TOPIA IMPOSSIBLE I ’ M P OS S I B L E K AOSPILOT TE A M 20 FIN A L PROJ EC T S
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TO PI A
IMPOSSIBLE I’M POSSIBLE
TA B L E O F C O N T EN T
0 0 4 TO P I A I M P O S S I B L E I’M P O S S I B L E 0 0 6 W O R D S F R O M T h e team leader 0 0 8 W O R D S F R O M T H E P R I N C I Pal 0 1 0 facts abo u t kaospilot 0 1 1 t h e bi g w h y 0 1 2 t h e 4 aims of K A O S P I LOT t h e ed u cation 0 1 4 a t h ree y ear jo u rne y 0 1 6 F I N A L P R O J E C T S 2016 0 1 8 M E E T T E A M 20 0 9 8 T H E C O N T R I B U TO R S 1 0 0 UFFE ELBÆK 1 0 2 ZAID HASSAN 1 0 4 BLISS BROWNE 1 0 6 María Susana M u h amad 1 0 8 M alene A nnikki Lu nd é n 1 1 0 A N D R E W TA GG A R T 1 1 2 GU N T E R PA U L I 1 1 4 CAROL SANFORD 1 1 8 C redits
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TO P I A I mpossible I ’ m possible By Mor t e n Not t e l m a nn
Morten Nottelmann is a tinkerer, teacher, and proud father. He is a guest lecturer at Kaospilot, and helps us develop concepts and solve tricky problems.
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W
e all live among a special breed of people. From a distance it is difficult to tell them apart from the rest of us. At first sight they might even come across as average, with the sameness in features
we can see in us all. But don’t be mistaken. They might hide behind sameness and uniforms, but they are in fact alchemists constantly busy with turning esoteric dreams into golden reality. We call them Topians. If you get a chance to get closer to one, take a deeper look into their eyes. You will witness the most magnificent sight. Behind their eyelids a roaring ballet of the mind is taking place. It is the electric firestorm that births ideas, as it turns into gentle action. It is a current that flows from their hearts and minds into their hands and feet, lifting them up and forcing them to act, to do, to build and to make the utopian constructions of their minds into real places in the physical World. Places so lush, beautiful and poetic that the rest of us would deem them impossible to create— if we could even imagine them in the first place. They don’t mind scepticism. Their flame is only fired by naysayers. No comfort-seeking, scared or frozen-up resistance can hold them back. They will break any cynical expectation of what life can be, and carry us forward towards a planet with more joy, colours and possibilities. So let’s allow ourselves to be amazed by their creations. While some are tiny and only short-lived, others may turn into cathedrals for generations to enjoy. They represent what the world needs now: a hope for a beautiful future for all, not only shared as colourful fairy tells but as places to visit and play. But be warned! It will prove hard to accept the dull humdrum of average once you have felt a Topia…
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WORDS FROM THE TEAM LEADER
“I’m tired of reading about all these places that sound so perfect but never get lifted off the page into reality. Just for once, I’d like to see humans go from fantasy to fact. From utopia, which in Greek literally means ‘no place,’ to topia.”
- Paolo Lugari, founder of Gaviotas *
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Dear Reader,
n the following pages, we hope to offer you a glimpse of the work carried out by Team 20 during their final year, at Kaospilot. These pragmatic idealists set out to connect with issues, individuals and communities that they believe to be important and then spent half a year developing concepts and projects that were a response to the needs and opportunities they encountered. The projects and experiments they set out to create will offer you a sense of what matters to them, what they learned, and even who they became along the way. Each story is as unique as the student who created it.
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After having the privilege of spending a year working with Team 20, I think this year’s catalogue theme very much relates to their spirits, as individuals and as a team. The assignment contains various tensions which are incredibly challenging to negotiate: the tension between idealism and realism, boldness and humility, imagination and follow through, discipline and wildness. I admire how Team 20 courageously and persistently navigated through the complexity and uncertainty of their final year. It has been an intensive training in learning how to bring dreams and ideas to reality, and my sense is that the stories you are about to enjoy are only the beginning for Team 20, and we can expect many more ambitious experiments, projects and ventures in the coming years. Twenty-five years ago, Thomas and Uffe envisioned their own topia, in the school. A place where fanstastical, fragile and fledgeling ideas, along with the stewards of the ideas, can find shelter until they grow and become more robust and weather ready. The idea for such a place not only attracted students but a community of change makers, teachers, collaborators and mentors who share our passion for testing what’s possible. We are blessed with such an incredibly generous community of role models who support the students in their education, and eight of them have contributed with an essay interpreting the theme. We hope these pages inspire you to seek out people, places and ideas that challenge your notion of what is possible. Happy reading. Sincerely, Pete Sims,
*Gaviotas: a Village to Reinvent the World, by Alan Weisman 7
Pete Sims, Team Leader for T20 Head of Curriculum Research and Development Aarhus May 26th, 2016
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WORDS FROM T H E P R I N C I PA L
A
Dearest reader, new cohort of students is on the verge of departing from the Kaospilot. This publication offers you a chance to take part in what they have conducted, created and learned throughout their last project at the school. We at Kaospilot put a whole lot of emphasis on praxis: on making something happen and learning through action. I believe that these project presentations reflect that.
The sign of the times (with reference to Prince) is more than anything ambiguity. Old truths are crumbling, but it is unclear what they will be replaced with. New opportunities are arising, but what is beneficial to act on is obscured. People are exposed to so many choices, but there is no given narrative to guide them in making decisions . Perhaps the words from the song “Wild is the wind” by Tiomkin and Washington (recorded by Johnny Mathis in 1957, Nina Simone in 1959 and not the least David Bowie in 1976) illuminates it best: “For we’re like creatures in the wind, and wild is the wind.” It is truly a conundrum. An old friend of mine once said that there are three types of people in this world: There are those that make things happen. Then there are those that watch things happen. Finally there are those who asked, what happened? Kaospilots, and not the least Team 20, have shown throughout their final projects that one way to act within and through this conundrum is to act, to make things happen. By trying something out, doing a gesture towards a positive inclination, they have set things in motion. It may not be a perfect future, fully realized, but it is a future in the making. Happy reading. Christer
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FA C T S A B O U T KAOSPILOT The school opened: 1991 location: Aarhus Number of Kaospilot graduates: 800 + Duration of education: 3 years Professional focus: Enterprising Leadership Funding Sources: tuition, state funding, consultancy REVENUES additional locations KaosPilot bern (CH) School Principal: Christer W. Lidzeliús Head of Studies: Kis Jakobsen Number of full-time staff: 18 Number of guest faculty: approx. 50-60 First semester starts: THE LAST MONDAY IN AUGUST Number of students admitted: approx. 35 per team Minimum age: 21 Admission requirements: Written application & in-person Workshop Teaching and working languages: English Nr. of clients & partner projects/yr: 150 + Accreditation: None, but recognized as a valid bachelor by numerous Master’s programs TUITION (EU/EEA) STUDENTS: DKK 148.300 (total) upfront payment: DKK 31.000 QUARTERLY PaYMENTS (4 each year): DKK 10.350 FUNDING & grants: Elligible for SU & other goverment grants from EU/EEA countries. EXTRA SU SUPPLiment available because of tution TUITION, (residents outside europe): DKK 282.600 (TOTAL)
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THE BIG WHY
O ur purpose : C reate positive social c h an g e t h o u g h personal g rowt h and enterprise . O ur aspiration : T o become t h e best sc h ool for t h e W orld. “The school should always stay on the edge, connected to the most important and pressing issues and trends in society. ” - Uffe Elbæk, co-founder Kaospilot
“It is a celebration of an intense, colourful and adventure-filled life… in community.”
“It’s a house that welcomes and cares for lost geniuses.”
- Karin Barreth, former assistant to Uffe. Head of Office and Culture. Storyholder for Kaospilot.
- Thomas Heide, co-founder Kaospilot
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THE AIMS OF THE K A O S P I L O T E D U C AT I O N
by Pete Sims,
Team Leader for Team 20, Head of Research and Development
The Pilot Project, carried out throughout the entire third year, is truly the culmination of the entire three-year Kaospilot education. In essence the intention of the third year is the same as the entire education. The students come into the schools with their own dreams and aspirations. So do the staff and the teachers. What binds everyone together is that we are all radically in service of the following four aims:
AIM 1:
CREATE VALUE WITH & FOR OTHERS
to the disciplines, we are also very focused on the idea of more general leadership competences: Action Competence, Subject Competence, Relationship Competence, Change Competence.
A core aim of the education overall, is to train and support the students in creating, developing and testing out concepts and projects that are original, relevant and needed in the World. The particulars surrounding the project, such as the field and idea are mostly left up to the student to decide so that it is aligned with their passions and interest. That said all their work should strive to create deep value and be of quality. What does deep value mean, exactly? It is a challenging questions and many questions are always raised as the students dive into the complexity of trying to create something of value. Some questions that guide the students and staff in their projects and investigations include: Who is this project serving? How can this idea create multiple benefits and opportunities for those involved? How does it fit with the context and culture? How is it meaningful and to whom? What is the story? Is it beautiful? It is original? Is it functional? How is this strengthening relationships and community? Is it delightful? Who would pay for it? What kind of money can it generate and for who? How is this contributing to sustainability?
A key element to developing enterprising leadership is the cultivation of character. It lies beyond competence, skill or method. It’s the meaty stuff, where the students really grow. We have used many names and words, over the years, to describe it. Known for many years, at the school, as the “Inner Pilot”, it was then referred to as personal leadership. Character refers to certain qualities, that one sees in person and how they act in a given situation. Based on they types of challenges that come up as the students create their projects, business and other, ventures we are seeking to help them train and cultivated certain virtues such as courage, toughness, generosity, humor, honesty, lightness, openness and grit. And of course balance. These qualities are most important and tested in how well one responds to challenges, frustration, conflicts and uncertainty.
AIM 2:
AIM 4:
DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES AS KAOSPILOTS
At the heart of the education is the aim of becoming skilled. Without a focus on learning, development and cultivating their craft, all that passion, energy an those wonderful ideas may be squandered as the students are not able to realize them, or at least not without using too much energy and suffering unnecessarily, in the process. This calls for practice, patience, being humble, and a dedication to learning that spans well beyond graduation. It’s a lifelong journey. The craft of the Kaospilot is called Enterprising Leadership. It combines the methods, tools and theories from our four disciplines Creative Project Design, Creative Business Design, Creative Process Design and Leadership. The disciplines are applied in various combinations based on the specific context of the project. Along with all of the professional qualifications related
AIM 3:
CULTIVATE THEIR CHARACTER
CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY
A key aim of the education is to offer the students the opportunity to connect with inspiring, generous, creative and supportive people within the Kaospilot community, and beyond. The community is wide-ranging, spanning across many continents, consisting of project partners, clients, collaborators, mentors and advisors, teachers, allies, activists, entrepreneurs, artists, community members and institutions within the public, private, civil and cultural sectors. All of these wonderful people interact with and collaborate with the students. They spend three years working together in various constellations and groups. We see learning as a deeply social process and learning to work in a wide and diverse range of formations and cultures is key to developing their leadership.
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A SUCCESSFUL AND POSSIBLY TRANSFORMATIVE EXPERIENCE AT KAOSPILOT RESULTS FROM STRIVING TOWARDS ALL FOUR AIMS SIMULTANEOUSLY. 1.
CREATE VALUE WITH & FOR OTHERS
2.
4.
Connect with community
Intention
3.
Cultivate their character
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DEVELOP THEIR ABILITIES AS KAOSPILOTS
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A THREE YEAR JOURNEY FIRST YEAR
1
SEM.
TRAINING THE BASICS P R O J E C T D E S I G N & management - T E A M W O R K & C U LT U R E CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT - LEADERSHIP
SECOND YEAR
3
PROCESS
SEM.
organisation design , development & culture - systems theory - consulting - facilitation - coaching
THIRD YEAR
5
SEM.
final P R O J E C T create your dream project - concept development research design - trend mapping and foresight - build your team around you
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2
SEM.
ENTERPRISE S O C I A L I N N O VAT I O N - E ntrepreneurship B usiness D esign - business model design
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SEM.
6
SEM.
OUTPOST enterprising leadership - innovation & transformational change - cross cultural communication - creating a learning organi z ation
final P R O J E C T synopsis - hollistic value creation - concept e x ecution - build platform for your future
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/TEAM20 FINAL PROJECTS 2016/
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Alisa A. Hentze Page 020 Andri Geirsson Page 077 Anna Katrin Thorarinsdottir Page 034 Cecilia Kjems Sairanen Page 030 Christoffer Lindblom Page 050 Daniel Christiansen Page 077 Haotian Cheng Page 032 Helene Arnfred Page 094 Henriette Juel Olsen Page 034 Hildur Maral Hamidsdóttir Page 040 Hilmar Gudjónsson Page 036 Ingibjörg Ferrer Page 044 Kristoffer Henriksson Page 042 Lucas Grind Page 022 Ludvig Sörhus Page 046 Maja Lidberg Page 074 Marie Præst Schlosser Page 052 Martin Otto Kubista Page 084 Mattias Axell Page 062 Max S. Lauritzen Page 066 Mette Kousgaard Page 080 Mikkel Sonne Nørbygård Page 077 Nikolai Scheldon Jensen Page 082 Rasmus Hviid Bach Page 090 Rasmus Ottesen Stride Page 026 Rebecka Maria Cada Page 088 Robin S. Lewis Christensen Page 054 Stina Scott Page 070 Stine Thorsgaard Kjær Page 064 Stinne Vium Page 060 Thomas Nymark Horsted Page 092 Thomas Persson Page 072 Tine Meldgaard Jensen Page 024 Viktoria Hammer-Jakobsen Page 060 Yin Lei Zhang Page 056
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MEET TEAM 20
A nna K atrin & Henriette D R AWN BY Hilmar
CeCILIA DR AWN BY MAT TIAS
A ndri, Mikkel, Daniel D RAWN BY S TINE
MA JA DR AWN BY LUDV I G
HI L D U R DR AWN BY KR I S TOF F ER
H ILMAR DR AWN BY Anna Katrin & H enriette
KR ISTOFFER DR AWN BY H ilDUR
LU DV IG D RAWN BY MA JA
MAR IE DR AWN BY R ASMUS S
YIN L E I D RAWN BY NIKOL AI
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Christoffer L. DR AWN BY PET E
H aotian drawn by T ine
LU C AS DR AWN BY R EBEC K A
M AT T IAS DR AWN BY C EC ILIA
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MAX D R AWN BY R OB I N
RASMUS S D R AWN BY M A R I E
S TI N A drawn by A L I S A
ALISA drawn by S T I N A
ME T TE D RAWN BY RA S MU S B
NIKOL AI DR AWN BY Y IN LEI
RA S MU S B D RAWN BY ME T T E
ING IBJÖR G DR AWN BY H ELENE
R ebecka DR AWN BY LUCAS
S TINE drawn by A ndri, Mikkel, Daniel
Stinne & Viktoria drawn by Otto
Tine drawn by Haotian
Thomas P drawn by Thomas H
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OT TO DR AWN BY ST IN N E & VIK TOR IA
R OBIN DRAWN BY M AX
T homas H drawn by T homas P
H ELEN E drawn by IN G EBJÖR G
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A lisa A . H ent z e
Change Island: Connection, co-creation, collaboration
We have been developing a new festival called Change Island, in collaboration with Hyper Island: a space where connection, co-creation, collaboration and diversity come to life The Context and the Concept
In November, I was hired by Hyper Island school, in Karlskrona, to project lead a 3 day festival that was set to take place on September 22 - 24 2016. This festival was an exciting opportunity that could allow me to connect to my passion and support the Hyper Island team’s vision of developing a co-created and collaborative festival where deep connections could happen. This was a perfect fit with my learning goal to practice the skills related to co-creation and developing collaborations. Together with three of the Hyper Island staff, we have been co-creating the Change Island concept. The concept seeks to connect new applicants, emerging entrepreneurs and established companies, in the tech sector, in a dynamic, vivid and co-created setting. How can we seed a sense of wonder and imagination for the diverse group of participants? In terms of larger needs it also
seeks to help “put Karlskrona on the map”, as a destination to study and do business. My role has been to support the team and lead ‘The Change Island experiment’. This experiment was a learning event that served as a prototype that can be scaled up into a 3 day change Island learning festival happening in September, The work that I did with Hyper Island was: • Designing and leading process to support the team and stakeholders in different phases of the project • Design, facilitating and executing the Change Island experiment: the foundation for the event in September • Co-developing Change Island from a business, project and concept perspective. During the journey, the team and I had to face many unexpected changes. It called for me to connect to my process, project management, business and leadership training, and thereby re-scope my role and contract to end in April 2016 instead of September.
My Learning
The Kaospilot training has allowed me to unlocked my being in unimaginable ways. I have learned on many levels: professionally, personally and spiritually. While impossible to share them all here, my biggest learning is about Bravery. Bravery means stepping into whatever fear you have, to then move forward and beyond that fear. I have learned to move through my fear during this journey. 20
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What enabled me to do so was to surround myself with people who I could talk to and gain support, reflections and feedback from, on a regular basis. I have learned that fear is a natural part of who I am, but I can choose to let it control my actions or I can let it just be my radar, that informs me about my current boundaries. I realized that when fear arises, it also brings an opportunity to learn something new. It can bring me to a space of personal growth. When I am stuck in fear, my mind creates scenarios that are not real, which exaggerate my current reality, and which blurs my ability to see the which step I need to take. I have learned to bring my mind into a place of calmness through Yoga, meditation, listening to music or just going for a walk. When finding a place of silence, I am able to ground myself again, and see my next step. I have realized that fear will always be present in my life, but there comes a point where I must let go of it, and make the decision to step into my true path, if I want to become the person that I aspire to be.
My biggest challenge this year was finding ways to move the project forward while working with a very busy team. My biggest surprise this year was seeing how many people are willing to help if you just reach out and ask them. I am most proud of being able to keep my daily personal practices of yoga and healthy food even in the most intense working moments. I discovered that I am good at taking the necessary responsibilities that help the team move forward. I need to work on being more present and grounded when facilitating processes. I dream about creating transformational spaces that bring diverse people together to deeply connect.
This journey has opened my mind to see possibilities that I wasn’t able to see before. I leave this experience with more confidence and a deeper understanding of leadership and concept development. I will be taking my experiences forward by stepping into new projects and initiatives with the focus of co-creating and supporting collaboration amongst people.
Alisa A. Hentze alisa@kaospilot.dk www.linkedin.com/in/alisahentze 21
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L ucas G rind
THE SPHERICAL SCHOOL
How can a learning platform and community contribute to transform our culture to be more inclusive of the natural world and its mysteries? How can we see the natural world as possessing value in itself, beyond only being a resource to be exploited for human purposes? The Context and the Concept
beyond what we thought was possible. The purpose of our convening is to engage with something larger than ourselves and because of this feel more truly alive. We are a community of participants gathering on a oncemonthly basis to explore various themes with key input from invited contributors. Our spaces are guided by a set of principles and frames for learning that are experiential, sensorial, experimentative, and collaborative in character. This work opens us to experience how our cultural beliefs and assumptions influence our understanding of the world in which we live.
