? How would we behave in such a system, how would products and services support those behaviours and how would we go about making them? Which new kinds of understanding are needed and which cultural defaults block them?\u201c\n\nDuring a 20 minute talk (keynote type presentation) I could introduce some new approaches, methodologies and tools applicable to a wide range of political and policy issues that Edgeryders has developed and executed with good results for organisations such as the Council of Europe and the United Nations Development Program.\nThe workshop could present the focal questions within which participants can explore the approaches and tools in more detail (while generating valuable data about a key question relevant for many different stakeholders for different reasons).\nWe would like to leave the event with a very clear understanding of how the project can map onto the current priorities and windows of opportunities open, or opening soon within a number of organisations that could put resources into a project that addresses the focal questions\/theme. We would also like to map the gaps in perception between the organisational agendas and how grassroots understand, approach and prioritise the different issues, and this could be done in an open conversation online after the event if we publish some well written blogposts to which those interested can react.\n\nDuration Talk: 15-20 min\nDuration Workshop: 2,5 h\nNumber of participants for the workshop: 10-14 people\nConfirmed registrations of participants: 75 people quite equally mixed\nAdministration\nCivil Society\nConsulting Agencies\nDesign\nFoundations\nGovernment\nGovernmental Research Organizations\nResearch Institutes\nSocial Enterprises\nThink Tanks\nUniversities (Scientists and students)\nPlease take a few minutes to leave a comment below with some suggestions\/requests....\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-09-15 23:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"5417","title":"Call for contributions to Chaos Communication Congress- largest hacker gathering in Europe","content":"\nSo it is now time to submit a proposal to the Chaos Communication Congress and I think this would be a perfect opportunity to kickstart the conversation in the relevant hacker communities. @Lakomaa\u00a0@Alberto\u00a0myself and others in the Edgeryders were there and can verify that in addition to being ALOT of fun, it is pretty much the most economic way to recruit participants and partners for the project if we do a killer talk which includes an invitation to join us at LOTE5.\nThe deadline for submissions is September 30. So, who wants to craft a talk proposal with me ? :))\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-09-14 23:15 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4701","title":"Drones that save lives: the incredible story of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station","content":"\nAbstract: a wealthy couple (he is American, she Italian) bought, equipped and crewed a boat (christened MOAS: Migrants Offshore Aid Station) and is rescuing migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean sea from Africa into Europe (normally Sicily). Many people do this, and tens of thousands have died trying (learn more from a great data journalism enquiry). Since migrants tend to use small boats, too low to have a radar footprint, MOAS locates them with long-range drones.\u00a0\nThis reminds me of a recent conversation with @trythis. Should we maybe look a little deeper into drone technology? I can think of a number of uses for an EdgeDrone, from documentation to recon in places like Nepal. I wonder what @hexayurt\u00a0and @Matthias\u00a0think...\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-05-25 15:59 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"34"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4698","title":"How people with assisted living needs can help design and evolve technologies and services","content":"\nA thoughtful article on the implementation of co-production in healthcare:\n\nhttp:\/\/www.implementationscience.com\/content\/10\/1\/75\/abstract\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-05-25 10:31 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2424"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4672","title":"Interview framework for Case Studies Adventures","content":"\n\nIn order to develop consistency across the different Case Study stories collected we use the following shared framework.***\nFormat\nEach asking the same set of questions.\u00a0\nEach video\/audio recording should also contain an addition 5-10 minutes free form conversation by the interviewee.\u00a0\nThe video\/audio should be uploaded into the edgeryders vimeo\/soundcloud account, then embedded in a written post summarising the main points from the interview, as well as the author's reflections.\u00a0\nQuestions\nTell me\/us about your project\/work?\n\nHow you got started and current situation\nWho's involved: \u00a0Who is in the team? Roles and responsibilities? Skillsets (what are individual team members good at?) Any partnerships?\nHypothesis guiding the work: \"I believe that to achieve x, we need to do y, through z\"\nWhat your main objectives are\/why you do this?\nWhat you enjoy about the work and what you enjoy less?\nWhat kinds of tasks do you do on a regular basis? Yearly, monthly, weekly, daily\nWhat, other than money, do you think could help you in your work?\nWhat help could you offer others and under which conditions (assuming no money is involved)?\n\nDeeper questions: What should those who really wish to understand the work know?\u00a0\nWhat do you produce\/offer\n\nProducts or services that you currently produce?\u00a0\nHow do you go about doing this- what steps are involved?\u00a0Technologies or processes used?\nCosts: What expenses are involved? Who benefits from the work? Who currently supports it, how and why?\nExisting alternatives: Who else is doing similar or relevant work\/offering similar things- locally and or elsewhere?\nImportant players affecting the work? (locally and internationally)\nLong term perspective: any Business or sustainability plan?\u00a0\nTransportation and logistics?\nRegulation and policy affecting this?\nWhat do you believe are the most important projects locally that are relevant to the work you are doing at this moment?\n\nWhat does the concept of pooling resources mean to you?\nHow about the concepts of Collaboration ..and Mutual Support?\n\u00a0\nContent guidelines\nHow to document the interview: First person or third person perspective?\nUse first-person speech for the answers of the interview, and first-person remarks and introduction by the interviewer, all combined into a nice narrative format. See the interviews in the Future Makers Nepal space done by Dipti and Annu from our team so far: https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/future-makers-nepal\/group-that-acts-together-part-2\u00a0,\u00a0https:\/\/edgeryders.eu\/en\/future-makers-nepal\/photographing-nepal-earthquake-2015,\u00a0\nWhat makes a good case study: focus on methodology, motivations and insights\nLook at\u00a0this story,\u00a0this one\u00a0as well as\u00a0this one\u00a0to get an idea of what we are looking for. If you want to attract help and support from other participants then we suggest that you adopt a\u00a0working-out-loud approach.\u00a0\n\u00a0\n*This framework is based on the one developed for the Case Study Adventures on Stewardship for LOTE4 here.\n** Icon created by misirlou from the noun project.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2015-05-21 21:55 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4626","title":"\"'Instagram for doctors' is grisly and useful\"","content":"\"While you\u2019re on Instagram looking at puppies, artisan desserts and celebrity selfies, some doctors are on a different photo sharing app, looking at gangrene, gallstones and rashes.\"\u00a0\n\nhttp:\/\/www.marketplace.org\/topics\/health-care\/instagram-doctors-grisly-and-useful\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2015-05-14 14:57 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4606","title":"There are now companies that print and sell DNA","content":"\n\n\"This trend \u2014 which uses the term \"print\" in the sense of making a bunch of copies speedily \u2014 is making particular stretches of\u00a0DNA\u00a0much cheaper and easier to obtain than ever before. That excites many scientists who are keen to use these tailored strings of genetic instructions to do all sorts of things, ranging from finding new medical treatments to genetically engineering better crops.\" -Source\n\nAny issues or thoughts to draw from this for the work ahead?\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-05-11 11:53 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4548","title":"All hospitals in Sweden breaking law on handling patient data","content":"\nSwedish public service radio reports on lack of protection of patient privacy with e.g. unauthorised staff having access to confidential patient data\nhttp:\/\/www.svd.se\/nyheter\/inrikes\/sjukhus-bryter-mot-patientdatalagen_4498750.svd\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-04-21 18:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4363","title":"How to build a revenue stream to support your activities - part 1","content":"\n\nAs an incredibly diverse community, the range of experience and knowledge about building economically sustainability projects amongst members ranges from \"where do I even begin\" to \"I just sold my 3rd company\". Also, there are many different interpretations of \"economic sustainability\" and strategies for achieving it. Moneyless crowdfunding with Makerfox anyone?\nA recurring topic is one David De Ugarte dove into in this Las Indias's piece on generating revenue through sales. Especially in purpose\/value driven contexts, this topic is often controversial and deeply unsettling: []\u00a0our \u201cconscience\u201d and the \u201cprivate logic\u201d will join forces to tell us \u201cwe are not good at it\u201d, and that this \u201cit\u201d \u2013 selling \u2013 is very close to deceiving. But this is false.\u00a0\nMost initiatives fail to generate monetary resources not because they don\u2019t manage to develop and deliver a product to the market; they fail because they develop and deliver an experience, service or product that no customers want or need enough to pay for. This is not magic though, it is something that you learn to do.\u00a0\nMany of the projects we see popping up on Edgeryders, are collaborative and decentralised initiatives. Perhaps it makes sense to structure a process which everyone can participate in to build economic sustainability into projects in a decentralised way:\n\n\nIdentify and document our assumptions\n\n \n What are our assumptions\/hypotheses about how we gratify our clients and or sponsors, who they are, how we will acquire and monetize them?\n  \n \n What are our assumptions\/hypotheses about how we serve the needs of our constituency, who they are, as well as how we engage them into becoming more active participants in (and beneficiaries of) our initiatives?\n  \n\n\n\nTalk to prospective customers to validate (or invalidate) our assumptions\n\n \n What problems do they face? \u00a0How do they solve them? \u00a0What matters to them? \u00a0What is a must-have for them?\n  \n\n\n\nIdentify the risk factors in the opportunity\n\n \n Are we facing significant technology risks? \u00a0Or more of market risk? \u00a0How can we test and validate these (starting with the most risky)? \u00a0What market testable milestones can we build that would result in sufficient evidence to induce us to pivot or move forward? A proof of concept? A letter of intent? \u00a0A prototype?\n  \n\n\n\nCreate and Test a Minimum Viable Offer\n\n \n landing page click-through that prove there\u2019s some amount of interest in an experience, product or service;\n  \n \n a time commitment for an in-person meeting to view a demo that shows the customer or funder's problem being resolved;\n  \n \n a resource commitment for a pilot program to test how the experience, product or service or product fits into a particular environment.