Dialogue Café

Dialogue Café http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/ en-US Copyright 2011 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:01:56 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification The pros and cons of Web 3.0: how to meet the challenge of the semantic Web Tomorrow at Dialogue Cafe, students from Minor Knowledge Sharing & Web 2.0 from the Hogeschool van Amsterdam, University of Applied Sciences /Media, Information and Communication Programme  in Amsterdam and students from the Escola Superior de Comunicação Social in Lisbon will be discussing The pro's and con's of Web 3.0: how to meet the Challenge of the Semantic Web at Dialogue Cafe Amsterdam and Lisbon.

  What is Web 3.0 going to be like? It's for sure that it will be a semantic web, with a lot of linguistic and data-mining technology integrated in it.  This semantic web is going to be an intuitive web with the ability to scan and label information automatically and link the right information to the right person on the right moment. The knowledge society will come closer, because people don't have to take any steps anymore to make themselves known as a specialist on a certain subject. The Web 3.0 will do that for them. Just being on the internet and search for information will make you known as a person with a certain interest.   Publicizing on the internet will make you known as an expert in a certain field of knowledge and without any effort you can reach the status of connoisseur! And what is even better: Web 3.0 will be able to generate knowledge representations around certain subjects and proactively suggest knowledge that is needed for certain tasks. Just being present on the Web 3.0 is enough to make you world famous as an expert!

But there are downsides as well. Issues of personal data management and reputation management will become more important than ever. And the role of the information manager/knowledge manager/journalist will certainly change, but how? Will it be be changed to one of relationship facilitator? Or to that of a quality checker?   Here are some pros and cons of Web 3.0.

  Pros:

    More specific (better) information will be available
    More relevant search results
    Working on the Internet becomes easier because the Internet is more personalized
    Knowledge sharing is made easier
    More difficult to "fool"people and to operate with a fake identity online
    Possibilities of personalised 'mass' entertainment - and the social consequences of it

 
Cons:

    Privacy policy is needed more than ever
    People that aren't active on the web 3.0 "don't exist"
    Using search results and user data in marketing
    Easier to find personal/private information
    People will spend more time than ever on the internet.
    Less anonymity
    Reputation management will become more important than ever

For more information about events and activities at Dialogue Cafe contact julie@dialoguecafe.org

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-web-30-how-to-meet-the-challenge-of-the-semantic-web.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/06/the-pros-and-cons-of-web-30-how-to-meet-the-challenge-of-the-semantic-web.html Amsterdam Hogeschool van Amsterdam Semantic Web Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:01:56 +0000 Funding Social Innovation: exploring the funding ecosystem in Europe

As part of the session, participants discussed the following questions:

What type of funding has promoted the most socially innovative activities?

How can the European Commission encourage and support social innovation activities? What kinds of finance would better support social innovation?

What role should the private sector play? What would be the role of different tools offered by that sector - for instance through capital markets or through banking finance? How might private investors be empowered to drive positive change? What can be done on a European level?

Can foundations play a greater role in funding and financing social innovation? How could this be further enhanced by European Commission support

Where do we want to be in 10 years time? What do we want the finance infrastructure look like?

For more information about social innovation exchange and the Social Innovation Europe initiative see www.socialinnovationexchange.org

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/06/funding-social-innovation-exploring-the-funding-ecosystem-in-europe-1.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/06/funding-social-innovation-exploring-the-funding-ecosystem-in-europe-1.html European Commission Social innovation Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:20:05 +0000 Funding Social Innovation: exploring the funding ecosystem in Europe

Funding Social Innovation:
exploring the funding ecosystem in Europe and around the world

This event is organised by the Social Innovation eXchange (SIX), with Cisco and Dialogue Cafe, and will bring together participants from Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy.

This SIX TelePresence session will focus on the ecology of finance which supports, directs and, in some cases, blocks the processes of social innovation. All over the world, there are now many funds for social innovation, as well as institutions with dedicated innovation units or teams within large institutions who play a key role in mobilising resources for social innovation. Despite this, finance for social innovation is often inadequate, ill-suited, or unsustainable, and therefore remains a key factor hindering the development of social innovation.

This TelePresence session is part of the part of the Social Innovation Europe Initiative. The Social Innovation eXchange will be producing a report which will explore what a new funding model for social innovation in Europe might look like and how the selection of projects might be optimised. The idea of a multi stage fund through stages of innovation will be developed. The report will look at types (and possible combinations) of instruments needed by social innovators and ways to improve access by social innovators to existing financial resources. This TelePresence session offers a unique opportunity to guide this report and its eventual recommendations at a key moment in its development.

On 1 June 2011, SIX will bring together a selection of people for whom the ecology of finance is a primary concern; public managers and staff, social innovators, business partners, researchers, consultants and others with a stake in the finance and growth of social innovations will come together for a truly global discussion.