THE VISION
We envision that our work will contribute to extend and evolve our cultural beliefs and assumptions about how the world works so that we can become more inclusive of other human beings and of beings in the non-human world.
These questions stuck with me after spending three nights of solitude with no food in the Swedish forest last summer. I experienced my monkey mind running sprints, dead scared of the calmness in the forest while longing back to all distractions in the city. As if something wanted to distract me from sensing and feeling what was actually happening inside, and around me. I couldn’t stop asking myself, am I free, or hostage of a story about how to be in this world? Something else that stuck with me was an immerse encounter with a beautiful mossy forest which opened me to a sense of mystery, wonder and connection. I felt alive. Something new wanted to be born…
Our offering: Open Spheres (monthly gatherings/workshops) Teaching Art projects Storytelling
She was named The Spherical School and was located in Järna, outside Stockholm. She came to life in collaboration with my artist friend Ruben. The concept in (somewhat) straight lines is as follows:
THE PROCESS
The Spherical School is a learning platform hosting spaces in which we experience how we’ve been living and how we can expand
Examples of themes in our offerings: ecology, myth and stories, exploration of wildness and personal borders, urban “rites-ofpassage”, original play (primal), earth dialogues and dreamtime in the woods, social change inspired by the trickster archetype, hero’s journey explorations in our inner landscapes.
The process was straightforward and already in September we established a collaboration with the artistic network Dark Mountain and Riksteatern in Sweden to bring interesting international and Swedish guests to host workshops on our respective platforms. We had writer and mythologist Martin Shaw, artist Ansuman Biswas and the writer and community activist Charlotte Du Cann visiting our Open Spheres during the 22
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autumn. In the spring, our local duo Torsten and Hanna hosted a workshop in original play, while Ruben and I offered an exploration of personal borders. In between these events we have been invited to teach at schools and art collectives. This flying start pushed me to conceptualize our idea early in the process, which involved turning rather abstract thoughts around the story of our civilization existence into practical and workable output. In parallel I have worked full time at Mannaz consulting firm as a leadership consultant, a somewhat odd combination that has proven to bring valuable synergies.
My biggest challenge this year was to translate abstract thinking to practical output My biggest surprise this year was how everything wanted to happen I am most proud of the value expressed in participants’ feedback I discovered that I am good at getting folks on board I need to work on becoming an outstanding storyteller
Finally, what’s been central throughout the process is the letting go of control beyond right and wrong, good and bad, both in relation to the kind of experience we offer, but also on a personal level. This has been challenging and amazing at the same time - I have indeed felt more alive, connecting back to the purpose of the Spherical School.
I dream about creating an art school
WHAT’S AROUND THE CORNER?
It doesn’t end here. This summer we are making a week long art project named Dungen - a creative wilderness. We are state financed and have a curator. More teaching and open spheres are in the planning for the fall - and somewhere deep down the line, Ruben and I dream of establishing an alternative education as a full time jam. 23
Lucas Grind lucas@kaospilot.dk sfariska.se lucasgrind.com
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T ine M eldgaard J ensen
Becoming an enterprising leader
Through an internship in DR Sales I´ve been working on different projects, practicing my enterprising leadership. In my work I have been playing with big scale budgets, a large number of stakeholders, negotiations, planning, concept development, ideations and execution – while dealing with high levels of complexity and unknowns. Early morning on Wednesday the 9th of March I get a phone call. It´s the reception letting me know my guests have arrived. Yes! Finally it´s happening. I take a deep breath, pick up the pile of stuff I´ve prepped and head down for the lobby. I´ve gone over this day so many times in my head, trying to imagine what it will be like. I can´t even describe it as a dream coming true, because I never imagined it as a possibility, but today I will actually meet him. He has been a big hero of mine, since I was about 2 years old. I clearly remember how heart breaking it was when I first started noticing that he wasn´t always nice, but with a strong belief in his good heart, he always remained as a big hero of mine - Bamse. I´m well aware I´m way too old to be this excited, but for the last few months I´ve fully embraced the seven year old within. I´ve kept an ironic distance to it when sharing it with others, I’ve called it research, laughing about it, but I´m pretty sure the excitement has been obvious to everyone around me.
Through an internship in DR Sales I´ve been working on different projects, practicing my enterprising leadership. The crown jewelry of the work I´ve done is Børne TVs Historie (The Story of Danish Children´s TV), a partnership with Den Gamle By (The Old City), funded by Nordea Fonden. The project´s main product is an exhibition, telling the story of Danish children´s TV from the 1950´s up until today through pictures, archive clips, stories, interactive installations and iconic props and dolls. The exhibition is supported by events and activities executed over five weekends plus a set of educational material. In my work I´ve been playing with big scale budgets, a large number of stakeholders, negotiations, planning, concept development, ideations and execution with a high level of complexity and unknowns. The practical work have been a great frame to test and develop my enterprising leadership within, which has lead to new learnings and rich reflections on enterprising leadership and project management.
THREE INSIGHTS
Complexity and unknown factors are not something that needs fixing – use it as the project´s advantage instead. Keeping one foot in the known allows you to put the other in the unknown – doing so you can set yourself up for success in exploring and unfolding creativity. You are strong alone, even stronger teaming/partnering up. Do what you are good at, and let everyone else do the same. Doing so you can reach further, higher and faster. Engage stakeholders through storytelling and be curious, exploring where it will take you.
You can look forward to:
• Børne TVs Historie in Den Gamle By May 4th 2016- January 8th 2017. • Events in Den Gamle By in May, August and September
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2016. • Educational material and a treasure hunt extending the experience of the exhibition from May 4th. • Educational material at dr.dk/gymnasium for high schoolars focused on developing a bullshit filter with the methods of the DR2 brand Detektor, launching in the middle of June. • A method focused Detektor board game, launching in the middle of June. • A long number of DR board games published in the fall, 2016.
My biggest challenge this year was letting go. My biggest surprise this year was Christian Odd, Kasper Zederkof & Nanna Uldsø. I am most proud of my relations. I discovered that I am good at inspiring people. I need to work with project management in new ways. I dream about creating learning, impact and inspiration.
After some intense, fun, busy and learning full months, I look forward to graduating – holding the piece of paper in my hands, that confirms I´m a Kaospilot. With my new title at hand I let go of another, and face a new reality. The plan at the moment is to go freelance, looking for project employments. So far I know I have a few events in Den Gamle By to execute, and another exhibition to coordinate in the fall. A part from this, I don´t know yet, but I´m curious to explore what could be. But at first I have an apartment with a lot of boxes waiting to be unpacked, a group of lovely people I haven´t spend much time with in months, and a once upon a time a physical shape to catch up with.
Tine Meldgaard Jensen Linkedid: Tine Meldgaard Jensen
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RASMUS STRIDE
Stride Studio
Can business and art be combined and what does the future of visual concert experiences at Roskilde Festival look like?
beginning that I had to explore how far my passion could bring me.
Even before I started at Kaospilot I have had a strong interest in music and concerts. I was part of starting my own festival when I was 17 years old, and music has been an inspiration to my life always. It wasn’t before I went to the digital school Hyper Island a good 5 years ago that I discovered graphic design and production. I found it very appealing but always lost patience due to the hours spent in front of the computer designing and my interest slowly died.
“What is a creative business model for working as a VJ?”
At the first assignment we ever got at Kaospilot, a grandiose party in a big film studio, I decided that I wanted to venture into the world of VJing! Wikipedia definition of “VJing”: “VJing is a broad designation for realtime visual performance. Characteristics of VJing are the creation or manipulation of imagery in real time through technological mediation and for an audience, in synchronization to music.” I didn’t know much about the concept or how it was done, but I just had this urge to dive into it. I got in contact with a mentor who taught me the basics. I was intrigued and excited for my first performance! And when the night was done I was hooked! This was amazingly fun! It reminded me of playing music and designing at the same time! It was an amazing feeling! I totally lost myself in the process and in what felt like 4 minutes, a whole night of 4 hours could be over. Along with my studies at Kaospilot I continued exploring the world of VJing at every opportunity that was presented to me. The first two years at the school I did nothing else but being behind the computer at every party. It was amazing. When the third year project was approaching I knew from the
My final year project was starting my own company and creative studio within the field of VJing. The studio is called Stride Studio. My process has been divided into three main phases:
1st Phase: Discovery
In this phase I tried to nail a business model that would provide as a starting point for the further journey of my project. I worked together with amazing partners, among others: Otto Kubista, OKclothing, creating artistic branding experiences in South Africa and Thomas Horsted, Startup Guide, designing memorable product launches in Copenhagen and Berlin. It was basically a time when I threw everything into the air and saw what stuck. What kind of problems my art and service was actually solving and what value it created in the world.
2nd phase: Validation
“How can experience design become even better using VJing as a part of the design ?” From my discovery phase I found that VJing is a great tool for telling stories and designing experiences. I have created a spatial design solution for an undisclosed organization*, in a skyscraper in Beijing. The organization is working on creating better working conditions for employees in China. *I can’t tell much more about the project due to the NDA I’ve signed. The exhibition you are attending right now has a visual element. I invite you To think of the story it is telling and investigate how you can influence it.
3rd phase: Scale
“To become a renowned art studio, grow industry traction and deliver the leading human centered experience design service in Scandinavia.”
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Amazing times lies ahead! My main focus is on the work I am doing with Roskilde Festival. I am managing and facilitating an initiative where upcoming musicians and VJs are collaborating to create live performances. The performances will be held at the brand new electronic scene “The Countdown stage” on this year’s Roskilde Festival.
My biggest challenge this year was money. My biggest surprise this year was business development. I am most proud of my personal development. I discovered that I am good at being brave.
A big part of the work I am doing with Roskilde Festival is focused on building a sustainable foundation for VJ talents in the Nordic countries. The project has funding for three years and the plan is to extend the activities to not only Roskilde Festival, but also other festivals like Plug-out, Strøm and Phono.
I need to work on price setting my work. I dream about creating visuals everywhere!
WHAT’S NEXT?
My plan for the future is to follow through on my vision for the studio: Stride Studio is the multidisciplinary visual art studio of Rasmus Ottesen Stride. It’s based in Scandinavia and mainly Norway/Denmark. The studio specializes in developing and implementing human centered audio visual experience design. Stride Studio serves as an artistic platform and the main initiator for building a strong Scandinavian VJ community.
Rasmus Ottesen Stride RS@KAOSPILOT.DK www.stridestud.io 27
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A L I S A A . H ent z e C hange I sland : C onnection , co creation , collaboration
L ucas G rind THE SPHERICAL SCHOOL
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T ine M eldgaard J ensen B ecoming an enterprising leader
RASMUS STRIDE S tride S tudio
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C E C I L I A K . S airanen
DEN LILLE OMSTILLING
Think of our planet as a closed system where everything is connected. Everything you do will always affect something, and every day it is your responsibility to chose how you want to effect. This saying has been one of the ground pillars of my third year. UNDERSTANDING OF PROJECT
For me this year has not only become a first step into a carrier, but it has most definitely also resulted in a transition of who I am, how I am in the world and what I would like to offer to it. In the end, it has been a question of opening up for other realities/ stories than the one the western civilization/capitalistic system offers us, and trying to navigate in that. To be in the world without being run over by hopelessness and numbness! I found this to be incredibly difficult but equally important, so I dedicated my project to radically investigate, explore and experiment with what alternatives there are to the system we live in today. I wanted to honor the possibility of really thinking and being - differently.
I believe in a connection between everything on this planet and I have therefor been working from an eco-centric worldview. And I believe that if we are to do things sincerely differently, and not continue creating from the same thinking and systems which has led us here in the first place, we must look down. Stop. And understand the ground we are standing on and see the connections between everything.
THE PROJECT
Kaospilots has for me been an education in holistic leadership, so that is my craft and combined with field of regeneration (how we can, not only be “ sustainable� in the form of going to status quo, but regenerate and heal the wounds we have created) I found that I wanted to create a leadership methodology which can help support the next step of the evolutionary process into a direction of regeneration. The small personal transition to assist the bigger transitions needed. In other words, I have been really curious, found and tested a lot of different ways which I believe can help the individual live in respect and peace with oneselves and the rest of nature. Concretely I have held workshops, created spaces for others to explore existence, been coaching, been building a network of philosophers, activists, leadership-developers and many more. This is my field which I will explore beyond Kaospilots. My professional focus is on leadership development and my heart with the whole of nature.
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And the project is to be my base and first step into a life long exploration.
My biggest challenge this year was to understand and respect the never ending beautiful flaws of oneself.
I would like to end of with a quote which has stuck to my project.
My biggest surprise this year was how many people who have devoted their lives to the same cause as I.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.”
I am most proud of the courage I have showed this year. I discovered that I am good at bonding with people.
- Albert Einstein
I need to work on how to communicate my findings to people who do not have the same focus.
MY DREAM IS (the future)
I dream about creating a regenerative leadership methodology for all.
That the leadership methodology can be used by everyone who wants to live in respect for all living systems, in their everyday life to activate their own leadership. Going into an apprenticeship with leading roles within “transformative” and regenerative leadership development. and remind yourself of that everything you do will have consequences for yourself and for the system. It is up to you to choose which consequences you want to have.
Cecilia Kjems Sairanen cks@kaospilot.dk
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H aotian C heng
Discover your why: unfolding purpose across cultures
4 years ago, I applied for the Kaospilot with a vision to develop people’s strength and help them to explore how to do what they love. 4 years later, and after much exploration, I am surprised that my real “why” has never changed. My project
I have no doubt that I am a “why” person. I always want to understand the purpose behind my actions. If I can’t get an answer immediately, I will think and look inwards until I find it. “Discover your why” is a concept that I commit to late in my third year. My journey, this year, has been a process of learning about my role in the World and to discover what truly matters to me. My process of discovery consisted of connecting to leading communities in pursuit of answers to similar questions. I have been studying Theory U, both online and in England, at the Theory U foundation program, where I met many change makers who are involved in Theory U community in China. I sensed with this group of people have a similar sense of passion, energy, connection as I experienced at Kaospilot. So I returned a second time, this year, to China and helped facilitate the first Theory U foundation program there. I worked with Otto Scharmer and Lili Xu Brandt to facilitate a course for CEOs, at the China Europe International Business School. Through the workshop, I witnessed that even successful business people has lost their sense of “WHY”. When money is not
an issue any more, these CEOs were looking for their true passion again. So it is with many start-ups. There is too much pressure on young people to earn money, be rich, be successful. Therefore, as a young entrepreneur myself, I want to guide young entrepreneurs to start with their life purpose through teaching, coaching and simply being curious about their stories. Facilitators create a field to help people to share their stories and to connect with their body and heart. These simple and clear practices, backed up by a coherent world view and paradigm, really help people to connect on a very deep level. I believe that creating a solid platform for people to listen deeply to each other will help people develop their levels of consciousness and see themselves more clearly, within a social system.
My Process
I started the third year with an intention of creating intercultural connections between travellers and locals. My first prototype consists of building connections between Danish locals and foreigners, by hosting a a Chinese dinner. I learned that people who don’t know each other can easily build connections when they make food together. I recognised that there was a common goal that people tried to achieve together, which helped them to share stories about their cultural background and traveling experiences. After the prototype, I explored how to expand the concept to put more focus on leadership and intercultural learning and sharing. After I went back to China, I found a group of traditional Chinese painters interested in showing the working in Denmark. I brought their paintings to Denmark and made an exhibition at Musikhuset in Aarhus, I realized that the artist group had a different purpose than mine, which was to promote their work outside of China. After a misunderstanding with the group around intention, I
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realised my project was not aligned with my own deeper why.
My biggest challenge this year was finding out what truly matter to me.
Through out my third year, I had been practicing Theory U with different communities and through this work, I realized the importance of building human connections. I realised that this was my true calling and started to focus on this work completely. I saw the current reality that not a lot people are working towards realizing their why, and I got excited when I imagine I can help more and more people to work in the things they truly love. After the experience working with Theory U, I learned that I need to create a good social field to build deep connection. So that people will be able to reflect and discover their personal whys together.
My biggest surprise this year was how many good conversations I had this year. I am most proud of how good I handled uncertainty and adversity. I discovered that I am good at getting inspirations. I need to work on building up a business. I dream about creating my own consultancy company to realize people’s life purpose.
What’s next?
My next step is to keep developing a program with different methodologies and practices to help Chinese entrepreneurs discovering their why. I will return to China to work with entrepreneurs in in start-up incubators. to teach the importance of knowing why and help to formulate each entrepreneurs why. My wish is for every entrepreneur is able to articulate their why whenever they communicate to their customers or making decisions on what to focus on.
Haotian Cheng haotiancheng827@gmail.com linkedin: haotian-cheng-41605432 33
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H enriette J uel O lsen & A nna K atrin T horarinsdottir
Designing for people, with people
What if all designers spent time with their user group before producing products? Developing methods for Design Thinking and user-centered design.
Thinking was the way to developing better products, while wasting fewer resources. We had also found out that most design is done without good research or user involvement, often resulting in unwanted products.
IdeIde
Eventually our eyes turned to Danish elementary schools. The Ministry of education was implementing a new subject, for 4th -6th grade, called “Håndværk og Design” (“Crafts and Design”). The former subjects of textile and woodwork were being merged, with a new layer of introducing children to design processes. But the implementation had proven to be a complex process. One of the issues was that teachers did not feel equipped to teach about design, innovation and entrepreneurship.
During the past six months, We have used our strengths to develop a product that supports Danish elementary school teachers in taking their students through creative design processes. It is an analogue, card-based solution, named IdeIde. IdeIde makes it easy for teachers, and others, to put together and execute design processes, without them being required to go through training or acquire expert knowledge on beforehand. It gives teachers the opportunity to plan their lessons weeks ahead, in as little as 20 minutes.
What have we been learning?
As Kaospilot students, one of your biggest challenges is actually explaining to others what the education is about. We have used many one-liners throughout the three years: “Creative Business School”; “Leadership Study”; “Professional Rebels”… At one point, our duo reached the conclusion that in many ways we had been through a design education. In the first year all students are trained in Design Thinking, an approach to problemsolving and developing creative solutions. From this foundation, we approached most of our projects, in one way or another, using Design Thinking, whether aware of it or not.
What we wanted to learn more about
We were both interested in the world of design and excited about the possibility of calling ourselves designers. So we set out to explore: • What is design and how is it done in Denmark? • What are the strengths and weaknesses of Design Thinking? • What are our personal hypothesis about how design should be done? Can we verify these? After our initial research we stood firm in our belief that Design
Finding a challenge
We wanted to try out working as design thinkers, to better master the approach and get a feel for its value. We looked for possible design challenges, reaching out to organizations and different players in fields we found interesting.
We saw this as the right challenge for us for several reasons: • A clear need • With our background in creative processes we had credentials for offering support. • We believe that complex problem solving and creativity should take up more space in the elementary school’s curriculum. • It was an opportunity to walk our talk. Working through design thinking to find a way to educate about design processes.
