During this week, the V Training Seminar in Intercultural Dynamics is taking place at the Barcelona Center for International Affairs (CIDOB). Amongst the different sessions (December, 14-16th), there will be one talking about the politics of knowledge which seems particularity interesting.

Panel II – Strategies and Resistance from the Politics of Knowledge

Chair and discussant: Alexandra Zavos (Senior Researcher, Centre for Gender Studies, Panteion University)
Coordinator: Ana-Cristina Aguirre (FJIDI)

In this second panel we will discuss the ways in which academic knowledge is produced, as well as the intentions and conditions that underpin such production. The researchers who will participate in this panel should make full use of their areas of study and methods of research in order to propose alternative ways of acquiring knowledge. Basing their arguments on their own works, they should highlight the strengths and recognize the ambiguities and contradictions of their own research. From this perspective, we propose to analyse the following issues: what are the challenges that derive from your research? To whom is the knowledge you produce useful? From where and for what are you producing knowledge?

Here is the full program.

During the last days of februray (very last indeed!) til the begining of March (29th Feb – 2nd Mar.) the Western Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESO) is celebrating it’s XIX Symposium on Education jointly with it’s XXXII psychology week in Guadalajara, México.

There are plenty of conferences and workshops to choose from and I am glad they invited me to propose one (many kudos to the Department of Education!). So I came up with the idea of making a three day workshop on new pedagogic interactions delaing with digital content (i.e, Interacciones educativas en la sociedad del conocimiento: Gestión de contenidos digitales y nuevas prácticas pedagógicas for the spanish version). However, don’t let the title fool you.

The aim and scope of the workshop is to learn how to use and manage digital content such as comments on blogs or news (which might be interesting for different learning subjects but difficult to work with) using the well known app for firefox zotero. In addition, I expect to have an open discussion on these new forms of interaction that can emerge from the very capabilities and “everydayness” of ICT’s students have.

Sometimes teachers are afraid to lose control over tools or methods they do not fully master. Especially if students are truly expirienced users vis-a-vis their teachers. However, the focus will be more on practical ways to hack the academy

Here’s the link to the full program.

SAX!

Jalisco Cómo Vamos, a new citizen observatory was presented this Monday 11th at the Cámara de Comercio de Guadalajara, México.

Following the steps of previous experiences such as Bogotá cómo vamos (Colombia), it aims to provide and analyse huge amounts of data concerning the Quality of Live (QoL) of people living in what is known as the Metropolitan area of Guadalajara. A 60.000$ survey was carried out to find out some good indicators. This include, but are not restricted, to:

- Education
- Urbanism
- Public Institutions
- Personal relations
- Public Services
- Environment

The survey compromised 426 questions and, as results are being seed, it is the Obs will to affect political decisions based on their data. Positioning themselves as a neutral (meaning not supportive of any political party) agent they will release their raw data after it has been analysed.

Anyway, what I think it is interesting about this survey, is that it takes into consideration people’s perceptions, actions and believes. Therefore, it is not only a desperate search for the datum, but rather a search for “cross social validity” (if we may…). Nevertheless, as any quantitative survey, results bear an enormous rhetorical (not to be meant in a bad sense) ambiguity depending on who is to be the spokesperson of the data. But the presentation went really well and it was, indeed, enjoyable. Which is something you rarely see on a quantitative results briefing these days

However, the survey is just a first milestone. The Observatory aims also to generate some public debate on hot issues that will be identified from further analysis. This debate, they argue, will also lead to an increased public participation.

Now, what does this has to do with internet or citizen management of technology whatsoever? Well, it turns out that under the public service desk of the observatory some questions regarding Internet services and uses will be addressed. As some expert teams have been set to address and discuss these data, we expect to explain and highlight the guifi.net model of a free and neutral network as a success story of how ICT’s citizen initiatives can (and actually do) improve the quality of live of citizens. It will be interesting to show some of the difficulties and some of the good practices that dealing with public administrations guifi.net has been put through.

For those interested, you can download the computer presentation of the first results here.

RAX!

Just on hallow’s eve; Hackmeeting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

from: http://espora.org/hackmitin/

from espora.org

Hackmitin 2010, 30 de Octubre al 1 de Noviembre, Ciudad OaHACKa Mexico

..:: conocimiento | tecnología | compartir | construir | resistir ::..

El HM es un encuentro participativo y gratuito en el que la dicotomía organizador/asistente se diluye en el deseo de autogestionar el encuentro colectivamente. En el HM decenas de hackers y hacktivistas nos ponemos a trabajar para crear y hacer crecer nuestra comunidad de manera autogestionada, igualitaria, horizontal y, sobre todo, libre.

