12. Ahmedabad, India_Satvik, traditional food festival The traditional food festival to stimulate demand of local crops and their varieties from dry regions, generate market based incentives for their conservation, encourage the revival and/or creation commercial activities with various organizations, farmers’ collective and individual
13. Sao Paulo, Brazil_ Hitchhike solidarity network … Student car-pooling initiative allowing to share the gas expenses, reduces air pollution and traffic congestion and make new social connections.
15. Masiphulisane A Community Development Centre hosting multiple initiatives from emergency support to daily living solutions playing the role of a real scale demonstrator of best practices in the township. Reconstructing daily life? Demonstrating sustainable ways of living Connecting multiple initiatives
16. Cape Care Route An initiative of the city of Cape Town promoting among tour operators visits for tourists of a selections of most promising social innovations in western Cape. Discovering social innovation? Visiting social initiatives Pulling together sustainable solutions Meeting active communities
20. Food purchase group_Milan Milan… GAS Solidarity Purchasing Group… Group of people following fair trade and solidarity guidelines for their purchasing and all their daily household economy…
23. Everyday life problems... Creative communities solve problems of the emerging middle class or those of the poorest part of the society. In both the cases, they propose positive visions on new ways of living. Creative communities are not solving particularly dramatic problems.
24. Elective communities... Creative communities are a new kind of communities: they are communities “by choice”. They can be rooted in traditional social organisations, but they are renewed in the contemporary context. Creative communities are not traditional communities.
25. Based on r eciprocity... Community members do something for somebody else (and for the community) and expect that the others (and the community) will do something for them. Creative communities are not driven by charitable intentions.
26. Promising in them of sustainability... Creative communities trigger social innovation promising in terms of sustainability. In fact, by solving everyday life problems collaboratively, they propose and put in practice ways of living which have a positive social impact and, generally speaking, a reduced environmental footprint. But not all cases of social innovation represents potential leapfrogging towards sustainable ways of living: a systematic check of potential should be made... rag-picker
28. Improve visibility and access… Creative Communities are generally showing a great level of involvement and dedication and the solutions they generate tends to be invisible outside the community. Supporting their dissemination suppose to increase their visibility and accessibility to larger shares of the population keeping relational qualities on which they are based and possibly reinforcing their sustainability potential...
29. Support dissemination… Most of the solutions generated by Creative Communities are intrinsically linked to small scale and direct personal interactions. Up-scaling them means to multiply them keeping their initial size and characteristics...
30. Inspire collaborative services… Facilitate access for a larger share of the population while keeping the relational qualities that constitute their essence and beauty... Devices for car-pooling and alternative mobility…
31. Inspire collaborative services… Facilitate access for a larger share of the population while keeping the relational qualities that constitute their essence and beauty... Micro-leasing facilities for domestic equipments…
INNOVATION CLÉ Il s’agit d’un endroit où l’on peut acheter des paniers bios provenant d’une agriculture locale. FONCTIONNEMENT L’idée est de se regrouper, de manière à faire une commande groupée à un agriculteur proche et ainsi accéder à des produits garantis bio tout en ne déboursant pas plus qu’au supermarché du coin. Ainsi chaque semaine, le mercredi plus précisément, une vingtaine de “gaceurs” (prononcer “gaqueur”) se réunissent pour passer commande pour la semaine suivante et enlever la commande du jour. Ils se partagent les différentes tâches de logistique à tour de rôle. Les produits disponibles sont repartit en paniers légumes (poireaux, potirons, choux, épinards, carottes, cresson, …) ou fruit (pomme, poire et venant du commerce équitable). Chaque client recevant le même panier, mais changeant chaque semaine (il y a du pain aussi). CONTEXTE Des habitants du quartier F. Cocq à Ixelles suite à la dégradation du quartier on décidé de se regrouper en un comité, afin de se retrouver pour discuter, organiser des activités, essayer d’améliorer leur quotidien. Suite à une montée en puissance de la malbouffe, le groupe était désireux de susciter une réflexion sur la consommation, les circuits de distribution des produits alimentaires de base, les multinationales agro-alimentaires, les OGM, etc. Et proposer une alternative concrète de distribution en “circuit court” et en autogestion de produits d’alimentation biologiques. L’idée était de mettre l’alimentation biologique à la portée de toutes les bourses et de donner aux citadins un accès facile aux produits de la ferme tout en soutenant les petits producteurs biologiques artisanaux locaux.