For more information see www.socialinnovationexchange.org

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/funding-social-innovation-exploring-the-funding-ecosystem-in-europe.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/funding-social-innovation-exploring-the-funding-ecosystem-in-europe.html Social innovation Tue, 31 May 2011 13:17:32 +0000 More connections are the way to learn the real meaning of democracy for a better egypt By Ahmed Maher who participated in co-creating democracy from Cairo:

On the occasion of the Social Innovation Exchange forum which took place in Amsterdam on 24th of May, Dialogue Café, affiliated to the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) gave Tarek Osman, Karim Kasim, Laura Kfoury, Raha Kamal and me the opportunity to connect with Brazil, Qatar, Portugal and the Netherlands to share our thoughts and ideas about the importance of technology and social media.

In Egypt, mobile phones, Facebook and Twitter paved a path for protest. Now the seeds of democracy are being sown. Tarek Osman, the Egyptian young writer and author of "Egypt on the Brink: From Nasser to Mubarak", he spoke about the Egyptian revolution and stressed on how the young generation sparked the rebellions that toppled the Tunisian and Egyptian administrations, and is currently leading the effort to accomplish similar changes in Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan, Syria, and Libya.

During the demonstrations in Tahrir Square, youth groups of all political movements and backgrounds came together to discuss politics. Not only political movements' members but huge number of youth participated as well in such discussion which proved that the Egyptian youth are eager to learn about politics.

I think that these days are very important to have Dialogue Café in Cairo. Because we do need to listen to others as much as we need our voices as Egyptian youth to be heard. Because it's very crucial after the great success we reached from my own point of view to move on and build on our success. We really need to learn the real meaning of democracy, how to be part of decision making and how to move on and start the real change. This will not happen without experience sharing and listening to real experiences from all around the world.

By Ahmed Maher

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/voice-of-youth-more-connections-are-the-way-to-learn-the-real-meaning-of-democracy-for-a-better-egyp.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/voice-of-youth-more-connections-are-the-way-to-learn-the-real-meaning-of-democracy-for-a-better-egyp.html Alliance of Civilizations Egypt Facebook Qatar Twitter Tue, 31 May 2011 12:44:12 +0000 What happens when people, passion and technology collide? Martin Stewart-Weeks shares his experience of co-creating democracy @ Dialogue Cafe:

There's something powerful about the way people, technology and passion collide to create real insight and engagement. That's what happened at both Dialogue Cafe events at the SIX Spring School in Amsterdam last week.

Rehearsing the bare facts is impressive enough...two sessions on successive days linking Amsterdam with Cairo, Doha, Dubai, Lisbon and Amsterdam, connecting some 50 or 60 people across the two sessions in lively debate about the Arab "spring" of democratic change and what it might mean for the region and for other countries too. And all enabled across a platform of high quality video technology that made you feel you were just around the corner, not right across the world.

But these basic facts are not the real story. The real story is the kind of human interaction and engagement which the Cafe provisions, creating a relatively simple platform (give or take a bit of technical wizardry behind the scenes!) that allows people with insight, experience and expertise to share and teach.

We talk a lot about the need for massive doses of understanding, learning and tolerance to ease some of the tensions in our world and to build effective bridges between cultures. Indeed, that is what the Dialogue Cafe venture is all about. But in the end, you build bridges between cultures by nurturing connections between people. In fact, it's the only way to make change happen and to make it stick. What we saw last week in Amsterdam was a powerful illustration of how that works in practice, one lively, engaging and provocative conversation at a time.

And the quality and impact of both sessions motivated their own consequences, with energetic agreement by those involved to come together in a couple of months to keep the discussion going, to learn more and to look for ways to support the "spring" reforms in the Middle East and, just as importantly, to put the lessons being learned about the power of co-creating democratic change to good use for all of us.

Powerful stuff indeed...

By Martin Stewart-Weeks

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/what-happens-when-people-passion-and-technology-collide.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/what-happens-when-people-passion-and-technology-collide.html Amsterdam Cairo Doha Dubai Lisbon Tue, 31 May 2011 08:25:07 +0000 Co-creating Democracy @ Dialogue Café
In this way, social media enabled a revolution - but could it enable a democracy? Can social media and other technologies be used to co-create a democracy and strengthen civic society? How can social media and other technologies be used to support government "by" and "with" the people and not just "for" the people? What are the key challenges facing the transition to democracy can these be overcome through citizen engagement?

These are some of the challenges and issues we discussed at Dialogue Café on the 24th and 25th May in the two sessions we organised as part of the SIX Spring School 2011.

In Cairo we were joined by, amongst others, Tarek Osman who talked about the longer-term social, economic and political factors, which contributed to the revolution. See here for his article on the subject and here for his latest article on sectarianism in Egypt.

In Lisbon we were joined by President Jorge Sampaio, High Representative for the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and journalists Pedro Lomba and Bruno Faria Lopes. In Doha, we were joined by Yomna Taher and Ahmed Ashour from Al Jazeera Talk and students from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar in Doha. In Rio we were joined by Mayra Jucá from Viva Rio and Oona Castro from OvermundoLab and in Amsterdam we were joined by Thomas Loudon and Arend Jan van den Beld, founders of the VJ Movement, a global community for journalists and citizen journalists.

