A Comprehensive Report on GIGweek24: Annual Uniting of Innovators and Change-Makers in Berlin

A Comprehensive Report on GIGweek24: Annual Uniting of Innovators and Change-Makers in Berlin

By Winnie Guo Comment Closed
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. GIG would like to say a huge thank you to both LEZ as the Brazilian Embassy for helping us facilitate global dialogue and change-making for a better world. This report will start by recounting this year’s re:publica. Re:publica 2024 focused on care work, keeping the use of the term in the broadest sense,...
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GIG at re:publica24 – Makerspace Sessions – Day 3

GIG at re:publica24 – Makerspace Sessions – Day 3

By Chaïma Attia Comment Closed
10:00 - 11:00Hands on Anleitung: Solar Upcycling für den BalkonSpeakers: Sebastian Müller, Wolfgang Gründinger, Elisa Naranjo11:15 - 12:15 Building Bridges: Soldering for Climate Change AwarenessSpeakers: Ousia Assiongbon Foli-Bebe, Friederike Fröbel, Adjovi Eyram Victoire TSAMEDI, Seti AFANOU, Carina Lange12:30 - 13:30Program a Lightning LED Badge Magic Display with PythonSpeakers: Mario Behling, Hong Phuc Dang, Nangi Safi13:00 - 13:30 Engaging Communities, Collecting Data and Solving ProblemsSpeakers: Mirko Ebelshaeuser, Antonio de Jesus Anaya Hernandez, Eric Nitschke13:45 - 14:45 500-Year-Old Hand-Made Fabric Painting Technique Speakers: Jaspreet Singh, Vuga William13:45 - 14:45 “Why Change needs Community” - How Communities such as Habibi.Works and the Global Innovation Gathering Strive to Create ImpactSpeakers: Mimi Hapig, Fadia Elgharib15:00 - 16:00BIOALUN - Explore Sonication in Biological Processes Speakers: Irene Agrivina, Widyaningrum16:15 - 17:15 Dynamic Auto-Updating Open Hardware Assembly Documentation Speakers: Eric Nitschke, Julian Stirling, Andreas Kahler17:30 - 18:30 Prints Charming: Handcraft Memories without Ctrl +Z - A Workshop for Analog Artistry Speakers: minneboerbl17:30 - 18:30Maker in Residence MeetupSpeakers: witness shangali, asem kamal, Joseph Orya, Leonard Shayo, JAFSIA Elisee, Fabienne...
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GIG at re:publica24 – Makerspace Sessions – Day 2

By Chaïma Attia Comment Closed
10:00 - 11:00Smart Agri-BoxSpeakers: ESSOH Cyrille, Koffi Dodji Honou10:30 - 11:05Digitizing to survive: a social technology for the revitalization of Amazonian languagesSpeakers: Ana Vilacy Galucio11:15 - 12:15 The Gray Area between Programmers and Non-Programmers (Gamification in Education using Visual Programming for Robots Making) Speakers: Nawres Arif, Hasanain Fadhil, Ayat Alderi, Manar Alhuda Al Furaijie12:30 - 13:30 Found Objects: How to Transform Wood Waste into Valuable Materials and Products with the Open Source Design ToolSpeakers: Paola Zanchetta, Iñigo Puerta Uranga12:30 - 13:30 Scaling Grassroots Innovation Speakers: Jan Ertmann, Geraldine de Bastion, Thomas Hervé Mboa Nkoudou13:45 - 14:45 Design your DIY Robot Learning KitSpeakers: HfabLab, ESSOH Cyrille, Koffi Dodji Honou15:00 - 16:00 Caring for the Fish Speakers: Cristiano Tkralzy15:00 – 16:00From Pessimism to Promise: Lessons from the Global South on Designing Inclusive TechSpeakers: Payal Arora16:15 - 17:15 Temporal Ecospheres - Fauna-inspirierte Wege aus der Zeitnot (ENG: Fauna-inspired ways out of time trouble)Speakers: Simone Engelhardt, Johannes Wirz16:15 - 17:15 Understanding the Right-to-Repair Movement in the Global North and Global SouthSpeakers: Mathew Lubari, Ugo...
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GIG at re:publica24 – Makerspace Sessions – Day 1

GIG at re:publica24 – Makerspace Sessions – Day 1

By Chaïma Attia Comment Closed
12:30 - 13:00Constructive Care Cafe (CCC) Speakers: Regina M. Sipos, Saad Chinoy, Adriana Cabrera13:45 - 14:45IoT Services by Africa and for Africa Speakers: Husna, Rahim Md Abdur, Omoy Kombe15:00 - 16:00The Open MillSpeakers: Sara Diaz Rodriguez, Zara Odu16:15 - 17:15“Prompting for Pullovers” - Experimental DIY upcycling Workshop with GenAISpeakers: Fabian Mrongowius17:30 - 19:30 Permacomputing - Technologies for Resilience and RepairSpeakers: Alistair Alexander Off-Stage - 14:00– 14:45Permaculture Living Lab - Open Source Tech Solutions for Sustainable Food Production and Every Day CareINFO: Experience sustainable food and energy production hands-on. Web will take you on a journey to explore building of off-grid, low tech solutions, such as solar powered irrigation systems to service plant ecosystems. Free explorations, daily guided tours and permaculture intro talks are waiting for youSpeakers: Mike Jensen, Nils Brock, Elektra Wagenrad, Eric Nitschke, Kersti Ruth Wissenbach, Pamela CuadrosOff-Stage - 15:00–16:00Opening of the FAROFA [Where Beach Vibes Meet Democracy Drive]INFO: FAROFA is a cozy and open space that welcomes everyone. Strike up conversations, relax on...
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Building Bridges: Exploring the Impactful Partnership Between GIG and re:publica