Getting to know the need
We reached out to elementary schools, and other players who could help us get our foot in the door. It took time, but slowly our network of teachers and experts grew, and eventually we had a diverse group willing to collaborate. We wanted to understand the needs there were to be fulfilled if the implementation of “Håndværk og Design” should be a success. After that we would design an answer to some of these needs. In January and February, we observed the teachers and interviewed them. Alongside this, we met with experts and organisations working with innovation and education.
Creating a solution
In March, we gathered our findings and analysed them. We listed the criteria our solution would have to live up to. Now we were 34
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ready to ideate on solutions. Out of that brainstorming process came the idea of what is now our finalised product.
HENRIETTE My biggest challenge this year was to understand what a concept means! My biggest surprise this year was how well our collaboration worked! I am most proud of what Anna and I have created through out these 6 months. I discovered that I am good at being in the void - even though it can be really hard. I need to work on my Kegel exercises :) I dream about creating a career out of this way of working - who wouldn’t like to play all day at work?
Reception
We prototyped the cards with teachers testing them in their work. The feedback we received from them, and other experts, was positive beyond our highest hopes. Here is some of the value our product is seen to create: • It makes a subject that is hard to grasp, concrete and fun. • It gives confidence in working with the subject of innovation and entrepreneurship. • It gives teachers the opportunity to prepare their lessons, long into the future, in short time. • It provides clear overview and understanding of a design process to adults and children
ANNA My biggest challenge this year was “the void” and 1st trimester. My biggest surprise this year was to collaborate with another Kaospilot I am most proud of our resilience when NO ONE understood our plans. I discovered that I am good at keeping an open mind. I need to work on positivity and self belief. I dream about creating cool products and great working relationships.
So what now?
The cards will be out on the market this summer and are a “must-buy” for anyone working with, or interested in, design processes and creative work. We already have a thousand ideas for new versions of the product and add-ons to it, but before we start on those we both have babies to give birth to. In the future, we would love to work further through the approach of Design Thinking and user centered design. We have seen the value and fun in it, and how investing time in research can save you a lot of time, work and resources when it comes to producing a solution that has real value for the user.
Anna Katrín
Henriette Juel Olsen
Þórarinsdóttir
hjo@kaospilot.dk
akt@kaospilot.dk
ideide.dk
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H ilmar G u ð j ó nsson
B.O.M: Bank Of Materials
I took part in creating platform for bridging the industrial and the creative. How to utilise waste materials from industry productions within explorative art work and design work? With a gathering of artists and creators we work on excess material from companies, create artwork and products. We keep a strong relation to the material producers and communicate back to them what the artists and designers found using their materials.
THE STORY
My final project has taken me for a hell of a ride, physically and mentally, philosophically and literally (if one can set these two as opposites). Through the ups and downs and from one field of work to another as I try and follow my guiding star: “How do I create stronger opportunities for my self and other artists/creators in regards to working effectively and exhibiting powerfully?” Building on that the initial lift off for my final project set me in the direction of working with my heartfelt strong believe that the value within the process of art creation was just as important to showcase as the finished art pieces. Through both academic and action-based research, I found it as a necessity to display the incredible journey artists and creators go trough instead of only displaying snapshots of a final destination. Communicating creations of art with that sort of a processbased mind-set, I believe creates a stronger connection between the creator and the one who experiences or the “user” for a lack of better word. The ability to relate to artistic work for the experiencer is vital in today’s turmoil and (in my believe) to controversial world of modern art. Creations of art should however never have to suffer for the sake of being “easily understood” or being “more relatable.” Artist should never compromise towards that, because art that is
created honestly, personally and with vulnerability is an extension of the artist’s soul, visual visions, thoughts and opinions. That kind of art is what inspires, fascinates and moves the viewer. Experiencing that kind of art is a deep conversation between the artist and the viewer, a communication that goes over and beyond what words alone can communicate. Therefore I see the process of communication and documentation as the answer to deliver stronger artistic experiences for viewers without compromising integrity. Synthesising these constituent elements of thoughts into a project allot of actions have been taken. B.O.M is in a way only a fraction of my final project, but trough intense work of creating artistic experiences, curating exhibitions and producing visual instillations the B.O.M collaboration idea came to me in the beginning of March. For me it serves as the answer to my guiding star in some ways a guiding star on an even wider scale.
PROJECT PROCESS
B.O.M is a concept build around a few clear needs from two very different target groups. The target groups range widely but within the project they are identified as Creators and Material producers 1.
The Creators or artisans are continuously on the look out for cheep workspaces, materials to work with and places to exhibit. Whether you identify yourself as an artist, designer, architect or sound engineer these seem to be the obstacles. 2. The Material Producers or production companies need to release and get rid of excess material. Which most commonly is done in an expensive and an un-environmental friendly way. Production companies also seek material research and inspiration for development of new products. Within the B.O.M concept we see that a community based collaboration platform between these two parties should emphasise both parties gains and minimise their pains. The B.O.M design in its simplest explanation sounds like this: 1. The Material producers donate excess material into a lablike space. The creators with the ability and the freedom to create and experiment with aforementioned excess materials
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produce and execute their works. 2. Collaborative exhibitions are executed from the works based on the excess materials. From the lab-like space creations stream, creations that feed into the public; artwork, movies, music, design or tools. 3. Documenting with the focus on the process behind the creation gets communicated back to the Material Producers feeding the donating companies with an un direction based material research and inspiration.
My biggest challenge this year was internal and external expectations My biggest surprise this year was living in Aarhus I am most proud of being where I am I discovered that I am good at making friends, not colleagues or partners but friends I need to work on honesty continuously
NOW WHAT?
I dream about creating more, more, more
In the days yet to come I will work with establishing and leading the B.O.M project trough its first year, serving as a process leader and an exhibition curator. I will continue to create artistic experiences by curating exhibitions, project leading different initiatives in Iceland and Denmark. Creating events and exhibiting my own artwork, keep working on live visual instillations in collaboration with musical artists and use photography as means for communication and art.
Hilmar Guðjónsson hilmar@kaospilot.dk
I’m staying interested and open for future adventures and rapid project executions within the field of art and creations
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C E C I L I A K . S airanen DEN LILLE OMSTILLING
H aotian C heng D iscover your why: unfolding purpose across cultures
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H enriette J uel O lsen & A nna K atrin T horarinsdottir I D E I D E : D esigning for people , with people
H ilmar G u รฐ j รณ nsson B .O. M : B ank O f M aterials
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H ildur M aral H am í ð sd ó ttir
MUSIC FESTIVALS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE
Exploration of sustainable event management and how music festivals can be a platform for positive change For my final project, I wanted to combine my professional experience in the music industry and learning from Kaospilot with a field new to me: sustainability. Being a music festival fanatic - both for work and play - I was curious to see how festivals could be a platform for positive change. I had recently executed a project with AfrikaBurn festival where I worked with social responsibility and cultural sustainability in the context of a festival. The experience left me feeling inspired and eager for more of the same. I therefore started researching sustainability when beginning the process of scoping my final project, eventually narrowing down to focus on environmental sustainability. I already knew that music festivals typically leave an environmental footprint, but started looking more closely at the actual damage. Somewhat shocking, I realized that the negative impact really is enormous. Events of this size use huge amounts of resources, send out unthinkable emissions and generate mountains of waste. I couldn’t imagine being a contributing factor any longer but still wanted to work with music festivals. This led to my final project being the question of how to change this through an exploration of sustainable event management. The project had two layers: One was on a general yet deep level, with me diving into the subject of sustainable event management and the field of sustainability with case studies, prototypes, extensive research, reading, and reaching out to experts in the field. The other layer saw me partnering with Global Inheritance, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that have paved the way for creative programs highlighting environmental sustainability issues at music festivals. The aim was for me to gain
first-hand experience and insights into this new field, as well as deepening my skillset as a project leader within my chosen context of music festivals. Global Inheritance keep plenty of balls in the air at the same time, which gave me an opportunity to get a deep understanding of the different approaches and initiatives one can take to raise awareness on the subject of sustainability. The biggest program I worked on with them was developing and executing all the sustainability projects at Coachella festival, one of the leading music festivals in the world. Also my main case study of the year, the Coachella program was centered around playful initiatives aimed at inspiring festival goers to take action on waste, energy and transport issues and rethink their daily habits. Throughout my journey I have uncovered different ways in which to ensure a sustainable future for events. What I regard as my most important learning is that it all starts with the will to take a first step. This will comes from within a person - so how can it be encouraged and nurtured? It is a challenge, because it forces us to question our very values and way of living. That is no easy task - both when asking oneself, and when asking someone else. But no matter how uncomfortable the subject is I believe we need to address it. We should stop ignoring, denying and being afraid of what’s happening to our world, and start accepting responsibility for it and working towards bettering it. In short, we need to start putting sustainability at the core of everything we do. Imagine a world where everybody does their part, be it carpooling, recycling, buying less, reusing more, et cetera. I don’t know about you, but that sounds damn good to me. For my part and future path, I now have a lens that can’t be shaken and plan on using it moving forward, to the advantage of both our planet and myself. I want to continue working with my passion for music through project management, but from now on I’m bringing a new mindset and incorporating sustainable solutions wherever possible. I encourage you to do the same.
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My biggest challenge this year was balance. My biggest surprise this year was rain in California! I am most proud of diving into the unknown. I discovered that I am good at lots of things! I need to work on actively seeking inspiration. I dream about creating a sustainable future.
Hildur Maral HamĂĂ°sdĂłttir hildur.maral@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/hildurmaral
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K ristoffer H enriksson
Exploring the bipolarity of events
If you ever will get a tattoo from me or work with me.. My only guarantees are: No straight lines. No perfect circles. The outcome will not look like the sketch. The mark I will leave on you is going to be permanent. You will be satisfied. The best way to try out your skills is by creating something. Through the project, I developed and cultivated my craft as a kaospilot by using a hands on approach in the field of event making. THE CONCEPT
When society set the frames of what the norm is there will always be a counter polar to maintain the balance. Prohibitions and regulations will only boost creativity on the opposite end. My question is; how can we create interesting and meaningful events by mixing for example: art, politics, underground and the commercial? My concept has been the journey exploring the different aspects of an event, creating a platform to work from and to establish my
place on the market. Instead of creating a business plan, stating a vision and mission, I have started working. Now I just need to finish school so I can get to work.
MY PROCESS
With my chameleon like adaptability I can infiltrate any possible environment and become a part of it. I have a need for contrasts in my life and have explored this by rapid prototyping all possible different aspects of what an event is and what different approaches you can take to one. The event can be a stage of performance where systems need to be in place and permits need to be in order, or a place of creation where the frames are loose and anything can happen. Working with events has only been the start, I now have a platform to work from and a network providing me with opportunities. This has been a birth of a organic organism that constantly evolves it adapt to its surrounding and moves towards opportunities and attraction. I am fueled by collaborations, creativity and playfulness but become immobilised without a clear goal.
PLATFORM - BLODARNAS KNIVHUS
A collective of friends that started at the age of five as a secret club. We later in life got a sponsorship from Nudie Jeans exchanging stories for denim. We keep the spirit of the secret club alive by hosting semi secret events where everyone is welcome, if they can find it ;) Join us on our never ending treasure hunt!
WHAT’S NEXT?
After this exhibition I’m hosting the after party. Swing by and lets have a dance! School has been fun but I feel I need a brake and some fresh air. I’ll use the summer to fix my boat and then sail to the Caribbean! Contact me if you want to join!
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My biggest challenge this year was not to run My biggest surprise this year was writing a report can be fun I am most proud of I walk the walk (not just the talk the talk) I discovered that I am good at almost everything I try I need to work on being humble I dream about creating all the time (Music)
Kristoffer Henriksson Krh@kaospilot.dk www.blodarnasknivhus.com
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I N G ibjörg F errer
Kaffibarþjónafélagið – The Barista association
How can we bring people in the coffee industry together and eventually create a stronger community? How can I create an association that people want to participate in creating and avoid overworking them? I’ve been working in the coffee industry since 2006. I have been a barista, a coach and a judge at competitions. When I entered Kaospilot, I thought that I would try my best to get rid of my coffee self, or at least not make it my life’s work. During my third year, I came back to Iceland and noticed that the coffee community had become much less active than before. Before, when I was working in the field, there was a Barista Guild that hosted events and served as a platform for baristas to network. The Barista Guild discontinued in 2014, leaving a big gap in the community, which led to baristas becoming strangers to each other. I saw that this could be a great opportunity to combine what I had learned both at Kaospilot and from the coffee industry. Therefore I discarded the idea that this 3rd year would define my work in the future. Instead I decided that my final project would be to revive the Guild but change its structure and ways. Now, it is an association called Kaffibarþjónafélagið(translated: The Barista association). The mission of Kaffibarþjónafélagið is to strengthen and elevate the barista community. Its vision is to have a strong and inclusive barista community in Iceland. It aims to be the best platform for the community to come together and make improvements. In order to reach that goal I will offer
events such as competitions. I also suggest educational events, and opportunities to strengthen the skills of baristas. My aim is that people will have both pleasure and professional gain.
What has happened?
I set up three different prototypes for such events in order to learn and fail faster. The events were a Cup tasting event, a Latte Art Throwdown and a Show and Tell: introduction to the Icelandic barista and brewers champions’ routines. I have collaborated with various people from the coffee community on each event and chosen those collaborators because of the nature of the event. The collaborations have been mainly with cafés that can offer the venue and resources to execute each and every event. The greatest thing about this project has been people’s willingness to help and engage with the events. They are the people who share Kaffibarþjónafélagið’s vision and have a common interest in strengthening the barista community. I’ve seen that this concept is very valuable to the people who have attended. I strive for spreading this out to more people within the near fields, e.g. bartenders and chefs, so that we can engage more people interested in coffee.
Up Next
I want to continue this work and project after I’ve graduated because it is so close to my heart. My plan is to work on it part time for the next year and my hope is that I can engage more people in the project planning, so that Kaffibarþjónafélagið doesn’t become dependent on me. As for the events, it depends on who’ll join our team. We have some plans, e.g. this summer we want to have an Espresso Martini competition where bartenders and baristas can meet and compete. This autumn we will have a similar competition, this time in Irish coffee. This could be a natural sequel. Let’s see where the summer will take us.
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My biggest challenge this year was finding my dream My biggest surprise this year was all the possibilities in Iceland I am most proud of smiling through the difficulties I discovered that I am good at connecting with people I need to work on procrastination I dream about creating change
Ingibjรถrg Ferrer ferrer@kaospilot.dk Linkedin: ingibjorgferrer
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TOPIA
L udvig S örhus
The change of power
What would happen if the people of the world had access to the necessities to shape their lives? Say you could create your own renewable energy from waste. This is what I and my company are now working on in South Africa. From the outside of today most countries pride themselves in being democratic countries serving the people. When that surface is being scratched, what is unveiled is a web of systems that are taking the power from the unprivileged and harnessed by the mighty few. Corrupt governments, structural racism, economic agreements favoring large industries with their histories in feudal systems to name a few. An example can be the current oil war where the petroleum producing states are at financial war with the price of crude oil - where the affected poor stands without position of affecting the outcome. Our company EcoCarbon wants to flip this up side down. By producing our own energy we separate ourselves from a part of the wild carousel of world economics of today - securing the essentials we need to live fulfilling lives in tune with nature.
THE CONCEPT
Our company with its collaborators has developed a concept that creates decentralized energy from waste. Renewable and CO2 negative. The company is based in South Africa and what we do is the following: Carbon based waste materials such as wood, manure, plastic, tires, organic waste, food waste etc. is burned in our gasification reactor. The syngas produced is powering a generator producing electricity with little to none emissions. A part of the carbon is put through a second process where it acts like a catalyst with water - creating hydrogen. When hydrogen is burnt with oxygen the only outcome is water. With these two processes you get up to 60,000 times
the energy value out of the waste. The excess carbon is then sold or donated to farmers and gardeners to put in the soil as a soil amendment. In the ground the carbon acts like a sponge due to its highly porous structure - increasing water holding capacity and preventing nutrients from leaching. Each kilogram of carbon put in the soil is the equivalent of 3.3 kg of CO2 sequestered from the atmosphere - making the whole process CO2 negative. Through our concept we are tackling the big five of the problems the world are facing today - energy, water, food, waste and climate change.
THE PROCESS
From my personal search of finding an entry of working with the fundamental systems that are shaping our societies I found from serendipity my team. By throwing myself into the unknown and going to a farm in distant South Africa the project and concept emerged through discussions, prototypes and beliefs. We change our approach and our narrative as we learn more from people that we reach out to. Starting from the local and thinking of the global.
COLLABORATORS
EcoCarbon consists of three core members: • Ludvig Sörhus - kaospilot • Jan Ritter – Master of Science, Bio-based products • Jacob Paul Bussman - Master of Science, Environmental Development. Our key collaborators are: • Luke Boshier, who runs the farm KoudeVlakte - a community of interdependent people working towards solutions for a sustainable world. • Hennie Van Aardt - South African engineer with over 40 years of engineering experience of which 20 have been dedicated to gasification and waste-to-energy solutions. Outside of the core collaborators many people fight our cause investors, farmers, environmentalists and much more.
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NEXT STEPS
My biggest challenge this year was believing in myself when my capabilities did not seem enough
Before mid 2016 we aim to have our first commercial prototype up and running. This will produce electricity for a chicken farm from the manure of the animals. We aim to set up projects that can process 60 tons of waste and produce electricity in the scale of 500 KW each third month. Establish the market of our biochar. As these milestones have been met - we hope that the capacity and possibilities will be evident to the government and policy makers around the globe - to aid us taking this to the next step of giving power to the powerless and creating the infrastructure that is needed for the global conscious level to flourish.
My biggest realization this year was that there is so much help and encouragement out there if you dare to ask for it I am most proud of letting go of my ego - making the project and the bigger cause more important than my personal pride I discovered that I am good at not giving up and committing to the unknown I need to work on that great things come from small steps I dream about creating a contribution to the necessary infrastructure for the world to develop to the next level of equality and progression
Ludvig Sรถrhus ludvig.sorhus@gmail.com ludvig@kaospilot.dk www.ecocarbon.co.za 47
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H ildur M aral H am í ð sd ó ttir M U S I C F E S T I VA L S F O R POSITIVE CHANGE
K ristoffer H enriksson E x ploring the bipolarity of events
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I N G ibjörg F errer K affibar þj ó naf é lagi ð – T he B arista association
L udvig S örhus T he change of power
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C hristoffer L indblom
Co-Cooking
Connecting restaurants with communities of people who wish to learn how to cook
is not difficult to create. Many people are deprived of this feeling as no one provided it to them. Nowadays, parents don’t have the time or the passion to cook and teach their kids how to cook, and the food and lectures in school are subpar. Co-cooking is here to fill this gap.
THE STORY
The food scene, in Oslo, is rather schizophrenic. On the one hand, people have a tendency not to be very willing to trying new foods, and are interested in returning to the roots of cooking, while on the other it has never been so much frozen, prepared and take away options. Meanwhile the restaurants are pretty much competing on the prices of club sandwich and Caesar salads. Cocooking is here to contribute to revitalising Oslo’s food culture and build community at the same time.