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/co-creating-democracy-dialogue-cafe.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/co-creating-democracy-dialogue-cafe.html Arend Jan van den Beld Jorge Sampaio Middle East Social media Thomas Loudon Viva Rio VJ Movement Fri, 27 May 2011 13:13:21 +0000 Event 25/5: Designing Democracies, not just Bureaucracies with Doha, Dubai and Cairo
Wednesday 25th May
10.30-12.30pm (Amsterdam)
Participating Locations: Cairo, Doha, Amsterdam, Dubai and Lisbon

This global conversation will bring together, via video conferencing, civil society actors, academics, NGOs, students, media activists, policy makers and social innovators in Cairo, Doha, Lisbon and Amsterdam to discuss the challenges and opportunities of co-creation in government.

Across the globe, governments are increasingly interested in citizen engagement and co-creation. But can citizen driven innovation really address social needs in a new way? Can it be used to create a democracy and strengthen civic society? Can it help create institutions that are more open, transparent and user-centred? What are the most effective strategies for governments and public institutions? How can new approaches help governments and businesses become more effective in engaging with communities and inspire meaningful participation in civil society? What can governments, NGOs and citizens' groups in the Middle East learn from effective models for citizen engagement in Europe?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What does co-creation mean in the context of the Arab Spring?
How can social media and other technologies be used to support government and public sector "by" and "with" the people and not just "for" the people?
What are the tools, strategies and approaches that governments and organisations in the Middle East can use to create open, democratic and transparent institutions?
What are the key challenges facing the transition to democracy can these be overcome through citizen engagement?
More than half the population of the Arab world is under 30 years old. Is there a new wave of entrepreneurship and cultural creativity sweeping the Arab world? Is this an opportunity to address youth unemployment?
How can we harness the energy of the revolutionary process and keep citizens engaged in the political process?
Can we create the global and regional platforms and programs that will enable us to share knowledge and learn for each other?

SPEAKERS

Dr. Tarik M. Yousef is the founding Dean of the Dubai School of Government. He joined the School from Georgetown University, where he held the positions of Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Foreign Service, and Sheikh Sabah Al Salem Al Sabah Professor of Arab Studies at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies. An expert on the economies of the Arab world, he received his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University with specialization in development economics and economic history. His current research interests include the study of youth inclusion in the Arab world, the political economy of policy reform and development policies in oil-exporting countries. Dr. Yousef's research and policy experience includes working as Economist in the Middle East Department of the International Monetary Fund, Visiting Senior Economist in the Middle East and North Africa Region of the World Bank, and Senior Advisor for the Millennium Project at the United Nations. At present, he is a Senior Fellow in the Wolfensohn Center for Development at the Brookings Institution and Senior Fellow in the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. http://www.dsg.ae/

Loula Zaklama, Rada Research. In 1962, at the age of 19, Ms. Zaklama founded Radar Advertising Agency, the only private sector advertising agency in a completely state-run economy where granting contracts to private firms was nearly impossible. In 1982, she formed RadaResearch & Public Relations Company to answer the needs of international companies looking for wider Middle East exposure. Her clients include IBM, DaimlerChrysler, Proctor & Gamble, Pfizer as well as a number of Egyptian companies. She is also the communication consultant for various ministries in Egypt. As an Egyptian woman, Ms. Zaklama transcended traditional gender barriers to become a highly successful businesswoman. She was selected as one of the "50 Arab leading businesswomen in the Middle East" in 2006 by Forbes and as one of the "50 Leading Women Entrepreneurs of the World" by the Star Group, sponsored by IBC and Fortune Magazine, in 1998.

Dina Wafa is the Director, of GAPP Executive Education, School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (GAPP), American University of Cairo. The mission of the School of Global Affairs and Public Policy Executive Education (GAPP ExecEd) program is to reinforce and reinvigorate leadership capacities within government agencies and public institutions in a challenging global environment within Egypt and the region.
http://www.aucegypt.edu/GAPP/Pages/Home.aspx

Adolfo Mesquita Nunes is a lawyer and an active blogger at www.aartedafuga.blogspot, www.oinsurgente.org and www.ruadireita.blogs.sapo.pt. He is a candidate for Parliament in June's elections on the lists of the party CDS-PP.

