Date: 17th May 2007
Location: The Hub, Islington
Network link: Pioneers of change, Hub, Ashoka
Open discussion and presentation on the work of the Warriors without Swords group from Brazil.
Web documentation
Edgard Gouveia - Elos Institute (Brazil) works to rebuild the links between people and communities, their vision and the reality in which they live. Edgard’s approach aims to empower communities from within so they can improve and restore their cultural and environmental balance. To achieve this he works both strengthening communities and training students who support the process of sustainable community development.
Ashoka Fellow Edgard Gouveia from Instituto Elos in Santos, Brazil. He's one of six architects and city planners who founded Elos. Their mission is to cultivate a new generation of social entrepreneurs that can respond more effectively to social issues. Their approach combines space and urban collaborative design and supporting communities to communicate, leverage potential and cooperate for a better world.
In the deep-seated poverty of Brazil’s urban favelas (slums), Edgard uses community-led physical revitalization to spur momentum for community change. When outside architects exclude local people from designing and building public spaces, these structures are often inappropriate for the context. They also end up being neglected because no one in the community feels responsible for them. Edgard’s solution is to engage slum communities in joint projects with architectural students, demonstrating to residents that they are capable of improving their surroundings. At the same time, the projects foster a new role for architects to improve urban communities rather than simply design buildings. After the architectural students complete these programs – already being implemented in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay – Edgard’s organization continues working with local leaders to carry out initiatives for community improvement, such as building cultural centers and restoring city buildings.
Meeting discussions and notes
Vision: That the community knows best what their needs are, and they have the resourcefulness and creativity available to them to make the change.
Project overview:
The objective is to make change in community that makes a profound impact on those affected. Targeting a symbol of degradation in the locale and transforming it this is known as - The oasis game. Typical projects last 2 to 30 days, examples are:
· Clean up undesirable derelict buildings
· Build library or school
· Build garden
· Paint mural
Projects are staffed by volunteers with some professional help from garden planners, architects, plumbers, electricians and builders. The project is set up a game that focuses on team building, leveraging diversity, and developing connections with the community.
People are taken from a wide variety of backgrounds and ages. Teams undergo some training prior to the project, but are very quickly thrown in at the deep-end. Projects are given very limited funds and must seek the majority of their resources from local sources. Such ask left over paint and tools from the community.
Projects are established after 2 weeks of discussion with the community and working with informal community leaders such as respected shop keepers, and elders. First an open forum community meeting is held. Then the team prepare designs to be voted on by the community. The community has the role of coach and client.
Reported feedback:
- Amazing levels of creativity found from adversity and from limited resources
- This project has created a sense of pride in the community
- This is the first time anyone has asked us what we wanted - "no one ever asked us about our dreams"
Project is currently expanding to Nepal and has recently been awarded an Ashoka prize for community interventions
Useful links:
Elos Institute (Portuguese) http://www.institutoelosbr.org.br/
The Hub http://www.the-hub.net/
Ashoka http://www.ashoka.org/ and http://www.changemakers.net/
1 comment:
This is great info to know.
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