SCoPE Recycling in Lomé, Togo, Has Been Awarded the Ez-Klein Projektfonds by NSB

SCoPE Recycling in Lomé, Togo, Has Been Awarded the Ez-Klein Projektfonds by NSB

By Fadia Elgharib Comment Closed
Another collaboration is celebrated between GIG and its Hub Member, WoeLab, based in Lomé, Togo. As part of the GIG partnership with NSB North South Bridges Foundation - through submitting a joint proposal with WoeLab, to fund a new cycle of the SCoPE recycling project. SCoPE's goal is to create a circular plastic life cycle for the waste dumped in WoeLab's Neighbourhood by mobilizing the community to collect, sort, shred, and sell it as raw material for recycling companies. It also aims to co-create meaningful objects using part of the collected plastic and reintegrate it for new uses by the local community. Check the sCoPE Playlist! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjM7DW_c8eU&list=UULFZMfKimZ4qtXNUIo60Llf_w&index=2  SCoPE has run two pilots since 2020, and this iteration aims to integrate the building of Precious Plastic Machines and teaching the community how to use these machines to create meaningful products, some of which can be integrated into the lab’s circular economy system.  The idea of the project came from the simple observation that Lomé produces...
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The Makerspace at re:publica 2022 was on fire!

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...
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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...
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DreamSpace Academy won the Falling Walls Science Engagement Award

DreamSpace Academy won the Falling Walls Science Engagement Award

By Fadia Elgharib1 Comment
On Friday last week, DreamSpace Academy won the Falling Walls Science Engagement award of the year, among 81 applications from 44 countries. Falling Walls Engage is one of the largest international platforms for all forms of science engagement, co-organised by Falling Walls Foundation, Robert Bosch Stiftung, Helmholtz Association, Federal Ministry of Education and Research and many universities around the world. DreamSpace Academy is a community innovation center that tackles socio-economic and environmental challenges using project-based learning. Our mission is to empower creative minds through Maker Education, to create innovative local solutions using Open Innovation, and ultimately leading them to become successful Social Entrepreneurs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B17rJ07Ljs4 The winner of this year‘s @Falling_Walls Engage conference is „DreamSpace Academy“ from Sri Lanka! The project provides workshops for children and teenagers, encouraging them to deal with social and ecological issues using science. https://t.co/Ewl8uQ16eW #FallingWalls19 pic.twitter.com/JjYUncvr4x— RobertBosch Stiftung (@BoschStiftung) November 8, 2019 Press coverage Nov 8, 2019 – Falling Walls Engage: Award for the best project in science communication (German),...
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African Digital Economy

African Digital Economy

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
Ampion and Plutos Ventures launch new venture for Africa-focused start-ups Focus of the new venture – on site development of digital business models Call for Applications from founders and start-ups with an Africa focus start now! Nairobi & Berlin, 12.03.19 - Africa-focused Ampion and Berlin-based Plutos Ventures Holding today announced the founding of Ampion Ventures. The goal of the new project is to build scalable digital business models in selected African countries by providing seed capital and strategic expertise support. Plutos Venture provides continuous and open-ended funding to Ampion Ventures. Ampion Ventures is led by Fabian-Carlos Guhl, founder of the non-profit organization Ampion.org. Guhl has been working for years on the African continent with founders and early-stage start-ups. Through his very successful start-up bus, with which he has travelled through more than 16 African countries and coached and supported founders in the development of digital business models, Guhl has been able to build up a large network of founders and start-ups in different African countries. Together with Plutos, Ampion is now taking the next logical step to...
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Malian in Diaspora of the Year 2018

Malian in Diaspora of the Year 2018

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
On January 26, Youssouf Simbo Diakite, founder and CEO at African Diaspora Youth Forum in Europe (ADYFE) was awarded the Mali Entrepreneurship and Engagement Award in the category Malian in Diaspora of the Year 2018 – Best Achievement. Watch the ortm.ml news itemDownload Watch Youssouf Simbo Diakite interviewDownload Read more at maliactu.net/mali-4eme-edition-de-la-nuit-de-lentrepreneuriat-promouvoir-la-creation-demploi/ (French). In December 2018, Youssouf and his team at ADYFE organized the high-level forum 'Accelerated Africa Conference 2018 – from Entrepreneur to CEO: Channeling the power of the Diaspora : ...
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4 years #defyhatenow

4 years #defyhatenow

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
Over the past four years #defyhatenow and its partners has strengthened the voices of civil society actors and helped building capacities to mitigate hate speech amongst South Sudanese civil society organisations. The project pursues and encourages collaboration with local civil society actors including diaspora groups, international organisations such as the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Uganda and UNMISS in South Sudan and created a network and an agenda against hate speech. Initiated in 2014 in response to the South Sudan political and civil crisis, the project #defyhatenow was designed to develop counter strategies in collaboration with local civil society organizations. Founded as a community peacebuilding, training and conflict reconciliation effort, the project intended to strengthen the voices and actions of youth-oriented civil society organizations while including South Sudanese diaspora communities in online and offline community building efforts. We are currently developing strategies and proposals to continue our work on peace building in South Sudan and other parts of the world. Contact us...
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Is Peace a Commons?

Is Peace a Commons?

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
Instituto Procomum launches a magazine with reports and reflections about the role of citizen innovation labs for peace, based on concrete experiences in post-conflict Colombia. Between February 13th and 25th of 2018, the Laboratory of Citizen Innovation for Peace in Colombia #LABICxlaPAZ prototyped ten citizenship projects (chosen by a public call, with proponents and collaborators from all Ibero-America), promoting Peace and improving people's lives after the agreement between the FARCs and the government of the country. The event was held in Pasto, Nariño, in the south of the country, the most affected region by armed conflicts. Instituto Procomum was one of the co-organizers of the event and part of the team participated as mentors and collaborators developing the projects, besides helding a workshop about the commons (the lens of the commons, a workshop prototyped by Instituto Procomum) From the experiences lived in #LABICxlaPAZ, Instituto Procomum published Peace and Commons - Reflections of a Laboratory of Citizen Innovation (LABIC). The magazine...
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Low Tech Humanitarian Innovation Project in Greece (planning phase)

Low Tech Humanitarian Innovation Project in Greece (planning phase)

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
I am planning a humanitarian innovation project in Greece with Field Ready and Soup & Socks (Habibi Workspace) starting in July. I am looking for contacts, networking opportunities, funding prospects and like-minded individuals who want to join. The short term goal is to build a lot of humanitarian items for refugees and poor people. While the mid-term goal is to build a sustainable presence for all the partnering organizations within Greece through a well funded humanitarian project. Find out more about me and our work in this Dropbox and here is a short video of our work in Jordan: If you have questions or would like to join the effort, kindly contact me at [email protected] ...
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