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The global Right to Repair movement advocates for the creation of legislation that makes repair options possible as well as accessible to everyone, and empowers consumers legally and practically to repair their products. It favors the promotion of a sustainable circular economy for all. Predominantly, manufacturers are creating complex products and making the repair information about their products inaccessible. This heavily discourages or even prevents consumer DIY repair. Profitability tends to be continuously prioritized over sustainability, manifesting in ways such as software obsolescence (where one has a device with software inside, however, at some point that software will no longer update, causing the device to stop working completely or stop working well). Examples such as software obsolescence show how consumers end up being forced to buy new products instead of repairing their old ones. This favoring of profit also results in a copious amount of waste being generated. During day 2 of the re:publica 2024 conference, Mathew Lubari, Ugo Vallauri, Felipe Schmidt...

GIG supported its member Felipe Fonseca to join the OSPOS for Good 2024 in New York. This is a report from the days in The Big Apple. I was recently in New York City, for two combined events about “open source”. Even typing these words right now makes me quite conscious of how this may sound somehow anachronistic these days. Not that (free and) open source software is not present in virtually everyone's lives in one way or the other. In some senses, one might even say that their widespread use makes it so that open source is now taken for granted. In that sense, free-and-open technologies – operating systems, server software, programming languages, user applications, content management platforms, and even hardware – are part of the global infrastructure. On the other hand, there is something about the current vocabulary and culture around open source that feels lacking and deserves further discussion. Two insights here are perhaps simultaneously contradictory and complementary...

Photo: Erin Olear A Week of Innovation and Collaboration 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. re:publica24: Who Cares? Photo: Stefanie Loos/re:publica This report will start by recounting this year’s re:publica 2024 focused on care work, keeping the use of the term in the broadest sense, as the topic of care can encompass many areas within society. The motto of this year’s festival, “Who...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...