Ilídio Nunes is a digital strategist at Ivity Brand Corp. He is also a partner and the digital manager of the jazz label Clean Feed. http://www.ivity-corp.com/

Dr Ahmed Younis is the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Communications at Silatech. Silatech's mission is to connect young people, 18-30 years old, with employment and enterprise opportunities. Its commitment is to mobilize interest, investment, knowledge, resources and action to drive large-scale comprehensive employment and enterprise development programmes. Silatech works across three critical domains: Thought Leadership; Investment; and Technology. http://www.silatech.com/

Maartje Nevejan is an independent filmmaker based in Amsterdam, with a background in theatre and multi media. In her projects she likes to research the (raw) poetic quality of reality. One of Maartje's recent projects is Couscous & Cola, which was aired on Al Jazeera in 2007. http://www.nevejan.nl/index.html

Diogo Vasconcelos, SIX/Dialogue Cafe (Chair). Since February 2007, Diogo Vasconcelos has been a Distinguished Fellow with Cisco's Internet Business Solutions Group (IBSG), the global open innovation and strategy group of Cisco. He chaired the Business Panel on Future EU Innovation Policy, set up European Commission in January 2009, which called for a radical change in European innovation policies and paved the way for the "Innovation Union" initiative approved by the European Council. He co-authored the report on "Europe and Social Innovation" for the BEPA (Cabinet of the President of the European Commission). He Chairs SIX - Social Innovation eXchange, a global community of NGOs, global firms, public agencies and academics committed to improve the methods with which our societies find better solutions to challenges such as ageing, climate change, public services and healthcare. SIX is leading the European Social Innovation initiative, launched in March 2011.

This event is part of the Social Innovation Exchange Spring School 2011. http://www.socialinnovationexchange.org/spring-school-2011

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/event-255-designing-democracies-not-just-bureaucracies-with-doha-dubai-and-cairo.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/event-255-designing-democracies-not-just-bureaucracies-with-doha-dubai-and-cairo.html cairo co-creation democracy doha dubai Social innovation Thu, 19 May 2011 18:10:24 +0000 Event 24/5: Social Media and the Arab Spring with Cairo and Doha THE POWER OF PEOPLE THROUGH MEDIA: LESSONS AND CHALLENGES OF THE ARAB AWAKENING BY THOSE WHO MADE IT HAPPEN
Tuesday 24th May
2-4pm (Amsterdam)
Participating cities: Amsterdam, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Doha and Cairo

This global conversation will bring together, via video conferencing, civil society actors, academics, NGOs, students, media activists, policy makers and social innovators from Doha, Cairo, Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro and Amsterdam to discuss the role of social media in supporting citizen's groups and initiatives and looking forward, how the enthusiasm, passion and expertise of citizens can be harnessed to build democratic public institutions. Could this provide a new political paradigm for an Arab Renaissance?

Recent events across the Arab Word have illustrated the profound importance of technology and social media. In Tunisia and Egypt, mobile phones, Facebook and Twitter paved a path for protest and now the seeds of democracy are being sown. Technology and social media are having profound effects in all aspects of our lives: from government and education to business and society. They enable us to rally around common causes and come together to collaborate in new and different ways. They are providing platforms for 'ordinary' citizens to become journalists, educators, activists, funders, entrepreneurs and innovators themselves. What really was the role of social media in supporting citizens' groups during the Arab Spring? What were the effective tactics and tools used by pro-democracy movements and can they be used in other contexts? Going forward, can social media and other technologies be used to co-create a democracy? Can they help co-create institutions that are more open, transparent and user-centred?

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

What was the role of social media and other technologies in the Revolution?
Can media activists and pro-democracy movements around the world learn from the approaches and tactics used by the protesters in Egypt? If so, what?
How can social media and other technologies be used to support citizens' groups during the transition to democracy?
A new political paradigm for an Arab Renaissance?

SPEAKERS:

Tarek Osman is the author of Egypt on the Brink: From Nasser to Mubarak. He has published extensively on Egypt and the Middle East in leading UK, Continental European and US publications. His work has been cited widely, including in The Sunday Times, The Financial Times, The Guardian, Foreign Policy, Jerusalem Post, The Economist, and Singapore Straits. For the past 13 years, Tarek has covered and reported on Egypt for a UK publication, an international strategy-consulting firm, and a number of institutional investment houses. He was educated at the American University in Cairo and Bocconi University in Milan. He lives in Cairo and London. http://www.opendemocracy.net/tarek-osman/arab-prospect-forces-and-dynamics

Jan Keulen is the Director of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom. The Doha Centre for Media Freedom is a non-profit organisation working for press freedom and quality journalism in Qatar, the Middle East and the world. http://www.dc4mf.org/en

Yomna Taher is a freelance journalist and documentary filmmaker currently working for Al Jazeera Talk. Al Jazeera Talk is an online Arabic youth community that was established in 2006 on the premise that anyone can be a journalist - all you need is a camera. The platform now supports 300 citizen journalists from all around the world working on a voluntary basis. Al Jazeera Talk publishes 4 to 5 reports, articles and stories everyday from different countries. During the Revolution, Al Jazeera Talk published exclusive pictures and videos, on the website and on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/aljazeeratalk.
www.aljazeeratalk.net

Arend Jan van den Beld is the Founder of VJ Movement and Cartoon Movement. Before that, information management expert at Philips International, Consumer Electronics and Corporate IT. Philips uses these platforms worldwide in their Call Centers and on Internet. Under his guidance, Philips was one of the world's front-runners in this field. As an independent consultant, he was hired by Achmea Insurances, The Central Dutch Government, The Chambers of Commerce and again Philips. Holds an MA in Psychology, Leiden University (The Netherlands). Arend Jan is the former chairman of a political party in the city council of Haarlem in the Netherlands.

