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Location: Paris, France

3.05.2013

Alternative project financing sources in France

Big or small; we all have projects and dreams. Apart from a slim group, many of us have limited budgets to realize them.

Do you have a project? Y/N

Do you really want to realize it? Y/N

Do you live in France? Y/N

Do you need money to realize it? Y/N

Well, if all your answers are 'YES' then enjoy the journey of financing your project. Here are some useful links that might be helpful :

10.01.2012

MechanicART Project

MechanicART is a project to create mechanic art objects made of recycled materials.
These unique mechanic art objects are made of junk wood, fallen tree branches, fallen grains, fishing line, junk yarn, hair, coil spring, wire and nails. It is an ecologically responsible, artistic and fun approach to art and mechanics. These items can be used as decoration objects, as art objects and collectibles (every piece is unique) or simply as daily anti-stress objects.

Come and support our project at KissKissBankBank !

2.16.2012

Permaculture Notes, Low Impact Building Designs & Ideas

Let us start with a short definition of permaculture : Adopting a life style that goes (by all means) with the nature, not against the nature. It is a sustainable self-sufficient system that is nurtured within itself and that omits any element which might cause degradation or destruction of its own natural cycle.

Total quality management (TQM) applications in life show quite an analogy to permaculture. The more our outputs (ideas, actions and creations) are positive the better the conditions (tangible and/or intangible) that surround us become. Try it, you will see the difference. It is an altruistic approach and I do wish that we can extend the scale of it; at home, at work, at school, at politics!

It might not be easy for many of us to imagine living in permaculture houses especially if you're living in a populated city. Permaculture houses inevitably enable their habitants create a solid bond with the nature. They are quite self-sufficient and environmentally friendly structures.

Each of these structures carries ingenious patterns of the nature; like snail shells, superposed cactus leaves, fly eyes and etc. They are cozy, welcoming, unique and quite personalized. From an artistic point of view, these structures have numerous common points between the works of art of some artists like Gaudi and Hundertwasser. Well, 'great minds think alike'!

The question is; how ready are we to live simpler than we're used to? Think about it!

If you're curious about what can be done with used tyres, bottles, pop cans, loofah, a little bit of imagination and intelligence here are some examples and ideas, enjoy:









source : http://naturalhomes.org/


source : http://recycluzz.com/2012/01/08/earthship-biotecture/earth_ship3/


source : http://housealive.org/

Below is a slightly different example of sustainable housing alternatives for the poor made of loofah (vegetable sponge) and recycled plastic.


source: http://www.rolexawards.com/en/the-laureates/elsazaldivar-home.jsp

For the ones who are interested in the topic; here are some names for useful reading: Franklin Hiram King, Bill Mollison, David Holmgren and Michael Reynolds.

9.30.2011

Custom-made pre-financed social products and services

Imagine a company that provides better living and environmental conditions to its target group(s) as well as to its employees (whatever its size and revenue is). And imagine that its performance (social and environmental) will be evaluated by its customers and its employees. Let's force our imagination and say that this evaluation will be published online and will be freely accessible by anyone.

Well here I propose a system that I call 'custom-made, pre-financed social goods and services'. It is purely well being oriented of the consumers, employees and the environment.

The criteria will be basic for the companies. For example if people (including the customers + the employees) that I propose my products or that my services are healthier and happier with what the company does, then I'm on the good track. And if the environment where I produce my products or my services is replenishing or getting better then I'm on the right track.

The question is by doing good things with good intentions we can maybe get some sympathy but we cannot guarantee any sales!

How about A to Z construction of these products and services by mass consumer demands (the demands will be restricted by certain health, environmental, humanitarian and social criteria)?

Imagine a system where people can make their own mix by using a global database of social entrepreneurships, organic, recyclable, renewable, environmentally friendly, fairly traded ingredients or inputs let's say, and fair labor, anything needed to create products and services needed. No advertisements, no manipulations!

What if we collect minimum prepaid units of product/service orders. The companies will not need to use push-sales strategies, or allocate extra budget for stocking, or boost exaggeration and gimmicks and other psyhological and financial tools to sell. The companies/organizations will purely focus on the well being of their customers+employees and the environment. Well, logically I do believe that healthy, happy and well educated people in a healthy environment would tend to generate better things and inherit a better world to their successors. Don't you think so?

