Design & the third world
Get flash to fully experience Pearltrees
In Sudan, decades of fighting have displaced hundreds of thousands of women, men and children. Forced to abandon their land and their livelihoods, these people are doing their best to start again.
We don't throw money at a problem, we throw brains | Practical Action
Philips: Philanthropy by Design - BusinessWeek
Philips designed an improved chula stove used in rural India NAMAS BHOJANI For decades, Nirmala Shivdas Kshirsagar prepared family meals on a chula, a wood-burning oven made from mud. The stove cost little to operate, but the 45-year-old village schoolteacher paid a price: Unruly flames frequently burned Kshirsagar's hands and feet, and smoke filled her three-room home, making breathing difficult and leaving a sooty mess on the kitchen's mud-plastered walls. It's a common problem: The U.N. estimates that smoke inhalation from indoor wood stoves kills 1.6 million people worldwide each year. So when an Indian development organization last year asked if Kshirsagar wanted to try an improved chula developed in conjunction with the Amsterdam-based electronics giant, Royal Philips Electronics ( PHG ), she agreed. One year later, Kshirsagar says she loves the stove.
With more than 1.6 million people dying annually due to smoke inhalation from indoor wood burning stoves, Philips Design came up with an idea to effectively tackle the problem. This was part of ‘Philanthropy by Design’ a program which looks at promoting social empowerment through knowledge sharing, creativity and co-design. Social responsibility is climbing ever higher on many corporate agendas these days. But whereas in the past companies may have given cash donations to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), a new trend is now emerging. Known generally as strategic philanthropy, it usually involves companies applying their expertise or products in sponsorship projects targeted at local communities or specific segments of the population.
Sustainable future - Chulha stove
Frank Oudeman The Imagination Playground in New York Big, philanthropic gestures have traditionally flowed more steadily from the heart of the arts world than design. But that is changing as the industry looks outside of its normal sphere of influence to improve lives, as well as architecture and home decor, through projects ranging from cheap eyeglasses and playgrounds to fund-raisers. "The fundamentals of design are about serving everyone," says Swiss designer Yves Behar. "It's crucial to show that good design can go beyond luxury items.
Wearing a Philanthropic Heart on Their Designs - WSJ.com
Design Philanthropy : Thought Leadership : Articles : IIDA
For a growing number of designers, social issues and crises resonate beyond newspaper headlines. Concerns from unemployment to the AIDS epidemic are inspiring design philanthropists to roll up their sleeves and get to work — creating a new wave of humanitarian designers. “There’s a desire on the part of designers to address critical issues in the world,” says Bryan Bell, Founder and Executive Director of Raleigh, N.C.-based Design Corps, which provides affordable architectural and design services to low-income families and rural communities. Beyond the Tipping Point With distinguished designers and architects like Sergio Palleroni, Maurice Cox and Teddy Cruz leading the way, humanitarian design is poised to open new doors for designers — both those looking to advance the profession beyond its traditional borders and those who “simply want to make a name for themselves by doing something good,” Bell says.Hey, wait a minute! We noticed that you may be using an unsupported browser. All the basics will still work, but to get the most out of Flickr please upgrade to the latest version of Chrome , Safari , Firefox , or Internet Explorer .
philips design inspiration - stephano marzano | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Why Energy Poverty Is the Worst Kind of Poverty - TIME
I want you to try to imagine what it's like to live without electricity. It's boring, for one thing — no television, no MP3 player, no video games. And it's lonely and disconnected as well — no computer, no Internet, no mobile phone. You can read books, of course — but at night you won't have light, other than the flicker of firewood. And about that firewood — you or someone in your family had to gather it during the day, taking you away from more productive work or schooling, and in some parts of the world, exposing you to danger. That same firewood is used to cook dinner, throwing off smoke that can turn the air inside your home far more toxic than that breathed in an industrial city.
“It has been a pleasure and a wonderful experience to be involved in the Personal eMonitor project and to experience 'behind the scenes' in new medical and technological innovation, in which frog has brought humanity and solidity. Frog has brought great attention to the necessities of different stakeholders involved in the complex ecosystem, working to define a unique and coherent user experience. A system like Personal eMonitor is light and easy to wear. It can unequivocally be a valid help for all the people who, after such a distressing event, tend to resign from their customary way of life.”
Mobile Mandate | frog
A day's events at Maker Faire Africa 2009 in Accra, Ghana. Photo: Nathan Cooke Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted, for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame.
Why Maker Faire Africa is a model for economic development: Change Observer: Design Observer
This week Kenya has been hosting the Internet Governance Forum under the main theme, ” Internet as a catalyst for change: access, development, freedoms and innovation “. Well, yesterday Nairobi’s Innovation Hub hosted one of the “Fathers of the Internet”, Vinton G. Cerf for a session dubbed “ Synergestic Communities ” as well as a Fireside Chat . Vint and Bob Kahn co-designed the TCP/IP protocols and the architecture of the Internet. Vint is a thought leader on Internet related matters and is currently Google’s Chief Internet Evangelist : Cerf has worked for Google as its Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist since September 2005. [3] In this function he has become well known for his predictions on how technology will affect future society, encompassing such areas as artificial intelligence , environmentalism , the advent of IPv6 and the transformation of the television industry and its delivery model.
3 Memes on Africa's Tech Future from Internet Father, Vint Cerf | Afrinnovator
Placed under the chairpersonship of Mrs Omobola Johnson, Honourable Minister of Communication Technology of the Federal Republich of Nigeria, the 5th African Conference on FOSS and the Digital Commons (IDLELO 5), is set. The dates have also been confirmed. And the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa - FOSSFA, IDLELO international partners and the national host - the Open Source Foundation of Nigeria (OSFON) are rolling out a package to take care of all intending participants.
Home | idlelo.net
Hardware hacking is what Solomon King does in Uganda, he already makes his own robots, now he’s taking that idea a little further. He’s taking it to kids, trying to get robotics into the hands of Ugandan youth through his Fundi Bots project. ( Fundi is the word for technician). Their plan comes in three parts: a lab , school robotics clubs and robotics camps . That first item is important, a lab. A central place where the members of Fundi Bots can come in and find the relatively expensive tools, software and computers needed to make the robots and learn together. It gives a hub to their spokes of activity taking place in the schools throughout the year, a much needed “club house” for the community.