Thomas Loudon is the founder of the VJ Movement and the Cartoon Movement. Both platforms dealing with international news. Pioneered as a Video Journalist, based in Iran, Egypt and Jordan. Covered wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and other stories in the Middle East and Northern Africa. Contributed to CNN, BBC, PBS, NOS, Channel News Asia, Canal 13 and many others. He received several awards for his work. Taught video journalism at the University of Groningen. Speaks six languages. MA in History from Leiden University (The Netherlands) and MS in Journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism (NY, USA).

Pedro Lomba, Law Professor in European University Institute (Florence) and University of Lisbon/ Political columnist for the leading diary newspaper Público

Mayra Jucá is from Viva Rio, a non-profit organization engaged in the research and formulation of public policies that aim to promote social development, especially related to issues around urban violence. They have a portal on the Internet, named Viva Favela, focused on the daily life of the favelas, which shows the voice and the views from the local community and offers an agenda that the general media can't access. The multimedia correspondents are residents of the favelas. http://www.vivario.org.br/

This event is part of the SIX Spring School 2011. http://www.socialinnovationexchange.org/spring-school-2011

For more information contact julie@dialoguecafe.org

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/event-245-social-media-and-the-arab-spring-with-cairo-and-doha.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/05/event-245-social-media-and-the-arab-spring-with-cairo-and-doha.html Al Jazeera Cairo Cartoon Movement Doha Thomas Loudon Wed, 18 May 2011 17:35:30 +0000 Event 21/3/2011. Amsterdam x Lisbon. How might we apply cutting edge technologies to empower people to work more effectively together?"

Yesterdays' session between Amsterdam and Lisbon. "How might we apply cutting edge technologies to empower people to work more effectively together?". Jorge Moita commenting prototypes produced during the day at THNK Lab - The Amsterdam School of Creative Leadership.

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/event-2132011-amsterdam-x-lisbon-how-might-we-apply-cutting-edge-technologies-to-empower-people-to-w-1.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/event-2132011-amsterdam-x-lisbon-how-might-we-apply-cutting-edge-technologies-to-empower-people-to-w-1.html Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:49:48 +0000 EVENT 18/3/11: Leading Public Sector Innovation with Christian Bason LEADING PUBLIC SECTOR INNOVATION
Co-creating a better Society with Christian Bason from Mindlab
3 - 4.30pm (CET) 18th March 2011
Dialogue Café Amsterdam

The discussion will be convened by the Social Innovation eXchange (SIX), with Cisco, and will bring together participants from Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, New Delhi, New York, Austin Texas, Washington, Victoria, Ottawa and Toronto.

SIX believes that social innovation is at its best when actors across sectors work together effectively. This SIX TelePresence session, which will be led by Christian Bason, Mindlab, Denmark, will focus on the role of public sector innovation. In a time of unprecedented turbulence, how can public sector organisations increase their ability to find innovative solutions to society's problems?

During this TelePresence session, Christian Bason will lead a discussion of his new book "Leading public sector innovation", which shows how government agencies can use co-creation to overcome barriers and deliver more value, at lower cost, to citizens and business. The discussion will be based on inspiring global case studies, practical examples, and the key triggers of public sector innovation outlined in the book. SIX will bring together a selection of people for whom Christian's book is essential reading. Public managers and staff, social innovators, business partners, researchers, consultants and others with a stake in the public sector of tomorrow will come together for a truly global discussion.You can find more information about the book in the recent article written by John O'Leary on Innovative Reading.

Over the next year, SIX will hosting a series of global TelePresence discussions at Dialogue Cafe which aim to speed up the process of learning and exchange between countries who are experimenting with various new ways to support and sustain social innovation from a variety of different perspectives. For more information contact julie@dialoguecafe.org

More on SIX TelePresence
Over the last few years, with the support of Cisco, SIX has been able to run a series of global TelePresence conversations, each with a different social innovation focus. These discussion have been extremely valuable for the SIX community, providing sense of involvement, continuity and knowledge sharing from issues as diverse as microfinance, to innovative cities, to design for social innovation. See SIX website for more information. Over 2011, SIX TelePresence discussions will focus on ways in which social innovation can be supported, looking at the incentives, structures and conditions that could enable social innovation to flourish in the third sector, the public sector and the market economy. This session on Social Impact Bonds - associated advantages and potential barriers is the first of this series, and forms part a programme of a wider programme of events from the Social Innovation eXchange (SIX).

