Imagine a Radically Transparent and Traceable Government by TOKEN [EU] // CONVERSATION

, ,

Imagine a society where government operations are totally transparent and processes traceable. Distributed Ledger Technology  (DLT), such as blockchain, is scaling upwards in public administration and is claimed to offer new radical possibilities to increase transparency and efficiency, while decreasing bureaucracy in public operations.

Will we have the ability to identify and monitor all the information and events associated with public policies? How would it affect people, governments and civil servants or institutional trust in the societies? During the conversation we will explore the possibilities, challenges and risks of transparency and traceability in public governance. 

The impact of transparency is tested through four experiments run by the TOKEN project, where public organisations are implementing DLT-based solutions in their services such as public grant distribution, mobility, smart city services and public procurement. 

Launched in January 2020, TOKEN – Transformative Impact of Blockchain Technologies in Public Services – is an EU funded project whose ultimate goal is to develop an experimental ecosystem to enable the adoption of Distributed Ledger Technology and to prove its value, via highly replicable Use Cases, as a driver for the transformation of public services. TOKEN has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Grant Agreement No. 825268. 

 

Twitter handle: @TOKEN_EU
Website: token-project.eu

Related Untitled Agenda Theme: Reimagining power

 

Image: TOKEN, token-project.eu

/1 Comment/by

Reimagine Data Ownership by TOKEN [EU] // CONVERSATION

, , ,

This conversation reimagines models of data ownership: Who has a say on how data is used, collected and made available for others to use? For citizens, companies and NGOs alike, how can we ensure that the data produced by them and about themselves is used in a way that they desire? And what are the consequences of moving away from extractivist data practices, towards an era of data agency?

Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and the immutability of the transactions they record offer one possible tool to move forwards: models of data ownership and especially the effects of transparency are explored in four experiments run by Token project, where public organisations are implementing DLT-based solutions in their services such as public grant distribution, mobility, smart city services and public procurement. 

Launched in January 2020, TOKEN (Transformative Impact Of BlocKchain tEchnologies iN Public Services) is an EU funded project. Its ultimate goal is to develop an experimental ecosystem enabling the adoption of Distributed Ledger Technology and to prove its value as a driver for the transformation of public services, via highly replicable Use Cases. TOKEN has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Grant Agreement No. 825268. 

Twitter handle: @TOKEN_EU
Website: token-project.eu

Related Untitled Agenda Theme: Reimagining power, Reimagining the contract

 

Image: TOKEN, token-project.eu

/0 Comments/by

Ancient wisdom as a way of reimagining the future by Hajira Qazi [US] // CONVERSATION

, ,

The story of the Evolution of Man involves a forever-forward march towards progress, which inherently implies the abandonment of a less-enlightened past. We are made to believe that the only way is the one forward, and that those who cling to traditions are less-evolved: developing, still in progress, in need of guidance and aid. In this story all other ways of knowing, being, and thinking are marginalized and disregarded as irrelevant and as having nothing to offer to modern, industrialized societies walking through the path forward.

On the other hand we see how colonization, limitless growth, and industrialization have wreaked havoc on our planet and our societies. Instead of a utopia, we are experiencing an increase in natural disasters, violence and political unrest, loneliness and depression. We need another way ahead, one that is open to exploring alternative ways of knowing, being, and thinking.

Undoubtedly, innovative ways of addressing these global problems are needed. But perhaps insights may also be gained by looking at our abandoned past.
What can we learn from civilizations that respect and lived in symbiosis with nature?
What can be replicated of a world without borders, which witnessed a free and fair exchange of resources, ideas, and people?
How might we recenter our cities and societies around that which is held sacred, as ancient people did, rather than on profit, progress, and consumption?
What does it mean to be a human who carries the wisdom of millennia, rather than one who is constantly re-inventing anew?
These are ideas we will discuss and explore together in order to arrive at more concrete ideas about how ancient wisdom can inform our visions for the future.

Hajira Qazi is a PhD Researcher in Transition Design at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA. Her research is centered on how conceptions of the Sacred can inform an alternative worldview that moves away from the consumeristic aspects traditionally associated with design towards design that Fosters resilient and Cohesive societies. Past work and research interests include participatory design, decolonization, and design for political change.