\n  \n\n\n\nOnce we have users using our MVO we listen for & tune into the Must-have signal\n\n \n We listen very carefully to find our must-have signal and articulate it.\n  \n \n We Double-down and strip away the unnecessary> focus on building an experience, service or product that is cherished and supported by everyone who uses it.\n  \n\n\n\n\u00a0\nDoes this make sense to you? Do you want to learn the hands-on-skills involved?\nI am just about to launch an initiative on behalf of the social enterprise supporting the community. For those who want to learn the skills, this offers an excellent opportunity to learn-by-doing with me.\nLet me know you are interested by leaving a comment below or emailing me: nadia@edgeryders.eu\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2015-03-02 13:00 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"366","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4294","title":"Ethiocracy: Love, land and peace","content":"\n\nA big part of my family is Ethiopian. This is also the main reason I packed my bags and headed off to Addis Ababa\n... to participate in my beautiful cousins\u2019 weddings.\nMy cousin made clear I was expected to show up in a Habesha Kemis. So on arrival I headed off to Shiro Meda to find a tailor.\n\nI liked it so much I ended up getting a second one made.\nThe wedding itself was a ball. With our family being spread across the globe it is rare for so many of us to be in one place at the same time. I really appreciated being able to spend time together in celebration of the most important element of a happy life... love.\n\nOn the ride to venue where we would dance and try to keep the groom from picking up the bride (yes, literally- tradition), we came into the topic of religion.\nI was asked about my religious beliefs which struck me as quite an odd question. .\n... Until I found myself in the middle of a massive Timket (Epiphany) procession in a different part of the country a week later.\n\nThe same thing happened on numerous occasions in different parts of the country.\nReligion is a big deal in Ethiopia. So is peace.\nSo Ethiopia is home to oh about 200 ethnic groups and around 80 languages. However diverse I knew the country was, in my mind always was associated with Christianity and Judaism... a long history that began over 2000 years ago. The Hebrew influence and identity is pretty clear when you wander around Gondar and Lalibela, especially if you dig into historical information about different dynasties that ruled and shaped Ethiopia throughout the centuries.\n\nSo I was surprised to learn just how large a proportion of the population the Muslim minority is. Almost 40 percent, if I\u2019m not mistaken. And that the one Jewish person in the Bet-Israel village is the guy running the museum frequented by tourists on pilgrimages. Where is everyone?! Oh yeah. Pretty much everyone was evacuated to Israel after the massive drought in the 80s.\nI feel a link to this diaspora, all diaspora really. There is something those of us born with feet in many worlds discover sooner or later. That we are not one or the other, but something else.. ours are third, remix, cultures. Religion is one of those sensitive areas we have to develop mechanisms for navigating.\nWithin my family there are ties to several mega-cities of Africa and Asia where more than half of the world\u2019s 1.3 billion Muslims, and around sixty percent of the world\u2019s 2 billion Christians, live. I was born and have lived in different parts of a Western liberal Europe not sure how to deal with growing tensions between different social groups.\nHere and there, what we think of as religious and or ethnic conflicts are often intimately tied to underlying conflicts over resources like land or water.\nRwanda is one of the most densely populated countries in Africa and the pressure on land has often been put forward as an important factor in the 1994 genocide. I cannot remember where I heard that in the case of Rwanda there were more intra-ethnic murders than between different ethnic groups... the genocide was partially fueled by the need to free up resources. If memory serves me, they had a system ( currently being reformed) in which all land would be passed on to the first son. Which left a class of landless, disenfranchised young men with no hope of accessing a brighter economic future unless some of that land could be freed up...\nIsrael and Palestine is another example. At the source of this conflict, according to Bo Rothstein, lies mixing of religious rhetoric with what is essentially a fight over assets. He claims that you would create the foundation for lasting peace by focusing on resolving the land\/economic disputes with compromises for everyone (Swedish article): http:\/\/www.svd.se\/\u2026\/markavtal-kan-stoppa-valdet_3777014\nOther examples of legacy injustice include (thanks @Jaycousins ):\n\nEgypt - land is divided amongst all children so within a couple of generations everyone has a tiny patch they can't profit from - the result is illegally constructed tower blocks on most of the rare and fertile land in Egypt and a lot of in-family tensions. \nLikewise In England or any other Western Country, the peasantry had their inheritance stolen out from under them long before the lords and merchants started robbing foreign soil. \n\u2026 There is much to be learned from Ethiopian history about the importance of tackling inequalities in distribution of property and use rights for building lasting peace. Especially in societies where formal property laws and customary property rights arrangements exist in parallel. I believe some of those lessons are also relevant in societies where land rights are secure but ownership of property is highly concentrated.\nFixing legacy injustice: Reforming dysfunctional property laws and peace between ethnic groups\nJustice is a prerequisite for peace. While the murderous fascist regime known as the Derg got a lot of things wrong, they did push through land right reforms.\nPrior to the civil war against the old feudal order (Haile Selassie, also known as Ras Tefari), the Muslim population was excluded from being able to access land as they were passed along hereditary lines. So your family had to own land in order for you to have hope of owning land. This was the Ristegna system.\nThen there was the Gultegna, the nobility, which were granted the right to a fat chunk of the surplus from the land tended by farmers. Basically a rentier class that contributed little or nothing to the development of the country and life of their fellow Ethiopians.\nBoth were upended by the revolution and land redistributed and finally nationalised. Why?\nOne of the persistent calls for social justice in the revolution, also during the Derg period, was \u201cland to the tiller\u201d. All the different interest groups got behind this reform as a fundamental requirement. The military dictators could not back out on this demand as they would loose legitimacy amongst the soldiers, many of whom hailed from the southern parts of the country where the problems of unfair distribution of land was particularly strong for historical reasons.\nThere are still problems, and new ones. Ethiopia is also undeniably doing a lot better than many of the other countries in the region- my impression was that there is a fundamental belief that things are improving, also for those at the wrong end of the power spectrum. Clearly the picture painted depends on who you ask but I could see for myself that e.g. infrastructure is much better in many parts of the country than it used to be.\n\nMost of all people are very aware of how fragile and important peace is. The story of a popular revolution co-opted by a military regime that then did its best to murder an entire generation is still fresh in the collective memory. I am reminded of this every time I hear any talk of revolution: the move towards a western style liberal democracy is not one that Ethiopians I spoke to value highly. Rather, it is economic rights and development that seem to be at the heart of their concerns.\nIf we are to achieve peace at home, we need to think about how we tackle legacy injustices against people in different parts of a globalised world. The central pillar is property law and ownership. As Ethiopians learned, it makes sense to start there and not let up till an acceptable solution is reached.\nThere will be losers. However if they are taking up so much space that it threatens the ability of others to survive. Well, they... all of us, may end up losing a lot more than excess capacity.\n","creation_date":"Fri, 2015-02-13 11:22 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"366","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"4271","title":"Article: 3D Printing Helps Husband Seek Treatment for Wife\u2019s Brain Tumor","content":"\n\n\n\n\nLatest surface scan with color textures by slo 3D creators on Sketchfab\nHi Everyone, I came across this article today and thought it may be of interest to the group:\n\"Thanks to Sketchfab, Mike was able to send the 3D model of his wife\u2019s skull to surgeons at both hospitals. Johns Hopkins claimed that their only recourse would be a full scalping to drill through the portion of his wife\u2019s forehead above her eyebrow. UPMC, though, agreed to do it.\"\nRead full article here: http:\/\/goo.gl\/nJlSXp\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2015-02-03 15:47 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"4,260","user_id":"45"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1990","title":"Edgeryders Community Manager's Manual","content":"\nWelcome! Find here what Edgeryders community management is about,\u00a0how\u00a0you could be doing it too and why that's such a cool work.\nSummary\n\nAbout\nChecklist: Onboarding\nChecklist: Nurture conversations\nChecklist: Synthesize, Curate, Engage!\nChecklist: Basic admin work\u00a0\nChecklist: Social media outreach\nNeeded skills\nWhat you get out of it\nCould be your future \"job\"!\nMore readings\n\n On online community management\n What we are learning about building communities from our members and projects\n\n\nGet in touch\n\n\nAbout\nAs of 2014, the Edgeryders community spans over 40 countries and keeps on growing in numbers and diversity. Most of our interaction happens here, on the\u00a0edgeryders.eu platform, and collaboration is our engine. That\u2019s how we get things done, and to be able to do that effectively there\u2019s a need to constantly inspire, help each other and acknowledge our peers\u2019 efforts. Currently I (@Noemi), with help from @Nadia & @Alberto am doing a number of almost daily things to keep us all informed, engaged and inspired, and encourage healthy behaviors. We tend to call it community management, although I don\u2019t get to \u201cmanage\u201d anyone or anything, but I do take responsibility for some processes which I outline below. This is a manual which I hope is useful for any of you thinking of learning key, hands on tools in community building. \u00a0\n\nChecklist: Onboarding\nNew Edgeryders sign up and step into the space all the time and risk getting lost unless there\u2019s someone to show them the way! Automated confirmation and welcoming messages rarely do the job for us, so we very much foster a human approach - see the Call a Human block on the homepage. How can you as community manager get in touch with new Edgeryders? You go to their user profile, look for the Contact tab and write them a direct message which goes into their email box (more). Simply say hi and introduce yourself, or tell them about the latest that\u2019s happening; it also helps if you make a connection with a topic they seem to be interested in based on their user profile. This is probably the most routine work in the community management, but highly rewarding when it pays off -\u00a0people stay involved and enjoy\u00a0being part of a community of like minded peers.