With this blog post I seek to give a perspective on how structural racism is a part of development and also expand and develop InAGlobe’s position on certain issues. This will be done by exploring how technological innovation and collaborative design can be used to make the world a more equitable place by addressing the specific needs of the people we seek to innovate for.
Read MoreCoronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) has brought a great part of the world to a halt, it has obligated governments across the globe to act in unprecedented measures amidst enormous uncertainty. I wanted to write a post to update our followers on the impact that the virus has had on InAGlobe, and my personal interpretation with the information I have had available.
Read More“Health spending is not a cost, it’s an investment in poverty reduction, jobs, productivity, inclusive economic growth, and healthier, safer, fairer societies.”1 This was said by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General. The health of each individual affects not just themselves but also society.
Read MoreInclusive education is a concept that stems from the idea that all children around the world, regardless of disability, race, class, sex, religion or language, are entitled to an education. It contains many similarities to the more widely known method of integration, which focuses primarily on disability and special needs.
Read MoreNowadays, basic education is expected from the government and the law requires citizens to attend school up to a certain level. Education is not only a human right, it is also a duty to fulfil. Indeed, literacy rates and enrolment rates have increased over the years, in which there were 62 million out-of-school lower secondary school children in 2015, a large decrease from 97 million in 2000 (UNICEF, 2019). However, if we really recognise education as a right, then much can still be done since there are still people who are illiterate (according to UNESCO (2017), 750 million people) or unable to attend school.
Read MoreWe usually associate education with academic knowledge obtained through institutions, such as primary and secondary schools and universities. Education can also refer to vocational training, where practical skills are obtained instead of purely academic skills. However, is education the equivalent of schooling?
Read MoreSystems thinking, or systems science came slowly into the scene with a set of academic dialogues between experts in Biology, Psychology and Ecology. The discovery of the Cell, the Theory of Evolution and Genomics catalysed these conversations (Capra, 2019). During the 1920s and 1930s, scientists began to observe levels of complexity in their discoveries that they were unable to fully comprehend using Descartes’s reductionist approach to science.
Read MoreHuman-centred design is a framework that emphasises the human perspective in all steps of the design process. It serves to provide the end user with a product that they will truly want, need and find useful. It is also often seen as something more than just a design framework: it is a mindset and a tool that intends to create a long-lasting, positive impact on the user.
Read MoreInnovation is a term we often hear. We say that Apple is innovative, so is Facebook and Dyson. However, innovation goes beyond the realm of technology. Innovation is the initiation of an idea through imagination and ultimately, the invention of a novel product when there is enough information. That seems to be a lot of ‘i’s to take in.
Read MoreMore than ever, in a world of increasing complexity, we need to become aware of the countless challenges that the forthcoming generations will need to tackle, we need to be aware of what is happening. This sounds journalistic, but the difference is that a lot of information is already there, we just need to interpret it, we need to understand it. At InAGlobe we see our mission as far more than simply building partnerships towards humanitarian innovation.
Read MoreAfter a summer of big changes, we are finally writing an update on progress. This summer has been one of true juggling of tasks for the InAGlobe team. As motivated as ever, we are now trying to get InAGlobe to take full flight, to standardise methodologies so that these can be iterated and improved in a formal manner and we can propagate our vision accordingly.
Read MoreThis year has come with progress for InAGlobe Education. As soon as we came back from Mozambique, the team turned the idea into an incorporated, vowed non-profit, organisation. The initial idea of becoming a charity was overturned by the difficulties of penniless, new graduates being able to run these organisations for a living; and also motivated by the sustainability that an economically sound status may bring to an idea that has a great potential for human development. InAGlobe Education became InAGlobe Education Ltd.
Read MoreThe 18th of October was also one of the biggest and most rewarding days for InAGlobe as Jaime picked up the award for Student Award for Outstanding Achievement 2017. This is an award that was established in 2003 by Imperial College London to recognise outstanding students for their achievements in any extramural activities.
Read MoreSo we have arrived to the end of our first official InAGlobe expedition. As we headed to Pemba airport with our favourite taxi driver, Abou, we could not help experiencing a fruit salad of emotions. The trip has taken us half way across the globe, into a country none of us had ever been to, following a drive, a motif to build something that creates a new tool for development and innovation for developing countries. As well as giving education in Europe a new dimension.
Read MoreSo once again we packed our bags and got on the move, this time with one of the earliest starts of the trip: 3 A.M. This was because there were a series of inconsistencies on the departure times, given by different islanders, and it was not clear when the public boat would set out from Ibo.
Read MoreOn Monday in the island of Ibo we had scheduled our meeting with Fundación Ibo, a Barcelona-based NGO that works primarily in this and the surrounding islands (Quirimbas Archipielago). They are, along with Oikos, the only NGO working in this remote island. They work across a variety of different fields, ranging from education and economic activation, to nutrition and health. Before the meeting, we had seen their mark across the whole island, where crumbling structures have been rehabilitated into new facilities. We would later find out their purpose. These included a children and pregnancy nutrition centre, several education centres and some privately-owned businesses.
Read MoreThe day after our field day with Helvetas we made our way to the remote island of Ibo. The day began with a not so moderate degree of uncertainty and stress, given that our transport changed driver unexpectedly, and the vehicle transmitted close to zero trust in making the long drive to Tandanhangue within the time needed (a public chapa boat leaves for Ibo every day at high tide, there is no other option – apart from private hires). We did finally make it in time, just… as we arrived we filled the last three spots, and the boat left. The boat ride was pleasant, especially given the fact that we managed to make it, and despite the fact that a goat was located directly beneath our legs. After setting off at 4 A.M., we managed to arrive at the island at 12 A.M.
Read MoreWednesday was a very exciting day. We had the chance to go into the field with a Project manager from Helvetas. Our aim was to get a real feel of how the work on the field was for Helvetas, to understand the different actors in the value chain and to also understand the culture better, in respect to the social and hierarchical aspects of a project.
Read MoreWe left Ilha de Moçambique at 4 A.M. on Monday, in a mesh of drowsiness and mild voracity (due to a lack of breakfast), and made our way to Namialo. We sat at a café and ordered a coffee, which turned out to not be opportune. In a moment of panic amidst a “lost-in-translation” situation. Coffee had to be left on the spot, paid in a second, whilst Alberto and Xavi sprinted off behind the “bus to Pemba”.
Read MoreOur experience in Ilha de Moçambique was absolutely riveting. It was our chance to get very close to the local people, to understand their living conditions and the components that filled their unique culture. Ilha is a UNESCO Heritage site, a well deserved status. It is a town that has lived through the ages, running from the rule of the Sultanate of Zanzibar and Oman, to Portuguese Colonial occupation and then to the devastation it suffered during the war of Liberation. In the last few years the town has been rebuilt and cleaned up, and is considered a gem within Mozambique. Our experience of Ilha was exclusively of the island, but it covered a spectrum of flavours and colours of adventures!
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