Solution Café Zoïde is a combination of a neighbourhood workshop and a café, independent from the school system but providing educational yet liberating surroundings for children. The scheme offers a playground for families, art courses and exhibitions, help for foreign parents and children, a café based on exchange and participation, and a library of information. It is also a dynamic and convivial influence on the neighbourhood. Background A group of people decided to create a warm place to go in the winter, where young people could meet and play. They also formed an artists’ studio, where they exhibit and promote young people’s work, and a place where families can meet and interact. Building a café focusing on a specific target audience, in this case children, is an easy and positive thing to replicate elsewhere – all it needs is a well-functioning team of people that concentrate on the specific needs of the customers. And, of course, giving children of all ages a place where they can play, learn and grow as individuals is always positive and would benefit any community.
People over 60 raise vegetables and fruit in town, spend time together, and enjoy the open air. Solution Vegetable Gardens is a service provided by a consortium of six local authorities around the Parco Nord park in the Milanese suburbs. Under the Vegetable Gardens participants can rent an allotment very close to residential areas to grow their own fruit and vegetables. The service is open to pensioners, housewives or the unemployed over 60, and gives them the chance to socialise and enjoy outdoor activities. Users can grow whatever they wish, but have to maintain their part of the garden and look after common spaces. Once in a while they are asked to participate to meetings and training seminars. Rent, on a six-year renewable contract, includes a storage chest, concrete tiles for paths, water, and disposal of non-compostable waste.
A self-organized association in community providing all kinds of services to the community residents mainly. Service idea: The members of the Old Age Association use their various skills to serve the residents in the community and teach two primary schools’ students around. Function addressed: “ WENXINSHE” includes some groups such as serve team, patrol team, calligraphy and painting team, Yangko team and riding team, etc. They organized the residents to learn the calligraphy and painting, to do some physical exercises. And they also teach courses in near primary schools. Summary of the initiative: With the growth of the Chinese city, more and more people leave the one-storey house and move into the apartment. The initial relationship among neighbours is becoming worse and worse. The residents living in the FENGJINGYA community would not like to see this phenomenon happen in their own community. So some of the residents of this community (most of them are old age people) set up the Old Age Association. It is now become the bond among the residents. They advocate keep watch and help other people, living in a harmonious community. Creative community, why? Firstly, the Old Age Association is a self-organized association. The original founders are the old age people living in the community. The members of the Old Age Association have various skills, such as mending the electric equipments, massaging (serve skills); calligraphy, Chinese painting and playing harmonica (cultural skills); Chinese Gong Fu, Yang Ko and making kites (custumal skills). They use all these skills to serve the residents and build the bridge of the communication among the neighbours. They enhance and improve the relationship among residents. Gradually, they build their community as a harmonious community.
The traditional food festival, Satvik is organized by SRISTI in collaboration with GIAN, NIF, and IIMA to stimulate demand of local crops and their varieties from dry regions so as to generate market based incentives for their conservation. Recipe competitions are organized among women for encouraging the revival and/or creating awareness about minor millets and uncultivated plants and their perceived health/nutritional benefits among the urbanites. Various institutions working for the cause of organic agriculture are also brought on a common platform through the help of this festival. Stalls are set up by various organizations, farmers’ collective and individual to showcase and sell organic foods like minor millets, organic vegetables and fruits etc. People, who deal with minor millets, display and sell both processed and non-processed food, are part of the event. Various activities in the realm of creative games, painting, card making out of traditional grains, face painting, hand painting and T-shirt painting are organized for children.
sharing the gas expenses connecting people offering a lift, and people looking for one new social connections reduces air pollution and traffic congestion this specific case does not exist anymore (the site is dead). The practice is however very diffused in Brazil, and we should definitely keep it. There is a programme developed by Sao Paulo State Gov. with 3 little softwares to help people organise their own car pooling scheme (in 3 versions: condominiums, companies, schools (a real enabling technology!).
INNOVATION CLÉ Il s’agit d’un endroit où l’on peut acheter des paniers bios provenant d’une agriculture locale. FONCTIONNEMENT L’idée est de se regrouper, de manière à faire une commande groupée à un agriculteur proche et ainsi accéder à des produits garantis bio tout en ne déboursant pas plus qu’au supermarché du coin. Ainsi chaque semaine, le mercredi plus précisément, une vingtaine de “gaceurs” (prononcer “gaqueur”) se réunissent pour passer commande pour la semaine suivante et enlever la commande du jour. Ils se partagent les différentes tâches de logistique à tour de rôle. Les produits disponibles sont repartit en paniers légumes (poireaux, potirons, choux, épinards, carottes, cresson, …) ou fruit (pomme, poire et venant du commerce équitable). Chaque client recevant le même panier, mais changeant chaque semaine (il y a du pain aussi). CONTEXTE Des habitants du quartier F. Cocq à Ixelles suite à la dégradation du quartier on décidé de se regrouper en un comité, afin de se retrouver pour discuter, organiser des activités, essayer d’améliorer leur quotidien. Suite à une montée en puissance de la malbouffe, le groupe était désireux de susciter une réflexion sur la consommation, les circuits de distribution des produits alimentaires de base, les multinationales agro-alimentaires, les OGM, etc. Et proposer une alternative concrète de distribution en “circuit court” et en autogestion de produits d’alimentation biologiques. L’idée était de mettre l’alimentation biologique à la portée de toutes les bourses et de donner aux citadins un accès facile aux produits de la ferme tout en soutenant les petits producteurs biologiques artisanaux locaux.