\n\nChecklist: Nurture conversations\nPaying attention to what others are saying is crucial because it tells\u00a0the most about who the community members are and what they are interested in. A big part of community management is to nurture conversations: by reading and commenting what Edgeryders are saying, encouraging a diversity of voices, and fostering a culture of respectful, meaningful interaction.\u00a0\nNB: My personal opinion is that\u00a0the risk here is to become\u00a0an automatic\u00a0voice. Being a community manager\u00a0doesn't make us robots or call center operators, we're still biased and\u00a0opinionated\u00a0humans. Hence some things get us more excited than others, and we can choose to\u00a0comment or highlight certain efforts more than others. Same with trolls, you can feed them or not.\u00a0\nOn empathy: I find being empathetic towards what other people are saying is key in developing good relationships in general, and in communities. This means prioritizing what they are feeling and cultivating a behavior by which we are wary of making any sort of assumptions about why they say certain things (read more).\nMany community members share common interests and although the platform is designed to increase serendipitous encounters, they can still miss each other. The good thing to do is, whenever you know people are doing similar things, invite them into conversations whenever key content could be interesting for them,\u00a0or directly introduce them to each other on twitter, facebook etc. As a community manager, you'll get to know most of people's social handles, so this will come easy to you.\n\nChecklist: Synthesize, Curate, Engage!\nI don\u2019t know if this is part of the professional community manager\u2019s job, but Edgeryders is entirely volunteer driven and the more we teach ourselves to work with content aka communicate properly, community managers and not only, the better! Sharing information and latest about what Edgeryders are doing is key, and it can be done mostly through periodic blog posts or platform posts in various relevant groups, and through our mailing list and social media.. Communicating and articulating thoughts in writing and also in public\/for larger audiences is key to:\u00a0\n\nConveying our values, our work, our successes: eg through curation \u201ca form of pattern recognition \u2013 pieces of information or insight which over time amount to an implicit point of view\u201d \u2013 says one of my favourite writers\u00a0Maria Popova \nTip: never assume everybody follows what\u2019s happening in the community. We need to re-package & summarize content all the time, even if it may seem obsolete.\nGathering and making use of relevant resources online: an additional challenge is to\u00a0communicate\u00a0in an engaging style, one that prompts responses and enthusiasm among fellow Edgeryders and triggers collaboration.\nTip: the simplest structure when writing for engagement can be:\n a. What is the context or perspective from which you are writing the post?\n b. What challenge are you trying to solve\/ what do you intend to achieve with the post?\n c. What are the steps to get started?\n d. Call to action: what do you want those reading the post to do? What action should they take in order to support you?\n\n\nChecklist: Basic admin work\nTo be more effective as an online community managers we all need to use our web platform as efficient as possible, meaning we can learn to make use of functionalities which ease the process of getting in touch with others and getting information or updates across. This goes beyond becoming a proficient platform user (by pinging Edgeryders, creating tasks and other things in the user\u2019s manual), and also involves putting up blocks, content editing & clean up when needed. If you become an Edgeryders community manager, we\u2019ll get you admin powers and make sure someone in the developers\u2019 team can give you a crash course in deploying basic Drupal platform features.\nSPOTLIGHT: Edgesense\nEdgesense is our own tool for social network analysis making it easier to detect emergent social dynamics. It is essentially a dashboard allowing community managers and anyone interested to monitor network growth in terms of number of users (nodes), relationships (edges) and specialized subcommunities (modularity) over time. You can start by testing it with the interactive tutorial, read: crash course in network analysis and concepts.\nEdgesense has been initiated by @Alberto & the Wikitalia team under CATALYST.\nRead more about it in its own platform group here and about the techs behind it on GitHub\n. The Edgeryders network on the 8th of July, 2014\n\nChecklist: Social media outreach\nAgain, this is not entirely relevant to community management, but it is useful to learn especially when working with limited resources and when almost everyone involved in maintaining the ER infrastructure\u00a0needs to step in and help cover the need. It involves basic usage of personal (and optionally official ER channels)\u00a0facebook, twitter and other social media and turning them into community engagement channels: posting relevant updates especially focused on what\u2019s happening with the community, what people are working on and what individual Edgeryders have achieved lately! Highlighting members' efforts is an advice I've been given a lot (thanks Dorotea!) and we need to get ever better at acknowledging individual efforts. Luckily, a Social Media team is here to help, but not surprisingly, this too needs (re)activation and\u00a0constant inspiration\u00a0:)\n\nNeeded skills\nA genuinely friendly attitude and empathy (see above): that\u2019s pretty much all you need to get started in community management. The rest can be learned and you\u2019d be surprised of how intuitive it all is. We're all social beings after all.\n\nWhat you get out of it\nSome of the perks of volunteering to do Edgeryders community management are the following:\n\nYou become an expert in online communities and really understand the social dynamics behind them: put that on your resume or on LinkedIn. Plus,\u00a0Edgeryders the social enterprise or fellow community members can give you a recommendation!\nBy developing interpersonal relationships with others and evolving into a highly respected member in the community\u00a0you get to grow your own social capital and a\u00a0global network\nYou get to\u00a0be an empowered online platform user &\u00a0learn basic Drupal tweaks (beginner level, yet it feels empowering!), but most importantly, you become\u00a0proficient in online collaboration: a much needed skill in the times we're living.\n\n\nCould be your future \"job\"!\nCommunity management is definitely among the buzz words in the labour market today, alongside other interesting and similar \"jobs\" (should we still be interested to think in terms of jobs):\nNetwork weaver: is someone who is aware of the networks around them and explicitly works to make them healthier. They do this by helping people identify their interests and challenges, connecting people strategically where there\u2019s potential for mutual benefit, and serving as a catalyst for self-organizing groups. (source)\nCatalyst: nurture and care for the company's inner spirit, provoke new ways of thinking, and motivate and inspire\n\nVP of Happiness: keep the people happy, sing to them when they\u2019re down (for more funny names\u00a0see Job Titles of the Future)\nCybrarian!\u00a0nurture the community memory, pointing newcomers to archives, providing links to related conversations\u200b (by Howard Rheinghold)\n\nMore readings\n\nOn online community management\nPrinciples of Cyberspace Innkeeping, a book written by the legendary John Coate (a member of Edgeryders too!):\nThe currency is human attention. Work with it. Discourage abuse of it.\nYou are in the relationship business.\nWelcome newcomers. Help them find their place.\nShow by example.\nStrive to influence and persuade.\nHave a big fuse. Never let the bottom drop out.\nUse a light touch. Don't be authoritarian.\nAffirm people. Encourage them to open up.\nExpect ferment. Allow some tumbling.\nDon't give in to tyranny by individual or group.\nLeave room in the rules for judgment calls.\nEncourage personal and professional overlap.\nThink \"tolerance.\" (full text here)\nThe art of hosting good online conversations (Originally published, 1998)\nby Howard Rheingold\nA HOST IS\u2026\n\nA host is like a host at a party. You don\u2019t automatically throw a great party by hiring a room and buying some beer. Someone needs to invite an interesting mix of people, greet people at the door, make introductions, start conversations, avert fisticuffs, encourage people to let their hair down and entertain each other.\nA host is also an authority. The host is the person who enforces whatever rules there may be, and will therefore be seen by many as a species of law enforcement officer.\nA host is also an exemplar. Good hosts model the behavior they want others to emulate: read carefully and post entertainingly, informatively, and economically, acknowledge other people by name, assume good will, assert trust until convinced otherwise\u00a0, add knowledge, offer help\u00a0, be slow to anger, apologize when wrong, politely ask for clarification, exercise patience when your temper flares.\nA host is also a cybrarian. Good hosts nurture the community memory, pointing newcomers to archives, providing links to related conversations, past and present, hunting down resources to add to the collective pool of knowledge\u200a\u2014\u200aand teaching others to do it. Well performed voluntary cybrarianship is contagious.\nA host can be a character in the show, but the show is collaborative improvisation, with the audience onstage.\nAll hosts are members of a community of hosts. You can\u2019t host communities without communities of hosts.\n\nThe article in full can be read\u00a0here.\nAn Abecedarium For Community Management, by\u00a0Meg Pickard\n\n\n\n\nSource\n\nAlso see:\nThe Virtual Community, by Howard Rheingold\nThe Network Weaver Handbook by June Holley\nAdvanced Social Sciences for Community Builders,\u00a0Ning talk\u00a0\nNoemi\u2019s Pinterest board on Communities & Storytelling\n\nWhat we are learning about building communities from our members and projects\nAn attempt to gather here important reflections from the life of our community.\nBuilding a shared vision of Edgeryders, results of a community survey, end of 2013\nQuakes create movements, but can we?, reflections of building an online community of alternative leaders in post-earthquake Nepal, 2015\nSpot the Future Bucharest, an open report after two months of online\/offline community building in Romania, 2015\nOn compensating community members' efforts, a discussion about using MakerFox for network barters\nContribute to developing an Edgeryders healthy communication culture, a\u00a0wiki you are most welcome to contribute to!\n\nGet in touch\nIf you want to learn more about online community building and want to help Edgeryders thrive, get in touch. Contact me at noemi@edgeryders.eu and I\u2019ll be happy to share more things I\u2019ve learned in the last years, and especially learn many more\u00a0from you.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2013-12-02 22:30 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Wiki","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"32"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1205","title":"Health system resilience - a proposal for the Resilience Session ViewEdit(active tab)TranslateConvertVoting results","content":"\nThis is a runthrough of what we are going to do in the resilience session (join here). Executive summary: we will try to design a health care system that would work in a financial meltdown scenario, which could happen just three days after the conference in parts of Europe depending on Sunday's elections in Greece. You will rewire health care to make it low-cost, decentralized and peer-to-peer as much as possible. You will be able to count on Lucas's knowledge of health care systems and on Ben and Gaia's network analysis skills. Let's do it!