Pause. Reflect. Carry on!

July 2, 2009

Hi all,

It has been a while without updates. A lot has happened since March. Some big turns and some “detours”.

I have changed the focus of my Kaospilot final project, from the planning of the Magic Kombi to the development of a social business plan for a Foundation called Wind People. This took most of my time over the last 3 months, and the Magic Kombi had to wait a little bit. It was a great chance to reflect on the process, get together with Marcio in Brazil and refocus what the kombi means, and what aims to achieve.

The Magic Kombi is still planned to take place, most probably around October-December 2009.

Stay tunned for more news soon, and stay in touch if you’d like to collaborate!

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This is also my Kaospilot final project!

March 18, 2009

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The Magic Kombi has been created as part (and end) of my Kaospilot Education. For 2,5 years I have lived in Århus, Denmark, studying and learning (many times unlearning and relearning too) and today I’m working full-time on my final project.

A couple of weeks ago I got my synopsis approved, which is a description of my project and my learning goals for the next 2 months, including what will be the extra criteria which I’ll be evaluated upon. The individualized and customized Education allows amazing things to take place. I still need to find an external subject censor for my project…

I have to deliver a 20-pages report by middle of May and my final (oral) exam will take place in the second week of June, together with my graduation ceremony and party, also known as Translocation Party!!

If any of you happen to be “around” in June, just book your agendas: 19th of June, for the best party ever (I’m serious!)


Are you a Cultural Creative?

March 3, 2009

You are likely to be a Cultural Creative if you…

1 …love Nature and are deeply concerned about its destruction

2 …are strongly aware of the problems of the whole planet (global warming, destruction of rainforests, overpopulation, lack of ecological sustainability, exploitation of people in poorer countries) and want to see more action on them, such as limiting economic growth

3 …would pay more taxes or pay more for consumer goods if you could know the money would go to clean up the environment and to stop global warming

4 …place a great deal of importance on developing and maintaining your relationships

5 …place a lot of value on helping other people and bringing out their unique gifts

6 …do volunteering for one or more good causes

7 …care intensely about both psychological and spiritual development

8 …see spirituality or religion as important in your life, but are concerned about the role of the Religious Right in politics

9 …want more equality for women at work, and more women leaders in business and politics

10 …are concerned about violence and abuse of women and children around the world

11 …want our politics and government spending to put more emphasis on children’s education and well-being, on rebuilding our neighborhoods and communities, and on creating an ecologically sustainable future

12 …are unhappy with both the Left and the Right in politics, and want a to find a new way that is not in the mushy middle

13 …tend to be somewhat optimistic about our future, and distrust the cynical and pessimistic view that is given by the media

14 …want to be involved in creating a new and better way of life in our country

15 …are concerned about what the big corporations are doing in the name of making more profits: downsizing, creating environmental problems, and exploiting poorer countries

16 …have your finances and spending under control, and are not concerned about overspending

17 …dislike all the emphasis in modern culture on success and “making it,” on getting and spending, on wealth and luxury goods

18 …like people and places that are exotic and foreign, and like experiencing and learning about other ways of life.

If you agreed with 10 or more, you probably are a Cultural Creative!
(questionnaire taken from CulturalCreatives.org)

So… what are Cultural Creatives?

Cultural Creatives are a growing segment of local, national and global population who display some or many of the characteristics described above (the questionnaire). The term was coined by Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Andersonin in their book “The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People are Changing the World” (2000) and by that year they represented over 25% of the population in the USA.

The Magic Kombi aims to support the sharing of stories created by Cultural Creatives in South America over the last decades; stories that most of the times are not captured by the mainstream media, and therefore not known by most of the population.


Magic Kombi gets its first partner!

February 23, 2009

It’s just the beginning, there is a LONG way to go, but it’s always nice to stop and celebrate! Officially the Magic Kombi gets its first partner!!

“[Henrique], we are wholehearted supporters of your project.” – Innovation Lab

Innovation Lab has been collaborating with the Magic Kombi over the past weeks with technology insights (web 2.0) and project management tools. We love partnering up!!

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Innovation Lab is an international knowledge centre for new technology, having established over the last 6 years a network comprising close to 2500 connections within worldwide research, product development and entrepreneurship.

This network operates as our “antenna association” providing us with a broad perspective of the scope of emerging technologies, of their potential, and of who has advanced the furthest and with what.

Such an overview supplies us with a quite precise impression of what will be stirring in 3-5 years which is the time span right now on the drawing boards of research and development departments.

Innovation Lab is based in Aarhus and Copenhagen.

More information on their website http://ilab.dk/en/


Mapping Stakeholders!

