Digitally Speaking

Digitally Speaking

By Theresa FendNo Comments
Digitally Speaking, the Wearable tech project for the safety of Women by Nidhi Mittal and Avik Dhupar was selected as one of the top 14 creative projects in the Distributed Design market platform award in association with Index awards! They got a chance to present their project and talk about GIG at 'We make the City' conference which was held in Amsterdam in June,2019 Read more about the project and awards here. ...
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The Optics of the Commons

The Optics of the Commons

By Theresa FendNo Comments
"The commons is what gives meaning to our existence" Kum'tum Akroá-Gamella, from the Akroá-Gamella people, state of Maranhão, northeast of Brazil. We believe that the commons, in its multiple perspectives, is an essential kaleidoscope concept for facing this historic moment of hopelessness, in Brazil and in the world. The Optics of the Commons series brings together sixteen short episodes featuring voices and ideas from young experts and activists. In the videos, they address different perspectives on living and making communities based on a diversity of studies, practices and experiences. Seen together, the approaches produce inspiring resonances. Taking inspiration from these words, the Procomum Institute invites everyone to reflect and question our ways of existing, living and building relationships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a7emZKVF4w&list=PLz53SY9iZdF55YaAXY2S-kVlpIBi4623a Watch and share! Let's talk about how together we can dream - and build- other possible futures. All videos have english subtitles. Find the full playlist here. ...
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An Update on ‘Reimagine Open’

An Update on ‘Reimagine Open’

By Victoria Wenzelmann1 Comment
Several GIG members supported Mozilla‘s Reimagine Open project by hosting Focus Groups in their hubs. Reposted from Mozilla: https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/blog/update-reimagining-open/ In March 2019, Mozilla started its project Reimagine Open to revisit the ways Mozilla practices open to imagine better futures for our digital lives. In the following months, over 20,000 people from around 160 countries answered Mozilla’s survey and four focus groups were hosted in Europe and North America. Now, we're writing with an update on our latest work: More focus groups, this time in the Global South. Our friends at the GIG Network supported Mozilla’s Reimagine Open project by hosting conversations in Brazil, Cameroon, Rwanda, and India about the state of the web. Here’s what they learned: Report from the Global Innovation Gathering “Think internet with freedom, privacy and security.” GIG supports Mozilla’s Reimagine Open project by hosting Focus Groups all around the globe. What we learned was important and galvanizing. Across the focus groups, memories of first internet encounters were generally characterized by enthusiasm, enlightenment, enchantment, empowerment...
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Contemplating the Climate Crisis in a Global Network

Contemplating the Climate Crisis in a Global Network

By Theresa FendNo Comments
In the past weeks we have been bombarded with reports about melting arctic ice or forests burning in Brazil - climate change is felt around the world. This week, September 20-27, the global climate strike organized by Fridays for Future and multiple other organizations like WWF, Amnesty, Change.org, Greenpeace, Avaaz and Extinction Rebellion is taking place, followed by Extinction Rebellion’s Worldwide Rebellion from October 7th  and onwards. Through their actions, these movements seek to bring about global, systemic change and many of our members from Brazil to India are joining.  As a global community we are especially aware how climate change is affecting the so called Global South. Reports show that countries that are least responsible for causing climate change are the ones suffering most from its effects, especially regarding food insecurity and nutrient deficiencies as is highlighted in the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.  Realities in countries vary greatly - there can be no “single” climate strategy for...
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Visiting the Cricket World Cup with 13 young cricketers from Khayelitsha,Cape Town

Visiting the Cricket World Cup with 13 young cricketers from Khayelitsha,Cape Town

By Theresa FendNo Comments
Part of my work is with the Gary Kirsten Foundation, a non-profit Sports Foundation which works in Khayelitsha, the largest township in Cape Town and one of its poorest areas. We build Cricket ecosystems with infrastructure and coaching for young players who have no other sport programmes to take part in. Starting in 2014, and without any starting capital, the Foundation committed to building one cricket facility and appointed a full-time coach. Five years later, and with sponsors and investors taking more notice all the time, the Foundation now operates from five schools in Khayelitsha and employs seven full-time coaches from the area. This year, we decided to take a team of young players to the sports’ biggest global tournament, ‘The Cricket World Cup’. At first, it seemed like an impossible dream, but after months of passport and birth certificate and Visa applications, fundraising, kit sourcing and branding and logistical planning, the GK Foundation World Cup Tour...
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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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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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iZone Hub has a new address

iZone Hub has a new address

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
We have finally found a home for iZone Hub in the city centre of Harare, Zimbabwe and we like to call it a 'makerspace' – a place where makers, innovators, creatives and small business people can become part of a community of like minded people. Our first activity was to start up a maker community through partnering with GIG hackers Cairo Hackerspace to help us learn about 3D printing. This initiative also included Design Hub Kampala. Check out the hashtag #3DAfricaTour.   #3DAfricaTour ended today, what a fantastic time! Congratulations to all who completed the workshops and are part of our new #Maker community We are sooooo excited to have what we think may be the first #3Dprinter in an innovation space in town! Let the creation begin! pic.twitter.com/K1bvV3tKB6 — iZoneHub 🇿🇼 (@iZoneHub) July 5, 2018 ...
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Building the commons and working social innovation from the bottom up

Building the commons and working social innovation from the bottom up

By Fadia ElgharibNo Comments
The year 2017 was the growth and consolidation of the Procomum Institute in Santos, on the coast of São Paulo, Brazil. We are working as a network in the construction and promotion of common goods and using citizen innovation and free culture to improve people's lives and solve local problems. Among other projects, we carried out the first edition of the LABxS Circuit  - our citizen innovation festival in which 13 ideas were selected in a public call and carried out actions to promote common goods in the Baixada Santista. The festival was marked by collective work and strengthening of citizenship. With all that we have learned, we have developed the Maral methodology so that the festival can be replicated in other territories and by other organizations. Have you considered promoting low-cost actions of citizen innovation? >> Read the full text in English at procomum.org/[…] Yes! We have a Lab The Procomum Institute has reached an agreement with a former Social Association and...
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