What's happening in the Openvillage MENA

Workspaces OpenVillage Workspace
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Our “new” Edgeryders platform

Let me introduce to you our new platform, the new home for our Edgeryders community. As you noticed, we are now using this clean Discourse platform, migrating from the old Drupal one. I believe old members will agree with me that it is a bit more organized :smiley: In case you face any problems dealing with it, you can ask for help in the “Support & Development” category. (Or in case you are a developer, offer help there.)

The OpenVillage category is the space where we collaborate together in building this network of houses, as a step to build “a better life” for ourselves. The first house is up and running in Brussels and the second one is being built in the North African region.

Underneath openvillage you will find these four spaces (sub-categories):

1. People & Projects

This is the space where we get to know each other, where people introduce themselves, share with the rest of the community their stories, projects, and ideas.

There you can get to know @hadeerghareeb who is working with children in turning trash into toys, @chahy a Tunisian mother and entrepreneur working on empowering local farmers, @bodee who is raising awareness and cleaning the environment, @murielaboulrouss and her Zyara webseries. You can get to know other projects in the region like the Megawara community center, Readymade, and many more.

So if you are new here, people and projects is the place to be. Post a new topic there introducing yourself, project, and ideas.

2. Sawa

Our workspace for building the whole OpenVillage. Where all the houses come together and work on their challenges!

3. The Reef MENA

The workspace for the house in the North African region. Check out our space search there, we are very close to securing a space in Morocco. If you are or know people there who can help or if you have suggestions for spaces in the Region where we can have our very first house, this is the space for you.

4. The Reef Brussels

This space is dedicated for the house in Brussels. So if you want to know how is it like to live at such a place, check it out. in case you didn’t notice the Reef is the name for the house :slight_smile:

Latest News

  • The OpenVillage fellowship is open for applications. Check it out, deadline 20th September, but don’t wait till the last minute because we will select fellows as soon as the right people show up, first come first served!

  • We are starting our weekly community calls in Arabic this Saturday at 11:00am.

  • Check out the new website for the OpenVillage MENA – it will give you a compact overview of the project.

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Very cool!

We’ve been discussing different options for locations that @unknown_author has found in Morocco. They’re all beautiful. So next comes the question of what the spaces that act as OpenVillage Houses should look like/ how they should work.

@matthias has this idea that we should design for mobility. Basically focus on designing the contents of the houses so that we can put everything on Euro pallets and easily move. E.g. if there is any serious trouble in the area. I think it makes for a really interesting design challenges.

Then there is the question of the structures themselves - i.e. walls, roof, toilets, pipes, electrical wiring etc. Renting an existing house is often more expensive than just renting, or even buying, land. @matthias has proposed shipping containers as a possible option. I came across some other intriguing options for warmer climates. Like this guy who has set up his office under a bridge!

Then there is this plug-in house that can work in e.g. older/less attractive spaces

I think this could be something we do a public call around and discuss between now and September when we actually decide on the location and space? What do you think @MurielAboulrouss @bachar_khattar @hazem @monarezk @DeniseJabbour @m_tantawy @alayan @zmorda @amiridina @noemi @johncoate @alberto @matthias @unknown_author?

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Speaking of Oakland, what we for sure do not want is a situation where an illegal space has a lethal fire that kills a bunch of people because what made it illegal was its disregard of basic safety, badly rigged electrical service and inadequate fire exits. That is what happened in Oakland at the “Ghost Ship Fire” last December.

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Could be but in beirut I don’t know.

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And when you say “Euro pallets” do you mean these:

or do you mean more of a stackable container?

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هناك البيوت الجاهزة كرفان ممكن التحكم في. الحجم والتكلفة ومن الممكن التنقل بها وهي ذات جودة عالية
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