 

Twitter handle: @arijah_q
Website: maymoon-design.com

Related Untitled Agenda Theme: Reimagining human

 

Photo: Hajira Qazi (c)

/0 Comments/by

Reimagining Our Roles in the Fight for Tomorrow by Reboot [US] // CONVERSATION

, ,

The multiple, overlapping crises of 2020 have magnified the deep fractures at the heart of our social and political orders, both within countries and across borders. There are now countless working groups, task forces, and commissions to “build back better” and to reimagine our world anew. But the truth is these efforts are led by those who least understand the pain of injustice and the trauma of broken systems. To reimagine our world, we must center the voices and imaginations of those who have long suffered. This requires those with power to reckon with their privilege, and to understand their complicity in sustaining this broken world. Only by doing that can we help right historical wrongs and realize a future where all can thrive. 

Understanding the fights we should fight and the roles we should play requires understanding the elements that comprise our identity (personal and professional) — and how they are constructed or sustained within structures of oppression. This is deep, personal, searching work, and it’s not easy.

But in this session we will create a safe space to do this together, and will respect wherever you are in the process. So whether you want to actively participate, or just to listen, we welcome you and celebrate your willingness to do this work. 

This conversation is for anyone invested in a future where all humans can lead dignified, joyous lives, and especially recommended for those in positions to shape our world—from the hyperlocal to the transnational levels. We are in a period of righteous reckoning, and the tensions playing out in 2020 will only continue to grow in momentum. Those with privilege must be true allies and accomplices in revolutionary transformation. 

Panthea Lee is the Executive Director of Reboot. She is passionate about driving unlikely collaborations between communities, activists, movements, and institutions to tackle structural inequity—and working with cultural institutions to build momentum for courageous change.

Panthea has led multi-stakeholder processes to tackle social challenges in 30+ countries. Her work has been featured in Al Jazeera, The Atlantic, New York Times, MIT Innovations Journal, Stanford Social Innovation Review. She serves on the boards of Development Gateway and People Powered: The Global Hub for Participatory Democracy. 

 

Twitter handles: @PantheaLee @theReboot
Website: www.reboot.org

Related Untitled Agenda Theme: Reimagining power

 

Photo: Panthea Lee, reboot.org

/0 Comments/by

Reimagining Sustainable Living by Hanne Österberg [NL] // CONVERSATION

, , ,

The conversation hosted by Hanne Österberg will reimagine innovation, focusing on services that enable individual choices when it comes to smart, sustainable and healthy homes and lifestyles.

Energy efficient buildings are at the center of major policy plans all over the world. How can private companies foster a transition towards more environmentally friendly technologies for our houses? And how can we begin to shift discourse from solely sustainable housing to sustainable living? At the end of this session, participants would have used known facts and figures to identify gaps and build a mindmap of solutions and ideas.

During this ongoing global pandemic, people are evidently placing higher values ​​on health wellbeing over financial profit. We are all in a unique moment in history to reflect on how sustainable our lifestyles are.

Hanne Österberg, Exploration Lead at the Chief Innovation Office of the ING Bank in the Netherlands, is a design management professional with 15 years of experience from both the consultancy and the client side.

Hanne’s reflections concern public awareness towards practical ways of sustainable living. She asks herself what her company, active in this sector, can do to motivate people to make changes in their houses to become more energy efficient. She realizes that the private sector, along with the government and individual citizens, have a role in successfully carrying out this transition. Given her role within a private institution engaged in this sector, Hanne acknowledges the role private actors have in fostering awareness among citizens on this topic.

 

Related Untitled Agenda themes : Reimagining climate, Reimagining economy, Reimagining cities

Photo: Hanne Österberg, linkedin.com/in/hanneosterberg

/0 Comments/by

Re-imagining an Anti-Racist World by Fred Brown [US] // CONVERSATION

, , ,

As the world becomes more interconnected than ever, slow adopters of collaborative problem-solving techniques run the risk of being left behind. By 2050, seventy percent of the world’s population will live in an urban corridor. With the confluence of population growth and the desire to live in urban corridors, there is an increased risk for vulnerable populations with the need for new, rapid development to accommodate growing communities. These populations can be supported by centering equity in the work.

Implementing an Equity Framework necessitates the understanding of equity, the practice of institutional assessment and the intention to address structural inequities because of systemic racism.

  • Equity means fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all people. It requires the purposeful identification and elimination of barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups.
  • Institutional Racial Equity assessments tease out tangible practices demonstrating adherence to principles and behaviors which foster systemic shifts in organizational culture. These lead to the cultivation of cross functional teams that outperform homogeneous ones.
  • Structural Racism is a system of beliefs and practices that, through omission or commission, move people to perpetuate damages against marginalized groups whether or not they intend to. Its foundation consists of social, economic, and political paradigms that require systemic thrusts to move institutions from optimization to cultivation of ecosystems, with human beings at the center.