February 20, 2009

Last week I spent one full day again at the Innovation Lab, as I told in a previous post. This time was very productive, sparring with kaospilot Espen, two other “lab agents” from Innovation Lab and my friend Søren Bo Steendahl, working on a similar project, called Ambusanga (check his blog here).

We started by asking ourselves “How to communicate before, during and after the trip?” and we brainstorm on different technologies able to answer this question.

ilab_communication_channels

At a certain point we had to stop and work individually, mapping out stakeholder groups and their involvement with the project (what they need, what they can give to us and specific framework considerations).

As magic happens, in the end of the afternoon, after a lot of thinking done, a clear red thread through the needs of different stakeholders appeared to me.

ilab_need_purpose_vision

It was a fantastic outcome for the day! Clear like water! And the process of redefining our purpose had to be restarted!

Over the weekend, during the visit of Florentine, a super special friend from Amsterdam, we worked a little bit further with this new insight, and trying to get to the essence of what the purpose meant to me. Meanwhile, Marcio Jappe (my partner in the project) received a list of ideas and suggestions for the purpose, by e-mail, in Brazil.

At the end, it clicked, and I loved it:

Magic Kombi
Inspiring Action towards a more Sustainable World

So, how does this statement sound to you?


Inspiration from Pioneers

February 6, 2009

I’m currently researching and learning more about communities and eco-villages. Possibly I’ll be able to visit a couple of eco-villages in Denmark over the next week and get inspired, and learn from their experiences.

This is Findhorn, an eco-village in Scotland, a pioneer initiative started in the early 60’s…


The Power of Purpose

February 1, 2009
Magic Kombi Project Description (draft 1)

Last week I was struggling to create the first project description, the first presentation of what we want to achieve with our journey. Marcio and I had everything quite clear in our minds, but it still took me over 48 hours to put it down in words, it was not easy, even frustrating. But the feeling at the end paid off, it was great to have a one-page document describing our dreams. I sent across to some people for feedback and I got great comments and powerful questions. Time to work on the description 2.0!

Current Project Description

The challenge and biggest learning was to get to a Purpose Statement. Not something that sounds cool and attractive, but something compelling and powerful, that comes from our hearts and it’s bigger than Marcio and I, in a sense that allows other people to feel welcome and able to join. We both have our personal objectives and ideas with this project, but the purpose is bigger than that, more powerful, it’s a kind of attractor for all those involved – partners, sponsors, collaborators, fellow travelers. The more clear the statement is, the sharper it’s effect is, like a sword cutting someone else’ heart, we feel it when we read it, it touches us.

We will continuously sharp out Purpose up. It’s part of the journey!

The Purpose of the Magic Kombi project is to create (global) awareness on alternative ecolifestyles and solutions that help creating a more sustainable world


Innovation Lab Denmark

January 27, 2009

Last week I had a workshop on User Led Innovation and Rapid Prototyping, and got the chance to meet Innovation Lab, here in Aarhus. The workshop was organized and hosted by Espen Siversen, a Kaospilot graduated in 2007, and since then working for Innovation Lab.

We got to experience some new technological gadgets and understand how fast technology is changing. Are we able to cope with that? Are we able to grasp what nanotechnology or 3D-printing mean to our lives in the near future?

In the afternoon we discussed about methods for product development, and I got inspired to think big in terms of technology and the Magic Kombi. New satellites, real-online video streaming, social networks, twitter+… next week we’ll continue the workshop and I’ll have the chance to explore…

Got any ideas?


2009 and new perspectives!

January 24, 2009

OK. All previous posts were published here with the intention to give an idea of the background of this project. It really took off officially after the new-years, when I came back to Aarhus. I arrived quite sad and disappointed with myself, because I was unable to put into practice my ideas and use my time more effectively.

A couple of days after my arrival, my colleague and good friend Mark came with a simple question that changed everything: “why don’t you just plan your project now and travel after you graduate?”

Suddenly a new perspective appear and I got full of enthusiasm once again. My “final project” for the Kaospilots (and my final exam in June) would be the planning and preparation of the project (including logistics, fundraising, partners, communication), and perhaps some “testing” of our assumptions and hypotheses. I immediately checked with Marcio and it fit really well with his plans and possibilities to get a leave, and allow us to make it into a longer trip (6 months).

The Magic Kombi was reborn, this blog was created and here we are. What is needed at this moment:

  • a first draft of the project description, for further feedback
  • a plan of action for the next 4-5 months
  • research in order to focus the purpose of the project properly

Today is Saturday and I’m working on item # 1 :D


But wait! We have a logo!

January 24, 2009

One of the first steps we took on the project was to create a visual identity, a temporary logo that we could use from day 1. By September I contacted Gabriel Vedana, a student of graphical design and by coincidence my brother ;-)

He came with the logo that we use in the website. The provisory name for the project remained as Magic Kombi.

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