\nHealth systems are made of people who have knowledge and work through procedures. They use buildings with machinery that uses consumables and energy.\n\u00a0\nThe scenario is that of a financial meltdown. Even if there\u2019s no money, parts of the system stay in place (people, buildings, machinery, knowledge and many procedures). But some things may become scarce (supplies of consumables and fuel) or will have to change (many procedures).\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\nThe overall suggestion is we could look at networks for help. Networks could be activated (or created) in order to look at:\n\nSupplies (energy, consumables): prioritise transport, synthesise some medication locally, repurpose existing physical resources, etc.\nProcedures: networks look at prioritary aims and adapt procedures: solve things at primary care level if hospital or ambulances fail, boil germs if there\u2019s no electricity, etc.\n\nPersonally I\u2019ve been looking at Vinay Gupta\u2019s Simple Critical Infrastructure Maps (SCIM) model for a pandemic, which would be a different scenario.\n\nThe model is simply a spreadsheet of \u201cneeds\u201d x \u201clevels\u201d.\nOne example of \u201cneed\u201d is food, and it\u2019s solved at different \u201clevels\u201d; in my personal case, food is grown internationally and brought to me via international-national-local transport. So, if international markets or transport break, I\u2019d have to look elsewhere or grow food locally. (Poor farmers grow their food locally, and use no transport. In a bad-weather crisis, they need international supplies delivered to them. Or they move.)\nVinay\u2019s model includes \u201ctoo hot, too cold, hunger, thirst, disease and injury\u201d (for the individual), \u201ccommunication, transport, workplace and resource-sharing\u201d (for groups), and up to a total of 18 items for organisations and nation-states.\n\nIf the health system is a big organisation (really, a network of many organisations), then we want to look at more specific needs, which are covered by existing provision-systems, and if those provision-systems break then we need to look at alternatives (because needs stay with us!).\n\nIn health systems, the basic needs of the individual (shelter\/clothes, water, food) and groups (communications, transport) are still there.\nSpecialised needs include: \"sterilisation\", \"main groups of meds\" (anesthetics, painkillers, insulin, cancerkillers, etc), \"communications\" (need can be produced by good protocols for local action), etc. Not a comprehensive list, but the rest can be inferred by analogy.\nIf the electric grid fails, \"sterilisation\" can still be done with generators or boiling. If medicine markets fail, we\u2019d be looking at making them locally if we can, etc.\n\nHere\u2019s how I'd suggest we approach the 2.5 hour session:\n\nIn 15 minutes (or less) I\u2019d briefly explain how (I think) healthcare works using the SCIM model, and together we\u2019d focus on what breaks in our scenario.\nIn 15 minutes, our network experts would look at it from the \u201cnetwork\u201d point of view. I can imagine some things (each person has contact with others within the system), but not others. Together we can flesh it out, learn and contribute to the solutions, so do come!\nWe can then make groups of 3-4 people for each area. Each area would pose a specific subchallenge, and each group would be expected to come up with workable ideas. (If there are many areas, a group might want to do more than one area if they work really fast.)\n\nAREAS:\n\u00a0\nWhat are the areas? A hyper-complex system such as \u201chealth\u201d can be split up in many different ways. The general focus is \u201cwe have people and buildings and knowledge, but supplies may be costly or unavailable\u201d. We think the following might work as \u201csub-focus areas\u201d for our creative thinking:\n\nPeer-to-peer diagnosis and treatment. (Even diagnosis of epidemics?)\nLow-cost pharmaceutical products: medicines, prosthetics, etc. (Include water filters, compost toilets, hand washing in case there\u2019s a general break-down and not just health-care is affected?)\nPrevention through life-style changes: can we help each other live healthier lives and enjoy the process?\nCooperative help when there\u2019s need for transport (or this is part of #1).\n\nCan you bring expertise to one or more of these areas? Can you suggest more areas? Do you have specific ideas we shouldn\u2019t have to re-think?\n\u00a0\nWORKABLE IDEAS:\n\u00a0\nComing up with workable ideas would be done by looking at two aspects:\n\u00a0\n\nWhat are the networks involved: what people are closest to the problem? who provides the services now? who could provide some alternatives?\nHow would the sub-focus needs be \"solved\": reinforce the present system if possible, substitute some elements, do a full redesign of the provision system, change some protocols, etc. Here, creative thinking can be applied to the fullest. If you\u2019re a permaculturist, please apply permacultural design principles such as \u201crelative location for mutual service\u201d, etc.\n\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2012-06-11 22:43 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"343"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1174","title":"Benefits and limits of technofixes","content":"\nA couple of days ago we had a good conversation in our open-hardware local group.\nOur group has more than 80 members, but in different islands so it's never a large group. We grew out of the local linux user group, and so far we've done the usual: cooperatively buy a 3D printer and then start printint parts for the offspring (more 3D printers!), build a couple of small hexayurt models (not just me, but two others, yay!), created an inexpensive 3D printer where the 3D movement is done using very inexpensive off-the-shelf \"guides for drawers\" (\"gu\u00edas para cajones\" in Spanish), and a platform on wheels with a battery and a webcam to be used as a farm robot.\nIn that environment, creativity just happens, and we're thinking we should crowdsource the building of a machine to cut metal pieces and build all sorts of things. (For those into details, opensourceecology.org's CNC torch table.)\nIn a nutshell, I think technology needs to be open, appropriate and agile. In Spanish, that's \"abierta, apropiada & \u00e1gil\", which gives us a nice AAA or A\u00b3.\n\"Open\" means you really own what you bought or built. At the very least, you can unscrew it to replace broken parts etc. \"Appropriate\" means you use local materials when available (except metals which you'll then use for a thousand years, or if you want to house a million in Haiti, in which - if that's what you want to do - you might consider importing several million panels of plywood, so it really depends), and certainly you want to make it cold-resistent in Helsinki, and ant-resistent in the jungle.\nNow, \"agile\". We need to look at several levels of \"agile\". For each project, modularity lets people work in parallel: you do the wheels and I do the battery and that other group works on the webcam. As a meta-level, we're hoping networks of hackerspaces will welcome us as soon as we have some room to set up a hackerspace ourselves.\nI'm into resilience. I think these groups and networks are a great resource (among others) in any European society. They could use some help and attention.\nNow, I know no technofix will be enough. We're still a culture that has a history of converting natural resources into toxic waste, and even if we change our ways a lot, the (metaphorical) ex-smoker will still have (metaphorical) damaged lungs.\n","creation_date":"Sun, 2012-06-10 19:33 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"343"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1167","title":"We should organize our society around something else that employment","content":"\nLast year I read the blog of Doug Rushkoff\u00a0 \u201cAre jobs obsolete?\u201d. And it really made me think about our approach to employment. I don\u2019t think there is any political party who doesn\u2019t have a focus on reducing unemployment in these times. \u00a0Rushkoff\u2019s daring question however is:\n\u201cI am afraid to even ask this, but since when is unemployment really a problem? I understand we all want paychecks -- or at least money. We want food, shelter, clothing, and all the things that money buys us. But do we all really want jobs?\u201d\nIf you look at the question more thoroughly you can also state that we even don\u2019t want to have money. We do want to have food, sheltering and all other kind of stuff.\u00a0 Rushkoff elaborates on this issue too.\u00a0\nI am curious what you think of Rushkoff\u2019s blog and if you have ideas about how to build a society around something else than employment.\nMaybe one of the answers could be the so called \u2018basic income\u2019 for every citizen.\u00a0 We had some discussions in the Netherlands about that 20 years ago. Nowadays I don\u2019t hear a lot about it. Does anyone know about countries where the basic income for every citizen has been successful implemented?\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2012-06-09 1:42 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"402"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1160","title":"Like in the times of our grandparents","content":"\n29 years living in the bigger county of Portugal - Odemira...\n\n29 years living in the countryside...growing up and seeing my grandparents, my parents, my neighbours making their farming...\nYes, where i live having even a little farm is a good way to run a little bit of crisis because in this way we don't have to buy every food in supermarket (in big cities people have to buy everything).\nHere my parents plant potatoes...my grandparents plant beans...my neighbour plants for example peas and then all of us have everything of this to eat. We share a lot. \"if i have a lot i can give a little to you and you give me a little of what you plant\" and like my father says \"this is like in the old times\".\nPersonally I don't meet any project of \"community farming\" but close to where i live i saw a project where City Hall has a big ground and gives all the conditions (for example water ) so that who wants can sow what they want. In my opinion this is a very good kind of project because gives to people some tools to fight the crisis with their own work and provides new relations between people.\n\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2012-06-07 22:21 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"433"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1158","title":"Experiments in resilience in a small UK market-town","content":"\nFor 6 years I have been involved with Transition Stroud - one of over 300 initiatives globally attempting to deal with the issues of climate change, peak oil and economic turmoil through practical local projects and community-building. I am now one of 12 Directors of the Limited Company we set up to run various projects, and network the multitude of other organisations working locally on these and related issues.\u00a0\nIn some ways, I feel like I am building my personal resilience - I am a qualified cycle mechanic (Cytek Level 1, which is a basic qualification, since you ask, but enough to get me by on my bike and help others), I cycle for almost all the journeys I make (thus am much less affected than most, at least directly, when oil prices spike), I grow some of my own food on an Allotment (in England, small patches of land are rented to people for small sums of money by local authorities), and I have a good network of friends and acquaintances in my street and local town who I know will all pull together to help each other when the need arises. But, while I'm developing my academic and work skills by studying for a PhD (on the *resilience* of certain organisations), beginning to work as a Lecturer, and volunteering on all manner of projects, I am extremely uncertain about the future, and about how our community might cope in the long-term following significant shocks. Though I feel like I have a good understanding of what the term 'resilience' means in everyday speech, and in various academic fields, I am less certain what it looks like in practice - at least, I am unsure what a community or society truly resilient to the enormous shocks we face in the future would look like.