Entendemos el Hackmitin como una red de actividades autoorganizadas (talleres, charlas, mesas redondas, exposiciones, posters, etc.) que hemos llamado nodos. Puedes sumarte proponiendo nodos de trabajo/actividad/difusión. Cualquier persona es libre de coordinar, presentar, difundir un nodo dentro del Hackmitin: ÚNETE a La RED.

Program available here.

RAX!!!

I have recently  moved to Mexico, Guadalajara, for a mid term stay. Yesterday I noticed some helicopters and some extra traffic jams so I figured something big was going on…and yes. There is a meeting of the ONU’s International Telecommunication Union with some 60 telecommunication ministers from around the globe coming to disrupt everyday life (and paths) of Guadalajara citizens. No big issue. Disrupting everyday life might be enjoyable (to some extent). But then, I just learned I won’t be able to reach my house without proper authorization as I am living in a potentially attractive site to commit silly acts regarding the inaugural events of the ITU… whoa….

from en.wikipedia.org

I will be gifted with some sort of security card to let security guys know I do, in fact, live here so they can let me pass. This, of course, raises the question about who manages public space. But, to a more profound analysis, it does resonate with some ideas about Issue-Networks and Dewey / Lippman pragmatists approaches such as those present in Noortje Marres Ph.D.

“A democratic deficit must then be said to arise when bad issue displacements occur: when issues that depend on public involvement for their settlement are transported to locations that are inaccessible to publics, making their involvement in issue formation, and thus settlement of affairs, impossible.” (Marres, 2005)

On the next page of her Ph.D;

“Issues challenge existing modes of democratic political organization: if these issues are to be addressed, forms for organizing subjects and articulating problems must be reinvented” (Marres, 2005)

¿Is it not strange enough that, not only to enter an event such as ITU meeting, but even to access their homes, citizens do face inaccessibilities?

It is as if all sort of events as ITU meetings or NATO, G8, G20 ones were taking place at the constant risk of “not taking place”. I mean, there is a large believe and concern from security corps. that someones do not want these events to take place. And literally, they DO TAKE places. City under sieges, citizens under scrutiny. And, yes, quite often the public wants to be involved and, in absence of any other fora, they do public demonstrations or press conferences.

Paradoxically enough, these type of world wide meetings parallel Michel Callon confined research notion so as to think of a confined politics. (either case, Michel Callon notion of confined research parallels confined politics, in a similar way that technical representation comes exemplified jointly with political representation). But further explaining these would need another post…

That said, and to give some sense of place, I am writing via a conventional ISP located in Mexico, Megacable – Megared. Which works with cable Internet technology. Not bad, you could say. Well, yes, not bad. Cable bandwidth is not Fiber Optics, but it is not bad. However, They offer 2 and 3 mb (download speeds) connections…According to some net forums, they do share IP connections amongst different customers, jamming the bandwidth dedicated to one single-user with other ones…Oh…and they also block ftp ports so you are kind of obliged to contract their services if you want to run a ftp server…hummm…¿net neutrality? What was that again aiming at? good to remember.

RAX!

Hackito Ergo Sum confernece to be held in Paris coming soon…

Copy pasted (and re-formated) from :  http://hackitoergosum.org

Hackito Ergo Sum 2010 – Call For Paper – HES2010 CFP

Hackito Ergo Sum 2010 – Call For Paper – HES2010 CFP

Hackito Ergo Sum conference will be held from April 8th to 10th 2010 in Paris, France.
It is part of the series of conference “Hacker Space Fest” taking place since 2008 in France and all over Europe.

HES2010 will focus on hardcore computer security, insecurity, vulnerability analysis, reverse engineering, research and hacking.

INTRO
The goal of this conference is to promote security research, broaden public awareness and create an open forum so that communication between the researcher, the security industry, the experts and the public can happen.

A recent decision of justice in France has convicted a security researcher for disclosing vulnerabilities and exploits. These laws (similar to the one in Germany), descending from USA’s DMCA law, are orienting freedom of research and knowledge into a situation where “illegal knowledge” can happen, restricted to the only ones blessed by governmental silent approval and military. Scientific research and public information cannot be made into another monopoly of state, where “some” can study and publish and “some others” cannot.
Such approach just show how misinformed some politics are and how little understanding they get of the struggle they are acting in.

Not understanding that the best way to improve security is to attack it shows the lack of maturity of some stakeholder by being cut out of independent information sources.
This is where our ethics and responsibility is to say “No, we have a right for free information and true independence in research”, and this responsibility is the one of anybody, not just the responsibility of academically blessed scientists.

