Solarpunk Visions and Makerspaces: Prototyping Narratives of Collective Futures

The Global Innovation Gathering Community Call on Solarpunk Visions and Makerspaces unfolded as a continuation of a dialogue first ignited in Berlin earlier this year. The discussion revisited questions of visibility, imagination, and shared futures within the maker movement. Led by GIG member Paweł Ngei, the session examined how storytelling can function as a prototype for social and […]

Community Call Report: Value Generation as a Driver for Sustainability

The Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) recently hosted a community call focusing on project sustainability and value generation. The session featured Miguel Chavez, a GIG member who joined the network in 2015, sharing his professional trajectory. The discussion explored achieving sustainability beyond relying solely on grants or investment, emphasising the necessity of generating value for users […]

Exploring Reciprocity as a Resource: A Recap of the Community Call

On October 1st, the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) hosted an inspiring community call centred around the transformative concept of reciprocity as a resource beyond monetary exchange. This session built on enriching discussions from the GIG Day workshops in May, continuing our journey toward alternative systems of value and support. Our guest speaker was GIG member […]

Circular Design and Environmental Education in Brazil: Cirandar

In Brazilian Portuguese, cirandar evokes the joyful act of dancing hand-in-hand in a continuous circle, guided by the rhythm of ciranda—a traditional dance rooted in community, inclusion, and shared movement. This circular motion is more than choreography; it’s a metaphor for collective harmony and the power of togetherness. Inspired by this symbolism, Cirandar is also […]

Open Hardware Solutions for Rural Water Access: A GIG Community Story

The latest Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) Community Call brought together members of the network to discuss an open-source project that directly addresses water access challenges in rural and coastal regions. The project centres on a portable, solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) system with a seven-stage filtration design. Developed through collaboration and knowledge exchange, the system is […]

Weaving Future Systems: Digital Fabrication, Biomaterials, and Traditional Knowledge in Latin America

(Spanish version below) The Global Innovation Gathering (GIG), through the Make-a-thek Community Call series supported by the EU Horizon framework, has been exploring how making culture can be embedded in libraries through fashion and extended into global contexts. The latest session focused on Latin America, highlighting sustainable practices at the intersection of digital fabrication, biomaterials, […]

Bridging Tradition and Innovation: A Glimpse into Sustainable Fashion with Make-a-thek Community Calls

The Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) recently hosted another insightful session as part of its Make-a-thek Community Calls, a series integral to the EU Horizon project “MAKE-a-thek”. This ambitious project aims to build and activate maker spaces within Europe’s library network, with a dedicated focus on sustainable fashion. These maker spaces are envisioned as vibrant community […]

OAXIN Brings Community-Driven Innovation to Life at IDDS Ayuujk 2025 in Oaxaca, Mexico

Centro Oaxaqueño de Innovación (OAXIN), a Global Innovation Gathering Hub Member, is advancing community-driven design in Oaxaca through the International Development Design Summit (IDDS) Ayuujk 2025 in Santa María Tlahuitoltepec. This article outlines OAXIN’s approach, the summit’s scope, the projects under development, and the concrete ways supporters can enable continuity and implementation. Who is OAXIN? […]

Heritage Crafts and Sustainable Futures: Great learnings from the Community Call

The recent community call convened by Global Innovation Gathering as part of the make-a-thek project examined the relationship between heritage crafts, sustainability, and circularity across diverse contexts. The conversation centred on the work of practitioners in Ukraine and Iraq and explored the intersection of crafts with community identity, economic development, and mental health. It was […]

Community Call: the LibreWater Prototype Replication in Iraq

The Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) convened a community call to examine the outcomes of the LibreWater prototype replication in Basra, Iraq, supported by the Roddenberry Fund. The session aimed to analyse the technological and collaborative dimensions of transferring an open-source solar-powered desalination device from design and laboratory testing to field conditions in Iraq, within the […]