When it comes to repair, farmers have always been self reliant. But the modernization of tractors and other farm equipment over the past few decades has left most farmers in the dust thanks to diagnostic software that large manufacturers hold a monopoly over. In this episode of State of Repair, Motherboard goes to Nebraska to talk to the farmers and mechanics who are fighting large manufacturers like John Deere for the right to access the diagnostic software they need to repair their tractors.

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Here’s how one organization is working on the problem: In 2009, Martine Postma organized the very first Repair Café in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to do something good for the environment and build social contacts within local communities. The Repair Café connected people who were skilled in fixing things with community members who needed items to be fixed once a month at a convenient neighborhood location. The repair experts shared their knowledge with the community members, who learned that repair is possible, and often not that difficult, with a little bit of community support. People got to experience firsthand the value of repairing things instead of buying new stuff to replace them.

Results:

• “There are now over 1,000 Repair Café groups operating in 25 countries around the world,” says Postma, founder of the Repair Café Foundation. “On average, groups meet once a month at which around 25 repairs are made with a 70 percent success rate. Eighteen thousand products are repaired each month under the Repair Café International umbrella, which equates to over 200,000 products per year. If one product weighs 1 kg [or 2.2 pounds], then Repair Café groups prevent 200,000 kgs [over 440,000 pounds/220 tons] of CO2 from being emitted each year.”
• At first, the Repair Café Foundation’s starter kit, which gives a blueprint on starting a repair café, was entirely free; but to keep the organization sustainable, the foundation needed to raise some income. The Starter Kit is now supplied via a webshop where it can be bought for a voluntary donation. Making this shift was a challenge for the foundation, but most people have been willing to pay a small sum for the kit. Organizations that promote volunteer activities need to maintain ongoing sources of revenue and the Starter Kit is a good way to cover some of the costs.
• The Repair Café Foundation has also developed close partnerships with organizations and companies that provide benefits like product discounts to local organizers and give yearly financial donations to the organization.

Learn more from:

• Repair Café Foundation

This case study is adapted from our latest book, “Sharing Cities: Activating the Urban Commons.” Get a copy today.

Photo by Darwin Bell

The post The Repair Café Foundation builds community by fixing things appeared first on P2P Foundation.

I started a Youtube channel, and here is the first video I made: One more time on “What Is Open Source Circularity?”

It is my first video and I learned a bunch of things for future videos. But I think the quality is already good enough to make people understand Open Source Circularity and why we need it. If you prefer reading over watching you can download the script here. It is also on Facebook in case you like to share it there.

(Deutsch unten)

From the video:

Utopia

… Open Source Circularity – that sounds like world worth living in.

* It is a world that invites our creativity and intellect.

* A world that supplies us with what we need. Without having countries invading each other for resources. Because if we don’t burn resources or turn them into garbage there should be enough for all.

* It is a world that preserves nature and the biosphere. In such a world nature remains beautiful and rich everywhere.

* And it is a world that will provide us with a lot of free time! Because for a working circular economy we also need to consume much less! Therefore less production is needed. Which frees up or time. For other things.

* And it is a world where we are enabled to express our freedom and are not surveilled or controlled by large companies using the products around us.

An Open Source Circular Economy … well … that sounds like the best positive utopia I know.

SCRIPT DOWNLOAD: PDF Video Script.PDF1 (60.8 KB) | ODT Video Script.ODT (21.0 KB)

DE Ich eröffne einen Youtube-Kanal. Und hier ist das erste Video. Noch einmal zur Frage: Was ist Open Source Circularity – was ist Kreislaufwirtschaft und wieso brauchen wir sie und für sie Open Source? Wer lieber liest als schaut, kann sich das vollständige englische Skript herunterladen. Das Video ist auch auf Facebook, falls man es dort teilen möchte.

Aus dem Video:

Utopia

… Open Source Circularity? Das klingt nach einer Welt, in der man vielleicht gern lebt?

* Es ist eine Welt, die unseren Intellekt und unsere Kreativität einlädt durch die Produkte, die uns umgeben.

* Es ist eine Welt, die uns mit allem Notwendigen versorgt, ohne dass Länder kriegerisch ineinander einmarschieren müssen, um an knappe Ressourcen zu gelangen. Denn wenn wir die Ressourcen nicht wegwerfen oder verbrennen, sollte genug für uns da sein.

* Es ist eine Welt, die die Natur und unsere Biosphäre bewahrt. Denn für eine echte und funktionierende Circular Economy muss die Natur schön und reich sein, überall!

* Und es ist eine Welt, die uns sehr viel Freizeit schenkt. Denn für eine funktionierende Circular Economy müssen wir vor allem auch weniger produzieren. Weniger Fabriken. Weniger Arbeit. Mehr Zeit für andere Dinge!

* Und es ist eine Welt, in der wir frei bleiben dürfen und nicht überwacht werden durch die Produkte, die wir zum Leben brauchen.

Eine Open Source Circular Economy … das klingt nach einer ziemlich überzeugenden Utopie für mich …

Crossposted from OSCE Days

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