The first week of the summit was focused on helping participants grasp the concepts of design thinking, sketch modeling, and prototyping. In order to encourage teamwork and a mindset of continuous inquisitiveness and problem solving, we split the participants into groups to perform a Build-It activity. Each individual in each[…]
Building with the San People by Tamanna Islam Urmi
After a 9 hour journey in the bus of University of Botswana, we landed to the training center of D’Kar and got welcomed by a group of local participants, IDDS organizers and wood fire in a circular fenced area. Little did I know that this circular area around is going[…]
“Arrival” – Reflections by Claudine Chen
By ten we are on the road. Even though we are spaced out, the conversation flows easily. What are you reading, what was your Peace Corps experience like, what are you doing now – it’s like sunrise conversations from college but with people with twice the life experience. Beep beep[…]
“Getting There” – Reflections by Participant Claudine Chen
Made it, the Friday night bus to Berlin-Tegel airport. I’ve had a busy week, and I have not mentally prepared for the IDDS that I’ve been looking forward to for months. It feels strange, yet it is a release, to suddenly drop everything happening in my daily life for a[…]
Packing List!
Hello IDDS Dkar participants. As the summit approaches we want to make sure that you have a comprehensive list of things for you to bring to the two weeks of co-creation that lies ahead of us. If you like, use this list as a checklist when you’re packing to come[…]
Part 5 – People-driven economic development in Botswana: innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and traditional knowledge
Between August 3rd and 16th 2015 the small San settlement of D’kar on the edge of the Kalahari Desert in western Botswana will be the venue of a unique and pioneering event: the International Development Design Summit D’kar 2015. In collaboration with the University of Botswana’s Department of Industrial Engineering,[…]
Part 4: Botswana in the context of Africa’s future wealth potential – Can Botswana leap-frog to a multi-local society?
Africa has the potential to construct more wealth in the next 35 years, than the $1,3-trn it amassed in all of history. This impetus will be driven by technological innovation that is enhancing intelligence, reducing costs and accelerating its performance capability to create value 10 times faster than 100 years[…]
Part 3: How Can Botswana’s Cultural and Creative Industries Drive Economic Development?
In Botswana and elsewhere in Africa there is a high potential for the cultural and creative industries or the creative economy to diversify the economy away from factor dependency, especially through grassroots innovations and vocational skills application. The cultural and creative industries are “those industries which have their origin in[…]
Part 2: Youth, Education, Development – What are the gaps and prospects for the future?
In his 2012 state of the nation address the President mentioned with regards to youth empowerment that our nation faces no greater task than that of empowering our youth to achieve their aspirations for a productive and meaningful life. Census findings reveal that some 39% of Botswana are aged between[…]
Part 1: The Value of Cultural and Creative Industries for Botswana and Africa: Taking a Human-centered approach to Development – What can we learn from Botswana?
As we prepare to host IDDS D’Kar 2015 in Botswana, it is useful to present a local perspective on what development might mean in an African context and how the value of indigenous knowledge in design might open up new pathways of understanding for our participants. This is the first[…]
