> O-Change

 

O-Change is a project by : Bridge Initiative International

Conceived by : Patrice Barrat

 

Bridge Initiative appeared as a project in the context of the heated debate on globalization, marked by the emergence of international NGO movements critical of international institutions, which lead to the creation of the World Social Forum. Its first action was a satellite television dialogue in January 2001 between participants to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland and the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, by Article Z multimedia press agency. Read more   Website  

 

On September 13 2005, Bridge Initiative International in association with many NGOs was responsible for putting together OPEN UN, a special civil-society event that took place at Riverside Church, to which official participants of the UN Summit were invited, and came, to attend and to dialogue with civil society. Read more  

 

O-Change Acknowledgements by Patrice Barrat

Now that we are publicly opening the O-Change platform, after three years of reflexion and hesitations, I deem it important to recall some of the ground we gained and to thank those who have helped me in developing the project up to this point - even if it hasn’t yet come very far relative to the desired aim.

In the downloadable folder, you will find references to organisations and conferences where I was able to propose and collect reactions regarding the « Olympiads for Change. »

Here, I would like to mention the people who have accompanied me.  They are relatively numerous, but far less than those who have not believed at all or who always think that current affairs are much more urgent.

In any case, there is first of all my spouse, Rita, who has had to put up with my excessive enthusiasms as much as my discouragements.

Also, a Bridge Initiative team centered on Karim Mahmoud-Vintam, which helped me to believe, criticise and push things forward: Karina Brun, Annick Jeantet,  Chloé Keraghel, Pierre Johnson. Or Bertrand de la Chapelle whose apparently complex ideas have proved to be simple and correct and Judith Bath whose enthusiasm and precision have pushed things forward. More recently, the workgroup put in place by Bridge intitiative brought a new freshness to the project, notably thanks to Aurélie Herman and Livio Riboli-Sasco. 

Since spring 2008, Pierre Mangin has enabled me to clarify the project’s presentation and focus in order to permit it to unravel and already be displayed as an online portal. Philippe Bast then lent him a hand and brought the project to its completion.

  • Within NGOs or the notorious “civil society”: Chandra Bushan, Candido Grzybowski, Heather Grady ,Gus Massiah , Sylvie Mauchamp,  Pamela Paquin, Nicanor Perlas, , Bettye Pruitt, Judy Rodgers, Coro Strandberg, François Taddei, Steve Waddell have, as much by their observations as their reservations, contributed in improving my approach.

  • Within Foundations: Michael Conroy, Lisa Jordan and Mark Randazzo have encouraged me from the start

  • Within institutions, Ramu Damodaran and Mats Karlsson have been invaluable partners…

  • And above all, there are all the people I have met throughout my life and carreer who have conveyed me the feeling that in all reaches of the earth, there is a growing need to believe in new avenues of change that could alter the situation and the relationship between those who hold power and those who are subjected to their decisions which are sometimes detached from reality.

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Forewords

" Almost everyone agrees : we cant afford to lose a single minute in taking action to reverse current trends..."Read more

Founding Principles

" Original festive competitions, atypical juries, Internet as the pivot of action, yes to cultural diversity, an examplary and creative process..."Read more

Premices

" We have nothing specific to promote, other than an empowerment exercise through which any of us could feel a meaningful role in the emerging global Future..."Read more