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A Week of Innovation and Collaboration
GIGweek24 consisted of a series of events: attending the 3-day re:publica Berlin 2024 conference, a Community Day of touring various maker and hackerspaces in Berlin, as well as participating in the 2-day conference hosted by GIG called “The Power of Networks”. This report provides a comprehensive breakdown of the entire GIGweek24. It will detail the critical and collaborative discussions that took place during the numerous workshop sessions throughout the week.
GIG is beyond grateful for the support from the Landesstelle für Entwicklungszusammenarbeit (aka LEZ, or the State Office for Development Cooperation in English) as well as the Brazilian Embassy. Their support largely contributed to the success of GIGweek24.
re:publica24: Who Cares?
This report will start by recounting this year’s re:publica 2024 focused on care work, keeping the use of the term in the broadest sense, as the topic of care can encompass many areas within society. The motto of this year’s festival, “Who Cares?”, aimed to serve a multidimensional purpose. “Who Cares?” first highlights the increasing need for care in different areas of the world. Many parts of the world are affected by crises such as ongoing conflicts and climate disasters. The lives of many have been permanently altered because of these ongoing crises, and they require the care of others.
Furthermore, “Who Cares?” extends beyond the physical world into our digital world. It sheds light on how we have made ourselves increasingly dependent on a small number of companies who have the power to significantly impact our lives with their decisions. With these issues in mind, re:publica24 offered a platform for new perspectives and the generation of new discourse on how to respond to the crises we are facing. Multidimensional answers, provided by people who care, are required. We saw this happen throughout re:publica24, especially in the Makerspace.
Makerspace at re:publica: A Hub for Creativity
The Makerspace at re:publica, curated and coordinated by the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG), has been a creative meeting point since 2014. Over the course of the 3-day conference, 20 sessions took place in this inclusive space, covering a wide range of topics.
Highlights included Dodji Honou’s presentation of the “Smart Agri-Box”, a technological prototype designed to simplify sustainable agriculture management, and Nawres Arif and Hasanain Fadhil’s session on gamification in education, where participants learned to build a low-scale industrial robotic arm.
In addition to the Makerspace sessions, GIG members led five meetup sessions, three conference sessions, and two offstage discussions, all contributing to the dynamic exchange of knowledge and ideas.
GIG Community Day: Exploring Berlin’s Maker and Hackerspaces
After wrapping up re:publica24, GIGweek participants embarked on a journey of exploring various makerspaces in Berlin, during the GIG Community Day. Some of the makerspaces visited were JungenTuftler and HILO studio.
During these visits, participants engaged in brief presentations by members of the respective spaces, followed by tours and collaborative discussions, further fostering creative exchange and community building.
The Power of Networks Conference: Harnessing Global Connectivity
After GIG’s Community Day, GIG’s 2-day weekend conference took place. The theme of this year’s GIGweek conference was “The Power of Networks”, a theme of significant importance as our world grows increasingly interconnected. Networks can impact various social, economic, and technological advancements.
GIGweek24 was all about building strong network connections across different professional, creative, and global networks as we hosted individuals from various backgrounds from all over the world. During the two days of various workshops, roundtables, and presentations, participants collectively discussed the potential and importance of networks in their ability to impact various communities and the different ways one could use them to bring forth change.
Day 1 Highlights: Workshops and Roundtable Discussions
Day 1 of GIGweek24 kicked off with the executive board members Geraldine de Bastion, Sandra Mamitzsch, and Ricardo Ruiz offering a warm welcoming session by explaining the history and purpose of GIG. Participants then went by in a roundtable format, introducing themselves. The diversity of background, lived experiences, and culture became highly evident during the introductions. Individuals from countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Brazil, and all over Europe gathered in Berlin hoping to bring forth meaningful change in the world. The workshops that followed included a variety of topics:
- The Power of Networks: This workshop explored how networks, especially hyper-local and hyper-global ones, can be connected to amplify opportunities and drive change.
- Knowledge Sharing Platforms: Led by Jaspreet Singh, this session explored methods for spreading education without the internet, using small gadgets and collaborative brainstorming.
- HUBiquitous: Core team members shared insights on the HUBiquitous TechHub Catalyst Program, which offers IoT solutions across Africa, focusing on agricultural applications. Participants from various countries shared their success stories and challenges.
- Sustainable Making Principles: Participants brainstormed how open-source hardware and maker projects could address climate change, highlighting the importance of collaborative innovation for sustainability.
- Way Beyond ChatGPT: Led by Adriano Belisario, this session introduced participants to open-source AI models that are task-specific, customizable, and capable of running on personal servers, offering an alternative to mainstream AI platforms.
Day 2 Highlights: More Workshops and the General Assembly
The second day of the conference featured another round of workshops covering diverse topics:
- Training of Trainers (mAKE): Led by Dodji Honou, this session introduced the Open Makerspace Toolkit, designed to help establish and manage makerspaces globally.
- Collective Collegia: Irene Agrivina’s session showcased Indonesian art collectives as drivers of innovation and social development.
- AI in Grassroots Innovation: Part of a joint research project, this session focused on understanding AI’s role in grassroots innovation in the Global South.
- Makers-in-Residency Presentations: African makers participating in the residency program shared insights into their innovative projects.
The day ended with GIG’s General Assembly, where members reviewed the past year’s activities and voted on key issues, including a new focus on climate protection through digital-sustainable transformation.
Key Insights from the Power of Networks Conference
Throughout the conference, participants emphasized the critical role of networks in fostering collaboration, innovation, and social change. During the Power of Networks session, participants emphasized that building a community is a collective struggle, a necessary process to create networks so individuals can communicate and support each other. Many worldwide initiatives, such as the Culture Hotspots network in Brazil, showcased the potential of networks to impact communities.
Throughout the various sessions, including HUBiquitous, Sustainable Making Principles, and Way Beyond ChatGPT, participants brainstormed innovative solutions to current global challenges, from agriculture to climate resilience and AI. These discussions offered invaluable insights into how networks could amplify opportunities and build stronger connections across the globe.
Wrapping Up GIGweek24: A Celebration of Global Innovation
GIGweek24 Day 1 concluded with a final evening gathering at C-Base, one of the first hackerspaces in the world. Participants enjoyed a tour of the space followed by a casual pizza dinner, sharing their last reflections on the week’s events and celebrating the connections made.
On Day 2, participants gathered for a lovely dinner at MOOS, enjoying French cuisine while engaging in lively conversations, further strengthening the bonds formed throughout GIGweek24. This event marked the end of a successful week of global collaboration, innovation, and networking.
This event was kindly supported by:
