What are you taking away?

Knowledge Collection Making Sense
1

While Edgeryders 1.0 officially draws to a close with the completion of the Edgeryder Handbook, it seems fair to say that, actually, the momentum it has created is set to run and run in the form of a raft of ideas, initiatives, project and opportunities which have emerged from conversations based here on the platform or in Strasbourg back in June.  We’re all watching this space for an Edgeryders 2.0…

I’d like to end the Handbook with some reflections from you guys about what you will be taking away from your participation in Edgeryders, beyond the opportunity it has presented to have input into the policy making process.  What has Edgeryders given you that you didn’t have before you joined?  What has changed for you as a result of the relationships you have developed through the platform?  How are you feeling about your personal transition pathway right now, today, in this very moment?

It would be great if as many of you as possible could comment, even just a line or two, because I’d like to include as many as possible in an appendix to the main report.

Thanks everyone!

2

On aspirations

I’ve learned that we have a lot of common aspirations that are not conditioned by national settings, by “my politician”, “my university”, “my potential employer”, “my church”, “my neighbours”, even “my family”. Also, aspirations are non-negotiable. Any individual, no matter what her background or opportunities, has the right and responsibility to do what she thinks is necessary to achieve them.

Good news is, we stand together.

Thanks Beck!

3

A new player in town

For me the take away point is having met a surprising number of people that

  1. seem to be building pieces of the future (permaculture, health security, lifestyle hacking, sharing economy, social currencies...).
  2. have a knowledge-oriented, facts-are-sacred attitude normally find in scientists.
  3. are not necessarily doing particularly well by the usual standards. Almost all are in precarious employment, few are making serious money, some are scraping together a living at the margins.
The more I think about this, the more they feel like a very serious asset. Intelligent, capable, creative people with a low opportunity cost of time? They could be the only fresh forces we, as a society, can deploy towards attacking the fundamental problems (especially those that business has no interest in solving, because there is no money to be made in doing so). I am certainly going to incorporate them into my future projects.
4

happy to be

What has Edgeryders given you that you didn’t have before you joined?

Friends
Companions
Trust
safety
knowledge
awareness
well-being
participation
civic sense
membership
opening
What has changed for you as a result of the relationships you have developed through the platform? 
I learned to listen to
and increased my feeling towards national policy
my critical sense and become more selective
and increased my responsibilities as European citizens
 How are you feeling about your personal transition pathway right now, today, in this very moment?
MALAISE
I feel much the edge,
I feel victim of wrong policies
I'm not happy, I feel the need of more social coessione,
I feel excluded from politics, local
I don't feel listened to, overlooked by the authorities
I feel mocked by local, national politics.
WELL-BEING
I feel lucky because I live the change
I feel good because listening to the people I see that evil can be defeated

I feel good because I’m on the right track

I feel good because I met a large governmental institution Council of Europe

Lighthouse everything possible to resolve the issues, the emergence and strengthening of social cohesion for the benefit of all.

My duty.
 

Simone

 
 

5

Tkanks to you !

-What has Edgeryders given you that you didn’t have before you joined?

It allowed me to meet same-minded people and to start building a virtual social network.

-What has changed for you as a result of the relationships you have developed through the platform?

Now I feel much less lonely and seeing all these brilliant and lovely people working so hard for what they believe in gave me hope and faith in the future.

-How are you feeling about your personal transition pathway right now, today, in this very moment?

I left my job for the same reason I left many others : I can’t bear being a peon, an executive force, nor having a master or a god. It’s just humiliating and lowers human condition. Now I can do full time what I’ve always wanted to do : learn, read, write, understand, think… Without being too disturbed by oppressing slavery.

My situation is pretty unstable, I get social aid that will not last long as I’m supposed to look for a job, which I’m not.

There’s something wrong with it : in france we say : “gagner sa vie” which is translated by making a living, but the choice of words and their meaning is pretty different.

I don’t see why I should win my life.

It was given to me when I was born.

And I’m not born to be anyone’s slave.

I feel pretty good because I know things will change. There are too many smart people working for it.

But I also feel sad seeing politics and mainstream medias being so coward, blind, greedy or whatever their reasons to continue feeding this global illusion.

I feel sad seeing how ignorance and fear rules the world, but I feel happy seeing all the love and enlightment emerging everywhere.

This platform has been a light beacon in a dark ocean and I thank you for that.

6

My take-aways

I feel like I have learned more about genuine and fair development coopration, transnational networks and grassroots initiatives on Edgeryders rather than during my Master studies in International Development and feel like I have connected to real-time account of the XXI Century social dynamics

I haven’t created anything meaningful/useful and ideas of positively changing the world haven’t occured to me YET. But i feel like in a combined effort we might just be able to do that (little by little).

Edgeryders has reinforced my conviction/belief that there’s hope in this generation of ours and a bigger room to grow and improve, through the sharing of ideas and resources among peers on plafroms like these. It gave me a sense of belonging to a solid and caring community.

I feel like we are making the politicians and policy makers realize their worthlessness, illegitimacy and mediocrity, unless they are willing to really listen and take into account what we have to say.

Whenever I need inspiration and encouragement to act I log into Edgeryders and read a mission report. When I need help, advice and/or feedback, i know that my friends, colleagues and peers are just a click away.