I am a founder of the Upper Space and I am firstly a conscious human being, and secondly a conscious artist. I am also part of the 99%. Upper Space started as an experiment to utilise the popularity of street art as a form of social agency. We operate in the largest gallery in the world - our streets; our public realm. The Upper Space started as an organic creation - no rules, no structures - as volunteers worked together with others knowing that we needed to do something to counteract the social, environmental and spacial justice issues that we all care about but not knowing what shape or form this solution would take. So now 2 years later we have the Upper Space, a not-for-profit community interest company that seeks to use creative dissidence and empowerment methodology to directly engage with social, environmental and spacial justice issues within the UK and Abroad. The Upper Space operates within a non-hierarchical, horizontal structure with members from artist; academic; community and public networks. I spend my days walking a divide between the culture that I dream about and the spectacle of culture that is my reality. Sometimes this makes me feel very isolated - even from close friends, as when you choose to engage with these issues that seem so incredibly complex and oppressive and when our supposedly democratic channels for political and social representation fail to mirror the ideas and wishes of a generation then your ability to influence feels so small and diminished. When these democratic channels fail to represent the wishes of our generation it is our duty as citizens to pursue more direct channels of empowerment. So to counteract this enclosure, I spend my time in the Upper Space. In light of these feelings it is so very encouraging to see initiatives like Edgeryders to emerge from the enclosure, and speaking on behalf of our members, Upper Space is ready and waiting to share and help develop these collaborative ideas. – Barney, UK
If to be an Edgeryder means to think outside the box, can’t stand idle and passive, revolt, volunteer, manipulate technology, be polyglot and globe-trotting, if that means to feel part of a community, whether it’s a digital, virtual or physical community and rise up these times of crisis: than I’m an Edgeryder and there is a big community of us all around you! Edgeryders have to face challenges as balance and freedom, flexicurity and glocalisation…and are not afraid to argue, run risks and take action for the ideals they stand for! This means to be personally engaged and connected to significant output in order to build a shared vision of how we can work together to achieve a positive transition for everybody in a right way! I’m here, ready to start to meet this big community of people that can inspire each other! - Irene, Italy
I am interested in Edgeryders because I think people need as many access points to each other, to the communication necessary to build understanding, common goals and efficient pathways to achievement, as possible in our increasingly connected, interdependent world. The anonymity engendered through poverty, exclusion, and lack of opportunity has not disappeared, but been increased by the burgeoning anonymity of a crowd-sourced popularity on sites where people can share digital indicators of success and wealth- or the lack thereof. The crisis-point markers of dislocation, non-involvement, or the possibilities of non-peaceful responses to societal dysfunction are also more evident, and more immediate, through online networks. So to be involved in a proactive, multi-sourced project which embraces the conditions of the world we live in, the needs and aspirations of all levels of society, and invites the participation of all members of the local-regional-world community, regardless of age, education, culture, is a wonderful opportunity. Members can bring as many ideas and skills to the “table” as possible, can build the concepts of citizenship which can bring us through the transition from a disparate, even desperate collection of communities, corporate, government and non-governmental entities, to a world where the rights of humanity, of all the millions of species of earthlings sharing this planet, can be recognized, upheld, and conditions of life improved to optimal sustainable levels. Knowledge, experience, communication and involvement are the key. I hope people of all origins and skillsets have the opportunity to participate, contribute, and move together to our interdependent future. Congratulations and all wishes for success to the founders and fellow members of Edgeryders! - Michele, Morocco
Social farm, we seek partners to produce green economy, 100% natural, motivate young people to come out of the frustrations of doing nothing. Young people everywhere, United for the common good. – Simone, Italy
I was born to be an Edge Ryder. I love Yes's Close to the Edge album like crazy. I am an idealist. My greatest dream is to build a model autism village that will also be a prototype for all such villages across the world. I hope the dialogues here and the interactivity and community will help all people on earth to achieve the impossible, heaven on earth. - Dr A.V. Koshy, Creator- Founder Autism for Help Village Project Trust, India
In what way are you an Edgeryder? An explorer ― of beauty, consciousness, empowerment, structures of technology and open governance ― I intertwine a creative spirit with a passion for human progress. An experienced web communicator, project manager and analyst, I excel at managing complex flows of information and believe in the power of collective intelligence. My sense of observation helps me to assess internal and external needs of businesses and governments. For several years, I’ve been passionate about open government. It has mostly meant observing other countries develop initiatives while being utterly disappointed for not putting my shoulder to the wheel, since Quebec is not yet an open government. Why part of the Edgeryders community? That each one of us has the opportunity to attain the highest vision of who she/he is: shouldn’t it be the goal of every State? Every flower in the fields tries to grow as straight and as high as possible, to hatch all the splendor of his beautiful petals. It’s the same for human beings. We have within us a force (empowerment) that drives us to transcendence. Each person is unique and wonderful. The Edgeryders recognize the potential of each, try to identify problems and seek collective solutions to eliminate barriers to development. An orphan of open government, until this new type of governance is adopted by Quebec, I’m so passionate about this and I believe so much in its potential for society that I do not want to wait a second longer to participate. I like how the Edgeryders show optimism, pay attention to solutions, and seek collaboration to determine the “right” priorities for development. I wish us good luck! – Lyne, Canada
People at the fringes of different fields or spaces, who are able to cross between them and bring ideas or information to both, I think, are edgeryders. I live in a little hexayurt on the border between IT, a world made of open source, open hardware and creative commons projects and accomplishments, and the neighbouring world of sustainability, green-ness and the building of resilience and mutual support in local communities. I think there is a bright future in teaching people how to make use of the huge resources we have at our fingertips, to actually solve day to day problems in our communities and families around us. Just across the river there is also the world of art, creativity and self expression. So far, these worlds have few bridges, but I hope that they are growing, and I’ve seen how inspiring it can be to all kinds of people to break open the world around us and see that we can actually fabricate it ourselves. Why be part of the community? I love to find out about new ways to do things, or to build on existing knowledge and especially to find ways to inspire people who are faced with crumbling expectations as a result of the financial and ecological situation on the planet. I feel a responsibility as well as a calling to bring these concepts to wider audiences. – Ale, Spain
I am a web editor and a mother of 4, aged 22, 20, 16, 14. They are all studying with passion. To be a parent in the 2000s is an adventure and a challenge, as it is to be a freelance journalist and a woman. I try every day to make the most of it. I am one of 99%, too, but I do not like to complain. I would rather try to create new relationships and build opportunities. Why part of the Edgeryders community? I enjoy all that is at the borders. I live in a border city - Trieste. Computer screens were still black&green when I started using one. I wrote my PhD thesis about European Currency Unit in the 80's, when nobody could imagine that the Euro would take the place of national currencies. I think that social networks and web communities are a worth new way to experiment a broader citizenship in UE. We, citizens, have the task to keep on building a common land with a warm space for everyone. - Tiziana, Italy