At Edgeryders we are racing to set different puzzle pieces into place so that people from all over the world who wish to come and meet each other face to face can do so despite money obstacles. We are going to unFail in finance.
Here is a list of where we can each reach out and how… if you have more ideas please share them below.
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UN agencies: we have contacted the UNDP offices Edgeryders has worked with in order to ask for scholarships covering travel and accommodation. You can do the same if you have a UNDP, UNESCO, or UNICEF office in the region, there’s a template letter ready for being adapted to your context.
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Foreign embassies in Brussels: same here, we’re translating a letter to ask for support and adjusting it for cultural nuances. Template here, already in five languages, so come help.
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European Cultural Foundation: ongoing scholarships to “fund up-and-coming artists and cultural workers (giving priority to individuals up to 35 years and/or in the first 10 years of their career) to travel between EU and countries bordering the EU”. Ideally you would have a project that LOTE can contribute and help you develop, just asking them to pay for your participation at a conference is not eligible. You need to fill in an online form, make a budget for your project Full application guide is available, and here are some of the projects financed, to give you an idea.
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Pick one of the topics in failure around which the program is organised and reach out to your past/ present collaborators to see if they would sponsor a citizen journalist really digging into a topic - eg for helping the organisation with future funding applications.
- Development: practitioners and policy makers who work in development agencies whose office has some budget for mobility and exchanges.
- Social and health care: OpenCare is a large EU funded project via Horizon 2020 which will officially launch at LOTE. Good way in for people who want to partner up at an early stage and would be making a small investment in coming.
- Culture and creative industries: an example is that we are in touch with candidates for European Capital of Culture and LOTE is a good context for them to learn about unfailing in changing culture at system level. Maybe they can join as information sharers or they can fund Edgeryders who were part of the projects (Civic Innovation Network in Matera, Futurespotters Bucharest)
- other topics tba.
Up for helping? Register for a dose of LOTE: Fail unFail in Brussels! Also pick up one of the above or come to the next community call. You’ll see first hand how you can be part of building an event entirely in and with community, with or without large sponsorship.