Lola finds the baby interesting, but we have a second dog (Kush) - a german shepherd mix - who is absolutely intrigued by Leon and follows him around wherever we go :)).
I totally get your points. Definitely challenging, engaging people merely online is not an easy job, but I guess that’s what the engagement managers are for who actually live in the countries involved ;).
Also, as the name indicates, this should mainly be focussed on youth projects? One interesting example I just recently discovered is about Ucha Kemashvili who lives in a remote village in western Georgia. He saw how devastating the braindrain of young people from his village was (everyone goes to tbilisi for jobs/education) and decided to create an incentive for them to stay: free wifi on the main square with a board which tells the inhabitants what kind of events are going on. It completely changed the village, a real community feeling was created. There’s also Kedeli community in Sighnaghi (inga may have written about them last year?), a family who is helping people with disabilities - they live with them, are being cared for and help around if they can. For the ones who are able enough, they set up a social cafe where they work in the city center, to empower them. It’s not youth, but a great example of grassroots initiative, and they often have young german volunteers helping ot for several months in a row. May be worth a follow up as well.
Anyway, I’ll check some other things that were posted later.
Thanks for the updates on Georgia, Inge! Good to know there are positive developments there! Would love to report on Armenia, maybe once I get there and meet the participants of Spot the Future 2014. Can’t believe you managed to write this all on Day 1 at home with Leon! I’m so happy the mothers’ community is growing @ Edgeryders! Lots of love and positive healing energy your way!
Thanks! Would love to hear about Armenia as well! And Egypt! We had a great meet-up last year, it was really inspiring! As I understand it wont be this year, but online a lot of creativity and inspiration can be shared as well! (and I will anyway see you this summer!)
We’re still waiting for the news to spread and more people to have a chance to apply and then I would like to schedule calls with the candidates later this week, starting from Thursday, giving us enough time to talk with all of you and hire two people by Monday. I hope that you will have time for a skype call with me?
1. Can you think of three projects that you would reach out to and involve in this project? Please add them to the Case Studies Adventure wiki by editing it (make sure to include your name so we know who has contributed what).
2. Could tell me, what’s your idea to use social media to engage people in this online platform - first to bring them here, and them make them use it on a longer term? How do you make connections with people most effectively in your country? (We know people are used to face to face meetings, but we still want them to use this online platform for dialogue).
Once you have answered the two questions, suggest time slots for the call with me here.
With my network, i know who would be interested to join & simply approach. Outside of my network, I approach face-to-face to give an otherwise anonymous online space, well, a face. Either way, I think hard about how they can benefit from cross-border participation and a globalised network; i.e. how EdgeRyders can benefit them.
Yes, I've already contacted two of them Reefy, Mwazna and the third I'm trying to see another project in Siwa or Upper Egypt where communicating through Internet isn't great..
For Reefy as an example, it's related to how they can show and tell people about their products to the EgdeRyders community, it'd be also benefit them the contribution of the EgeRyders community members on howto market the product and open new funnels for that purpose. For Mwazna, as the two men behind itare interested in OpenData and its activities, it'll be good to show their project to others who can do the same in other countries like Georgia, Armenia, Morocco, etc..
Most of my communication is done through social media then telephone and/or Skype call and if there’s a need for a face-to-face meeting, we just do it.
Engagement of people: i think the main motivation for people to come and to use the platform would be (1) finding partners for future projects and (2) learning and getting inspiration from others’ projects.
I would suggest to organize also thematic posts, e.g. cases on social business, inclusion, eco-friendly way of life, etc from each participating country, so people could present themselves, and discuss challenges and solutions. Then it would be easier to promote the platform online, in social networks and etc. I would suggest the initiatives/projects we are presenting as cases, are taking some points of discussions, and involve their team/colleagues/partners into dialogue (to make the agreements with them before posting). Presenting the platform at face-to-face events, with possible discussions they could take part right away.
I think for some people its difficult to believe and to trust to virtual communication and insertion to online platform can realise very slowly. Of course it’s more effective to communicate and to meet face to face because like this you recognize a person well but in our times online communication gives us possibility to save the time. After all it’s easy to involve the young people to online social media.