About Social Innovation eXchange (SIX)
Created three years ago by Young Foundation, Cisco and other entities, SIX is a global community of over 1000 individuals and organisations -committed to promoting social innovation and growing the capacity of the field. Our aim is to improve the methods with which our societies find better solutions to challenges such as ageing, climate change, inequality and healthcare. SIX was designed to fill a gap. There are some existing networks of social innovators - both groups and individuals - in particular sectors (e.g. health, environment, cities), particular fields (e.g. social entrepreneurship, policy, design), and particular countries and regions. SIX does not aim to compete with, or supplant, any of these initiatives, but rather intends to link them together to promote learning and collaboration across sectors, fields and countries.

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/event-18311-leading-public-sector-innovation-with-christian-bason.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/event-18311-leading-public-sector-innovation-with-christian-bason.html Co-creation Public Sector Innovation Social impact bond Social innovation Young Foundation Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:37:56 +0000 Future Smart Cities II - Design for our Future Self

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/future-smart-cities-ii---design-for-our-future-self-1.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/future-smart-cities-ii---design-for-our-future-self-1.html Ageing Design Future Smart Cities Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:54:50 +0000 Future Smart Cities II - Design for our Future Self Future Smart Cities II
DESIGN FOR OUR FUTURE SELF
Imagine yourself in 2025 or 2050

We had a great session yesterday connecting designers, architects, social scientists, policy makers and social innovators from Lisbon, Amsterdam, London and New York to discuss the challenges and opportunities of an aging society.

In Lisbon (left) we were joined by Pedro Veiga (FCCN), Ana Fatia (Action for Age), Susana António (Think Public Portugal), Luis Jeronimo (the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation) and Pedro Rocha Vieira (Experimenta Design). In Amsterdam (centre) we were joined by Peter Roelofsma (HealthLab), Sabine Wildevuur (CareLab, Waag Society), Wytse Miedema (Aging Well, Almere Municipality), Martin Kriens (Amsterdam Smart City) and Sacha van Tongeren (Waag Society). In New York (right) we were joined by Matthias Hollwich (HOLLWICHKUSHNER). In London we were joined by Annabel Knight (The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation), Kevin Johnson (Aging Well, Cisco IBSG) and Diogo Vasconcelos (Cisco IBSG).

Demographic changes are likely to place huge burdens on pension systems as well as health, housing and care services. There are a raft of new and emerging social needs - such as loneliness, and isolation which will need new and fresh thinking if they are to be addressed. Even though the scale of the challenge is daunting there are a number of new projects and new approaches - around design, ICT and architecture - which could point a way forward.

Each of the projects showcased yesterday have at their core the notion that the elderly are a resource, that all projects should be user driven and user centred - or put another way, developed by and with, not for, the elderly.

The discussion started with a presentation of the pioneering and innovative HealthLab project by Peter Roelofsma. The HealthLab project is based on three main strands: ICT to support the elderly to remain active and live independently, for longer in their homes, through for example, virtual coaches; a social or multi-cultural aspect which places importance on social relationships and provides opportunities for developing and cementing social ties; and architecture which provides the setting for independent living but also the spaces for meeting and social interaction. In this way, the project is developing a holistic approach to ageing.

Then we discussed the need to move away from ICT driven innovation and explore other fields, other perspectives and approaches to innovation in the context of ageing. We talked about smart architecture and Matthias Hollwich presented some of his most recent projects, including BOOM.

Boom is a retirement village like no other - a community oriented development in Palm Springs for LBGT retirees. With projects like these, Hollwich's remark that "there are 17,000 nursing homes in the US and 17,000 reasons why not to go to a nursing home" is definitely true.

We're hoping to continue this discussion next month. For more information contact julie@dialoguecafe.org

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/future-smart-cities-ii---design-for-our-future-self.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/future-smart-cities-ii---design-for-our-future-self.html Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:08:34 +0000 Event 3/3/11 DESIGN OF OUR FUTURE SELF Future Smart Cities II
DESIGN FOR OUR FUTURE SELF
Imagine yourself in 2025 or 2050

Hosted by Waag Society 's Creative Care Lab & Dialogue Café

3-5pm GMT March 3rd 2011

Future Smart Cities is a series of intercultural meetings on the future of cities, in light of technological developments, globalization and new opportunities to solve social, economical and environmental issues. The meetings will take place in Dialogue Cafés and Cisco offices all over the world.

Creative Care Lab hosts the second edition of Future Smart Cities about AGEING; Design for our Future Self. This session takes place in Dialogue Café Amsterdam and Lisbon and the Cisco offices in New York and London.

The world is facing a growing ageing society. By 2020, 25% of the population in Europe will be over 60 and the 80+ populations are estimated to double by 2050. This means a ratio of two working adults for each person in retirement. These demographic changes are placing huge burdens on pension systems as well as health and care services. Issues like isolation, loneliness and wellbeing need full and focused attention in policy. The scale and complexity of the challenge is daunting. Enabling people to work longer and live independent lives will have significant ramifications for the labor market, health and care services, public finance, housing and transportation amongst others.