\nIn particular, I am concerned about producing enough food locally (not reliant on long-distance transport), and about employment - and the effects increased transportation costs have on the ability of people to travel to work.\nPeople often cite my hometown - Stroud, Gloucestershire - as a frontrunner in the development of a resilient and sustainable local economy. But it still feels like we have a long way to go!\nYes, we have a very successful weekly Farmers' Market - with produce largely from within a 50 mile radius of the town, and a couple of Community Supported Agriculture projects, not to mention several full allotment sites (with long waiting lists), and a town council interested in creating more. But our local area also falls within the food footprint of bigger settlements nearby - such as Gloucester and Bristol. How are we going to feed all these people in a world where yields and transportation of food is dramatically affected by peak oil and climate change?\nYes, we have a 'Car Club' where people share 4 communal vehicles, so they do not have to own their own car but have access to one. And we have some good train connections - to the nearest large town and to London, and a few decent bus services. But most bus services are terrible - especially for the many isolated rural settlements that make up our district, and unattractive to people. Public transport is prohibitively expensive, and provision for cyclists is poor (not to mention the hills!). There has been a lot of work and campaigning on improving infrastructure for cycling, but little action by local authorities. In Transition Stroud, we are looking into electric bike provision, and working out how we can best mobilise and put pressure on local authorities - but transport is a national policy issue, with provision privatised to large companies. How can we influence them? Or can we take this provision back into public ownership?\nThere is an ongoing debate locally about housing - mainly the opposition to construction in the countryside dominates media coverage, but discussion of the high prices of housing, the increasing difficulty young people have in finding accomodation in the places they grew up, is never far behind. Is there a solution to this conundrum that can also address the need for new build housing to be as energy efficient and environmentally sound as possible? Following my research on UK Building Societies (mutuals - cooperatives owned by their consumers - which were once the dominant mortgage lenders in the UK, and before that helped people to pool funds to build homes), I am involved in the tentative beginnings of a 'Stroud REbuilding Society' - the aim being to use a cooperative model to enable young people to access affordable, green, housing.\nWith others in Transition Stroud, I have been debating the difference between creating new 'sustainable enterprises' and creating resilient economies where we can reduce our reliance on money and hence on wage-labour, making life easier for the unemployed and those on low incomes, and enabling volunteering. We have a local currency (which can only circulate in the local town, and loses value over time so cannot be hoarded), and a TimeBank (where each hour of work donated is equal to another hour requested), and a good culture of voluntary groups and small enterprises. But national and local government cuts, and increased competition for funding is making much of this work considerably more difficult. We need to figure out how to build a new economy as the old one falls apart fast!\nMaybe I am too pessimistic, and too focussed on the problems, and questions, than on the solutions. To counter this I will mention the events we have coming up:\nIn July we have organised four days of 'Edible Open Gardens', where 40 productive gardens, allotments and orchards will be open to the public, showcasing their growing methods and providing workshops from basic to advanced techniques (starting out and composting to wildlife gardening and soil micro-organisms). See here: http:\/\/www.transitionstroud.org\/wpedibleopengardens\/. I'll bring some of the pamphlets we've made to advertise the weekend to the conference.\nIn September, we are running our 5th annual 'Open Eco-Renovated Homes' weekend, you can see videos and more from previous years here: http:\/\/www.stroudopenhomes.org.uk\/. I'll bring some printed material from previous years of this event too, if I can find it!\nWe're also running a series of films - 'Debtocracy' and shorts on the Greek crisis and community responses, and 'Just Do It!', a film about UK climate activists.\nThere's lots more too, but I guess it will have to wait for the conference. If any of the above has interested you, please comment below and I can elaborate.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2012-06-07 12:22 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"424"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1148","title":"Response to Vinay's Europe's New War","content":"\n\nThere are lots of reasons to support Vinay Gupta's thesis that Europe is on the brink of a kind of war. His thesis is that at some stage the austerity measures being imposed for ideological reasons on Greece (and other countries in Europe - Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland) will result in some kind of revolutionary backlash where property will be seized. The fact that much of this property is owned by international institutions will result in major crises and consequent disruption of food supply chains and other infrastructure.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThere are several responses to this:\n\n\n1. It is already happening. Fundamentally the austerity measures are resulting in property seizure by international agencies (banks, TNCs) of personal or national assets (cf. for example the privatisation programme imposed on Greece). The privatisation of the NHS in the UK is another front where this war is occurring in the UK - what this means is that gradually that hip-replacement Vinay mentions no longer becomes an automatic right but is initially rationed and then eventually needs to be paid for. The absence of funds is making living in remote Greek islands extremely precarious if you happen to have an accident or life threatening illness. This process of conquest and colonisation by (relatively) faceless forces is no different than the earlier incarnations of colonialism whether we look at the spread of the East India Company or the colonisation of Egypt by the UK in the second half of the 19th century. The major difference today is the rather impressive propaganda whereby people are given the impression that \"there is no alternative\" (TINA). There always are alternatives at every stage in the unfolding of a war. The leader of Greece's SARIZA party, Tsipras, understands this when he says the conflict is between capital and people, and in the same breath states that it is not inevitable that Greece either imposes an austerity package or is kicked out of the Eurozone. His statements show far greater sophistication and understanding of reality than the current statements emanating from Angela Merkel.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n2. It may not happen. One of the interesting but little understood achievements of the European Union is the gradual and subtle interweaving of Europeans at multiple levels. Over 1m UK citizens live (mostly in retirement in Spain). The mayor of Majorca is (or was until recently) a German citizen. Hundreds of thousands of EU citizens work in other EU countries. Universities and companies around the EU employ a multiplicity of international staff especially from other EU regions. There are 300,000 French citizens living in London, but there are an equal number of Greeks living there (proportionately a far greater percentage), let alone Spanish, Portugese and Irish. One question today is what the proportions are of the various social groups who are other Europeans. In the 19th century, a large proportion of 'navies' (those who dug the canals and built the railways) were Irish, but few bankers in the City of London were Irish. Today the proportion of foreign staff at all levels in society has increased enormously.\u00a0\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nA friend of mine is a Portugese computer scientist working for a top insurance company in Zurich. His girlfriend is French-speaking Swiss. They speak English together. This is typical scenario today, more unusual in earlier centuries where freedom of movement of labour did not exist to that extent either for legal reasons or for lack of education and opportunity.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nSo the question arises whether the level of integration I am pointing to here can act as a brake on the tendency towards war. It certainly makes nonsense of national parties, national separatism.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nOn the other hand, one of the reasons the Greeks are torn about the Euro in spite of the austerity is the fear of losing the free movement of labour that membership of the EC provided. This fear at present is unfounded as there are other non-Eurozone members of the EC - however, in the long term it may make sense. My mother (aged 74) recommends that people should live where they have a passport because she has seen enough to know the dangers of living somewhere where one is by any criterion 'foreign'.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n3. It does not need to happen. Vinay has argued time and again that the final arbiter of power is the nation state, with its laws and military power. If Tsipras is right that the real war is between capital and the people, and Vinay is right that the power lies with the nation state, then if Greece were to revolt and the nation state's power go into the hands of a revolutionary force then what part could capital play here? Three things to remember: First, nations have renationalised their resources frequently and often without serious negative consequences to their economic position (cf. Argentina renationalising its oil company, or Bolivia's Morales nationalising the natural gas reserves). Capital screams, everyone is upset, and then they move on. These are the rules of the game and if a nation choses to change them they usually have the right to do so if they are in a strong enough position.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nSecond, as Tsipras says, the problem lies as much with the lenders as with the borrowers. Greece is in a much stronger position than public discourse allows. It has already defaulted in effect so the imposition of the austerity is an ideological imposition independant of the reality of financial default.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThird, there is an irony that over the years Greece has been one of the largest arms importers in the world, spending more as a proportion of GDP than any other EU country. There is no present day need for this except to keep French, German and UK arms manufacturers happy. The side effect of this is that if Greece does choose to follow an independant path it is in a better position to do so than almost any other mediterranean country.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nBut this is not the sort of war Vinay speaks about - he speaks of an undeclared war of infrastructure meltdown. Nonetheless the point here is that power is not all in the hands of the EC or the neo-colonialist\/neo-liberals.