The Dutch version of CollectivePower, CollectieveKracht, works with partner labs. We aim to reproduce this process for the CollectivePower satellites. Hereby an introduction on how the labs contribute to knowledge exchange, new connections and mapping the movement.
The different labs address current questions and knowledge needs of citizen collectives. They are designed as a private, interactive meeting place for representatives of governments, financial institutions, science and network organizations respectively. Reciprocity is also an important principle here.
Collectives lab
The contributions of citizen collectives are the indispensable added value of this platform. The Collective Lab is a digital and interactive meeting place for all affiliated collectives, from all sectors.
We believe in reciprocity: not just gathering information, but also sharing it. In the Collective Lab, your citizen collective can:
- Manage a page to present your citizen collective
- Engage in discussions with other collectives on the forum, exchange knowledge and information, raise current issues
- Follow current developments around citizen collectives through news and the calendar
Partner labs
- The participants in the Partner Labs have experience with citizen collectives and are available to share knowledge and information.
- As a citizen collective, you can address specific questions and topics to the labs.
- Lab members address these questions, provide feedback, and offer tools for further exploration by the collectives themselves.
- Conversely, these labs also submit questions back to one or more collectives.
Each partner lab contributes in a special way to a societal and scientific agenda focused on the resilient development of citizen collectives.
The Finance Lab is staffed by representatives from financial institutions such as banks and funds. They help you find solutions, whether it concerns income and expenditure, investments, or management. You'll also have access to tools such as a Financial Roadmap. The Finance Lab does not mediate in specific financing questions.
Scientists from various disciplines have developed extensive knowledge through research that can be very useful for your citizen collective. Through the Science Lab, citizen collectives can present their questions and challenges to scientists, and vice versa. By connecting practice and science, they jointly determine the direction of research and knowledge development.
The growing number of citizen collectives is accompanied by a greater need for knowledge and experience sharing. Many sectors have network or umbrella organizations that cater to this need. The Network Lab brings these network organizations together to focus on cross-sector issues.
The relationship between citizen collectives and government bodies presents friction and challenges on both sides. If the relationship with municipalities, provinces, or national governments is a key concern, contact the Government Lab. Representatives from these government bodies are ready to share their knowledge and experiences. They, too, are eager to learn from citizen collectives.
Citizen collectives are building a new society—but they don't do it alone. A growing number of supporting organizations are using their knowledge and experience to help these collectives establish, organize, and sustain their initiatives. The Support Lab has been established as a central place where these supporters can present themselves.