P.S. Հայաստանում միակ խնդիրը անվստահությունն է: Այստեղ շատ են այսպես կոչված ցանցային թակարդները: Edgeryders-ի դեպքում ներգրավելը ավելի հեշտ կլինի, քանի որ կա կոնկրետ կայք, որտեղ տրված է կազմակերպության պատմությունը, ծրագրերը և նպատակները:
I second you on that it will take time in Armenia to engage projects from remote areas @zaraavi jan, but could you please elaborate why would people have trust issues with online platforms?
I think sometimes it’s difficult to decide what site is legal and don’t contain some viruses or it’s not haker’s site or way to thieve money . It’s distrust. But it’s become rare and now young people prefer to work and to communicate online.
Wow there are indeed many candidates for Armenia so maybe I’d be more useful for Morocco? Either way, I would love to get engaged in this project for either Armenia or Morocco depending the time frame the project is going to run. I just quitted my full time job in tourism industry in Morocco(still helping my husband with his projects in the High Atlas) and will be based in Armenia all summer! Would love to get involved as I have decided to only take up jobs that make me happy while still being able to homeschool my girl +my skills and experience match your requirements:
I’m a translator/interpreter(English, Russian, Armenian, Polish, French, Arabic)
I have attended Spot the Future 2014 in Tbilisi and I have an idea of how Edgeryders work
I have lots of contacts with people engaged in innovating projects both in Armenia and Morocco and I would like to deep dive and share the inspiring stories about their work
I used to be an EVS volunteer so I understand the importance of this project in creating new volunteering opportunities in the future
I am used to working online and in distance as I have worked from home the past 2 years
I am super curious and sociable so it’s going to be easy peezy for me
I will think of 3 projects in Armenia and 3 in Morocco and add them to case studies
One project I’m most interested in is creating a coworking space for parents who can bring their kids along and let them play under supervison of a qualified professional while the moms work in an adjoining space! I think @SEDAchka is developing this project in Yerevan already!
@vgratian - OMG finally! Co-working space in Yerevan!!! Congrats! I can’t wait to come and check it out! Checked the website but there aren’t many details there, like the fees, etc Can you tell us more about how it works?
I totally endorse Anna (of course), and I think the positive and very constructive input last year at the Spot the Future conference were undeniable! And she had a great tiny assistant as well ;).
Welcome back. Did you see my comment above with the two questions? Maybe have a look and then schedule a slot for a chat with me later this week? Sorry about curt reply, travelling at the moment…
Nadia, first of all my apologies for not being active for almost a year! After coming back to Morocco I got fully engaged in a start up travel venture, didn’t manage to make it to #LOTE4 and I guess missed a lot. Now I’m back on track and this time around I’m going to have more time to assure my online presence on Edgeryders!
I did see your questions and I’m going to post 3 projects per country(Armenia and Morocco) and will schedule a skype call with you later this week!
Lovely to re-kindle with Amalia, Inge, Zara, Hazem, Gratian, @Iriedawta (I had no idea who you were until I got it from the picture :))
And great meeting all the rest of you,
Just a quick note to @zaraavi: completely agree with online engagement taking time. The social media is easier in the era of “clicktivism”, but true engagement needs ways we may still learn about. We don’t know what exactly works: it could be a strong sense of reward made obvious in a post, the way a call for participation is worded, or maybe it matters who is the person inviting you and if you have a trusted relationship with them. We’re mostly learning, and some things can work better in some countries, not all. So that’s why your insights as engagers-to-be is so important… you know best!
The thing is, to work under a common denominator, we need a space to re-convene, and this is Edgeryders at the moment. So the more confortable we are with online - offline mix of channels, the easier the work will be.
@SamarAli that was fast, reaching out to people already, all feedback is useful. Thanks
Thank you! Hope you are doing well! I was not active for almost a year, no wonder you didn’t recognize my name
I agree it should be a mix of online-offline channels in Armenia as not everybody is e-literate in the regions. I am sure meeting face-to-face is the right way to start the online engagement as well as the idea of reward made obvious. Trust is a cruscial factor too combined with the ability to explain the benefits of participation for the members-to-be.
