We wrote this letter to show respect and gratitude to the inhabitants of Matera, and to invite them to get involved into the next LOTE. We translated it into Italian and posted it into the city’s community website. Impressed by the number of warm replies and offers from Materani! If you could create an account on that website too and say hi, or even simply retweet it/reshare it, that would be hugely appreciated.
English version: http://goo.gl/h6fGtS
Italian version: http://goo.gl/W9xQqB
An Invitation to Live on the Edge [LOTE]
Dear citizens of Matera,
We are Edgeryders, an informal group of hundreds of people coming from all over Europe. We have in common the idea that we can contribute to resolving big problems (like global warming or the increasing precariousness) even if we aren’t political leaders, industry heads or famous academia people, but simple citizens like you. It is very ambitious, but we work hard and have willingness to learn.
From 29th of October to 3rd of November we will be your guests. Our common work happens almost always on the Internet, but a couple of times a year we meet physically at events that we call Living On The Edge (part conference, part party, part practical work). After Strasbourg and Brussels in 2012, the third Living On The Edge will take place in your city.
Arriving to Matera from places like Bergen, Lisbon or Cluj-Napoca is neither simple, nor cheap (we don’t have big sponsors, and the majority of us aren’t wealthy). But we come willingly, because a project born out of Edgeryders, the unMonastery, is taking root in Matera. During these latest months some of us have had the chance to come to your city because of this project, and everyone has become enthusiastic about the beauty of the place and your hospitality and kindness. We have decided a trip is worth the effort, and besides, this way everyone gets to see the unMonastery!
The most important lesson we are learning from the unMonastery group – who are learning it from you – is how important a cohesive local community is for the success of a project. In Strasbourg and Brussels we didn’t have a real connection to the people living there: in Matera, on the other hand, we would like to invite you to share with us Living On The Edge. We are certain that we can learn a lot together, from one another, and maybe even collaborate in the future. There will be language barriers, cultural barriers and other barriers of all kinds, but don’t worry: we are used to those, as we ourselves are nothing if not a diverse group (we come from 30 different countries!). We are sure we’ll understand each other.
There are a lot of things we could do together. For example, you could collaborate with us to build Living On The Edge; there are a lot of activities where you could help make the event nicer. You can put yourselves forward as speakers, to talk about something close to your heart, or take pictures to help document the event, or do some translation so that no one has to feel excluded. If you have a little extra space, you can accommodate one of us for the duration of the conference – for some Edgeryders a place to stay can make the difference between being able to coming to the conference or not. Or you can simply join us at Palazzo del Casale, in the heart of Sasso Barisano, to meet up and spend some time together. We are also considering organizing a Halloween party, and of course you are invited!
If you are interested in any of these things, or just want to learn more, write to Ilaria or Noemi, in Italian or English, as you prefer. We would be thrilled to meet you! Thank you again for the opportunity that we have to visit your city.
Andrea, Andrei, Alberto, Auli, Bembo, Ben, Bridget, Dorotea, Noemi, Nadia and many others