Building Bridges: Exploring the Impactful Partnership Between GIG and re:publica

By Chaïma Attia Comment Closed
The partnership between the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) and re:publica shows what happens when people from all over the world come together to share ideas. This relationship has turned a simple proposal into an exciting annual event that connects and inspires innovators globally. In this article, we'll explore how GIG and re:publica started working together, highlight the key moments from their events, and discuss the impact on the community. We will also recognize the supporters who keep this partnership thriving and look ahead to future projects. The Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) is a dynamic network where social and technological innovators tackle global challenges through grassroots solutions. By organizing events, workshops, and collaborative projects, GIG promotes technology, innovation, and community engagement, enabling practical solutions that make a lasting difference. During the upcoming GIGweek24 in Berlin, participants will experience a blend of connection, education, and creativity. The event will kick off with a welcoming session and quickly transition to insightful talks and interactive workshops....
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The Pulse of Global Innovation: A Closer Look at the Annual GIG Gathering

The Pulse of Global Innovation: A Closer Look at the Annual GIG Gathering

By Chaïma Attia Comment Closed
Every year, the Global Innovation Gathering (GIG) in Berlin becomes a focal point for global innovators, thinkers, and creators. Since its inception at the re:publica conference in 2013, GIG has become an essential annual event for those involved in Global South innovation, open source technologies, and community building. The Concept and Evolution of GIG The GIG, which typically coincides with the re:publica conference dates each year in Berlin, was not initially planned to be an annual event; However, the overwhelming response from the initial participants turned it into a yearly occurrence. Over the years, GIG has seen a wide range of activities, including insightful talks, workshops, and hands-on sessions in makerspaces, designed to foster collaboration and the exchange of ideas across cultures and disciplines.  How It Happens This multi-day event, taking place in the dynamic city of Berlin, features a series of workshops, discussions, and hands-on activities. It's a unique opportunity for the GIG family to come together in person, fostering connections and sharing...
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From Makers to Ministers: Suggestions for Future Policy Dialogues with Linda Bonyo and Felipe Fonseca

From Makers to Ministers: Suggestions for Future Policy Dialogues with Linda Bonyo and Felipe Fonseca

By Ann Joshua Comment Closed
Linda Bonyo and Felipe Fonseca take on the trailblazing conversation of what the future of policy looks as makers in those positions of change. They touch upon the importance of fostering open and constructive policy dialogues to achieve effective governance. This would involve engaging with various stakeholders, including citizens, experts, and interest groups, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the issues at hand and to craft well-rounded policies that address multiple perspectives.  The two speakers touch on the theme of commonalities. As Felipe explains, the diversity of commonalities is to be understood through the metaphor of the seed. The story begins in the context of the leftist government and civil society; some vacant positions within the government prompted individuals with activist backgrounds to step in and take up these roles. This experience led to a realization that they had become an integral part of the government machinery. They were well aware that their first responsibility was to caution communities against placing...
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GIG vs The World: A Panel Talk from Andrew Lamb 

GIG vs The World: A Panel Talk from Andrew Lamb 

By Ann Joshua Comment Closed
A catalyst. Often a catalyst is seen as a person or event that quickly causes change or action. The causation of a catalyst can vary, but most often or not, the result is usually positive and in the case of this talk we find that to be true. Andrew Lamb, in his talk titled "GIG vs The World," dives deep into the inner workings of becoming a catalyst and what that means for him. As we listen we find out the causation for his catalyst was burnout - typically recognized by persistent fatigue, sentiments of dissatisfaction, pessimism, and skepticism towards work-related duties'; however, such feelings toward his previous work fostered a breakthrough moment that changed the trajectory of his career and how he sees the world now.  Andrew Lamb, for 4 years, was the chief executive of engineers without borders in the UK. It started as a Student Club, and what was a charity soon evolved into something bigger. As more...
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Critical Making Mentoring Program 2022 in Review

Critical Making Mentoring Program 2022 in Review

By Melanie Chan Comment Closed
As part of the H2020-funded Critical Making project, we embarked on a series of initiatives that resulted in various interactive tools and literature tailor-made for academia, practitioners, and educators. A true gem among these initiatives was the Critical Making Mentoring Programme, a remarkable 9-month journey where makers received invaluable guidance from a group of esteemed mentors. They include Saad Chinoy, Co-Founder of SpudnikLab; Georgia Nicolau, Founder of Instituto Procomum; Bahar Kumar, Strategic Advisor at Communitere; Emilio Velis, Executive Director of Appropedia Foundation, and Aravinth Panch, Co-Director of DreamSpace Academy. We're thrilled to bring you the exciting highlights of the mentoring program and our talented mentees' inspiring experiences. Together, they explored the fundamental principles of the critical making framework in open science hardware, social innovation, and environmental sustainability. Our program welcomed 13 ambitious mentees from around the globe, including Brazil, Ecuador, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Iraq, and beyond! It was a meaningful co-learning experience where mentees gathered online to share their visions of addressing specific...
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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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