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n4. Vinay's focus on the cities is important. Countries like Greece have kept strong ties to the countryside. Most Greek families have a 'second home' in the village, and it is to this village that many are returning. Ties have been kept with the relatives in the village supplying olive oil, and other basics. There are enormous problems with regard to the ability of Greek villages to feed themselves, but there is also huge potential. The poorer people are in the mediterranean societies the less impacted they are by the austerity measures, they more 'off-grid' they are in practice. It would interesting to find out whether just as the European banks have disengaged over the past 2-3 years from financially dangerous investments in the EC periphery, whether there has been a corresponding disengagement at an infrastructure level of the local populations, a re-engagment with the family ties which have always acted as the final, most essential infrastructure in times of crisis. If you can flee the city and be received by your cousins in the country, then the situation is a lot less bad than if you are an alienated individual with no effective ties to a (first life) social network.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\nThis leads to the natural question as to what role can technology, especially social networks and our networked world, play in reducing the alienation of cities and providing alternative succour as the hard infrastructure collapses. Will our Facebook friends receive us, house us, feed us, when the shit hits the fan? Will we be able to find them in first life if all we know is their second life handle, when the lights go down?\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n5. While there has been an immense growth of international organisation in many areas (NGOs e.g. Greenpeace, TNCs e.g. Vodaphone, GM, Tata), there has been a dearth of overtly international political movements since the collapse of communism. In the context of Tsipras' remarks, we need transnational, pan-european political and social movements. We have the structural underpinnings - in the form of a common language (English dominates the EC) and technologies (social media, etc.). We have the political context in that it has become more and more clear that decisions are no longer made by our national governments for a whole range of issues. We have a clear democratic deficit (the weakness of the European parliament is well known). All this augurs well for a revolution in political action which crosses international boundaries and co-ordinates its activities. There are three movements which have to varying degrees expressed this: the Greens and more recently the Pirate Party and the Occupy Movement. Thus while the time may be ripe for revolutions, wars and other such unpleasantnesses, it may also be a opportunity for political maturity across the board, across social classes and national divides. This may sound somewhat utopian but looking at the realities of today in Europe we could just as easily tip into war (real hard war) as we could into creating trans-national political organisation with specific demands and legislative agendas. Here I suspect we come up against a certain degree of defeatism about the possibility of such political movements. The EC is continuously in danger of tipping into oligarchy (of some form). There is an opportunity to push back and revitalise democracy across the board.\n\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n6. The core advice Vinay has given on numerous occasions remains valid: Stock up with food and water so as to be able to survive a lengthy breakdown in services. We can add to that a. ensure you are living in a country whose passport you possess; b. build your first life social network to maximum, c. revitalise the connections with the cousins who grow tomatoes.\n\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2012-06-04 16:40 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"81"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1147","title":"Stop the earth trembles","content":"\nWhile I'm writing this new post the italian earth still trembles...!!!\nIn the Emilia Romagna Region, in the nordth of the Italy, are very bad moments. Continuous tremors terrorize all the people and all the Italy are trying to help this piece of land. But the question is: \"how they are trying to help them?!\"\nI'm an expert of this situation, because as a voluntary I did the Molise earthquake and Abruzzo eartquake and I saw many problemes during this moments and I would to speak here and in the conference in june (if is possible... :D) to think a way to emprove the situation during this bad moment...\nI understand about my experience that one problem of the people is that they lose all the comunication with the rest of the word. many people try to call the friends and parents immediatly after the first tremor and so all the lines are overload. Then after two or three hours all the mobile are dead and so everything need to recharge the mobile and so they need of the electrician.\nThen many people call and ask all and nothing because at the beggining there is a lot of panic and confusion.... who ask an house, who ask a bed, who ask to enter own house, who ask where they should to go, who ask to call, who ask where are theyr parents, who ask to eat, who ask the sheets, who ask dress, who ask to speak with the major, who ask to speak with theadministration, the firefighters and so and so... and all the people have many problems!\n\nSo I thoughtk that the priority is the possibility to call in every time! And so I thought to built a page or a forum but inside the website of the city and this space start oly when there are an emergency. This page could have many pages as the page of the comunications (major, Protezione Civile, doctors, policy, fireflighters, and so and so...), the page to write help about the house, the people, dress, eat and so and so. It will be to have a page with the progects or the events to help. To built a task force to help to rebuilt...\nThus my idea was to think a instrument useful to help the cityzens, the administraction, the protezione civile, law enforcement, the firefighters after 5 minuts of the eartquake and also after months of the event,\n\nMany time, after 5 days of the terrible moments, all forget the situation and they abandon these lands... and so la possibility to have every time a site where to work continuosly to help the people for me it will be very right....\n\nThese is only a my idea and if someone would to speak, for me it's ok.\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2012-06-04 2:36 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"410"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1102","title":"Polypolis a social game","content":"\nAs the current economic crisis hits a number of European countries, Polypolis social game uses a playful manner to train\/educate city inhabitants to cope \u2018in common\u2019 with issues that affect their life\u2019s resources. The Polypolis game was initially conceived as a testing ground for SARCHA\u2019s \u201cCCR: CityCommonResource (2010-2011)\u201d research theme pilot study http:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/ccrpkpgerani2010\/.\nIn the rapidly deteriorating Athens centre, players are assigned life-roles; immersed in an urban environment of economic recession, illegality, city-phobia, rising violence and human desperation, the Athenians enter into an agonising and agonistic struggle to reset the city\u2019s human, physical and natural resources. The players keep reflecting and acting upon \"real\" city conditions, and watch the outcome of their decisions unfold on the game board.\nReversing Monopoly, the role-playing social game Polypolis entails negotiations among 4 groups of players that strive to resolve complex issues. The four groups of players are:\n1. Investors. Sub-groups: bankers, private investors, institutions\/organisations, international corporations, real-estate.\u00a0\n2. Land\/property owners. Sub-groups: big-scale ownership, small-scale ownership (local owners), small-scale ownership (owners from other areas).\n3. Shop\/small-scale manufacture owners. Sub-groups: Greeks, Chinese, Pakistani, Greek small-scale manufacture owners, arts & crafts\n4. Unemployed. Sub-groups: homeless, immigrants, drug-users, skilled ex-employees\nThe winner: The group that proves the ability to resolve problems by discussion, negotiation and collaboration, managing the city resources and creating an appropriate, good quality and viable proposal for tackling the complex problems and contributing to the development of the Gerani area.\nSARCHA has started to develop local adaptations of the Polypolis such as the ones in Rome and in Thessaloniki. The next big event is in London in June as\u00a0part of the\u00a0London Festival of Architecture. In an 2 hour game players will become Athenians and experience a city in crisis.\nFor more information about Polypolis Athens in London you can visit www.polypolis.sarcha.gr\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Mon, 2012-05-21 14:09 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"2249"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1062","title":"Rete G2: the incredibly true adventure of a group of foreigners in their own home ( I hate long titles :-) ! )","content":"\n\nIn the last few years a whole slice of the italian population, went from being invisible and slightly uncool, to being a dynamic nationwide movement!\nA movement able to challenge current citizeship laws, challenge common stereotypes and cultural perceptions of who we are, and most importantly, able to make people feel like they're part of an \"us\" instead of a \"them\".\n\nI was able to join this network born in Rome in it's early stages, and create the milanese G2 group with some other people.\nThis below, is who we are and how we work.\n\nRete G2 - Seconde Generazioni (Rete means network in italian)\n\nRete G2 - Seconde Generazioni is a National organization founded by daughters and sons of immigrants and refugees born and\/or raised in Italy.\nRete G2 is a network of people with different backgrounds and professional skills, whose origins are from Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.\nEach one of the members of this network defines himself\/herself not as an immigrant but as an italian kid of an immigrant, even though by law they are not recognised italian citizenship.\nThose who were born on italian soil have the chance to obtain citizeship when they reach 18 years of age, until then they are considered as nationals of their country of origin.\n\nSuch a group decided to work together on two fundamental points:\n1. Italian citizenship issues on denied rights to the second generation\n2. Identity as a form of gathering of different cultures.\n\nMotivations:\nThe motivations behind the creation of the network include sharing experiences, discussing common issues and trying to find solutions to problems regarding legal status, documentation, citizenship, but also discussing cultural and ethnic self representations and how users feel about their multiple identities in everyday life.\nThe network has grown since it's creation in 2005, it is now recognised by media other organizations and institutions (such as the Italian Ministry for Internal Affairs and Welfare polical parties of every side and even the italian president who recently mentioned and thanked Rete G2 for it's extesive work on this important subject) and is involved in diverse immigration and integration debates.\nThe website include a blog and a forum which is quite active, and the network is also present on social networks such as Facebook, twitter, where they have more than 2,538 members.Journalist and uni students use the network as a source of information.\nFinally, it is important to point out that the group insists on the network\u2019s management being democratic, horizontal, leaderless, politically neutral and uses the website to enhance this thinking.