Through a collaborative cooking event we are blending gastronomy, teaching and experience. You can say that we are teaching gastronomy through experience. It is a cross between a cooking course and a restaurant. A trained chef sets a delicious and challenging menu, we provide a setting with all the equipment, high quality ingredients, and an atmosphere that make the guest feel comfortable to learn and make mistakes. It is up to the guests to cook the meal. BUT! The chef is there to explain, teach and help. Community and learning lie at the core of the concept and that is what we have been testing and trying out. Also, we are currently developing concept meant for promoting team building, for companies and organizations, and we are really keen on collaborating with educations. Co-cooking targets young adults. The value is: people learn how to cook and get immersed infood culture, they meet new people (which is a big need in Oslo, I have realized), they get to eat really good food and they get to try something outside of their everyday routines. My motivation has been my love of food. I want other people to experience the same feeling of joy and appreciation, and I know it
THE PROCESS
The whole project started with the idea that my good friend Bo and I had been playing with for a while: opening a restaurant togehter. The idea faced a setback since Bo began to “try to become an adult” meaning he is getting married and has to pay mortgage, he wasn’t that keen on standing in a kitchen for 18 hours a day for a shitty salary. Suddenly, our dream had no chef making it impossible to open a restaurant. One day, I found myself in the shower with a cup of coffee doing some serious thinking. How can you open a restaurant without a chef? Who will do the cooking? THE CUSTOMERS? Remember Kramer from Seinfeld who wanted to open a pizza place where you could make your own pie? Brilliant! That is where the Co-Cooking idea was born. A space where the customer could connect with the process, the production, the
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meat and also the farmer, brewer, butcher - whomever.
My biggest challenge this year was to keep my focus
I have been collaborating with close friends of mine: a chef, a photographer, a creative writer/hobby chef and an MBA student. Additionally, I have developed a large network, within the food scene in Oslo: chefs, farmers, brew masters, mentors, entrepreneurs and creative thinkers. Their input and support has been valuable!
My biggest surprise this year was the state of the nation food wise I am most proud of my collaborators I discovered that I am good at teaching I need to work on my impatience
I was really surprised of how little the general public knows about food and cooking. Also, it is shocking to really see how much food is pre-made, in the grocery stores. The challenging part, I have to say, has been to stay focused and also to find time with my collaborators who have had other commitments.
I dream about creating a better food culture
The project is a hydra! It keeps developing on its own. I have really found my place and I know what I want to continue to work with, and what I can contribute with to the world.
Christoffer Lindblom christoffer.lindblom@kaospilot.dk
What’s next?
I want to set up Co-cooking in a permanent space and I want to develop a course for middle schools.
facebook.com/projectsupperclub
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M arie P r æ st S chlosser
KVAN
Being disabled doesn’t mean you lack something. It is rather that the society is organized in a way that is not made to best suit your way of being. KVAN
What impressions impact you the most when you meet a new person? What is the list of headlines you make while shaking their hand? Gender, age, outfit, voice, eye and hair colour and so forth, are all impressions you make. All of them are parts in the puzzle you put together when meeting a new person. People with disabilities often experience that their disability become the overarching puzzle piece that people remember. KVAN wants to create possibilities for expressing nuances of personality through clothing, and by that open up to interaction between the abled bodied, and disabled. KVAN is a design company that wants to make fashion clothes accessible for everyone. It is built upon the observation that people with physical disabilities do not have the same choices as those
without disabilities when choosing outfits – as the commercial fashion is targeted and made for the standing, and abled-bodied population. KVAN believes that by making a common touch point between the abled, and the disabled, the understanding, and curiosity towards each other will grow. It might not save the world with a jacket that fits you, but it might be a better conversation starter than questions about disability. The fields I have been working in during this project have been far more than the area of fashion. KVAN has unfolded to also be a social mission.
The Process
KVAN works with a 360 degree approach to their customer group. This means that throughout the project period we have been in contact with anthropologists, and ethnologists in order to not just understand the target group with focus on the fashion aspect, but to understand the target group as a complete customer segment. We have sparred our ideas with potential customers, to keep and steer our approach on track. During this year, I have experienced the sensation of my brain 52
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growing, and my heart feeling warmer the more I unfolded this rather undiscovered area. The people I have reached out to, have responded with an honesty you don’t expect from total strangers, and I have discovered that me and my team are on a track that is not only new to the design scene in Denmark, but also the world. The community of supporters we have created around KVAN has been of great value, and added nuances to the complexity we are trying to unfold. The network of professionals we have established shows that there is great interest in the field of the good living for people with physical disabilities, but really a lack of knowledge on this new customer segment.
My biggest challenge this year was working within the two frames of school project and start-up company
During this project period I came to the understanding that KVAN can do better by not being a brand in itself. The original idea was to create an independent commercial fashion brand, but we tweaked the project when we gathered more information from the target group. Over the coming period KVAN will establish itself as a design company providing ideas, solutions, and guidance to existing brands – but not produce products in own name. KVAN will continue gathering knowledge and experts to its team, and by that establish themselves as a knowledge centre, working towards the goal of making fashion accessible to everyone.
I dream about creating a society with less apprehensive and more curious relations between people.
My biggest surprise this year was if you ask people for help you will get a YES more often then a NO I am most proud of the development of the project cocreated in the brilliant team of KVAN I discovered that I am good at attract interesting people to the project I need to work on finding capital for the project.
Marie Præst Schlosser mps@kaospilot.dk/ info@kvan.nu www.kvan.nu Facebook: KVAN – Research platform Instagram: kvan.nu 53
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R obin S ullivan L ewis C hristensen
SOCIAL DESIGN L AB: LEARNING TO RESPOND TO COMPLEXIT Y
Imagine if there were a methodology for addressing big social challenges such as climate change, outdated educational systems and food system. This led me to start a company where we test out approaches to addressing complex challenges in new and effective ways. Six months ago, I teamed up with my partner Bonnie Hvillum and we started researching and developing new responses to the big challenges of our generation. On top of that, we have established collaborations to test out our approach, both on the drawing board and implementing it, in the real world, at various scales.
CONCEPT
How can we contribute with an approach that addresses and solves complex social challenges? Our answer to this is our newly founded company, Social Design Lab. We set up social laboratories where we address complex social challenges. We invite communities and organizations to learn, experiment and implement solutions. We do this by engaging and connecting the stakeholders, involved with given challenge, so that we can identify and the strongest evidence-based solutions. A lab is a container that makes this possible. We act as both project managers and process designers, where we create learning processes that make it possible for the diverse group of stakeholders to break old patterns and ‘business as usual’ habits, and instead think about the challenge in new ways, and develop
innovative solutions. When forming a social lab we believe that in order for the communities to be able to innovate, we need to gather a team that truly represents the diversity of the social system. Each member of the system holds both part of the contribution to the challenge and also part of the solution. There are so many great initiatives out there but often they only address the symptoms. Often what are sold as solution, are only making our problem worse, and pushing us towards collapse. This is why we believe that labs are so important. They call for us to learn together, look deeper into the problems that we face, and to experiment how to create truly effective solutions. Perseverance has been key throughout the last half year. This is due to the level of uncertainty, that characterizes this kind of work, matched with expectations from many to have predictable and replicable results. On top of that, Bonnie and I have been pushing to work in fields and sectors that are all dominated by experts who tend to favour the traditional approach to solving problems. Despite these obstacles, we find ourselves, again and again, believing in the relations we build and the positive responses our work has received. It encourages us to keep going!
COLLABORATORS
We are working with a small journalist organization on verifying their wish to launch a new platform for social entrepreneurship on the topics environmental and technological advancements. We are creating workshops for all the employees of a medium sized organization. Where we get to practice our partnership, use our methods for smaller scale challenges and lead 200-300 people through our methods. We started a larger lab for the educational system of Denmark to address its challenges. Ministers, majors, principals, teachers and kids are engaged to look at their common challenges. We are establishing small labs with a Danish telecommunications 54
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company for schools. Schools get to engage their students in solving the school’s challenges and the telecommunications company can use the material for the marketing of their campaign.
My biggest challenge this year has been communicating social and environmental value in a world that mostly values financial capital. My biggest surprise this year was when people did not believe that what we wanted to do could be done, I found myself believing in the importance of my work even more.
FUTURE
Having talked with many different people and tested it out in various ways, we have confirmed that there is a need for our work and this has made us continue with uncovering new responses to complex challenges.
I am most proud of my partnership and the company. I discovered that I am good at seeing the best in everyone and the opportunities in the smallest of things.
Next steps: Continuing the collaborations working on everything from using our concept as a research method to solving systems challenges from one organization to the educational system.
I need to work on my confidence in myself. I dream about creating globally recognized laboratories.
Expand and grow our relations. This is crucial to succeed with the work we want to do. Running and building a company where we can have all have jobs, learn and develop our skills and methods and contribute to positive social change, under one umbrella.
Robin Sullivan Lewis Christensen Robin@socialdesignlab.dk www.socialdesignlab.dk
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Y in L ei Zhang
ENCHANTMENT MARKETING Re-imagining marketing to transform culture
“We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often We have learnt how to make a living, but not a life. We have added years to life, but not life to years. We’ve been all the way to the moon and back But have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.” Extract from The paradox of our times by the Dalai Lama
This cannot be what we choose. Yet, mainstream culture is one that promotes this paradox rather than the opposite. How did we get here? Ontological design tells us that our mind creates a reality that in return creates our mind. If we can build experiences that disrupt the existing culture and our common sense, we can give room for a new story to be told. Within the cityscape of Stockholm I explored this paradox. The journey led me to Everyday School, a community based startup
run by two successful entrepreneurs who both have changed path in service of a different story, one that’s based on the value of interdependence rather than of separation. Very soon I realized they’re struggling with formulating what exactly it is they offer and why it matters. Like many other organizations offering something that’s neither tangible nor familiar to the market, their offer cannot be communicated as a message on a billboard. This got me interested in marketing and how it can be redefined to challenge forces that keep us within the current story of separation. Marketing is powerful because it reinforces a certain culture and it’s everywhere. What differs enchantment marketing from mainstream marketing is the aim to promote a more generative culture and the organizations that are in service of it. Instead of starting from the point of view of promoting a brand or product, the starting premise is to create a valuable experience for the target group, which aims to re-awaken our natural belonging to the story of interdependence. I define enchantment marketing as marketing based on the following five principles: 1. Create experiences that are transformational rather than transactional 2. Provoke rather than promote 3. Invite rather than persuade 4. Share don’t sell 5. Show don’t tell When Everyday School was offered a booth at the Stockholm University student fair, where companies meet students to promote what they’re doing, I was assigned to lead the marketing campaign. Applying the above principles, we designed our campaign around the intention to provide a transformational experience relevant for the SU students. Instead of promoting 56
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Everyday School, we invited them into a space of exploration where they were challenged to reflect about what’s important to them. 25% of the crowd participated in our 10 min long experience. We didn’t have free stuff nor fancy roll-ups. What made us stand out was to do exactly the opposite of what other companies were doing. While the students were expecting to be sold something, they instead participated in a meaningful experience for themselves.
My biggest challenge this year was a lack of sunlight My biggest surprise this year was sci-fi parody healing I am most proud of buddhist, proud of nothing. I discovered that I am good at formulating the intangible I need to work on contextual humor
My pilot journey started within the field of cross-sector collaboration, and has led me to marketing, something I’ve never really been drawn to. Quoting Charles Eisenstein, “When you’re in service of something that’s bigger than you, you have to let go of control. You might struggle with periods of uncertainty, not knowing how to get from where you are to where you ought to be, but that what’s bigger than you knows. So when you bow in full service to that, unexpected opportunities will arise for you to act on your intention. It will be on the edge of your courage, but it won’t past it.”
I dream about creating magic together
My next steps will be to further explore the relationship between creative activism and enchantment marketing, and how the latter could benefit organizations in service of a new cultural shift, to share their story and the cause they’re in service of.
Yin Lei Zhang yin@kaospilot.dK
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C hristoffer L indblom C o - C ooking
M arie P r æ st S chlosser K VA N
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R obin S ullivan L ewis C hristensen SOCIAL DESIGN L AB: LEARNING TO RESPOND TO COMPLEXIT Y Y in L ei Zhang ENCHANTMENT MARKETING R e-imagining marketing to transform culture
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S tinne S ø nderkj æ r V ium & V iktoria H ammer-J akobsen
Born poets “How to become the best poetic leaders for the world?” We believe every human being is born a poet. To us, a born poet is a human being who dares to use her or his creative potential to create positive change in and for the World. In what way are you a born poet? We are born poets, and as leaders of poetic processes, we design and create room for people to open up their creative hearts and make sure they stay open! We do that with facilitated workshops or processes, we guide the humans we work with trough conversations, exercises and happenings build on poetry for their creative gain. Today’s society has become extremely complex. We, as individuals, communities and even entire nations, need to learn how to generate possibilities and create new stories. In order to succeed in this, we think that focusing on learning to how to open our creative hearts, minds and spirits are essential. Through poetic processes we want to develop the personal key to continuous learning in life. We are especially in service of communities in Denmark that want to create possibility for new stories and learning, in their specific community. We experience today, that danish communities holds the biggest transformational potential in developing a more valuable and appreciative society through learning.
What would a poetic process look like?
A poetic process starts, in the combination of two mind-sets. • A systems thinking mind-set • An artful creation mind-set
expert should tell them what to do! Therefore our poetic processes are always co-created together with the people participating. Artful creation is a paradigm and an approach that we have come to discover is the foundation of Viktoria & Stinnes believes system and background story. Our shared background is found in the universe between experimental art & traditional theatre production; so simple! With these two mind-sets as a starting point, a poetic process becomes an experience where both the essential need of the participants and the imaginative - and sometimes provocative - nature of art is closely connected. Through this strong combination we can create a good disturbance in our life that can lead to change. The merge of the two mind-sets therefor don’t create a completely systemic process and at the same time don’t create an entirely artistic process; it becomes in its connectedness a poetic process.
Our launch as experimental researchers!
Stinne and Viktoria are people of great action. We explore the value we want to create through experimental learning: Basically, we try things out. Through the development of our pilot project we have therefor put an immense focus on testing our future service. Through this way of working, we have found a lot of answers and also a lot of new questions. Our core question as experimental researchers has been. • “How to be the best poetic leaders for the world?” At this very moment in time, our exploration and tests have revealed to us, the core of our method and the first crispy elements in our Born Poet toolbox. Two core elements are. • Sensuous data is the stories, incidents and glimpse of daily life, we gather from the participant. Sensuous data is not necessarily structured to begin with and it can hold a quality of intuitive expression. The sensuous data will always be
Systems thinking is one of the core theories we learn at the Kaospilot education & the basic principle of systemic thinking is; that the system or the people you work with are always the ones who holds the answer to their own questions or challenges. No 60
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shaped from the participant’s perspective; therefore the data will always be highly relevant and present for the people participating.
Our biggest challenge this year was building business with your best friend <3 Our biggest surprise this year was how powerful and deep a concept you can build, when you work with your best friend!
• Poetic/artistic mirroring is where we use the sensuous data, to create poetic/artistic bits of mirrors. Here we reflect back to our participants, an expression of the data they have giving us. This is done in varies ways, through use of poems, songs, transcriptions, sensuous stimulation and theatre performances etc.
We are most proud of being experimental researchers, true to our authentic selves, and having crafted a concept from that. We discovered that we are good at opening up peoples´ hearts for change with our poetic processes.
This gives the opportunity for organizations and communities to experience how their needs and challenges can develop into new poetic shapes and forms, for them to see themselves, understand and learn in new ways.
We need to work on involving individuals who are not at all like us in our business. We dream of creating big scale value through the worldcitizens´ poetic potential.
Poetic Communities
In the near future we are giving birth to several new things – both individually and together! The main adventure that we as Born Poets are embarking on is to initiate our first process with a community -a city in Jylland. This community is fighting for its survival. We want to contribute to the learning journey of this community; unfolding their stories, create new stories of identity and join them for their resurrection. We dream of engaging with many more communities in the future and thereby, be part of changing impossible stories into very possible stories of every life, creative change & born poets!
Stinne Sønderkjær Vium ssv@kaospilot.dk Viktoria Hammer-Jakobsen vhj@kaospilot.dk 61
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M attias A x ell
Your Right to Know!
What if we could unlock our collective intelligence gathered in the public sector? What if we harvested the value of commonly owned capital hidden in our state-owned institutions? Innovating a 250 year old democratic right - for a democracy and liberty worth its name! I looked for something to work with in the core functions of Swedish democracy. I early on discovered a timeless idea. Peter Forsskål expressed it in his iconic pamphlet “Thoughts on Civil Liberty” back in 1758:
“Finally, it is also an important right in a free society to be freely allowed to contribute to society’s well- being. However, if that is to occur, it must be possible for society’s state of affairs to become known to everyone, and it must be possible for everyone to speak his mind freely about it. Where this is lacking, liberty is not worth its name.” The text inspired a challenge to try to bring that vision of transparency into life. In combination with my interest for open source philosophy this fuelled an endless energy. For a good purpose. The Swedish constitution, specifically the Principle of Public Access has been under siege for decades. The public sector has decreased the quality of the duty to serve its owners, the citizens. This has enabled an increasing, invisible corruption of the project we call democracy. Although Sweden has low corruption, it is getting harder to expose corruption. This is due to the legal
hollowing of our constitution. The project started in South Africa. Corruption of democracy was visible on a daily basis and a part of normative culture. I realised that a powerful intervention in Sweden was to democratise the access to public documents. I decided to prototype the idea. So I applied for funding to VINNOVA, the Swedish Innovation Agency. They granted the project a small budget. From thereon I kept building on small initiatives, side projects and collaborations. I researched through workshops, presentations, and interviews with experts and users. With limited resources we have been able to set up the platform for testing and public use. My base for collaborations and activities is the non-profit organisation Open Knowledge Sweden which is part of an international network. We involve ourselves within partnerships and networks which has proven to be a successful strategy. Collaborations are key to our project, being an emergent and iterative organisation. I began to work on revitalising the Principle of Public Access, internationally known as Freedom of Information. It is a fundamental function to Swedish democracy and many others. This brought me to the fields of experience design, technology and co-creation. The result is a number of prototypes. The single biggest prototype is the main concept. My concept is a digital platform called FrågaStaten.se (Ask The State). This solution is the first of a kind in 250 years of Swedish society. It enables and helps citizens to request documents from public sector in Sweden. They have the right to request information from publicly funded bodies in Sweden. They have the right to get answers. It is now easier to get documents from authorities, counties, municipalities and municipal companies. This platform is a manifestation of a democratic right. Our project is a gift to the people. We hope to empower with knowledge. We aim to challenge the approach of digitisation. We also aim to challenge the current top-down approach to transparency. I am hoping the platform will help to empower 62
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people to act. With information it can enable processes for change. It can enable deeper learning about society. It can empower with information as a source and tool for entrepreneurship. It can enable co-creation by giving people a tool for access, to understand where to contribute.
