Dadamac

Collaboration, Education, Livelihoods and Development in a Changing World

Dadamac OK (Open Knowledge)

People work on Dadamac OK projects for various reasons:

  • Because they want the end result
  • In order to learn
  • To meet people
  • To go places
  • Because it is fun/satisfying/intersting/worhtwhile etc
  • To develop skills
  • To build a reputation
  • Other

Practical benefits

Ideally, in a Dadamac OK (Open Knowledge) project, everyone who is involved benefits by sharing what they know, and something practical happens as a result.

One of the benefits of working in our OK way is that we don't need formal agreements or funding before we can get started. We just "rub minds" and then go forward in small steps that are win-win.

Resources

In an OK situation people need to be open about resourcing issues:

  • What people will do "for free"
  • What additional resources people bring - in addition to themselves
  • What the "lack of funds" stumbling blocks will be
  • How these might be overcome and progress made to overcome them.

Regarding money

Dadamac Foundation is a registered charity. It has legal and online structures to support appropriate projects in their fundraising initiatives, but does not have any fundraisers or financial reserves ready waiting. We work there as true volnteers.

Dadamac Limited is our registered company enabling us to do paid work.

Example

Building the Ecodome with Marcus Simmons  illustrates the Dadamac OK approach.

We all contributed what we knew, and went forward when we had sufficient resources for the next steps, such as travelling and buying building materials.

As a result of a Dadamac OK approach:

  • Marcus had the opportunity to go to Africa and experiment with building an eco-dome there
  • John and his network in Nigeria met Marcus, and built an  eco-dome at Attachab Eco-village
  • Pamela and Nikki developed more of their systems for facilitating UK-Nigeria collaboration, and had an example to point to.

Not only did we build an eco-dome. We also built a wider, stronger network of relationships, knowledge, skills and trust. (Marcus built the ecodome in 2008. He returned to Nigeria in 2009, contirbuting to permaculture progress at Attachab)

Building an eco-dome - a story in pictures

Building an Eco-dome Building an Eco-dome Building an Eco-dome The finished Eco-dome