Filo di Paglia nasce a Milano dieci anni fa da un gruppo di volontari decisi a modificare i propri consumi secondo criteri di maggior consapevolezza, giustizia e solidarietà. Fare la spesa in modo diverso: ecco la motivazione principale di chi sceglie questo gruppo. Aderire è rendersi disponibili, è partecipare alle attività, è l’impegno a prestare un servizio efficiente e di qualità, il tutto in un’atmosfera di grande entusiasmo e amicizia. Dalla partecipazione al Filo di Paglia i volontari ci “guadagnano” la possibilità di poter acquistare e consumare prodotti di cui ne conoscono la provenienza attraverso visite ai luoghi di produzione e conoscenze dirette con i produttori, che ottengono un pieno guadagno dallo scambio. A livello pratico, l’ordine della merce avviene tramite mail ai produttori che si impegnano settimanalmente nella consegna; all’ arrivo dei prodotti, i volontari si occupano della suddivisione e preparazione dei singoli ordini, pronti per il ritiro diretto. A livello economico-gestionale, aderire al gruppo richiede un contributo monetario annuale da parte di tutti, non solo per coprire le spese di gestione, ma anche e spesso per sostenere e finanziare piccoli progetti di sviluppo in Italia e nel Sud del Mondo. Ma il Filo di Paglia è ancora tante cose: seguire la stagionalità dei prodotti, riscoprire i sapori, è il gusto di “farsi” le cose attraverso simpatici momenti insieme scambiandosi abilità personali; è la sfida di cambiare e rimettersi in discussione, è fantasia, e riduzione degli sprechi… Far parte di un Gruppo di Acquisto Solidale come il Filo di Paglia implica l’adesione a un progetto culturale d’interesse sociale.
SI tratta di una soluzione che ha come obbiettivo creare una ponte tra piccoli produttori rurali organici e i consumatori della città di Fortaleza, nordest brasiliano, che diventano co-prodottori.I partecipanti sono chiamati “alleati”. Possono essere “alleati rurali” o “alleati urbani”. Il profilo e’: l’ “alleato urbano” abita nella città di Fortaleza, generalmente di classe media. L’ “alleato rurale” è un piccolo produttore in “pericolo”, ossia, senza posto dove inserire la sua produzione. Il responsabile è un agronomo (Sig. Moura) che offre sopporto agli produttori, nel processo di produzione organica e allo stesso tempo porta i prodotti ai consumatori nella grande città. Ma il progetto prevede, come dice il nome, una “ALEANZA” tra produttori e consumatori, ossia, i consumatori visitano gli agricoltori, aiutano quando possibile nel processo produttivo e, un dato importante, sono stimolati a comprare in anticipo la sua produzione (investimento). I prodotti sono inclusi in un “box”. Il consumatore sceglie la composizione del “box” (denominato “cesta”), però sa che questa composizione potrà cambiare con il ritmo della produzione, degli incidenti climatici ed altro. L’ “alleato urbano” quando in viaggio può donare il suo “box” alle istituzioni di carità della zona (visto che il suo “investimento” prevede la consegna regolare del box, quando e’ in viaggio è previsto questa procedura). Il caso è cominciato in Forteleza, ma attualmente si sta allargando verso altre città: Natal, Recife e Caçapava. Sono sviluppate diverse attività collegate: educazione alimentare (per esempio ricette sono incluse nella “cesta” che viene distribuita, insegnando il consumatore ad usare i prodotti disponibili in ogni stagione ed a accontentarsi se magari quello che se lo aspettava non è incluso per colpa di incidenti climatici); un ristorante nella città di Caçapava che serve come punto di ritrovo degli “alleati” della località. Il progetto sviluppa anche azioni nelle scuole, stimolando professori studenti al consumo e alla produzione organica (gli studenti producono nelle aree disponibili nelle scuole) con azioni in 3 città: Russas, Horizonte e Tururu. Sig. Moura, l’agronomo, aveva cominciato tempo fa questo processo, il quale ha raggiunto grande sviluppo al punto di diventare un grande centro commerciale di distribuzione di prodotti organici. Lui ha abbandonato questo centro, per re-creare la “Aleanza Sociale” la quale secondo lui mantiene i valori qualitativi originali della idea.
