P2P Development

There have recently been a number of reports, such as that of the World Bank discussed by the Economist, that put in doubt that leapfrogging, i.e. a direct leap into post-industrial development using the latest technologies is possible. The key argument is that there is little empirical proof of it happening, and that developing countries seem unable to integrate these new technologies, because they lack the necessary infrastructural, governance, and perhaps even cultural base. In other words: no new tech without many previous layers of old tech.

continue reading "Is leapfrogging at all possible?"

Seed Magazine reports on efforts to make genetic engineering research a public good and says that it is vital for the next green revolution.

Excerpt:

“Free distribution and local ownership of bioproperty will be one crucial aspect of the new Green Revolution. Another will be the cultivation of locally adapted varieties. “The second Green Revolution is going to be much more complicated than the first,” says Nina Fedoroff, a plant geneticist at Penn State, and science and technology adviser to the US Secretary of State. This time around, Fedoroff explains, scientists will have to address local needs and local crop varieties. Consider ringspot-virus-resistant GM papaya: “It’s been a wonderful, wonderful accomplishment,” says Fedoroff, “but the transgenic plants that are protected from the virus in Hawaii aren’t going to work in the Philippines.” Building locally focused biotech and training biotech-capable scientists is “a big deal,” says Fedoroff. “It’s a huge investment, and it needs to be done everywhere.”

continue reading "Does genetic food become palatable when it is a public good"

Favelas include some important properties of self-organization that can be studied and re-applied to more humane pattern of settlement. The effort to raze such settlements and replace them with monotonous “warehouse” structures has in many cases also proved disastrous.

We came across an essay on urbanism and social housing which seems to have strong ‘p2p’ and participatory elements.

continue reading "P2P Architecture (5): A P2P Pattern Language for social housing?"

What is the exact role of computer networks for development?

Here are two illuminating contributions to the question: does every human being need a computer, as a tool of personal and collective empowerment?

Two contributions from other mailing list in the p2pfoundation ecology, that shed light on this debate,

1. Franz Nahrada, of Global Villages:

“I am having a similar discussion with Francisco Proenza from GTA - the other way round (because I put video seemingly ahead of digital literacy)

continue reading "Does every human being need a computer?"

As Gerrit Visser reminds us of this most wonderful website, service, and movement:

“Worldchanging was founded on the idea that real solutions already exist for building the future we want. it’s just a matter of grabbing hold and getting moving.”

This is very much inline with the spirit of the age and our own philosophy at the P2P Foundation.

continue reading "We need an Outquisition"

Some days ago, Michel Bauwens pointed to a developing open source application, ShiftSpace, asking how this could be relevant to P2P.

ShiftSpace is an open source layer above any website. It seeks to expand the creative possibilities currently provided through the web. ShiftSpace provides tools for artists, designers, architects, activists, developers, students, researchers, and hobbyists to create online contexts built in and on top of websites.

continue reading "P2P in Education - Could ShiftSpace help?"

“Not long ago we wrote about permaculture and Australian Permablitz’s volunteer-based implementation of the concept in urban gardens around Melbourne. Now one of our spotters has come across the first for-profit example we’ve seen.

continue reading "Local Agriculture: Growing locally given a helping hand in Bay Area"

AKVO.org is an initiative well worth supporting!

Here below is the intro by one of the founders, and there’s also a video interview of Mark Charmer conducted by Vinay Gupta.

Thomas Bjelkeman:

continue reading "The open source water and sanitation alliance: AKVO"

The Appropedia wiki has been there for a while, but Chris Watkins has made a special effort to reorganize the content for easier usage through a portal, that focuses on the ‘technological solutions’ per se, rather than lifestyles or practices.

Here’s how Chris explains it:

continue reading "New portal page for Appropriate Technology"

In the Cluster interview on participatory city planning, which we featured yesterday, there is also an interesting passage on the role of time and speed. Some things, like physical growth, need to slow down, while informational feedback processes, need to go faster.

John Thackara and Sunil Abraham:

continue reading "Slowth vs. growth"