\n\nInnovation and creativity:\nThis is a one of a kind project (first in Italy), a grassroots initiative created to raise awareness, and draw the attention to challenges for future generations. It focuses on daughters and sons of immigrants and attempts to raise their social capital by actively using social computing, and uses the most up-to-date communication tools (wikis, blogs, social networks, etc) to reach its audience. It fights for citizenship rights and other fundamental rights and draws challenges for future generations.\nIt uses cultural instruments like music (compilation \"Straniero a chi?\" ), books, video spot, National Radio broadcasting \"OndeG2\", fotoromanzo (stories told in pictures), photo exhibitions and websites etc to accompany and sustain the activity and the initiative of Rete G2 in order to obtain a maximum result and thus realize its objective and mission.\nAlso very important focus for Rete G2 is the work with schools, both with students and teachers alike on identity, diversity and citizenship rights.\n\nSustainability:\nThe original and horizontal way of managing the network allows the project to keep going, and promotes its sustainability. Just as an example, the Sportello Legale online (opened 1st of March 2011) which is promoted by G2 in collaboration with ASGI and Save the Children, is funded by the Department of Equal Opportunities and National Office for Racial Discrimination (UNAR) due to its positive action.\n\n--\nMedhin\u262e\nwww.medhinpaolos.com\nwww.secondegenerazioni.it\n\u00a0\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2012-05-09 17:21 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"441"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1056","title":"family life and freedom of religion","content":"\nHow William of Orange didn't succeed in his claim for freedom of religion and how that affected the life of my family.\u00a0\nWriting about my family is probably a good start for a first mission and introduction. \u00a0I am born in 1968 in the East of the Netherlands, grew up in a midsized town and I have three elder brothers and one twin sister.\nBut let me first tell more about my parents. They also grew up in the East of the Netherlands, in two separate small villages. Both were born in 1936 as the younger ones in large Catholic families. My father has in total thirteen brothers and sisters, my mother has eight. So we are speaking of 23 people, including my parents. All of them, except for one uncle who was suffering from mental illnesses and stayed single, married with a Catholic partner.\u00a0 Only one of them divorced, all the other marriages have sustained until today.\nFor my parents and their brother & sisters it was out of the question to marry a person who was not Catholic. However, I never got the idea that my parents were raised in a very strict manner. It could be that some uncles or aunts fell in love with a boy or girl they weren\u2019t allowed to marry but I have never heard anything that indicates that these things happened. Somehow, the idea that you could only marry a person with the same religious background was incorporated as a normal fact of life in my family.\nWhen I was born, secularisation and the removal of traditional religious and socio-political barriers in the Netherlands were well on their way. I still was baptized, sent to a Catholic primary school, but religion was no longer part of the lives of my parents. By the time I was old enough to date with boys, there were absolute no issues about religious backgrounds.\nIn 1986 I went to Amsterdam to study, among others, Political Science. And shortly after that I started to live together with the guy I would marry in 1995. Before our marriage we already bought our first house (1992) en in 1997 we started to build our second house. In 1998 our first daughter was born, followed by a second daughter in 2000. In 1995 I was appointed as CFO of a small retail bank, which my parents considered as quite a achievement as they themselves were blue collar workers with no more than primary education.\nFor me however, being 37 years old, it was the moment where I really started thinking about my life. I outgrew my parents in terms of education and career but did I really do what I wanted to do. What did I do with the ideas I had when starting to study political science? And what about my marriage, was I really living the life I wanted or was it just a matter of doing the things I ought to do, influenced by societal conventions.\nTwo years later I was divorced, gave up my job as a CFO and headed back to Amsterdam. I was totally okay with the idea of being single and when thinking about a new relationship, I always imagined that it would be with a male approximately\u00a0 the same age I was and with a regular career. But totally out of the blue I fell in love with a 12 year young woman, still studying at the university. \u00a0She had been in love with women before. For me it was a big surprise to be in love with a woman. But I quickly got used to the idea. I also had to get used to the idea of having a relationship with someone so much younger. The thing that puzzled me most however, was the idea of how \u00f1she as a young woman could fell in love with me, a middle aged woman.\nSuddenly the idea struck me that I unconsciously considered myself as an acceptable partner for a middle age male but not acceptable for a younger female. That was really funny, because in any relationship I would be the same person. And then I realized how preconditioned we are in any choice we make.\nI am married to her now, she gave birth to our son in 2011. And my daughters are very happy with my partner and their little brother. And my family, including all those highly aged uncles and aunts are totally fine with my family situation. It is amazing what has changed in the past 40 years. People can adapt very easily is my personal experience. But we have to tell stories like this to people to make them realize what is possible. This is very important\nThat brings me to one last story I want to tell in this mission. I always had the idea that in the 16th century, when The Reformation took place, that people were highly religious. And that the barriers between the Catholic and the Protestant communities which were so profound\u00a0 in the lives of my parents was a consequence of choices made by those communities themselves. I found out that most people in the 16th century, by the time all the battles were settled, were really very indifferent about religion.\nThis was also the case for the new regents who were going to govern the Dutch Republic from the year 1581 and further on. Especially their leader, William of Orange, was very tolerant about religion. However he couldn\u2019t convince his fellows to build a society with total freedom of religion and without any government interference in this domain. The dominant view at the time was that people could only by governed by having a dominant state religion and the fear for God as the ultimate instrument to let people behave in a way that was good for society. So the regents made an agreement that, whatever their personal beliefs were, they would act as if they were really very religious and in favour of the Protestant religion. After some years fiction became reality and people took their religion very serious.\u00a0 And almost 400 years later people were still marrying only within their own religious community.\nAgain, the stories we tell each other are very important. If our dominant view is that people are selfish, most people will behave selfish. But in our lives we see so many examples of people behaving otherwise. Especially now this is happening; due to internet and new technologies we see many new forms of voluntary cooperation among people. We have to emphasize this new form of cooperation. (And if you want to read more about it, I recommend Yochai Benkler\u2019s latest books.)\n","creation_date":"Sat, 2012-05-05 0:51 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"402"}},{"node":{"post_id":"998","title":"Healthcare for All","content":"\nSo, in the UK the Coalition Government (Conservatives and Liberals, two sides of the three-sided party system of neoliberal politics and economics that dominates here) has just passed a piece of legislation called the Health and Social Care Act (previously the Health and Social Care Bill - it becomes an Act when it passes).\nThis legislation is widely seen as an attack on the socialised system of health (and social) care in the Country by those on the Left (and others!). Furthermore, it is seen as an attack on the principle of access to Healthcare for All.\nCan we think of health(and social)care as a commons? How can we stop the value created by health and social care workers being sucked away into the pockets of the shareholders in multinational (frequently tax-dodging) companies?\nFurthermore, at another level, what will healthcare look like in the midst of the environmental crises of climate change and declining supplies of resources our society is dependent on (specifically oil, but there are others)?\nThis research project is not just about abstract theoretical questions, but about looking at the social movements and alternative forms of health and social care delivery that exist across Europe, the world, and indeed across time - what can we learn from others and from the past?\n","creation_date":"Wed, 2012-04-18 17:11 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"424"}},{"node":{"post_id":"984","title":"A family of my own","content":"\nWhat is family? This is both a question that is hard to answer, but equally quite easy; it depends on how you approach it. Quite a lot of people still see family in the given Husband, Wife, Kids in a family house, with a pet or whatever, making ends meet, educating each other and growing alonside each other experiencing life. The nuclear family as it were - is this sort of life achieveable for young people now, and is it something that is still desirable?\nI admit that inside me somewhere is a 1950s housewife that wants this sort of life, but the world is a very different place for people of my age (32)\u00a0and younger as what a family means is becoming very different with subtle shifts in relationships and how people live. It's not beyond the realms of possibility but for me to have this life I would have to move home (about 300 miles due north) and certainly put professional goals aside to achieve this, and I think that is why the very concept of family is changing.\nFor people younger than myself, a lot will have gone through education, moved away from home to go to university, and perhaps settled in the city they went to university in, or moved to another city to begin a career - it is rare that people will move back to their birth home after university, but it does happen on occasion. With this geographical move, people create their own strong friendships in a way to create their own family\/support unit\/call it what you will - I know that certainly is something that I have done. As a city dweller, the idea of the nuclear family seems something of an alien concept. If I were to have a family of my own, any children that came from this would almost certainly have a much wider concept of family as I have many wonderful friends who would add so much to the quality of life of any children, let alone the life of myself and any partner I had.\nWhy is the idea of a nuclear family strange for a young city dweller like myself? I think it comes down to housing and money. I know that I will never be able to afford a house on my own. My family home was bought outright before I was born for \u00a326,000. A family home, even in the town I grew up in, you are now looking at quadruple that price, and with wages dropping, banks not willing to back mortgages, and the rental market seemingly being an inescapable trap for most young people - the idea of family changes. Whilst relationships change and grow, our financial and geographical status may not.