Open knowledge is a tool that has the ability to bring together a set of initiatives that make information available to the public; being part of a global, economic, social, and cultural movement of openness, it is understood that information should be valued as a community resource accessible to anyone.[1] In the constant search for a more sustainable future, access to this type of knowledge is fundamental because through collaborative spaces, such as wikis, a vast array of solutions can be found to address pressing needs using appropriate technologies — those that adapt to a local environment based on the needs of communities[2] — research, prototypes, and best practices in project management for development.[3]
Wikis can promote the collaboration of multiple key actors within the development ecosystem who are willing to contribute, from their experience and knowledge, to the creation, editing, and updating of content related to sustainability topics that have great potential to improve the quality of life of a community. This can empower communities to make informed decisions. One example of this is the Practivistas Dominicana Program, implemented by California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, and Universidad Iberoamericana.[4] In this program, students from the United States live for six weeks with a family in the community of La Yuca, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, while identifying, along with community residents, pressing issues and creating innovative solutions ranging from the creation of houses made from eco-bricks, the design of a rainwater harvesting system, the construction of an electric system based on solar and wind energy, among others. These initiatives are relevant because the main goal of the program is for both residents and students to participate, learn, and work together in identifying solutions,[5] with the intention that this knowledge can be replicated by the entire community.
These prototypes, designs, models, and information that are part of the program have been documented on Appropedia and have served as the basis for the replication of other similar initiatives. If there is something to highlight from this experience, it is that even individuals — in this case, students — can contribute to sustainable development while acquiring various life skills.
For development-promoting organizations, easy access to open knowledge and the use of wikis have also become essential tools in their constant search for innovative solutions to achieve a more sustainable world. In this sense, this type of knowledge allows organizations to access an open repository of information where it is possible to learn from the experiences of others, avoiding the duplication of efforts and enabling the adaptation of lessons learned, best practices, and findings from other development projects. All of this also serves for the documentation and promotion of their own experiences, which can be used in internal knowledge management and for decision-making that contributes to the continuous improvement of organizational strategies in response to changing contexts within the dynamics of development.[6]
- ↑ Kyle Strand and Ana Ramírez, "Open Knowledge: Definition, Tools, and Resources", Abierto al Público (blog), IDB, July 25, 2022, https://blogs.iadb.org/conocimiento-abierto/en/open-knowledge/
- ↑ Ernest Friedrich Schumacher, Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People Mattered (New York: Harper & Row, 1973), https://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/students/envs_5110/small_is_beautiful.pdf
- ↑ "Appropedia: About", Appropedia, accessed September 25, 2023, Appropedia:About
- ↑ "Practivistas Dominicana Program Invitation", Appropedia, accessed October 25, 2023, https://www.appropedia.org/Practivistas_Dominicana_Program_invitation
- ↑ Lonny Grafman y Joshua Pearce, To Catch the Sun: Inspiring stories of communities coming together to harness their own solar energy, and how you can do it too! (To Catch the Resources) (Arcata: Humboldt State University Press, 2021), 14
- ↑ Keith Emery, "Wiki Project Management", Project Management, accessed September 22, 2023, https://www.projectmanagement.com/wikis/233601/wiki-project-management