How can we build urban environments that are safe and healthy for an ageing society? How can we avoid social isolation and loneliness? What are the barriers encountered when building for an ageing community? What are the innovative approaches in the field? What are the most promising new models of care? What new technologies support the elderly to live active and independent lives?

The program Future Smart Cities II: Design for our Future Self is dedicated to these questions and will discuss new ideas and social innovation for our future self. We will discuss smart solutions for the complex issues related to an ageing society with designers, architects, care providers, housing corporations, elderly people and design students. Imagine yourself in 2025 or 2050?

During the session we will highlight one of the current Waag projects: HealthLab, where technology meets users. The project envisions to install a number of user-oriented environments for experiment (Living Labs for Care and ICT), where tangible applications will be developed. In these open experimental environments care and knowledge institutes, the government and small to large companies will be enabled to develop realistic solutions for one of our major social and political problems: how can we guarantee the quality of care and control the cost within an ageing population?

SMART CITIES PHOTO 2.jpg

Participants:

New York
Matthias Hollwich (HOLLWICHKUSHNER)
http://cargocollective.com/hwkn

Amsterdam
Peter Roelofsma (VU, involved in the HealthLab project)

Sabine Wildevuur (Waag CareLab, involved in the HealthLab project),
http://www.waag.org/project/expresstoconnect
http://www.waag.org/program/creativecarelab

Wytse Miedema (involved in the HealthLab project and the Cisco program Ageing well in Almere),
http://www.cisco.com/web/NL/news/berichten2010/news_persberichten_070210.html
http://www.almerekennisstad.nl/verzilvering/

Ger Baron or Martijn Kriens (Amsterdam Smart Cities, involved in the HealthLab project)
http://www.amsterdamsmartcity.com/#/en

London
Annabel Knight
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
IntergenerationALL

Diogo Vasconcelos,
Distinguished Fellow, Internet Business Solutions Group (ISBG), Cisco - Chair of the Business Panel on Future EU Innovation Policy, set up by the European Commission in January 2009, and since May 2010 member of the High Level Group on Innovation Intensity Indicators. Co-author of the Interim Evaluation of the Ambient Assisted Living Joint Programme. The report is available at: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/einclusion/docs/aal/interim_evaluation_report.p

Lisbon
Luis Jeronimo
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation
Action for Age

Susana António,
Designer and Consultant of Think Public Portugal.
Susana is working on IntergenerationALL and Action for Age.

Pedro Rocha Vieira,
Co-ordinator of DesignResponse Unit of Experimenta Design.
DesignResponse is leading the delivery of the Action for Age project in Portugal.

Ana Fatia,
Designer, formerly involved as student on the first edition of the Action for Age project.

Exchanging knowledge
The goal is to exchange knowledge and experience on what is needed for smarter cities to build for an ageing population. We will have a close look at actual projects worldwide, the variety of smart solutions for these issues and the required infrastructure and architecture.

More about Creative Care Lab & Design for our future self
Within the domain of healthcare Waag Society's Creative Care Lab researches and develops creative technology for innovative applications following the principle of users as designers. Creative Care Lab has a long history in research, conceptualizing innovative ideas and building demonstrators working with (rapid) prototyping.

Design for our future self is the title of Creative Care Lab's public agenda and an open invitation to all in order to help develop a better caring society for our future selves. This program is realized in with support of Amsterdam Smart Cities, Amsterdam Innovation Motor, Waag Society, Dialogue Café, Cisco.

Partners in this project are: AMSTA, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Hogeschool Inholland, Gemeente Amsterdam, Almere Health City, Sigra, Amsterdamse Innovatiemotor, Amsterdam Living Lab

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/event-3311-design-of-our-future-self.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/event-3311-design-of-our-future-self.html Ageing Amsterdam Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Hogeschool van Amsterdam New York Vrije Universiteit Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:29:42 +0000 Cultures in Dialogue

The main idea of this project was creating a global and independent platform that permits intercultural dialogue. The Dialogue Cafe is already open and working in Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro and Amsterdam and its major objectives are encouraging the exchange of experiences collaboration between organisations and individuals from very different cultures and backgrounds. This is exactly what happened when the Amsterdam café opened recently. Students doing Master's degrees in Lisbon interacted and exchanged experiences with artists and social entrepreneurs who were in the Rio de Janeiro and Amsterdam cafés. Oslo, São Paulo, Warsaw and New York also joined the global get together via link-ups from local Cisco offices. The opening finished with a jam-session with musicians in Lisbon and Rio de Janeiro playing for a virtually connected audience.

The alliance between cutting-edge video-conferencing technology and yet unexplored possibilities of global social networks makes the potential of this project almost limitless, considering that it seeks to establish local partnerships for the development of the places in each city. In Lisbon, for example, this partnership was made with MUDE - Museu do Design e da Moda, a place that is special for both its location and the number of visitors it gets every day, making ideal for sharing experience and knowledge. Guimarães, European Capital of Culture 2012, will be the second Portuguese city to be part of the Dialogue Cafe network.

