DreamSpace Academy won the Falling Walls Science Engagement Award

DreamSpace Academy won the Falling Walls Science Engagement Award

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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Plastic for Good

Plastic for Good

At re:publica 2019, GIG member Nidhi Mittal from India was nominated to participate in the Plastic For Good challenge organized by Distributed Design Market Platform, co-funded by Creative Europe to work with Precious Plastic in Eindhoven and beta test their new sheets & beams made out of recycled plastic and design products using their brand new version 4 machines. “The product that I had made is a portable, convertible backpack+desk along with two fellow makers, Augustin and Moritz. We explored the qualities and possibilities of beams made out of recycled plastic.” Nidhi Mittal Backpack with integrated desk made by Nidhi, Augustin and Moritz Image courtesy: Distributed design market platform Many of the things which are taken for granted in schools of developed countries such as bags, books, desks, and chairs are often considered a privilege in developing countries. Most of the schools in rural parts of India lack these basic amenities which results in kids carrying heavy books in flimsy plastic...
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Digitally Speaking

Digitally Speaking

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

"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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Climate Laboratory in Baixada Santista

Climate Laboratory in Baixada Santista

The LABxS promoted on the Global Climate Strike week a laboratory of ideas and technologies to address climate change in the Baixada Santista region in the bay area of São Paulo. Thirty participants were selected through an open call, who will work collectively to develop three prototypes aimed at building more sustainable cities. The action is a collaboration with the United Nations Museum, UN Live and the MY MARK: MY CITY initiative, and the British Council. You can follow the project through the hashtag #mymarkmycity on Procomum Institute channels on facebook and twitter. ...
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Upcoming: Tech for Good Hackathon in Singapore

Upcoming: Tech for Good Hackathon in Singapore

30 teams of young minds will take on problem statements in an attempt to prototype solutions for recognition and visibility aside from just doing good. Exemplary teams will showcase proposed solutions at the Tech For Good showcase and festival on 2nd of November in sunny Singapore. The festival will showcase team prototypes along with volunteer welfare organization partner organizations and beneficiaries, with a central hands-on event Makerspace (GiG@republica style) where EG will conduct hack-a-toy workshops along with others. Tech for Good is an innovation challenge for passionate and creative youths, 15-25 years old, to develop innovative solutions that will benefit persons with disabilities and their families/care-givers. The challenge runs from August until November where participants develop solutions through an iterative process of design thinking, culminating in a public festival of prototype showcase and workshops for PWDs. EngineeringGood is a volunteer driven charity that needs your support to continue bringing innovative low-cost accessible tech solutions and STEM-oriented hands-on hacking workshops to caregivers and persons...
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Ideas in Motion

Ideas in Motion

GIG founder Geraldine de Bastion and Annemarie Botzki, Co-Founder/CEO at Rocsun, write about innovations, open technologies and ideas like a climate solutions network as part of their reflections for the "Extinction Rebellion" movement that is currently engaged in their International Rebellion in more than 60 cities across the globe. Emission: net zero. That means a complete change of our way of life.  And yet: Nothing less than that was decided in 2015 by the Paris Climate Conference. But: Who will build this world, a world without emissions? When will we begin? And where is the plan how to reach this survival goal as quicky and fairly as possible? Courageous revisions of the global energy and economic system are necessary. Society‘s goal can no longer merely be growth and profit maximization, but must rather be ecological and social justice and stable living conditions. Radical as it may seem, this is not the first time a society has had to readjust. What helped during such social...
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An Update on ‘Reimagine Open’

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 projectReimagine 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 and...
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Contemplating the Climate Crisis in a Global Network

Contemplating the Climate Crisis in a Global Network

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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