📞 Finding help nearby (Community Call, 18/07/19, 7-8pm)

#1

:warning: This call has now finished. Stay tuned for details of the next call :slight_smile:

Organising repair events can feel a little daunting, especially without help. Join me and others in the network on Thursday for a chat about the best ways to find help with events and how we can make this easier as a network.
[video chat appeared below...]

When?

2019-07-18T18:00:00Z → 2019-07-18T19:00:00Z
(click/tap the times above to see them in your time zone)

Where?

Right here in this discussion!
We’ll embed a video chat above.

What will we be discussing?

  • Opening round (a chance for everyone to introduce themselves & share anything they’d like to discuss)
  • Discussion of the main topic: what are the best ways to find help organising/running repair events at the moment and how can the Restarters network make this easier?
  • A chance to talk about any burning questions or a topic that someone’s brought on the day
  • Roundup & close

Total duration: 1 hour

How will it work?

The video chat is powered by Jitsi Meet, an open source video conferencing tool. You’re welcome to use video or audio-only. There will also be a floating (and optional) live chat sidebar (useful for anyone who experiences technical issues).

:laptop: If you use a desktop or laptop computer, it should work in most browsers without needing plugins.
:phone: If you’re on mobile, you’ll need to download the Jitsi Meet app for Android or for iOS.

:bulb: If the call is due to have started but you can’t see it, try refreshing the page.

Any questions? Feel free to ask below :+1:

4 Likes
#2
#3
#4

This is happening: 2019-07-18T18:00:00Z!
(click on the time above to see it in your timezone)

The video feed will go live about 10 minutes beforehand, so if you think you might need some time to test it, feel free to arrive a little bit early. We recommend using a desktop or laptop computer (as supposed to mobile).

If you would prefer to dial in on your phone, click/tap here for details

To join your meeting, dial one of these numbers and then enter the pin.

PIN: 2112 4752 35

Country Dial-in Numbers
US * +1.512.402.2718
UK * +44.121.468.3154
France * +33.1.84.88.6478
Germany * +49.89.380.38719
Spain * +34.932.205.409
Canada * +1.647.243.6108
Australia * +61.8.7150.1136
Brazil * +55.21.3500.0112
Japan * +81.3.4510.2372
Switzerland * +41.61.588.0496

Can’t make it?
I’ll be taking notes and will post a summary after the call ends. Feel free to get involved then :+1:

1 Like
#5

A big thanks to @Michelle_Fisher, Elizabeth and @neil for coming along yesterday.

Here’s a quick summary:

:busts_in_silhouette: Who was in the room?

  • Elizabeth, co-coordinator of the New York State network of Repair Cafés
  • @Michelle_Fisher, founder & coordinator of Melbourne Repair Café & mapper of Australian repair initiatives
  • @neil, Restart staff member and aspiring repair group founder
  • @james (me :wink: )

:speaking_head: What did we talk about?

Given most of us were already familiar with running repair events, we instead focused on getting to know how each of our repair networks operates (in the USA, the UK/Europe and Australia).

Repair Cafés & Restart Parties: what’s the difference?
We talked about the differences and similarities of the Repair Café model and Restart model, including Restart’s focus on electrical/electronic devices.

Elizabeth mentioned that Repair Cafés in her area don’t tend to see many electronic/electrical devices, possibly because they often struggle to find repairers who can tackle these kinds of items.

The Right to Repair
We discussed the growing movement around the Right to Repair. Elizabeth shared a positive experience of contacting her local elected representative, whose office turned out to be unexpectedly supportive.

“The key is to make these issues local, both geographically and politically”
- Elizabeth

While talking about getting politicians on board, we covered a myriad of good reasons to support the right to Repair, from concerns around our environmental impact and labour rights to strengthening a local repair economy and to consumer rights. We agreed that different elements of this appeal to different audiences.

Tips for organising your first repair events
@neil is interested in starting a new repair group, so we talked briefly about how to get one going. We all shared a few pieces of advice between us:

  • Go and visit existing events & talk to the people who’ve done it
  • Make partnerships: work with existing venues (e.g. libraries, makerspaces) and networks (e.g. local green/sustainability groups)
  • Start with a tried and tested model (Repair Café, Restart Party, Fixit Clinic etc.) and adapt it to your needs
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