\nAway from the housing and financial aspects of what family means - why would family life be different to the one I grew up in? I live a much more alternative lifestyle than my parents did, and whilst they were very open to my alternative nature growing up, they were working class people who didn't want as much from life as I did. They wanted to raise their kids right (which they did), have the occasional holiday (yup) and go to the pub with their friends (yes). I would see my family life as a different thing, and would want as many of my friends involved as possible as they would bring a different angle on things - a much more varied point of view. The nuclear family doesn't exist in my mind as the family I have created for myself since leaving home is too great to not have an involvement in where I go from here on in, and I believe a lot of people would think in a similar way. As the world changes, so will relationships. As people move away from what they've always known, communities will be shaped differently. Young people see this and they won't be guided to create an old fashioned model (as politicians are so often found to espouse the moralities of!) if it doesn't fit their lives.\n\nI, for one, will continue to build my family in whatever way I see fit, and not to some model that doesn't work for me. I am sure it does for quite a lot of people, but to look forward, we need to accept\u00a0and encourage\u00a0all kinds of family situations and relationships, otherwise we will stay in a past that is not working.\n","creation_date":"Thu, 2012-04-12 12:07 +02:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Post","group_id":"5,954","user_id":"444"}},{"node":{"post_id":"1272","title":"Access Space, A New Model for Individual and Community Development","content":"Based in the heart of Sheffield, Access Space is the UK\u2019s longest-running free internet learning centre, with thousands of participants making use of it every year \u2013 and it has achieved this without spending a penny on computers or software. Its model has inspired centres across Europe, while MetaReciclagem \u2013 a Brazilian initiative directly informed by Access Space \u2013 has now grown to a network of almost a hundred centres.\n\nI founded Access Space in 2000 - but I had the idea in 1996 - when I started an arts project called \"Redundant Technology Initiative\". I'm an artist, and I wanted to use my art practice to show the true situation in Sheffield, the city where I live. Sheffield has suffered structural problems from massive industrial change - the city used to be based on Coal mining and the Steel industry. Now the coal mines are closed, and the Steel mills are manned by robots. There is a very high level of unemployment in the city, and much of the employment that there is is in the public sector - most adults work for the government!\n\nWorking as an artist, I saw that the city was failing to adapt to the emerging information economy - South Yorkshire had the lowest uptake of information technology in the UK. Meanwhile, I was making art from trash that I found in skips. Not only was the trash free (yes!) it seemed to me to be the most suitable material with which to make art about urban decline.\n\nThen I started to find computers in the trash. I collected them, with the idea that I would make robot sculptures and other crazy artworks. I was amazed to discover, after some experimentation, that most of the PCs I recovered actually worked! I started to think about why people were throwing these machines away - when the city had a low level of engagement with information technology.\n\nSo I started an arts group, \"Redundant Technology Initiative\" with one rule - we would be the people who would be creative with trash computers. But ONLY trash computers! We would refuse to pay for any technology, and only use what we could get for free. (This was lucky, because me and my friends were unemployed or unpaid artists, and thus completely skint.) We had a few exhibitions, and each time we exhibited, people brought us more computers. Being artists, we made them into \"an art installation\". (Other people might think, with some justification, that what we had made was was just \"a huge pile\".)\n\nBy 1998 we had rented a warehouse which was scheduled for demolition. One good feature of industrial decline is that space is cheap. We had more than 1000 computers (!!!) some of which worked, some of which could work, and some of which were broken. We made a HUGE installation for a digital arts festival... and then more and more people gave us computers. After a few weeks we had more than 2000 machines.\n\nWe started to realise two things:\n(1) We didn't have any shortage of computers.\n(2) We did have a shortage of skill, expertise and creativity.\n\nWe learned how to rebuild and reprogram computers really fast, and we found students who also wanted to help. A local college sent us their trainees on \"work placement\" - and they learned as they helped us to repair the massive numbers of machines. But we then had a very embarrassing problem for an art group. We just weren't creative enough. We couldn't think of cool things to do with more than about 100 computers - we needed to think of cool things to do with 100 computers PER MONTH.\n\nSo we designed \"Access Space\" - a digital lab where people can walk in and show us how they could be creative and productive with trash technology. It took 2 years to raise enugh money to start, and after we started, we managed to get ERDF funding to match our initial funds. (NOTE that there was no way we could have accessed ERDF funding with our levels of experience. We came in as a minor delivery partner, insulated from the frightening bureaucracy of the project by more experienced lead partners. This was very lucky for us - and could start a whole new conversation.)\n\nSo, in 2000 Access Space opened. We believed it would be a good model to help people get engaged with technology. We invite every visitor to define their OWN objectives with trash technology - it could be making images, sounds, music, robots, websites, designs, photo galleries... It could be building a business, making new networks, rebuilding computers, or whatever. Our key test is that people THEMSELVES set their agenda. We don't work with a curriculum. And we don't have teachers. Instead, we ask participants to help each other - and because they're all working on \"cool stuff\" not \"boring stuff\" then people are usually happy to help - and maybe gain ideas, skills and expertise from the experience.\n\nWe provide a free, open access digital lab, doing all sorts of things, from computer analysis, repair and recycling to art exhibitions, workshops, peer-learning activities, enterprise incubation, social support and more. We set up this lab as a response to unemployment, urban decline and the transformation of the job market. What we've established is an innovative methodology to invest time, not money, in ICTs. This has huge potential to address worklessness and lack of opportunities. It's worth reflecting that many of our participants in Access Space experience the kind of precarity which you are investigating with Edgeryders.\n\nAccess Space has a very wide range of participation.\n* If you split them into three groups, 50 years, then those groups are roughly similar in size.\n* Roughly 1\/3 of our participants are from minority ethnic backgrounds.\n* Around 1\/3 of our participants have a university education.\n* Almost 2\/3 of our participants are unemployed, or under-employed.\n* Around 1\/5 of our participants have some form of disability or long-term illness - particularly learning difficulties, like Asperger's Syndrome (associated with high intelligence) and mental health difficulties, such as depression.\n* 1\/10 of our participants have a serious problem with housing. Either they're homeless, or they are living in insecure, or temporary accommodation.\nWe had more than 2000 people use the space in 2011, which added up to more than 12000 hours of usage. Helping and facilitating this number of people, particularly when some of them have difficulties, is a huge job.\n\nWhen it comes to funding, the significance of Access Space's budget is how small it is for the outcomes it delivers. Access Space principally sustains itself by saving money. A typical annual budget is only around \u00a3100K. We have survived by raising funds, and by saving money. We save around \u00a330000 each year by only using recycled computers and free, open source software. We have a very small core team (now usually 6, now 7 people, mostly part-time) who are on short-term contracts.\n\nOur special power with funding is the huge range of benefits that Access Space brings. We help people:\n* Make creative progress - by engaging with digital creativity.\n* Make technical progress - learning new high-tech skills.\n* Make social progress - by helping each other, and by working together, people learn crucial soft skills, and develop more useful networks.\n* Make progress with employability and enterprise. (These we see as the ultimate extension of all the types of progress people make.)\n\nThis means that we have a wide range of stakeholders. We have been funded to:\n* Increase high-tech skills for local enterprises.\n* Get people involved with the digital arts.\n* Help people become \"digitally included\".\n* Research and test new models for peer learning.\n* Develop and incubate micro-enterprises.\n* Develop high-tech skills with innovation potential.\n* Help people to become included in mainstream society, and become more employable.\n\nWhat do we want? Funding, of course! However, we are aware that models based on funding are becoming increasingly under pressure. So we have started a \"Friends\" scheme, to ask our participants, and anyone else who thinks that the free opportunities we deliver are a good thing, to contribute.\n\nBut we also need more participation by people who understand the challenge, and want to help. We want people who are interested to help us facilitate the community, build functioning social and economic networks, and experiment with how we can mobilise the talents and skills of the larger and larger number of unemployed people we encounter.\n\nWe realise now that the most valuable technology that is being discarded by our society is PEOPLE. We are seeing talented, skilled people unmobilised, and we think that this is a criminal waste. We also see deeply uninspiring, value-free jobs (like working in call centres) as the only structural answer put forward by mainstream business and industry, and we want people to work with us to develop more inspiring, creative, engaging, and socially valuable jobs as an alternative.\n\nWe need:\n* More volunteers who are interested to work with a wide range of people, and are interested to challenge social exclusion and division.\n* Enterprising people who are interested in starting their own business and can see the potential to work in a social, creative and technical context.\n* Open source software enthusiasts who want to help us spread the word. We have a number of specific software and hardware challenges which we could use help with.\n* Other spaces across Europe who would like to collaborate with us to develop a network of social, technical and creative spaces. We have contacts already, but many spaces are just \"technical and social\" or \"creative and technical\" or \"social and creative\". We are looking for groups that want to be \"technical, social, AND creative\".\n\nThis would be the gist of what we're doing with this project. If you are passionate about techs and open source software, let me know and maybe we can collaborate. Also, if your're around Sheffield and would like to visit our establishment, also drop a line; We're currently working with x volunteers, but would be happy to take you in if you're up for this!\u00a0\nFind us at:\nhttp:\/\/access-space.org\/\nhttp:\/\/www.facebook.com\/accessspace\nhttp:\/\/twitter.com\/AccessSpace\n\nFinally, to see our work in action, I leave you in the company of this video of the Recycle Mid-Weekend we organized in March last year:\n\n\u00a0\n\n\n\nNow with added pizza! - Timelapse Video of Access Space Mega Recycle Mid-Weekend, March 2011 - V2 from Richard Bolam on Vimeo.\n","creation_date":"Tue, 2012-03-13 20:54 +01:00 (Europe\/Brussels)","type":"Challenge Response","group_id":"734","user_id":"71"}}]}