My biggest challenge this year was limiting my engagement
The biggest surprise was discovering this underutilised resource and potential in society. Finding this treasure hidden in plain sight. An enormous source for value creation! The largest challenge have been how to hack the complexity of law to enable the use of this. I have learnt that I get motivated by complex projects with big challenges. I also learnt about myself that I get intrigued by following a big vision. It allows me to be creative when playing with systems throughout my mission!
I discovered that I am good at making things happen
My biggest surprise this year was travelling in time! I am most proud of getting through this!
I need to work on being less pretentious! I dream about creating systems with purpose
I hope users will request a large amount of public documents using our platform. That can show why Sweden needs to digitise. Why we need to strengthen our constitution. I dream of the future where we use the value of public information. Today we only experience a bit of value. This bit is Freedom of the Press, which we all use, every day. If we want to be serious about digitisation and democracy then we need to digitise the core. As it looks right now I have a lot of fun possibilities with this! I am also looking into how to improve food and energy systems!
Mattias Axell axell@kaospilot.dk mattiasaxell.com
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S tine T horsgaard K j ĂŚ r
NATURAGENTURET
Nature holds so many suggestions on how to fix man-made problems. As soon as we open our door to nature we have great potential lying in front of our feet. Naturagenturet is about nature in-spired innovation for sustainable change. Have you ever thought about if you actually understand what nature is and how it works? How to get what we want and how to get it as quickly and cheaply as possible, have been driving forces behind most of our knowledge of how natural systems work. Often natural systems are broken down for the purpose of quick and cheap production. Take timber, water or minerals for instance: these materials are often manipulated for short-term gain, damaging the natural ecosystem that they are part of. I believe this to be a big shame.
NaturAgenturet
Do you know why a duck is never wet when it come out of the water? Questions like this sparks my curiosity and has been part of why I have spent my third year at Kaospilot creating NaturAgenturet - a
multidisciplinary company facilitating nature inspired innovation. I wanted to awaken curiosity and inspire others to learn from the awesome capacities of nature. Together with biologist Nanna Johanne Aude I created NaturAgenturet to see if it was possible for us to make sustainability and innovation more tangible and graspable. Our targets are companies and organisations in Denmark and our work-methods are inspired by nature. Nature holds so many suggestions on how to fix man-made problems. Termites can, for example, teach us how to create natural ventilation in buildings while ants can inspire new management structures. As soon as we open our door to nature we have great potential lying in front of our feet.
Growing
I began my third year exploring the possibilities of working with biomimicry in Denmark. I started investigating what change it could create for biologist and designers. Amazingly biomimicry turned out to be a discipline not focusing only on biologist and designer, but a discipline that could help many people become ecologically conscious. Through my work I have started to learn the gift of patience. A decision doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always have to happen immediately, and sometimes the best thing to do is to take a break. It has also been wonderful to experience the impact a long-term partnership has had on me. To work with a dear friend, with a working culture of honesty, laughter and flexibility, enabled me to get out of my comfort zone and learn even more. We have been able to support each other through tough times and bring passion into our
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workflow to keep following our vision for a sustainable future.
My biggest challenge this year was explaining biomimicry
Getting used to the thought of being a female entrepreneur has been very interesting. I’m still learning what it means to be a female entrepreneur and from experiences like showing up as two women at a male dominated conference. I’m learning what it means for our branding strategy to be two women. And I’m also learning how awesome it is to be a female entrepreneur.
My biggest surprise this year was how creative natural science is I am most proud of our company, NaturAgenturet I discovered that I am good at being patient I need to work on branding myself
Blooming
I dream about creating a sustainable change
We have created NaturAgenturet because we are ecologically conscious and we aim to create a space for others to make conscious choices, and follow the biomimicry movement! We have discovered that it is possible to challenge the mindsets of leaders and employees. It is possible to help them become more ecologically conscious. I truly hope that companies and organisations continue to see the potential in working with nature inspired innovation and that it can result in us making a living out of our vision.
Stine Thorsgaard Kjær
At the moment, our future looks bright with jobs coming up in June, but we also know that they need to keep coming for us to create a real change. So, “real world” bring it on.
stinetk@gmail.com naturagenturet@gmail.com www.naturagenturet.dk 65
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M a x S . L aurit z en
WE DON’T NEED BREATHING SPACE, WE NEED LEADERSHIP!
When the Swedish Prime Minister closed the borders for refugees with the motivation that we need breathing space, it sent a clear message that something is not working. What is really needed is a better way to work as a society when faced with disruptive and complex challenges. My final year project has been in service of identifying and building the leadership capacity needed to do that. When the so called ”refugee crisis” hit Sweden, I was in Boston on an international gathering of Theory U practitioners. Theory U is an awareness-based social technology promoting the shift from ego to eco. An ego-awareness is limited to the self, be it an individual or an organisation. All actions will be made out of self-interest, due to lack of seeing and understanding the bigger picture. An eco awareness means seeing and understanding your role in a larger eco-system and what actions can benefit the system as a whole. I returned to Stockholm, inspired to be in service of this shift on a local level. At that time more than 10,000 people a month applied for asylum in Sweden, which was more than the welfare system could handle. The inability to handle the new reality has been a call for innovation and change within many areas of the public sector. I have been witnessing this on a municipal level where people get employed with new job descriptions focusing on mobilizing the
local community instead of serving it. I supported the civic society coordinator of Ekerö Municipality by facilitating a workshop for engaged citizens. Over 60 people showed up with huge enthusiasm and after getting to know each other they self organized into groups working with concrete initiatives. The coordinator’s role became to support the newly formed groups by providing them a platform to meet, collaborate and reach out. This way of leading social change shows great potential. The relatively small investment of organizing the workshop and to leading the platform lead to not only 16 social initiatives but also empowered citizens and a stronger community. The people engaged in the initiatives are now active citizens creating the change they want to see in their community instead of passive consumers of welfare services. Active citizenship doesn’t necessary mean volunteering. It can as well be innovating new solutions or starting new initiatives. This can - and should - also involve the organisation where the citizens work. Instead of a top down leadership, where the organisation is asked to contribute with services or support, the bottom up leadership is empowering the individuals leading the organisation to take initiative using their organisation as a resource and vehicle for change. I recently found my vehicle for change: THREAD, an entrepreneurial value driven consultancy, providing CEO coaching and leadership training for companies who want to walk their talk. My job there, and my final year concept, is to design a leadership program that will focus on training the capacity needed to a) understand and embrace the role you play in a larger system of stakeholders b) enable and mobilize active citizenship within the system you are a part of. I’m inspired by Theory U, but also by an earlier Kaospilot initiative that became a global movement: 100 in a Day. 100 in a Day is a festival in active citizenships. The leadership team behind the festival is setting a vision (100+ initiatives taking place 66
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in the city at a given date), then providing a supportive and enabling platform for the initiatives to take place. The citizens need to do all the work by themselves, including marketing and financing their initiatives. Genius.
My biggest challenge this year was narrowing down My biggest surprise this year was employment at THREAD I am most proud of enabling citizen engagement
As Morpheus says in the movie The Matrix: ”There is a difference in knowing the path and walking the path”. Our way of walking the path is by arranging two community festivals ourselves. The first one, Sollentuna Day, will take place on the 21st of May and the other one in the beginning of September. The leadership program that hopefully will kick off spring 2017, will also be based on practical experience. The students will either have to run an initiative at their work or in their local community as a part of their training.
I discovered that I am good at process facilitation. I need to work on fighting perfectionism I dream about creating community of change-makers
Now, what has this to do with the ”refugee crises” in Sweden? The name is unfortunately misleading. The amount of refugees led to a crisis within the Swedish welfare system (actually, the whole European Union). Every crisis comes with an opportunity and our opportunity is to create a more collaborative and co-creative society through leadership that encourages active citizenship.
Max S. Lauritzen ml@kaospilot.dk thread.se/open se.linkedin.com/in/maxlauritzen1 67
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S tinne S ø nderkj æ r V ium & V iktoria H ammer-J akobsen B orn poets
M attias A x ell Y our R ight to K now !
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S tine T horsgaard K j æ r N AT U R A G E N T U R E T
M a x S . L aurit z en W E D O N ’ T N E E D B R E AT H I N G S PA C E , WE NEED LEADERSHIP! 69
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S tina S cott
Slöjd för Asylsökande
Which values does craft bring to people? And can we use craft as a method for bringing people together? According to the UNHCR, during June 2015, 1 out of every 122 people on earth was either a refugee, internally displaced or seeking asylum abroad.1 And during that year, the number of asylum seekers in Sweden doubled from the year before; a change the Swedish system was not prepared for. During the fall and winter of 2015/2016, many Swedes stepped up and provided shelter, food, legal advice and more to the people who had travelled for so long and so far to get to the dark cold country up north. And when it was time for us to step up and step out into the World beyond the walls of the Kaospilot school, for our third year final project, I knew I wanted to work within this field. I partnered up with Slöjd Stockholm working from the hypothesis that craft could be used as a method to bring people together. This project gave me an opportunity to re-connect with an organisation I had been in contact with as a craft-nerdy child, and to work from my core values of solidarity and always having people in centre.
We started our work in December exploring the value craft can provide, and the needs existing at asylum centres in Stockholm. We believed that craft activities would both provide a creative outlet for the people waiting in the asylum system, as well as being a foundation for people to come together. By working fast; researching, developing and executing at the same time, we engaged over 300 people in 20 different craft events all around Stockholm, and managed to provide a creative outlet as well as build new personal relations. And if there is one thing this project has made me realise, it is that value is a word that gets most of its meaning in the interaction between people. We’ve seen a lot of knitting, personal growth, joy and laughter. In asylum seekers, youth leaders, volunteers and pedagogues alike. One of our biggest struggles has also been one of the most interesting parts of the project: working in a completely new context that neither I, Slöjd Stockholm nor Sweden have ever been in before. This has meant that there has been room for experimentation and exploration. It has also meant that things are in constant fluctuation. New laws being passed suddenly has tremendous effect, at once, on a personal level. And the centres we were working with a month ago, are no longer in existence. But I move from this project with a certainty in mind. That we all together created something that grew with us. And that slöjdiska (the language of craft) truly is universal.
1. According to UNHCR
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My biggest challenge this year was keeping myself grounded My biggest surprise this year was that winter actually becomes spring in the end I am most proud of all the people I have met and have seen develop I discovered that I am good at working from my core values and my gut feeling I need to work on being vulnerable I dream about creating spaces where people can grow together
Stina Scott sts@kaospilot.dk https://dk.linkedin.com/in/stinascott
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T homas P ersson
Sjællandsk Muld
A vibrant eco-village that combines modern life with ambitious sustainable solutions. Have you ever tried peeing your pants? Remember that special feeling of “aaah” quickly turning into “damn!” when realizing this wasn’t the best solution to your problem? This dilemma became a great inspiration to the concept I’ve been aiming to develop through my last days on this seriously weird, fucked up and forever-in-my-heart absolutely lovely place we call the Kaospilot school. WHY is it that we keep constructing and producing from materials that are extremely costly and resource consuming to generate and degenerate? And why is it that households are not benefiting from all the renewable energy and ecosystems that nature offers… free of charge? And why is it so rare that youngsters and grannies hang out? WHAT IF it’s true what some say? That the modern day society in many aspects has run off track and become like a pair of pants soaked in piss when it comes to how we live and get through daily routines, requirements and personal needs. That it is simply not natural and puts an unhealthy, tiring and even unsustainable pressure on ourselves, our surroundings and the planet. I believe it’s true. And I wanted it to be the underlying ‘why’ behind my work. I was looking to find out how I could spend this unique opportunity that a third year at Kaospilot offers on developing a concept that could combine modern lives with ambitious sustainable solutions. The idea of working with how we reside and live seemed like a fun, exciting and obvious field to look into when trying to meet the above challenges. I found that the concept should be about: • Taking care of natural resources • Making it easy and smart to use sustainable solutions • Being able to live a “normal” modern life AND at the same
take responsibility for the future of the planet • Mixing generations to easier inspire and help each other • Cherishing biodiversity Through these principles the concept of an eco-village came to life. After the last months’ work I’m now standing with an insightful foundation, a core team and a very exciting network to take the vision further and potentially make a dream come to life as a vibrant eco-village on Zealand, Denmark. In short the developed frame of the eco-village looks like this: • 25-50 residents • Close to nature • Mixed contracts (own, share, rent) • Communal house and shared facilities • Ecological houses easily decomposable • Off grid systems for power and water supply • Possibility of self-sufficiency • Commuting distance to Copenhagen • Public transportation close by • Business and enterprise within the community • An open source model freely available and easy to copy
My daughter will turn two years old this summer. This last school project has almost felt like having a child. A rollercoaster of emotions, energy and surprises - good and bad. It’s been a one man pilot project but nothing would have happened if it wasn’t for all the inspiring, ambitious and talented people I’ve met, worked with and gotten supported by along the way. Thank you! These three things has definitely been confirmed: 1. Perfect is the enemy of good 2. Culture eats strategy for breakfast 3. Asking for help is much much much better than not asking for help 72
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Recently a union was established around the concept and a 7 member board, including myself, was elected and has now taken over the work and responsibility with reaching a shared vision and continuously develop the concept. I’m excited to be able to continue the work and look forward to doing it with an even bigger team. We are currently working with a plan until 2020 so there’s plenty on the ‘to do’.
My biggest challenge this year was learning to juggle My biggest surprise this year was …SURPRISE! I am most proud of Charlie, my daughter… and the juggling I discovered that I am good at making other people dream with me I need to work on the old summer house Laura (my future wife) and I bought recently
On a larger scale I’m dreaming of making this concept the first outcome and product of many from a wider vision about ensuring sustainable development in many aspects.
I dream about creating creations from dreams
Besides that my life is nothing but a patchwork of varied hopes, dreams, plans, questions as well as a hint of concern about what’s next in my life. And btw! Call me if you want to hang out, okay?
Thomas Persson persson@kaospilot.dk Find Sjællandsk Muld on Facebook
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M A J A L idberg
REKL AMÉR
What if we’d live in a society where you’d be free to live in whatever way you dreamt of, no matter your gender, shape or colour? This question led me to explore norms which limit our living, and the possibilities of destroying them. What if feminism would be recognized as a method of improving life, as we know it? Imagine a society where you yourself would be free to decide how much the genitals you were given at birth were allowed to influence your identity, salary or personal safety. Over the past six months I have been on a journey of figuring out how to deal with and change the structural norms and inequality in which we live. In Denmark today girls grow up with the belief that their appearance is what matters most and boys are told not to show themselves as sad or weak, women are a rarity in leading positions and men are discouraged to take paternity leave. We live in a country which self identity declares as being one of the most equal countries on earth, yet Denmark is one of the nations in Europe with the highest number of victims of sexual violence and where feminism as a word is frowned upon. In November I set out with the intention of making this world a better place by eliminating inequality between genders, to promote women’s rights. These are the projects that shaped my journey.
THE FIRST CONCEPT: REKLAMÉR
My project partner Anne Sofie Steen Sverdrup (Kaospilot T18) and I, chose to start by working with one single pain point within structural inequality: sexism in advertisement. To be honest, it could as well have been sexual violence or equal representation. However, advertisement is something most people in the modern
world can relate to, no matter what age, gender or ethnicity, and that gives us a good leverage point to start from. The recipe is fairly simple; what we do is we file complaints of sexist advertisement to the legal system. Followers on our Facebook page send in the complaints and we take on the legal process of complaining. Our current aim is to gather enough followers to create a movement and collect enough data to be able to demonstrate the structural sexism we are exposed to, so that in the future we can go on and work with responsible advertisers and help them become more inclusive in their work and less discriminating. Ad-by-ad, we are highlighting the oppressing structure they support, and human-by-human, we are challenging the norms withholding the structure. Join us on www.facebook.com/ aktionreklamer/
THE SECOND CONCEPT: FEMINISTIC POTLUCK
It started as a personal need of creating a room in which I in connection with others could explore the meaning behind feminism, and continued to develop into a series of events held in Cape Town, Aarhus and Copenhagen. The concept is a space where we meet around subjects related to feminism. It is a dialogue, a gathering and feministic inspiration. It is candlelight, snacks and humour. Its aim is to create community and strengthen the network between feminists. It is called a potluck as a symbol of welcoming everyone to the table, stating that we all have something to bring, no matter our background. I believe that a diverse dialogue is a necessity in order to reach an equal society. What is unique with the Potluck is its ability to create a meeting without ignorance where participants are on an eye-to-eye level.
THE THIRD CONCEPT: TALK TOWN
Besides developing and leading our self-created parts, an opportunity we seized was joining forces with two other organisations to arrange a festival in Copenhagen; Talk Town. Talk Town is a debate festival held between the 18-20th of May 2016, where all kinds of debates and conversations were in focus, within the field of gender equality. Its main arrangers were 74
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Kvinderådet and Indgreb. In Talk Town you could experience such things as discussions on women and war, workshops on gender and media and conversations on everyday sexism. There were opportunities to share a meal, listen to music and enjoy art made by women from all corners of the world. It was held as a parallel event on the occasion of Denmark hosting the international women’s conference Women Deliver. Our aim was to gather a wide range of voices in the Danish debate on gender and equality, while adding international perspectives to the conversation.
My biggest challenge this year was coming out as a Belieber / patriarchy
WHAT’S NEXT
I dream about creating a world that provides equal opportunities no matter gender, shape, colour or heritage.
My biggest surprise this year was ignorance. I am most proud of Anne Sofie and myself I discovered that I am good at mentoring, visualizing and maintaining lightness. I need to work on my posture.
Reklamér will keep running and ideally within a year, our aim is to have established such a strong foundation that we can target the advertisers directly. We intend to develop our concept to include education about inclusion and anti-discrimination in advertisement. The journey of the Feministic Potlucks will continue - soon in a city near you, perhaps.
Maja Lidberg maja@aktionreklamer.dk
Other than that, I don’t know. Time will tell, and I am open to whatever might come. Livin la vida loca.
www.facebook.com/aktionreklamer
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D aniel M ors ø C hristiansen , A ndri G eirsson & M ikkel S onne N ø rbygaard UNEARTHING TOMORROW’S LEARNING SPACE
We’re all natural learners, born with an insatiable curiosity” - Maria Montessori, Italian physician and educator THE STORY OF OUR PROJECT
We envision a world where everyone has access to progressive knowledge spaces and communities of practice that cultivate talent, purpose, creativity and ultimately lifelong learning. That is why we have formed a project based agency that designs and facilitates pop up learning spaces. Hereby we create rich experiences with enlightening content in great settings. The United Nations’ future sustainable development goals on quality education aim to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by the year 2030. We believe that in order to answer such a calling, a new approach needs to be explored and nurtured. A shift that reignites the flame of engagement and confidence in individuals to truly become architects of their own schooling. This was our point of departure for our Pilot Project. A journey set to unearth progressive learning projects, spaces and experiences of the 21st century. A journey that has led us to traverse the intersection of experiential learning, participatory design and art of hosting. To explore the dance between pop-up architecture, experience design, knowledge curation and serendipity. To understand the chemistry of event design, concept development and communication. From this melting pot of research and idyllic inquiry we have laid a foundation to start collaborations with some engaging partners. Including the development of short courses for United World Colleges, where we created alumni specific workshops around the “art of action within social innovation”.