The proposed ecosystems model seeks to promote racial equity analysis through the creation of new experiences within institutions, leaders, managers, staff, and customers. These would lead changes through innovation and producing viable wireframes that are agile and iterative. We believe that fostering ecosystems will lead to a shift from traditional systems to change models to co-designed models based on a Human Centered Design approach. Organizational and institutional leadership should be particularly involved in experimenting with this idea of ​​re-creating an anti-racist world.

Fred W. Brown Jr. is President & CEO of The Forbes Funds [TFF], a philanthropic organization focused in strengthening the management capacity and impact of community non-profits in the Pittsburgh area. The Forbes Funds (TFF) has a 35 year history of advancing well-being by helping human services and community-based non-profits build their management capacity, increasing the impact of their mission work.

In 2020, The Forbes Funds’ board approved a racial justice equity framework for all of TFF’s work. This framework includes investing in diverse leadership, increasing the capacity of minority-led organizations, and developing scenario planning and collaborative capacity of organizations within the region. Since the onset of COVID-19, TFF has held nearly 1,000 virtual meetings and engaged nearly 11,000 individuals in the region and across the state, Nation, and globe.

 

Twitter handle: @FredBrownPgh   @TheForbesFunds
Website:  https://forbesfunds.org/

Related UNTITLED Agenda Theme: REIMAGINING human, REIMAGINING power

 

Photo: Fred W. Brown Jr., twitter.com/fredbrownpgh

/0 Comments/by

Ontological Politics

, , ,
Any social or political envisioning is constrained by an invisible frame: by the implicit values and views on which it is created, most importantly its view of the nature of human beings.

A big vision begins with a vision for the “Being” of human beings. We need to go back to basics if we are to rediscover our imagination and create possibility for ourselves and our societies. Any social or political envisioning is constrained by an invisible frame: by the implicit values and views on which it is created, most importantly its view of the nature of human beings. For example, much of modern economic and political thought rests on the assumption that you or I know what we want (think markets, democracy etc). However, most wisdom traditions teach us that discovering what we want is actually very hard and takes deep practice and reflection.

In this session, participants will enquire into the nature of “Being” for human beings and how this would translate into a big vision for humanity and a new framework for progress. A mixture of play, embodiment and reason will be used in this workshop like session.

The session is led Sylvie Barbier and Rufus Pollock, the co-founders of Life Itself. Sylvie Barbier is a performance artist, entrepreneur and educator who loves to create powerful embodied experiences.  Her life ambition is to become a witch! Rufus Pollock is a researcher, technologist and entrepreneur. He has been a pioneer in the global Open Data movement. He is the founder of Open Knowledge. Formerly, he was Shuttleworth Fellow and Mead Fellow in Economics at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge and is currently an Ashoka Fellow and Fellow of the RSA. (Bio source: Life Itself)

Website: Life Itself
Twitter: @forlifeitself @rufuspollock

Related Untitled Agenda Theme:  Reimagining human     

 

/0 Comments/by

Dichotomies at the Border of Fiction by Gabriella Gómez-Mont [MX] // CONVERSATION

, ,

Who are we as the world around us changes? At the intersection of our subjective lives and our collective worlds lie profound dichotomies. And at the threshold of aesthetics and science, culture and politics, symbolic infrastructures versus solid urban forms there are still a host of territories to explore as well. All in a continuous yet contested relationship; traveling beyond that fragile, stubborn and siloing quality of language, concepts, fields, disciplines, bordered cities, individual bodies. But what possibilities can be found in the gaps, in that in-between, often turbulent and symbiotic territory where our truths and our fantasies clash and merge? At the border of fiction…

At one end lies fake news, alternate facts, profound and systemic biases, a human mass without individual agency. At the other end lies a more malleable reality, entangling us in invisible, unique and mysterious ways – in ways that once perceived and interiorized might allow us become more imaginative in how we live with each other, how we belong to each other.

Join the session with Gabriella Gómez-Mont, the former Chief Creative Officer of Mexico City, where she founded and directed Laboratorio para la Ciudad (‘Laboratory of the City’) the experimental and creative think tank for the Mexico City government, reporting to the Mayor. She has also worked as a journalist, documentary filmmaker, visual artist and experimental curator.  She is now in the process of launching Experimentalista: a novel type of urban+creative studio, already working with several Mayors, cities and organizations across the world.

Related Untitled Agenda Themes:  REIMAGINING human     

Featured Image: Gabriella Gomez-Mont at TEDGlobal 2013 in Edinburgh, Scotland. June 12-15, 2013. Photo: James Duncan Davidson
Image: Gabriella Gómez-Mont, live.worldbank.org

/0 Comments/by

Contact us

untitled@untitled.community