"Cafés were always places for conversation and the exchange of experiences. And it is precisely that aspect that Dialogue Café aims to tap into, but this time on a global level, using the technology we now have and which allows us to talk almost face-to-face with someone of the other side of the world", explains Sara Piteira.

To read the rest of this article click here.

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/cultures-in-dialogue.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/03/cultures-in-dialogue.html Tue, 01 Mar 2011 17:26:13 +0000 Event 3.3.11: Future Smart Cities II Future Smart Cities II
Design for our Future Self: Imagine yourself in 2025 or 2050
3rd March 2011

Waag Society's Creative Care Lab & Dialogue Café are delighted to invite you to the second Smart Cities session, Design for our Future Self, an intercultural public meeting about smart solutions for the complex issues related to an ageing society on March 3rd 2011 at 4-6 PM CET.

The session is part of Future Smart Cities, a series of intercultural meetings between Brazil and the Netherlands on the future of cities and new opportunities for solving social, economic and environmental challenges through social and technological innovation. We'll discuss design solutions and approaches with designers, architects, care providers, housing corporations, elderly people and design students.

For this event, we will be joined by guests in Rio de Janeiro, Amsterdam and New York including Matthias Hollwich from Hollwichkushner, Sabine Wildevuur from Waag Society's CareLab, Wytse Miedema from Cisco's Ageing Well Programme and Ger Baron from Smart Cities at the Amsterdam Innovation Motor. Participants will be connecting from around the world through Dialogue Cafe's state of the art videoconferencing facilities. For this occasion, we will also be connecting to Cisco's offices in New York.

Time and Place

Amsterdam
De Waag, Nieuwmarkt 4, Amsterdam
3rd of March, from 4PM-6PM (Amsterdam time)

New York
New York / Cisco office
3rd of March, from 10 AM-12AM (New York time)

Rio de Janeiro
Dialogue Cafe Rio de Janeiro
UCAM, Rua da Assembléia, 10, Rio de Janeiro
3rd of March, from 1 PM-3 PM (Rio time)

More about Future Smart Cities

Creative Care Lab hosts the second edition of Future Smart Cities about AGEING. Within the domain of healthcare Waag Society's Creative Care Lab researches and develops creative technology for innovative applications following the principle of users as designers. Creative Care Lab has a long history in research, conceptualizing innovative ideas and building demonstrators working with (rapid) prototyping. New technology can support people with problems of mobility to express themselves, to stay independent and participate fully in the information society. Design for our future self is the title of Creative Care Lab's public agenda and an open invitation to all in order to help develop a better caring society for our future selves.

The world is facing a growing ageing society. By 2020, 25% of the population in Europe will be over 60 and the 80+ populations are estimated to double by 2050. This means a ratio of two working adults for each person in retirement. Brazil is facing similar challenges: there will be 64 million Brazilians over the age of 60, and 14 million over the age of 80, by 2050. These demographic changes are placing huge burdens on pension systems as well as health and care services. Issues like isolation, loneliness and wellbeing need full and focused attention in policy. The scale and complexity of the challenge is daunting. Enabling people to work longer and live independent lives will have significant ramifications for the labor market, health and care services, public finance, housing and transportation amongst others.

How can we build urban environments that are safe and healthy for an ageing society? How can we avoid social isolation and loneliness? What are the barriers encountered when building for an ageing community? What are the innovative approaches in the field? What are the most promising new models of care? What new technologies support the elderly to live active and independent lives?

The program Future Smart Cities II: Design for our Future Self is dedicated to these questions and will discuss new ideas and social innovation for our future self. We will discuss smart solutions for the complex issues related to an ageing society with designers, architects, care providers, housing corporations, elderly people and design students. Imagine yourself in 2025 or 2050?

During the session we will showcase, HealthLab, one of the projects currently being developed by the Creative Care Lab. This project envisions to install a number of user-oriented environments for experiment (Living Labs for Care and ICT), where tangible applications will be developed. In these open experimental environments care and knowledge institutes, the government and small to large companies will be enabled to develop realistic solutions for one of our major social and political problems: how can we guarantee the quality of care and control the cost within an ageing population?

Partners in this project are: AMSTA, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Hogeschool van Amsterdam, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Hogeschool Inholland, Gemeente Amsterdam, Almere Health City, Sigra, Amsterdamse Innovatiemotor, Amsterdam Living Lab.

]]> http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/02/event-3311-future-smart-cities-ii.html http://www.dialoguecafe.org/blog/2011/02/event-3311-future-smart-cities-ii.html Ageing Amsterdam Amsterdam Innovation Motor Creative Care Lab Design Eldercare HealthLab New York City Rio de Janeiro Smart Cities Mon, 14 Feb 2011 09:46:04 +0000