We are also working on a large scale event for the Kaospilot organisation. Designing, developing and executing the first yearly Kaospilot festival aptly named “Agenda Festival” at the end of September 2016. A two day immersive experience hosted in the harbour of Aarhus. The two days will reflect the Kaospilot philosophy and community by focusing on big ideas, learning and progressive practice. Agenda Festival seeks to build the topics to be addressed with the community that’s attending. It’s a space to re-engage the Kaospilot community, extended family and friends as much as opening the doors for new encounters and relationships to emerge. “Stay Tuned!”
OUR PROCESS
Our process and approach for our 3rd year has been very much that of a circus. A narrative that we have danced with throughout the pilot project. Our circus is a sphere for wanderers and performers to learn, dare and play. A place of mystical experience and risky manoeuvre. An arena to nourish the egocentric character. To hone skill and routine. Life in the circus is a cauldron of grandiose entertainment and equal deflation. It’s cheesy. It’s sexy. It’s right and oh so wrong. There are highs and lows, potholes and hotdogs, and as this chapter of the journey slows down, we have concluded that in order to enthral and move people, the show must go on!
WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON
As our collaboration continues it will be a busy couple of months ahead, preparing the Agenda Festival and other smaller projects. We are insatiably curious to see where our overall project will take us. We hope to engage in more pop up learning spaces in new and interesting ways. Our dream is to work with new clients on engaging experiences. And finding interesting ways to break down big ideas in engaging ways for the city slicker. “Serendipity is not randomness it’s unexpected relevance”
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Daniel My biggest challenge this year was managing my tabs My biggest surprise this year was questioning everything I am most proud of Seth from the OC I discovered that I am good at #lifeing I need to work on my downward dog I dream about creating a genuine public school Andri My biggest challenge this year was navigating a new context My biggest realization this year was that striving for perfection gets you nowhere I am most proud of my beautiful wife Edda and my amazing team! I discovered that I am good at listening, understanding and motivating I need to work on being more proactive I dream about creating experiences and building relationships
Daniel Morsø Christiansen dmc@kaospilot.dk
Mikkel My biggest challenge this year was keeping it simple My biggest surprise this year was the complexity of learning I am most proud of my childlike curiosity I discovered that I am good at hosting groovy learning spaces I need to work on my focus and working smarter not harder I dream about creating the learning experience of the century!
Andri Geirsson ang@kaospilot.dk Mikkel Sonne Nørbygaard msn@kaospilot.dk
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S tina S cott S lรถjd fรถr A sylsรถkande
T homas P ersson S j รฆ llandsk M uld
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M A J A L idberg REKL AMÉR
D aniel M ors ø C hristiansen , A ndri G eirsson & M ikkel S onne N ø rbygaard U N E A R T H I N G T O M O R R O W ’ S L E A R N I N G S PA C E
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M ette B ø ge Kousgaard
HANDS ON DEMOCRACY - it takes personal responsibility
Let us discover how democracy is not just something that we have, but something that we do every day. The main focus of this concept is active citizenship and the personal responsibility, which it relies on. This concept is a break with today’s focus on individualism. In the service of community I have dedicated my third year at Kaospilot to encourage social responsibility and activism in the local communities that we are all a part of.
PUTTING ON MY SHOES
The journey that I have set out on; implementing a hands on understanding of democracy is still in its early phase. My dream for the future is that this movement will foster will, awareness and discernment of how we create society in the everyday. But as we all know even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. I believe that today’s challenges must be solved by the citizens of the future, and therefore this concept takes its point of departure amongst young people. More particularly the Danish folk high schools - to my belief; a resourceful institution for community, engagement, vigour and cohesion. Qualities that society needs.
MY FIRST STEP
The concept itself is building on a dream of an annually recurring event happening at all Danish folk high schools to gather them in a social movement. The intention is to create the notion of cohesion and tell a strong story of the Danish folk high schools and what community is capable of – and thereby become an inspiration for
the local civilian society. Autumn 2016 I am to lead the project “Hvor er det ansvar som alle må bære?” - an encouragement to act on our social responsibility. A project that takes its starting point at Silkeborg folk high school who will then reach out and invite other schools to participate. The concept is inspired by “Operation Dagsværk”. Once every year students all over the country leave books, blackboards and teachers behind to go out into the society and engage. The focus of this specific concept is to encourage the folk high schools and more importantly their students to be aware of their social responsibility and act on it within their local community. The purpose is for them to meet individuals and their social needs in order to create a whole and more cohesive community. Also, there is an important task of anchoring this experience within the students to ensure continued vigour in the students’ future life – active citizenship. Spring 2016 I have designed the curriculum “Responsibility and activism”. Teaching this course for a small group of students is an active research on how to design and implement the actual project.
WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY
The past year I have been involved with different organizations empowering young people to believe in themselves and take part in community and our Danish democracy. I am the proud cocreator of the following projects that have taught me a whole lot about democracy, teaching, leadership, and managing volunteers. Ungdoms Bureauet: A youth agency creating a new democratic youth festival. (“Ungdommens Folkemøde”) Approximately 15.000 young people will take part in dialogues, debates and workshops offered by organizations, companies and politicians. The 80
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intention is to create a space for young people to dream, speak their mind and develop ideas for our future society.
My biggest challenge this year was finding the project My biggest surprise this year was people’s willingness to help
KFUM & KFUK: A Christian youth organization creating a learning festival for 600 boarding school students. The focus is co-creation and building social capital amongst young people in order to empower them in their life competences.
I am most proud of taking social responsibility I discovered that I am good at classes – as long as I am teaching ;)
Arbejdermuseet: A museum creating the exhibition “UHØRT UNGDOM” and teaching materials on how to encourage young people to take part in democracy. As a part of that exhibition I am hosting a workshop on personal rebellion.
I need to work on documenting and sharing my work to inspire. Sharing is caring :) I dream about creating a new “hands on” understanding of democracy
All these projects are most needed since studies show that young Danes have a low democratic self-confidence even though they are rated as very competent democrats when it comes to knowledge, life principles and judgment. The main focus points of these projects have been the act of seeing each other, speaking one’s mind and to listen to each other. That´s where I saw a need to add the “act of doing” - a hands on approach to democracy. We need to be aware that with the power we are given or encouraged to take, also comes a responsibility of acting upon it and bringing it to life in our society – towards each other.
Mette Bøge Kousgaard mbk@kaospilot.dk
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N ikolai S cheldon J ensen
The storytelling conundrum
Today storytelling has become one of those words used in multiple fields and with great variance in its application, so what is storytelling? My journey began with an investigation of the modern day storytellers, their crafts and what traditions they come from. What a rich world lies in this massive field ranging from the storytelling that is meant to develop human beings through their own stories or the skills to find the essence in a story and help making it clear. As marketing that seeks to drag us into their stories or the good story where Disney in many years have been masters. All of this springs from the same well, humans have been using stories since the earliest times and the masters of these stories have had roles as advisors, teachers, entertainers and ambassadors. These roles where often mixed with other responsibilities as a Viking “skjald” that would go into battle or an African culture where a shaman would also be a healer. My overall concept is called Trickster, an agency within the storytelling community. To make this real I have been exploring different fields as a storyteller, building my craft and exploring the possibilities. The more I learn, the more I can teach and from teaching I learn again. This builds the foundation of a community that enables shared growth. The components I have explored are: • Living stories with Rantzausminde Efterskole - a process taking the students into stories to have them develop both skills and understanding. • Empowering young people through “Orkerne kommer” - a
project partnered by Nordea-fonden with three million Danish kroner to develop 200 young leaders in the roleplaying community. • Vocational workshops to develop the awareness among participants of their calling. • Creating community through understanding of shared stories and how to create new with Ulvsborg Historisk Værksted. • Doing lectures on both storytelling and my personal story moving beyond a burnout. So where does this leave me? With a lot of new knowledge, different projects to work upon in the future, a strong network and passion to do more.
MY PROCESS
This process has started many years ago, I have always been a storyteller in my own right and becoming a kaospilot has enabled me to explore that even further, creating stronger understandings and new work methods that strengthen my work. Trickster was a name that I came up with when I applied for the school and it has traveled with me ever since. In many ways it has been about sailing into the great unknown with a dream and passion to make a difference with the stories of our world. If anything this has been and still is a project of life, developing both professionally and personally. Laying the bricks for future work.
WHAT’S NEXT?
Dreams coming true! The next step is creating the foundation for my work in financial and community aspects. This will be manifested in opening Live Escape Rooms in Odense, providing a steady income, a place to educate staff, explorer techniques, tools, and basing the community. This base will then be the fertile ground from which further exploration and work will come into the fields of storytelling, leadership and essence work.
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My biggest challenge this year was accepting my own fallibility My biggest surprise this year was finding my own feet planted in solid ground I am most proud of the hearts and minds I have touched I discovered that I am good at empowering to action I need to work on focus
Nikolai Scheldon Jensen nsj@kaospilot.dk
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O tto K ubista
OKclothing - Can fashion be sustainable?
For many years I have had the dream of one day starting a clothing brand. Today that is a reality! During my third year at Kaospilot I have created garments made from organic cotton and hemp. Naturally dyed and produced in South Africa. In a world where we shop like maniacs to follow trends and buy new things when our old clothing fails to look 100% new, these are some facts that apply to most of the clothing in our wardrobes: • One t-shirt requires almost 3000l/water to make≈ That is the equivalent to fortytwo 10min showers. • Over two million people in Bangladesh earn 25£/month (minimum wage in Bangladesh is 45£) but factories have to produce a lot of clothes, very cheap and fast to live up to supplying the Global North with trendy clothes! Same goes for Uzbekistan, India, China, Cambodia and more.. • Chemicals in t-shirts are cancerogenic, some of these are prohibited in Europe. But because they are produced outside of Europe it does not seem to be a problem. Basically, what we are wearing is poisoning us. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel comfortable wearing people’s misery, the suffering of our ecosystem, or something that poisons me through the skin.
MY PROCESS
Many times I have not been sure what I am doing. I have been taught how to work as a fashion designer, clothes dyer, promoter, website creator, accountant etc. Being engulfed by making clothes has been challenging and fun. I have worked with wonderful tailors, friends and likeminded people. A lot of my work has been researching the field and understanding what creating a brand includes. But also how to create it. I wish everyone could sit in a river boiling red dirt to dye a t-shirt created by yourself. That feeling has been great; to have something to be proud of that exists. The thing that has been important to me is to look at what does not exist within this field. There are brands that have created clothes made from hemp, with social impacts and naturally dyed. Unfortunately (for us hipsters) they are not “cool”. It is mainly yoga wear, mom/dad comfy trousers or clothes you would see on someone smelling funky, living in a van. I want to create clothes that are fashionable and attractive to the eye.
THE NEXT STEPS
This is the exciting part. I have a couple of collaborations coming up and I am about to start up in Scandinavia. I have explored South Africa where I started the brand and even travelled in Taiwan to explore the origin of hemp. Coming back I am gonna sell my t-shirts, yes, they are already here! I plan to continue my project, to connect with new amazing people and to create what I can for a better world. One t-shirt at the time! In the near future I will collaborate on making a bigger collection and to work towards expanding the team at OKclothing. Let’s not only make attractive products that are made to break.
I have created OKclothing. A brand that aspires to slow down fashion, not mass-producing clothing. So if you are interested in garments that have been dyed in rivers, made from hemp, are biodegradable and are made by happy people - this is your new go-to brand! 84
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My biggest challenge this year was macchiato or cappuccino My biggest surprise this year was Donald Trump I am most proud of South Africa I discovered that I am good at growing hair I need to work on beach2016 I dream about creating outdoor kitchen
Martin Erik Otto Kubista otto@okclothing.com OR mok@kaospilot.dk www.okclothng.org
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M ette B ø ge Kousgaard H A N D S O N D E M O C R A C Y - it takes personal responsibility
N I KO L A I T he storytelling conundrum
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O tto K ubista O Kclothing - C an fashion be sustainable ?
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REBECKA CADA
CHURCH RENEWED
What if church was the most creative place in town? This question led me to explore the concept of church and if an innovation culture and a church culture can be bridged. What if church was so inspiring and uplifting that people from all over society could not be stopped from going there? Imagine that people would personally feel deeply connected with God and each other in a way that totally transformed their way of living and interacting with each other. The past six months I’ve been working in a very traditional system with a very long history. As many other organizations of today, the Church is facing great challenges. The Church of Sweden has the past 15 year been loosing one million members. Only the past year 67.000 people left the organization. This means a loss in income equal to 125 million SEK. Church of Sweden is far from the only church that is currently dealing with these kinds of challenges. I set out this year to explore the concept of church and to see if there could be a bridge between an innovation culture and church culture. I ended up in a slow and challenging process, while involved in church development work in Sweden, England and Denmark. The past months my main focus has been within organizational development in Sweden, trying to address some of the challenges from within the system.
THE CONCEPT
Within the next two years, I hope to have a functioning church development program for Swedish Churches up and running. Ideally I aim to sustain myself through this work.
THE PROCESS
I wanted to explore how traditional church could be reinvented
to better respond to the needs of a younger audience in Sweden. Today less than 30% of the church is under 40 years old in some churches. Initially I started dreaming of all the amazing things you could do with churches if you got the chance. During my work I realized that many churches in Sweden are challenged in knowing what they are about and why they exist. Many have a lot of different activities, but are not really sure of why. What had started as exploration of innovation, soon landed in organizational development processes.
COLLABORATORS
In my initial project research phase I reached out to learn and engage with a lot of different churches and people. I ended up with six collaborators that have greatly contributed to my learning: • A church development program in Portsmouth England by the Anglican Church. After visiting for a few days and taking part in one of their workshops, a more extensive collaboration has been planned. • Partaking in the initial prototype of church development of the Baptist church in Denmark by the innovation agency Bespoke. Exchanging experiences and potentially doing something in Sweden under their brand. • Becoming a board member of Cross Culture international church group in Uppsala. This has given direct insights into the cycles and life of a small local congregation. These are perspectives that I find very valuable when addressing the national challenges of churches today. • Working as secretary of the Board for EFS (missional church movement within the Church of Sweden), national level. This collaboration has been more demanding, while bringing more understanding to how systems are currently changed on a national level. • Running workshops for EFS and Salt (Christian youth movement within EFS). Has provided experience and handson learning in process facilitation. It is clear to me, that this aspect of organizational change becomes hugely important to implement decisions into a system. • Teaching at the theological seminar in Uppsala, Johannelund 88
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on the topics of process and innovation. Lecturing has forced me deeper into my theoretical understanding, challenging myself in what I think I know, and what I actually know.
My biggest challenge this year was to be working within a system with a completely different mindset My biggest realization this year was how much I need my team and other creative people to thrive.
NEXT STEPS:
I am most proud of my hard work, I have worked really hard the past half year.
• After Kaospilot I will continue to work for EFS, 80% until the end of the year. I hope to continue influence the system toward building a more inclusive and creative culture that can attract younger people. • I have just started my own company to keep running workshops and to do consulting aside from my employment. Recently new opportunities have presented themselves within the Church of Sweden, and I hope to work more with them in the future. • I am slowly working on developing my brand and company a bit more, to be able to offer more tailored workshops and consulting, targeting churches. • Deepening my current collaborations and relationships. • I am extending my network in the creative field, and especially within design thinking to keep getting creative input through assignments outside the religious realm.
I discovered that I am good at strategic thinking. I need to work on so many things! The organizational development and culture-building field is huge! I dream about creating change!
Rebecka Cada cada@kaospilot.dk se.linkedin.com/in/rebecka-cada
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R asmus H viid B ach
Co-creation in municipalities
I am deeply concerned about the Danish welfare system when it comes to my own, my family’s and the rest of the population’s future prospects in terms of social security, health care, educational system etc. There are many challenges which put the welfare system under pressure, both now and even more so in the future. I believe that we need to find new ways to act, and here the public sector, civil society and private companies have a role to play together. MY PROCESS
During my pilot project I have worked with ‘Center for Offentlig Kompetenceudvikling’ (COK). COK is a semi-public consultancy firm, which specializes in organizational development as well as educating employees and leaders in the public sector. COK has recently started an Academy for Co-creation where I am part of a team of five people, who are to develop methods for co-creation on the basis of the gathering of knowledge and experience within the field.
The idea is to spread out these methods to the 98 municipalities in Denmark. In this context, COK is very interesting as it has an extensive platform with the prospects of educating 25.00030.000 public employees and leaders on an annual basis.
THE STORY OF mY PROJECT
Some of the side effects of the lack of resources in the welfare system are seen now, for example at overloaded hospital corridors, in social welfare cutbacks as well as in the way we treat people in need, for instance refugees fleeing from war . If we want to avoid having a discount version of the welfare society in the future, there is a strong need for reinventing how the public sector is run most efficiently while still bringing true value to it’s citizens. The model for this should be one where both the civil society and the public and private sectors come together and jointly develop the welfare solutions of tomorrow through co-creation, bringing maximum value for all for the scarce resources at hand. Over the last years, the public sector has undergone quite significant changes. In the municipalities especially, one of the most striking trends is the increasing focus on the co-creation (Samskabelse). In essence, co-creation is all about strengthening the democracy locally, securing a better quality of public services and economize on public resources by working in new ways and in other cooperational relations. It is about finding joint solutions for common problems, which cannot be solved by one part alone. In co-creation you work together in solving some of the central and wicked problems that our welfare society is facing. The parties are entering a relationship on equal terms where solutions for challenges are found in cooperation with the citizens affected by the issue at hand. The citizens actively take part in finding and being part of the solution. In the process of co-creation the citizen is included from the very beginning and is also involved in the responsibility for finding a 90
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solution for the challenge in question. Among other things, this is done by looking at the resources of the individual citizen, his or her network, in the municipalities as well as in the civil society. The role of the municipality is increasingly a facilitating one where relevant parties are identified and involved in the process.
My biggest challenge this year was working within a big and complex political system My biggest surprise this year was how many opportunities there are for making change I am most proud of finding something Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m passionate about!
In order to succeed with co-creation for the benefit of everyone, it requires that all parties, i.e. the public and private sectors as well as the civil society, are committed and devoted to the cause. My main concern is that this can prove to be extremely challenging as the welfare systems is a field of tension subject to constantly changing political prioritizations and strict demands for thorough documentation and while having to serve an increasingly older population with the resources of the much smaller younger generations.
I discovered that I am good at seeing possibilities and combine existing things in new ways I need to work on work life balance I dream about creating a good life
WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEXT?
Engaging in the field of co-creation during my third year has been highly inspirational and has given me the ambition of pursuing it further in my professional career to come â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either as a consultant in a consultancy firm or directly in the public sector.
Rasmus Hviid Bach rhb@kaospilot.dk +45 53562390
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T homas N ymark H orsted
Startup Guide - The “Lonely Planet” for entrepreneurs!
