Ouishare
Ouishare is a collective of reflection and experimentation whose mission is to politicize our societal choices. Our favorite subjects: circular economy, digital exclusion, water management, data governance, fuel poverty, etc. There are few topics that do not arouse our curiosity. In the course of our work, we have nevertheless identified three common threads. Three families of issues that we are exploring in depth: the digitization of society, the ecological transition and the phenomena of precariousness.
https://www.ouishare.net/mission
Ouishare started in 2012 around a Utopia: the idea of a ‘Collaborative Society’, made up of communities of peers that work and live together.
Over the last 8 years, we built an international network of committed members. We discussed and revealed divergent opinions about the collaborative economy and its potential to transform society. We gathered researchers, activists, innovators and decision-makers from around the world at one-of-a-kind events such as Ouishare Fest in Europe and Colaboramerica in South America. We explored social challenges beyond myths and clichés by doing research on the ground, about the impact of the collaborative economy in rural areas, and how people living in underprivileged areas use digital technology. We ran speculative design processes with citizens to explore scenarios for the future of the work world. […]
In a society saturated with “progressivism” we seek to find better questions and nourish our critical thinking. We question the status quo and depict alternatives.
We play an intermediary role by connecting people, ideas and movements that otherwise rarely meet or interact.
We are leaders in developing models for collaboration based on trust and long term thinking. […]
We have five values that guide our actions: collaboration, openness, care, do-ocracy and permanent beta. Since 2012, our organization has had a dynamic and minimal hierarchy, no directors or bosses. We have focused on transparency, dialogue and welcoming friction when it appears. Questioning our own organizing model will always be part of who we are, as we continuously seek to distribute power and responsibility. We will not succumb to the dogma of optimization and efficiency as an end.
More than ever, we believe that collaboration and care for the commons will help us reclaim a world that is slipping through our fingers.
Slowing down, deepening and remembering instead of accelerating, skimming the surface and reinventing.
Rather than chasing a vision, we walk with conviction.
https://www.ouishare.net/mission
Ouishare was composted in 2023.
Theory of Change
Read their political commitment to discover the key principles/values underlying their work:
Key Learning Resources
The Ouishare Handbook gives insight into the structures and practices of OuiShare's distributed network – you can learn about their structures and processes for governance and decision-making, communication, etc.