Dear friends and family,
It’s becoming more evident as the days of 2020 trickle by that the world that existed prior to the pandemic, has drastically changed. Not only do our daily lives look different, but parallel to this, the climate change emergency seems more stark than ever. Images emerging of Californian wildfires show what the future may hold.
At Edgeryders, we have been asking how we can better prepare ourselves for the coming years. We have been analysing new ways local economies may help us as we transition to a green economy.
We held a webinar, recently, that looked at the local economy of the Messina district in Sicily. It is a really good example of not only how a social enterprise can gain trust among people that have severely distrusted civic institutions, because of a history of organised crime, but also how green energy subsidies could be used in a way that benefited a local community by reducing fossil fuels, reintegrating serious mental health patients into society, spawning several new businesses and providing further funding for the organisation.
If you would like to read more about how Fondazione Communità di Messina achieved this, you can read more here and join in our conversation.
Coworking has been a major theme for us and the impact the virus has had on the sector. Since running our coworking events during the summer months, we have been asking what’s the next step for the sector?
As many countries are now facing their second wave of cases, this may be an even more urgent question. Many of us are balancing family needs and work life while daycare and schools are closed. In the long term this is unsustainable and will likely lead to burnout. But maybe that’s where coworking can come to the rescue. Some spaces are innovating in the sector to offer childcare options to parents that are working remotely. If you have any thoughts on this or would like to join that conversation, please comment here.
There are other ways that the sector could help others throughout the crisis too. One of our founding members Noemi has asked if there is a way that co-working spaces are helping freelancers during this period? If your government is supporting work-from-home programmes or has a policy in place, please join the conversation here.
If you’re new to the co-working game, then take a look at some of the tips and advice our members who have been working from the home office for years have here.
Don’t forget…
Our conversations aren’t only happening on the platform, some upcoming events:
- 8/10: Citizen engagement and regional policies in the transition to a viable low carbon economy.
- 16/10 : Info session about our new World Building academy! We are launching a residency in collaboration with EIT Climate Kic as part of our Scifi Economics Lab.
- 29/10: How can we work together to support localisation of food? A webinar to learn about opportunities in the EU and beyond. More here.
And finally…
Tell us about what’s going on in your part of the world below or here. Our What’s Up With You? Section is a safe place where our members share everything from the latest book they’re reading to major events in their part of the globe.
Image by Aziz Acharki on Unsplash.