My final year project was to create a financially sustainable and scalable business concept for Startup Guide, to make entrepreneurship more accessible and easier to approach on a local and global scale. THE STORY OF THE PROJECT
The entrepreneur is the new rock star! Up to 70 percent of the millennial-generation born between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s has the desire to start their own company. What is sparking this urge to set out and start up? Is it the rock star-appeal of the Silicon Valley icon, romanticized by Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and Elon Musk? It might have played a part, yet surveys show that a tough job market, making a positive impact and integrating work and life are the reasons. By 2020, almost half of the global workforce will be made out of millennials. In 2012, my business partner, Sissel Hansen, moved to Berlin and found herself in a city where she did not know anyone. The culture was different and the rules and regulations of how to start a business were different. She found herself struggling to find out how and where to start. In her bag she had her faithful friend, Lonely Planet for Berlin, which could tell her where to sleep, eat and drink coffee. This is when the idea for Startup Guide was born - in the cross section between traditional city guidebook and the startup-scene. Startup Guide is a book series filled with inspiration, case-stories,
advice and how to’s on starting a business in a city. It is based on the idea of a traditional guidebook to help you find secret spots, to know where to go, who to talk to and what not to miss. All recommended by the people who know the city the best - the locals. My final year project was to create a financially sustainable and scalable business concept for Startup Guide. We have created a “franchise model” and business strategy, where local established teams are empowered and enabled to gain ownership of the concept and produce a Startup Guide for their city. We want to be able to make a Startup Guide for every city and entrepreneur that wants one. We want to make entrepreneurship more accessible and easier to approach on a local and global scale.
THE PROCESS
As the co-owner and managing partner of Startup Guide I have been involved in all phases and responsibility areas on daily operations, management and development during my final year project. Furthermore, the company is a startup, and so I have experienced first hand the list of challenges that comes with entrepreneurship; trying to establish a brand, keeping the business profitable, dealing with the unknown, decision-making, and hiring and firing. I have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of inspiring people in startups; corporates, co-working spaces, non-profit organizations and government institutions. The project has taken me to Helsinki, Stockholm, Berlin, Silicon Valley, Boston, New York and Austin. I have acted as an owner, employee, mentor, student and friend. I have adopted roles such as facilitator, relationship builder, project manager, fundraiser, coffee maker, event manager and public speaker. It has been a struggle keeping the overview and working towards a focused vision as new tasks and challenges have constantly appeared. There have been times where motivation has 92
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been low and our goals seemed far away. Through this I have learned how important it is to keep your head cool during the hard times. If you stay patient, focused and work hard, better times will come. The diversity of roles and responsibilities has been a tremendous opportunity for learning, and the learning curve has been steep. It has given me strength and confidence in myself as a leader and entrepreneur.
My biggest challenge this year was managing two projects in Copenhagen, while having lectures in Aarhus
WHAT’S NEXT?
I discovered that I am good at over cooking soft boiled eggs.
My biggest surprise this year was my ability to keep cool in difficult situations I am most proud of all the positive feedback we receive from collaborators and readers
In June 2016, we are releasing Startup Guide Stockholm, where our first local “franchisee” has produced the guide independently. We will continue to develop and validate this model and have already started a dialogue with franchisees in London, Lisbon and Vienna with more cities to come. By end of the year, we hope to have created another five Startup Guides and to be a sustainable business with many more guides to come over the next years - and hopefully with many more successful entrepreneurs to follow.
I need to work my work-life balance I dream about creating value for people and communities
Thomas Nymark Horsted thomas@startupguide.world startupguide.world
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H elene A rnfred
Combining science & art
Are we able to break down the humans conformity in regards to their profession through interdisciplinary work and thereby change humans relationship with other life? Can we change the product supply chain if we understand the origin of the materials and life-circles? THE STORY OF MY PROJECT
At first I had an urge to work with my hands. I had a feeling that what I needed was to be in a process with fewer words and more action. I wanted to change how I interacted with both materials and other people. I realised that If I wanted to change the way people understand themselves in a community, I needed to be part of a community and not just by myself, alone in a workshop. I wanted to work with how people consume and what they consume, but the product supply chain is almost too complex to comprehend, and this realization made me want to try to understand the way we produce and use materials. I found a possibility of combining the artistic and scientific approach to create something new entirely. New products made from nonsynthetic materials.
Another realization I made was about the way we understand ourselves as humans, and mostly how we look at ourselves as being divided from nature. We have high thoughts of ourselves, but we must admit that we can’t compete with the complex nature which surrounds us. I believe that the answers to better solutions lies all around us - we just have to know where to look!
MY PROCESS
In my research I found that many people were already working towards the same goals as I. Interdisciplinary work is everywhere and universities around the world are starting to teach scientist the field of art and vise-versa. There is a huge need to find alternatives and retouch our production methods. My wish is that we break free from our sense of being superior beings, and instead begin to see ourselves as part of a bigger whole. I’ve been in Reykjavik working closely together with the Icelandic Academy of the Arts creating an interdisciplinary lab combining science and art in order to research Icelandic Materials. A lab looking into new ways of using the non-synthetic materials at hand. I have, in collaboration with a professor from the academy, gone in depths with what a lab should look like, and how we can create a new way of learning and producing. Besides the project in Reykjavik I have also been in contact with other really interesting communities in Denmark, Brazil and Norway. [HG1]
WHAT’S NEXT?
I hope to continue working with the interdisciplinarity between art and sciens and soon hope to go from taking in knowledge, to start expressing my knowledge through lectures and workshops etc.
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My biggest challenge this year was to break free from what I have been taught as a western human. My biggest realization this year was everything is about relationships. Also, collective consciousness must be a thing. I am most proud of to have so inspiring people in my life. I discovered that I am good at making people feel seen. I need to work everything, let me forever work on it.
Helene Arnfred hea@kaospilot.dk
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REBECKA CADA CHURCH RENEWED
R asmus H viid B ach C o -creation in municipalities
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T homas N ymark H orsted S tartup G uide - T he â&#x20AC;&#x153; L onely P lanet â&#x20AC;? for entrepreneurs !
H elene A rnfred C ombining science & art
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/the contributors/
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The Alternative the New Kid on the Political Block By UFFE ELBÆK
UFFE ELBÆK U ffe E lb æ k is t h e political leader of T h e A lternative , D enmark ’ s new green, entrepreneurial party, w h ic h h e launc h ed in N ovember 2013. I n 1991 h e co-founded K aospilot, and acted as principal , until 2006. His extensive C V also includes h ead of t h e W orld O utgames in C open h agen and former M inister of C ulture for T h e D anis h S ocial L iberals , w h om h e represented until J une 2013 . uffe @ etandetskema .dk @ uffeelbaek 100
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W
hen I resigned as Minister of Culture, and when I left my old political party, The Danish Social Liberals, I was deemed a dead man walking in Danish politics. I stood alone, with no colleagues, on the fringes of a political establishment I couldn’t identify with. In my opinion the political status quo was not interesting enough, not courageous enough, and not visionary enough. A status quo I was simply unable to accept. Founding The Alternative in 2013 did nothing to remove the label. Pundits and commentators alike all agreed that the party was stillborn. To many it was unthinkable to launch a political party the way we did; with only a one-page manifesto, six values (Humor, Humility, Generosity, Transparency, Empathy, and Courage), and the idea to crowd source our political program through a series of political laboratories, designed to bridge the gap between the Danish Parliament and an increasingly distrusting public. On top of this it was clear from the beginning that The Alternative would not identify with the old political ideologies of left and right, believing them to stand in the way of the kind of creativity needed to face an uncertain future. For all these reasons the political establishment – colleagues, pundits, and journalists – were quick to deem our success an impossibility; to call it a utopia. I think the reason is that The Alternative was – and still is – something inconceivable within the narrow, existing constraints of traditional party politics.
As Oscar Wilde said: “Progress is the realization of utopias”, and so realizing a utopia is exactly what we in the Alternative did. Against all odds we stormed into the Danish Parliament with 4,8% of the popular vote. Now, a short year after the elections, opinion polls put us at 8,1% of the popular vote. In Norway, a sister party has been launched, and we are engaged with progressive parties all over Europe, determined to create a progressive path forward for the European Union. I do not know where this journey ends, but I know politics is no longer uninteresting, or lacking in courage or visionary ideas. It would be wrong to say I never have doubts. In fact I have many. But I find great strength and courage to press on when I think that we are in the process of paving the way for the kind of sustainable society I want to hand down to my grandchildren. You might be wondering, why I am telling you my story. Why I feel so confident that it is of relevance to you. I do so because there is one thought in particular that I would like each and every one of you to carry with you as you graduate from the Kaospilot: Always stay on the fringes of the familiar! I promise you that from here you will be able to do great things. Doing what is expected, what is deemed necessary, or continuing with business-as-usual are the polar opposites of what I believe graduating from The KaosPilots obligates you to do. So dear graduate: Stay true to yourself - remain an outsider remain a rebel. - Uffe Elbæk
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Corruptio optimi quae est pessima By Zaid Hassan
Zaid H assan Z aid is C E O & C o-F ounder of R oller S trategies . R oller is a professional services firm focused on next-gen solutions to t h e world ’ s most complex c h allenges . He is t h e aut h or of “ T h e S ocial L abs R evolution ” and is a guest lecturer at C .C . A . and K aospilot. z aid @ roller . sg @ z aidhassan
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I
t’s been a hard sixteen years. It’s perhaps tempting to audit the century so far through some sort of catechism, a litany of names that if we repeated enough would somehow undo the spell and free us from injustice.
We walk our paths coated with the dust from a thousand moments of fear. Each of these moments carries a particular horror. But the spectacular horror that blasts across social media is not what keeps me up at night. It’s not that horror turning my feet to lead as I face the future. There is the moment, when an atrocity occurs and the calls for blood grow louder and louder. It’s the collective echo of a lynch mob played across our simultaneously shrinking and expanding screens. It’s the inevitable threshold where we cross, and join, to greater or lesser degrees, a drumbeat of voices howling for blood, for retribution. I have experienced that moment of horror with increasing frequency. I can feel in my bones the vibration of voices raised, of denunciations of inhumanity, of monsters in our midst. I hear animal voices distorted, calling for the elimination of these monsters, calling for death to rain down in the name of some perverted justice. These voices echo from shore to shore, from the shining city on the hill. And I’m afraid. Because in these calls do not arise from a love of justice, but from fear, rage and anger, from a desire for retribution. In that fear, rage and anger lies the permission to transgress all laws and all norms, but all in the name of a higher calling - for our children, for peace, for justice or for our nation. That road is the road to hell. That road is the road that leads directly to a camp above which float the words “Arbeit macht frei.” Every horror perpetuated against humanity was perpetuated in the name of a higher good, a utopian value if you like. The only way human beings can tolerate the horrors they visit on each other is if they believe they are acting in the name of a higher good, for what could be, not what is. The torture of men and women is really only possible if it is done in the name of freedom. This is why a Madeline Albright can dismiss the deaths of Iraqi children and a member of Isis can saw the head off a journalist. Both are the same phenomenon. This is why voices calling out for justice, the drumbeat of the lynch mob, are a pervasion, a corruption of all that is good. As we contemplate the road, what will we stand for? Will we stand for reality as it is? Or a reality that should be? Will we sharpen our hearts and minds to resist the siren call of the utopian? How we answer these questions will determine everything.
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A favorite springtime ritual of mine, for years, has been the planning and planting of a garden By BLISS BROWNE
B liss W. B rowne B liss is P resident of I magine C h icago, a non profit organization s h e founded in 1992 to cultivate h ope and civic commitment. Her work h as inspired an I magine movement on six continents . A banker , priest, mot h er and grandmot h er , s h e h as been a lecturer at t h e K P for 12 years and h osted eig h t K P interns . B liss @ imaginechicago.org I maginechicago.org 104
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Last week I was invited to do so in Chicago by my youngest daughter, now pregnant with her first child. The particular offer was to bring alive a patio area in her first home where concrete had dominion and turn it into a place of flourishing. Garden planting begins with the question “What would I (or we) like to see growing here?” Others join in asking and answering the question. A shared vision emerges. Elements get integrated to form a whole. Plans are developed, resources marshaled and implementation begins. As the garden begins to take shape, other ideas emerge, weather and local conditions set boundaries (and often create delays), plans change, existing resources get redeployed and shifted. The soil needs to be modified and given air. Digging leads to unexpected treasures and obstacles. Old roots often prove intractable. Backs and legs grow weary and sore. But there is such joy... imagining, figuring out what will grow well and look good, preparing the soil, being surprised, contending with the weather, working hard, getting muddy, transforming the imagined into the visible... participating in a new ecology of life. The planning and planting of gardens has much in common with Imagine Chicago’s work and your path as Kaospilots. Both create opportunities and processes for groups to talk and work together for a better future. Imagine Chicago (the name itself an invitation to create in a place), like the Kaospilot education, expands the possibility of everyone’s becoming a “gardener” --actively shaping and transforming environments. Some practices are key. Constructive communication expands imagination and calls people beyond fear and division. Meaningful connections, shared strategic purposes and active curiosity lead to improved organizations and lives; with skilled facilitation, many wills and imaginations can together shape a common environment in a way which sustains life for everyone. A sense of place is at the heart of reimagining communities. All life and work happen in context; context shapes understanding and action. Even in an expanding virtual reality environment, place is how we orient ourselves; we make sense of life as we “locate” ourselves inside the complexities of life’s mysteries and of the human and natural order. Each of our views is partial and particular. Sustainable living depends on seeing ourselves in the context of the whole and living in a way that serves the whole. Ethics, integrity are grounded in understanding that everything is connected to everything else. So how do we build vibrant connections in service of the whole?
Our time together in year one began with articulating dreams you wanted to grow and plant. What, we asked, is your animating vision of the future? What question might engage others with that vision? Peers joined in asking and answering the question. We explored helpful frameworks for inspiring change, especially the importance of constructive questions that discover and connect trusted experiences and values. Imagination and hope began to take root and grow. A year later, we worked together again, just before your process consulting assignments. Your knowledge, tools and skills had grown significantly. How best to bring your considerable gardening skills to bear in contexts where new ideas needed planting or the soil had grown inhospitable? We talked again about the power of questions in opening spaces for learning, and how to stay strategically focused-- in the service of a fruitful and worthy mission. Last October, we reconnected as you were beginning to design your own projects. Questions of planning and planting abounded…how to start, involve other people, and build collaborations? How to understand the local weather patterns, sustain oneself, stay open and connected, bring experience and strengths to bear on the challenges at hand? Another organic metaphor entered the dialogue. We noted that giving birth (like gardening) is always exciting, messy and painful and that skilled midwives and community support greatly improve survival odds. What does new life require to survive? How can we work together in service of that? KP education is a complex learning system; many elements are integrated, over time, to form a whole. Reflecting alone and together, you have discovered hidden gardens within yourselves and each other. Learning systematic cooperation through experimentation, you have become creative, self-aware gardeners of life and learning. The world is full of stories of violence, loss and division. You know the power of imagination, hope and collaboration to produce innovation and community. What will the garden look like in which you keep hope alive for those now suffering most? What more can you do to encourage others to imagine, and dig in, and plant? What will you plant with your children, and others’ children, that will bear fruit and inspire their own confidence and creativity?
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Congratulations Team 20! Blessings on your plantings and flourishings!
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Topia: Personal Reflections of an unfinished and imperfect business. By María Susana Muhamad
M ar í a S usana M uhamad S usana is a sustainability practitioner and activist. S h e h as lived and worked in t h e N et h erlands , D enmark , C olombia and S out h A frica working in participatory process facilitation, social innovation and sustainability in multi-stake h older processes to inspire collective action. S h e is t h e F ormer S ecretary of t h e E nvironment of B ogotá , C olombia . S usana was a partner , mentor and censor during t h e K aospilot outposts in B ogotá , 2011-2012. M ar í a S usana M uhamad susana . muhamad @ gmail .com plus .google .com / u /0/113176987223710787555/ posts 106
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T
here are some of us who pursuit transformation in society the same way Don Quijote travels to find monsters in windmills. There is always a new horizon, a new image, a new possibility. But usually my experience is of discontent, of a quite unfinished process. Once the objective is reached, a new paradox emerges, a new contradiction; I have experienced a never ending search, a journey without a final destination. Maybe topia is made of the lessons, the process and the experience, but not the result. My quest, during the last fifteen years, has been about pursuing sustainability. While attending university, I thought that by solving the energy paradox through a transformation of oil companies, change could be achieved. I applied to Shell for my first job, lured in by their prominent advertisements highlighting sustainability. I was immediately attracted by their innovation platform, a multidisciplinary group of people working on reaching new horizons for society, re-designing systems such as transport, and transforming cities. I worked in developing partnerships to build sustainable settlements through oil projects. I asked myself whether the company could leave a legacy of sustainable utilities and infrastructure by investing oil money: in other words, old energy money invested into new possibilities. I developed the concept, built external and internal partnerships, climbed the corporate ladder, articulated the networks, raised thirty million dollars, in an effort to prove the model in eight projects, and I was ready to quit once the mainstream business took the project on. However, I quit earlier when the corporate strategy changed from innovation in renewables to investing in tar-sands, shale oil, and fracking, the most unsustainable energy sources of our time. Through this process, I learnt an invaluable lesson in integrity and coherence. Even if I could accept transitional possibilities other than renewables, it was important for me to sustain a DNA based on integrity among purpose, ends, and means. I thought I had learnt a valuable lesson on how political power works, but in reality, I never experienced such power as when I was part of the City Hall in Bogotรก, Colombia. I decided to root myself back in my native Colombia after living for eight years between South Africa and Europe. It was time to gather a decade of experience and plant a seed. I craved for roots and identity, and I understood that the political field required a regeneration of sorts.
Returning to a country turned apart by conflict and war, with the purpose of entering the political world, was an extraordinary adventure. I became part of a left wing coalition which started a new political movement based on a network structure, which through a citizenship platform, was able to elect Gustavo Petro as the Mayor of Bogotรก, a city with a population of eight million. Petro became the first former guerrilla member to hold such place in government. I was part of the team which introduced sustainability in the government program, ideas which were not very present in the Colombian political agenda. As part of the coalition, I became Secretary of Environment, and we created the first development plan to adapt the city to Climate Change, transforming land use to fulfill this purpose. We also led an innovative process geared at transforming the existing transport fleet in the city, into electric vehicles, and created the largest market in the world for sustainable buses. Beyond transportation, we re-settled three thousand families in flood and landslide prone areas, recovered fifty-seven kilometers of streams, and recognized and legally protected forty thousand additional hectares of ecosystems surrounding the city. These were some of the initiatives that we pioneered while in office. Evidently, we had political will, but we lacked a solid power coalition. Four years later, the opposition party won, and although the transformational process we began is currently being scaled back, the level of social consciousness in the population has changed. Regardless of our accomplishments, the question remains: did we make a real difference? I believe that bringing topia to life is an imperfect process, given the dynamic nature of life. As soon as a new reality is imagined the basis for that transformation is changed. Implementation is chaotic, messy, and busy. Social transformation does not entail a technical problem, it involves power dynamics, politics, ego, conflict, lack of structure and anxiety. It requires the capacity to balance the inner and outer self, it moves and transforms people beyond their believed capabilities, it is exciting, and as stakes get higher, it is a dangerous process. I feel that the impact of social transformation is invisible and that it has a time dynamic other than my own perception. There are times when I have reached states of inner silence and have the realization that everything comes from my own self expression. In those moments, I am able to take a step back and join the dance of life in harmony. I have experienced realizing topia as a battle, the question I ask myself now is: Could realizing topia be a dance rather than a battle?
