The Makerspace at re:publica 2022 was on fire!

By Fadia Elgharib Comment Closed
We are humbled by the presence of all the incredible people at our Makerspace during the three days of re:publica 2022. Whether you came by to check out the Open Hardware Exhibition, made your name light up by building paper circuits, or visited us in our co-working space, your  attendance and generous contributions made the makerspace a little more special this year. Our nineteen workshops ran as planned, with eleven remarkable Speakers/Makers arriving fresh from all across the global south to tell us about their latest discoveries and creative ways to use AI and Technology to help their communities, and tens arriving from around europe. Workshops were full with people rounded up at the makerspace table to learn about what was being shared.  Makers from Brazil, Singapore, Iraq, and India, to name a few, met with their counterparts in Europe. We are always fascinated by how Global Makers simply speak the same language. It is this mix of technical knowledge combined with...
Read More
The r0g_ way or the hard way

The r0g_ way or the hard way

By Fadia Elgharib Comment Closed
  On a sunny Monday afternoon, wandering through the streets of Charlottenburg, quietly tucked away on Knobelsdorffstrasse directly near Schloss Char  lottenburg lies r0g_agency, co-directed by longtime friends of GIG, Stephen Kovats and Susanne Bellinghausen.  “open culture” is plastered on the window in bold yellow lettering that if the sun hits it directly, it reflects perfectly over the white arched walls inside, further echoing core values of r0g_: accessibility, innovation, and peacebuilding. r0g_agency works with local grassroots organizations in the Global South to support openness within a developmental context.  As we walk through the front doors, we are warmly welcomed by our hospitable host, Stephen, and their summer intern from the University of Alberta, Lisa. Looking around, the walls are decorated with various educational materials, including a mock game board highlighting the dangers of irregular migration and the struggles migrants often face.  Currently, the list of ongoing projects is somehow interconnected and related to one another. From counteracting online incitement to violence with #defyhatenow...
Read More