Ex: I like eating plain yoghurt and I consume it regularly. I usually eat at least 750 grams per week. I do my gocery shopping once in every two weeks. I'd like to see everything about the ingredients and production of this yoghurt. It does not have to be printed and come along with the actual product. A unique code attached to my receipt which can serve as an access code to all the information about this product online is enough. I have my own pots, so I can refill and I do not need any packaging (Why not having self-service stations for our dairy products to eliminate packaging?). I like the taste of company A's plain yoghurts (which has good social and environmental values that they practice every day). So I order and prepay the equivalent amount of my two weeks plain yoghurt consumption from company A. If let's say one million (I'm making up the number) people like me can guarantee the same thing the company has nothing else to do but focus on the quality of the product that they produce and the well being of their customers+employees and the environment.

This approach becomes a little more complicated when it comes to other types of products/services like; clothing, decoration, travel etc., where personal preferences take the lead and where in some cases the nature of such purchasing decisions are impulsive.

What if we adopt a similar production and consumption chain for such type of products and services as well? Think about it!

9.22.2011

Psychology of over-consumption

Why do we consume more than what we really need?

Greed, peer pressure, weakness, fear, inferiority complex..., you name it. The more we possess the more we think that we have right to consume more than the others. Let's admit it : This has no end.

Whatever the motivation of our over-consumption is; it is a combination of limited world resources, time and labor that we waste in the end.

As long as there is 'hunger' and 'poverty' in this world, personally I do not think that we have a right to over-consume or waste. Not even a bit!

A must read book about the topic is : 'When Corporations Rule the World' by David C. Korten.

Let's think about
-how we can prevent over-consumption and
-how we can generate tangible and financial resources out of over-consumption and
-how we can transfer these resources to certain disadvantaged regions and groups in the world.

Let's minimize our consumption! Personal, institutional and governmental!

TIRED

I am so tired of waiting,
Aren't you,
For the world to become good
And beautiful and kind?
Let us take a knife
And cut the world in two-
And see what worms are eating
At the rind.

Langston Hughes

Where does our money go when we buy a product or service?

Ask and track down where, how, by whom, when, by using what kind of ingredients and under which conditions the products or services that you buy are made. We know how we earn every cent we make so we should have the right to know where these cents go when we spend.

Imagine a sustainable social-economic model where small producer groups, product designers, distributor groups, micro-credit, environmental, educational , health and humanitarian organizations act together. It is a model that can generate sustainable financial and intellectual welfare. I'm underlining : It is not a charity model.

What if we adopt such social economic models everywhere in the world and what if we share all the information sought ( mentioned above) with ultimate-consumers? Think about it!

2.24.2011

World Embroidery - Summary

Embroidery art has numerous styles, motifs and techniques as mentioned in prevoius posts. There are many other types of embroidery in the world like Kutch (India), Marash (Armenia & Turkey), Nihon shishu or Nuido (Japan), Fontoney-le-Château (France), Gozo (Malta)...

The question is : What can we do to preserve and increase the economic value of these beautiful art pieces?

I guess first of all we should get rid off our stereotypes ! The embroidery art is not something that only people at certain age appreciate. If we pay just a close attention we can see the balance, patience and the beauty behind these geometric combinations.

Well second, we can use these world embroidery on our apparels. Ritu Kumar and Royah has some gorgeous examples.

We can also embed them in art pieces. Why not using embroidery in painting, or in sculpture, or photography or in posters? The sky is the limit ! You can visit Paula Sanz Caballero's web site to get inspired.

The best part about the embroidery is, its initial investment cost is very very low. Almost anyone in the world can afford to do it. A needle, thread, a piece of garment and a lot of patience. We can also establish bridges between designers and embroidery cooperatives in disadvantaged regions of the world. We can even help people earn their lives through embroidery in countries where there is war or unstable and unsecure civil life conditions. Because embroidery can perfectly be done as a home-based economic activity. This can be a nice business model born from the togetherness of fair trade and art. Think about it !

2.11.2011

Lambani embroidery

Lambani is a type of embroidery from southern and central India. It is a mixture of different techniques like cross stitching, mirror work, darning, quilting and patchwork. You can find detailed information about its origins and some images here.




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2.01.2011

Nakshi Kantha (embroidery art of Bangladesh)

Nakshi Kantha is a traditional embroidery art of Bangladesh. It needs certain patience and meticulous work. Traditional patterns are mostly geometric and/or pastoral.

Here is a good customized and modernized application from People Tree:

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1.22.2011

Norwegian Drawn Work (Hardanger embroidery)

Hardanger embroidery is a type of embroidery, that resembles Antep embroidery (Antepisi), where white threads are embroidered onto white or a beige background using counted and draw thread work techniques.


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