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Whistleblower BY Malene Annikki Lundén
M alene A nnikki L und é n P erformance artist, p h otograp h er educated in analog black and w h ite print in S weden. P roject manager in facilitation, development, education and communication at S ams ø E nergy A cademy. G estalt t h erapist from T h e G estalt T h erapeutic I nstitute in C open h agen. E ntrepreneur in t h e 21. century, process leader , education, interc h ange . M alene h as collaborated wit h K aospilot for many years , as client, partner , inspiration and censor . ml @ energiakademiet.dk www.energiakademiet.dk www.energiinstituttet.dk www.pioneerguide .com 108
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I awake without an alarm clock, completely naturally every morning. The same goes for all the other seven billion people on the planet; the only difference is that we don’t wake up at the same time. Could you just imagine if all of us seven billion people would turn on the power and empty our trash cans at the same time? That would probably take a far better supply network, and one that would have to be twice the size of the earth! Fortunately, I live in a very small place where we’re only 3700 people during the winter and 20.000 people in summer, and our supply network can definitely handle that. At the time of writing I’m in the northern hemisphere, in the center of Denmark out in the middle of the sea called the Kattegat. If you’re ever in these parts, look for the sea port Kolby Kaas, and I’ll serve you a cup of coffee. Kås is an old Danish word for a primitive boat harbour. Along the Danish coasts there used to be a number of boat harbours, which were usually built from stone (moles). This morning I’m trying to keep both my eyes shut, preferably for as long as possible. Try and shut your eyelids. At this moment I’m investigating where the light might be in the room. I often enjoy hunting the natural light; I paint with light. In order to handle this knowledge I have trained my attention in the following way: Which aperture must I adjust my objective to, how much light should I let in? Here, the timer setting is crucial if I am to be able to fixate and choose whether figure or background should be in focus.
2030. We Samsings can’t be stopped – we have come to stay. In my optics, with 1/30 on the timer setting and the aperture on 11, there’s not a lot of room for hands that shake. The photo, which I have since developed, illustrates how a tribe of people have changed behaviour. We have invested 440 mio. Danish Kroner and developed a common mindset. What a center and what a wonderful world.
The contact is the relation
We Samsings still awake every single day to new dilemmas and conflicts that have to be solved. We all have many inner dialogues about what might happen if we just applied ourselves a little more. Or if that powerful person only listened to that other powerful person. But a good night’s sleep takes care of everything. Some are driven by a desire to prove themselves, and others are driven by common sense. If I were to tell the Samsings that someone from outside of Samsø thinks that the Samsings are special, esoteric creatures who must be in some kind of stronger pact with our dreams, the locals, in their own conservative way, would be embarrassed. In essence, there is no single person who could have done what Samsø has done alone. That is the solution. This is a real example of how getting off course can feel, and how together we can try to come back on course.
Silence before disruption
Together with 3700 Samsings I wake every morning with a good gut feeling. The decisive breakthrough came 17 years ago, when we as an island participated in a competition initiated by the Danish government and the Danish Energy Agency. Which island could become self-sufficient with wind and sun and biomass over 10 years starting in 1997? The plan was to build on solid public support, well-known technology and the legal rules already in place.
One late night on Samsø, about 6 years ago, after an evening meeting in the board of Stormur, I entered the driveway to park our bison brown Suzuki in the garage. Because of the salt water in the air everything rusts quickly so the car has to be protected. It is hours since the sun went down. I blink in the darkness and feel that the wind has gone down. Then I register a completely foreign sound. Two weeks later it turns out that it is an incredibly rare bird whose song I’m hearing in the darkness. It is a he, and it is a Russian Savi’s warbler. His song is long and intense. The Russian Savi’s warbler is calling his mate. She never comes, because he has landed in the wrong place, completely off course. This is an example of the exception that defies possibility. Ornithologists came from all over Denmark to experience this rare bird in our backyard. It puzzles me how it took me two weeks to fully register this magical phenomenon. It remained a mystery why he only sang when it was dark and you couldn’t see the bird. We listened to the Savi’s warbler for three weeks, and we know that it’s not going to happen again.We will never forget the bird’s song.
We are Denmark’s Renewable Energy Island, and we’re still working on figuring out how we can phase out diesel and gas by
The whole is in the detail
I’m working on a new anthology. The substance is that a whole island comes together and transforms into a producer of renewable energy. At this moment we’re working on becoming a sustainable island. But I won’t write about that here. I want to invite you – it must be experienced by meeting the place and the people who live here, everyday, on Samsø.
Change is a condition
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Will You Be a Good Samaritan? BY Andrew Taggart
A ndrew Taggart I ’ m a P h.D.-trained p h ilosop h ical counselor w h o teac h es individuals and organizations h ow to in q uire into t h e t h ings t h at matter most. I ’ ve been in q uiring wit h members of t h e K aos P ilots community since 2012. I live wit h my fianc é e A lexandra in O jai, C alifornia . A ndrew is a guest lecturer at K aospilot and acts as a guide to dozens of K aospilot students and staff. drewtaggart@ gmail .com andrewjamestaggart.com
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Four months ago, a woman wrote to me out of the blue. She said she’d finished a Ph.D. in philosophy and mentioned her love of meditating, green tea, and her child. I couldn’t understand much of what she had written. There were words with which I was unfamiliar, whole phrases that were grammatically correct yet opaque, a style I can only describe as unique. I thought it was poetry. I thought she was a man. For some time after that, silence. Then, in a cascade of emails I received from her in early February, she referred to her “vaginaface” having been “cut”; to grave “spiritual offenses” wrought upon her by Dr. BL and Dr. JN by “reflecting and projecting”; to following in the Davidic line; to a son abused by “reflecting and projecting” as well as a friend dead; to bleeding, sexual misuse, and persecution. In a lucid moment that departed sharply from the rest, she wrote, “Do you have a person that will help me, as I fear I am losing my mind, and slowly going insane. I may already have schizophrenia, hearing their voices.” * Before me is the stranger and the question is: will I be a good Samaritan? The story of the good Samaritan should by now be familiar to us. A “man of the law” is testing Jesus concerning what he should do to be worthy of achieving eternal life and Jesus has him recite the law. Love God and love your neighbor. But this man pushes further, trying Jesus: “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answers him by telling a parable: A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. “Look after him,” he said, “and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.” (Luke 10:2537) In The Corruption of Christianity, Ivan Illich takes the story of the Good Samaritan to be the crux of the radical Gospel message. Each of us is free to choose whether we see this man whom we do not know as our neighbor, someone to pick up and carry away and see after. Just so, each of us can also choose to neglect him, passing him by as others have done before, leaving him for someone else or for some other agency to deal with. What is at once poignant, horrible, and arguably true about the history Illich wants to tell is that modernity is precisely that “betrayal,” that “corruption” of the Gospel, for it is in our age when such a man would be taken up into and treated by a system. If he is called “mentally ill,” then there is one system for him. If hungry, another. If physically sick, another. If homeless, another. If out of work, another still. Caritashas become charity, hospitality in its ancient sense now just “checking in.” Some system will take care of him and if not this one, then surely that oneor that one over there. * I tell you this story about a womanthis refugee, this exile, l’étranger--who has come to me asking for my help in the hope of ridding you of a deep and persistent temptation. It is this: if some system is unjust, then there must be some other system we can create that would be just. No. What the story of the Good Samaritan entreats of each of us is that I come face to face with You, the question being dangerously posed to me alone: shall Icontinue to see you as a stranger, passing coldly by you in the night, or shallIturn to see You as my neighbor? My friends, beware of the cult of scales and systems. The question of how I stand to each person I meet must come first. On this piece of land upon which you stand, a plot that is neither yours nor hers, on this hinterland, this strange topia, will you look her in the eyes and call her You?
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The World of Cashmere BY Gunter Pauli
Over the past four decades, I have dedicated myself to working with channelling the creative force of business and entrepreneurship in service of meeting humanityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basic needs and restoring nature to its evolutionary path. I have supported, connected and learned from thousands of scientists, artists, entrepreneurs and community leaders. Inspired by the genius of nature and a radical sense of purpose, these brave and creative people look beyond standard ready-made answers, offered at most business schools, to discover new business models that make the impossible possible. These spaces of possibility can be found all over the World, and I would like to share the background to one of one of our current projects, in Mongolia.
G U N T H E R PA U L I G unter Pauli is an entrepreneur , teac h er and aut h or . He is t h e founder of Z E R I and t h e B lue E conomy p h ilosop h y, and aut h or of fables and 15 books , including T h e B lue E conomy. G unter h as lectured at K aosilot and h as inspired numerous students to develop business concepts according to B lue E conomy principles . @ M y B lue E conomy z eri .org www.theblueeconomy.org 112
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The key for any entrepreneur is to remain positive and search for opportunities. Identify ways and means where no one else has ventured and imagine a business model that will - in the first place - make the herders happy, so happy that his children believe that the future is with the goats and the steppe. This requires us to change the rules of the game.
If you wear a fine and soft cashmere sweater, then you are likely to contribute to the desertification of Mongolia. I did not like the idea nor the reference, but the hard reality is that we are often not aware of the unintended consequences we cause wearing some of the finest clothing. Even if that organic sweater carries an organic label, it does not automatically imply that the absence of chemicals turns the goats’ hair sustainable. Whenever there is an expanding desert then the response is not planting trees, we need to first improve the livelihood of the herders.
The first that must change is pricing. Since everyone is adding their commissions on top of the previous cost price, herders must receive the same compensation model as a designer: 10% on sales price. After all, if there is no cashmere, then there is no commission. Even if cashmere were sold direct at half the price, then the herders’ revenues would increase with factor six. So with half the number of sheep, he would still double income, while reversing the advance of the Gobi Desert.
When you analyse the value chain of a cashmere sweater bought over the internet, then it is with dismay that we realise that the company that facilitates the payment, PayPal earns as much on the sale of this sweater as the herder who dedicates his and his family’s life to the wellbeing of his animals and the careful shaving of the goat’s hair. The only way to survive - he and many others believe - is to own more goats grazing for free on public land, and to cut costs for washing, spinning, dying, weaving, sewing and selling.
The second shift is processing. The world’s production of cotton is just under 100 million tons, cashmere is a mere 12,000 tons. Why would one ever subject cashmere to the same productivity logic as cotton where everything is subjected to that fast changing fashion. While the world of production thrives on outsourcing, it forces a few to specialise and seek volume. Every intermediate product will be shipped around. The answer is vertical integration from wool to wear. While this does not offer high speed and high efficiency, it permits differentiation from selecting fine hairs to spinning desirable threats to create unique effects.
It is amazing that we consider it normal that a designer gets 10% of the final piece of clothing sold; we also consider it normal that the provider of an industrial design is compensated with royalties on the products and services that emanate from this creation. It is therefore shocking that everyone (especially economists) expect farmers and herders to subject themselves to the “world market price” and accept poverty when demand and speculation pushes the price below cost of sustainance. These fluctuations stimulate these custodians of the earth to attempt to produce more at lower financial costs at whatever environmental and social cost. We all know that the more goats, the more desertification, and the higher the volume the more standardisation which leads to less creative input of qualified workers, turning people into machines pressing the margins to all time lows.
Third we need to enlighten clients, buying precious clothing not as an object but as a remarkable symbiosis between the need of goats to insulate their body against freezing winds with a protein-based hair, while protecting the body with a water repellent cover in harmony with a thousand year old crafts from sheering to designing this marvel from Nature creating a sea of comfort and softness. If this is well done, as imagined in 1-2-3 then we have no more need to plant trees to fight an advancing desert. The steppe will recover its evolutionary path it has enjoyed for millennia even before Genghis Khan ruled between China and Europe.
If nomads who have herded these animals for millennia only see their short term reality, risking overgrazing while outsourcing spinning to the cheapest, adhering to a production and distribution model that offers no wealth, not even a revenue then children will emigrate. It is important at this point to remain positive and refrain from searching for a culprit, accusing the responsibles, and complaining about the money for the middlemen.
Epilogue The ZERI EU - Foundation for a Blue Economy is teaming up with the Tuvd Agency in Berlin, the GOBI cashmere production company in Ulan Bator, and the designer Sybilla Sorondo from Spain to create a special cashmere line that will be sold exclusively at pop-up stores in Tokyo, Madrid and New York.
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Three Fundamental Errors of Most Educational Systems and What To Do About Them! By Carol Sanford
C arol S anford C arol is a recognized t h oug h t leader in regenerative systems t h inking applied to business and economics . L ifetime A c h ievement Award for T h oug h t L eaders h ip in T rust W ort h y B usiness B e h avior , E ducator to F ortune 5 00 E xecutives and G rowt h S tage E ntrepreneurs ; F ounder , U niversity of WA R egenerative B usiness I nstitute ; P roducer , R egenerative B usiness S ummit; aut h or of bestselling and multi-award winning books T h e R esponsible B usiness , T h e R esponsible E ntrepreneur . S h e is guest lecturer at K aospilot and a S E E D community connected to t h e sc h ool . carol @ carolsanford.com www.C arol S anford I nstitute .com www.carolsanford.com www.T he R egenerative B usiness S ummitt.com www. S E E D -communities .com 114
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E
ducation has more in common with duct tape than you might think. Not because it’s used to hold things together but because it comes from the same etymological root. The second syllable of education, “duc,” derives from ductile, as does duct tape. According to Merriam-Webster, to be ductile is to be “capable of being bent or pulled into new shapes.” Duct tape is used to conduct or pull along the energy of an original source, such as electricity. Duct tape and education, thus, have to do with the opposite of putting in. But, sadly, putting in is exactly what most schools attempt to do. They have lost the “ductility” perspective and are dedicated solely to the selection of curricula for their students and appraisal of their success at absorbing assigned content. Thus they attempt to fill students up rather than pull out their unique qualities and help them develop complementary abilities. Three arenas, foundational to human development, are the real job of education, and offer alternatives to guide human development more effectively.
Internal Locus of Control
According to cognitive psychology, people tend either to take accountability for their choices or to blame others for their disappointments. We locate control over what happens in our lives either externally, originating from sources outside ourselves, or internally, emerging from and remaining within ourselves. Schools that decide the entire content of their curriculums and grade students on the performance of rote tasks, are teaching students to believe in external locus of control. First Fundamental Error – Schools foster the belief that we are not in control of what happens to and around us by what they teach and how they teach it. Alternative – Help students value and develop internal locus of control in order to make them parents, workers, and citizens capable of shaping their own lives and communities. Schools that teach self-evaluation and help students develop their own ideas for self-development, are teaching internal locus of control.
External Considering
What are we willing to take into account—to consider deeply—as we make decisions? Are we self-centered and self-referential? Do we look inside ourselves and think only about the effects of actions on our personal selves? Or do we additionally consider how everyone who has a stake in the outcome might be affected? External considering is a philosophical concept that claims people have more meaningful and fulfilling lives when they use external considering as the basis of decision making. Most educational institutions today do not place primary emphasis on
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self-initiation toward chosen intentions. Without this we cannot develop self-agency.
external considering. Instead they engage with students as individuals, rarely allowing them the experience of working together in teams toward shared ends. Even assignments that include ideas of greater world outcomes are not graded in a way to foster connections among students and the students and the real world effects. Individuals are graded on how well they do working independently of others.
In the last decade, I have watched my grandson test out of high school before age ten and earn top SAT scores in math and science that caused an avalanche of invitations to college. He didn’t accomplish this by sitting in classes. He excelled because he passionately wanted to study those subjects.
By Carol Sanford
Second Fundamental Error – Schools foster internal considering, causing students to make decisions without considering of the effects of their actions on others. Alternative – Allow students to work together in cohorts, focused on creating real-life outcomes by studying and working together. Schools that organize learning this way include team self-evaluation based on how well cohorts worked together and with others outside their group, not just how much or what they take in of the lessons. How did their effort affect all of their chosen stakeholders? Grade, in any, are self-assigned based on group, and even stakeholder, reflections. This develops in students the ability to see the effects of personal actions on others and to project outcomes that include everyone involved.
Third Fundamental Error – Schools base education on the belief that filling up students with what teachers know is their most important activity. Alternative – No curriculum, no traditional teaching, that isn’t based on students’ own determination of what they are curious about and want to learn to do. A program like this take a lot of courage on the part of educators, who must rise to the challenges posed by students and find ways to support them.
Schools that find ways to liberate learning are proving that it’s easy to engage very young children in complex and meaningful ideas. In this scenario there is no content that must be absorbed and tested and there are no grades. Instead children are driven by what interests them to discover and learn and to develop efficacy in order to act on their curiosity. Educators have to decide what are they really in the business of. Is it developing human beings, drawing out what students care about, and engaging in what will help them grow? Or providing answers? It might be helpful to consider what the basis of human development really is. I offer that it is about fostering internal locus of control, experiencing external considering and having that culminate into personal agency blossoming out of a growing self-efficacy. Human Development is the deep meaning of educaré. To draw out what it means to be fully human.
Personal Agency
Another psychological concept speaks to an individual’s belief in themself, their sense of efficacy and their confidence that their actions can create beneficial effects in the world. Personal agency is essential to what it means to be human. It is an experience that is essential to the working of democracies and to our creativity and innovation in many spheres. It gives meaning to our participation in the world. However, our most basic life processes—parenting, education, and work—undermine our efficacy and thus our personal agency. Because so much is prescribed and proscribed in our lives, we are left untested. We fail to develop the ability to produce desired effects. Schools in particular, because we spend so much time in them when we are of an age to develop efficacy, discourage
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TOPIA, impossible iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m possible TEAM 20, FINAL PROJECTS 2016 CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT: PETE SIMS, MORTEN NOTTELMANN AND KRISTINA GREEN BONNE THEME COPY: MORTEN NOTTELMANN TEAMLEADER: PETE SIMS ART DIRECTION: KRISTINA GREEN BONNE PUPLISHED JUNE 2016 PRINTED BY: NARAYANA PRESS odder, denmark paper: 130g munken polar COVER 300g munken polar set in brandon grotesque ALL rights reserved puplisher: kaospilot filmbyen 2, 8000 aarhus c denmark www.kaospilot.dk
We all live among a special breed of people. from a d i s ta n c e i t i s d i f f i c u lt t o t e l l t h e m a pa r t f r o m t h e r e s t o f u s . at f i r s t s i g h t they might even come a c r o s s a s av e r a g e , W i t h t h e s a m e n e s s i n f e at u r e s W e can see in us all. but donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t b e m i s ta k e n . t h e y m i g h t hide behind sameness and uniforms, but they are in fa c t a l c h e m i s t s c o n s ta n t ly busy With turning esoteric d r e a m s i n t o g o l d e n r e a l i t y. We call them topians. W W W.k a o s p i l o t.d k