This conference will try to take in account all voices in order to reach a balanced position regarding research and security, inviting businesses, governmental actors, researchers, professionals and general public to share concerns, approaches and interests during.
During three days, research conferences, solutions presentations, panels and debates will aim at finding synthetic and balanced solutions to the current situation.

To see content proposals, tracks and timelines it is worth visiting original post here

RAX!

from ninux.org

Some people interested in free WiFi networks will gather around Rome on November the 27-30th. Why? Well, quoting the organisers from ninux.org:

“A weekend, surreal time slot on topics about wireless communities. Under the same roof for the first time you’ll find hackers, geeks, nerds, engineers, artists, curious and academics.”

It will be an excellent opportunity to pulse the energies of ongoing WiFi communities (we prefer the term network or project) and see if we can share some insights on different issues regarding free wifi networks. With the help of some people at guifi.net we are preparing a short interview to put in common some of the main concerns we (as hackers, geeks, nerds, engineers, artists, curious and academics) experiment while doing free wifing. Hopefully enough, these  will either echo or difract existing concerns form other networks from which we can learn or think about. Will see…

See you in Rome.

RAX!

On December 10-12th,  ATACD (A Topological Approach to Cultural Dynamics) conference will be held at the University of Barcelona (UB) Faculty of Philosophy. Plenary Speakers include:

Rosi Braidotti, University of Utrecht, The Netherlands

J. Doyne Farmer, Santa Fe Institute, USA

Matthew Fuller, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Alex Galloway, New York University, USA

Penny Harvey, University of Manchester, UK

Dirk Helbing, ETH Zurich, Switzerland

Scott Lash, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Richard Rogers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Brian Rotman, Ohio University

Luc Steels, SONY-France, France

Eyal Weizmann, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

Not bad, M?
I and Roger Baig will be presenting a paper entitled:

“Citizen Management of Technology: from open content to open networks with guifi.net.”

The conference looks really great and there are also public and open side events. For more details don’t miss ATACD home page

RAX!

Following my previous post, I will now add some extra events so the list of to-go’s is really getting crowded. The following days will be some sort of festival of festivals in Paris!

So, along with the ouverture of the MediaLab, Passageenseine and Hacker Space Fest, please behold the following:

May 30, 31

World Information City @ Maison des Metallos (their logo seems a little bit right-wing fashioned though…but maybe they are willing to reach an effect as situationist-like metal band Laibach did. Nevertheless, we prefer smooth shapes and fluidity over rigid lines and monumentalism. Jhon Urry, Bruno Latour, Saskia Sassen and Brian Holmes, amongst others, will be there)

Plus, people from hackitectura.net which inspired some of my research will trun place de la bastille into a “wikiplaza” profiting from the mega umbrella-event future-en-seine.org May, 30 – June, 07th.

June 3, 4

Hyperurbain2 @ cité des sciences et de l’industrie.

Among the on-going presnetations of hyperurbain2 this one looks great: 11:30 on June, 4th: Le piéton dans la ville : Nouvelles épreuves de la micromobilité hyperdocumentée. Sophie Pène, GRIPIC-EA 1498, Université Paris IV, France

And, to sum up,

June 2-7th

Mal au Pixel (4th edition) @ St.Ouen

Electronic music and bricolage festival. There is a seminar on art, environtment and technology the 7th.

from craslab.org

These days there are several events that are worth taking into account. The Medialab opening and official presentation (Now!), the Co-Hacking Space Pas-sage-en-seine on June, 4th and 5th and the Hackerspace Fest. on June, 26-30th.

First things first:

Sciences Po anounces it’s official Medialab. Other Medialabs are already there (just see google results) however I guess this one, apart from it’s specificity, can also have it’s “Media” pronunced both with French or English accent… Anyway. They have a great set of conferences which, as listed on their site www.sciences-po.fr, includes:

Le lundi 25 mai: Richard Rogers, de l’Université d’Amsterdam, directeur de la fondation Govcom.org, auteur de Information Politic on the Web, MIT Press, Cambridge Mass (2005), montrera comment suivre la politique sur le web;

Le mardi 26 mai: Yochai Benkler, de la Law School de Harvard, co-directeur du Berkman Center for Internet and Society, auteur du livre important The Wealth of Networks. How Social Production Transforms Market and Freedom, Yale University Press, New Haven (2006), montrera ce qu’on peut faire en science politique en utilisant les données numériques;

Le jeudi 28 mai: Carlo Ratti, du MIT, directeur du SENSEable City Lab, nous montrera comment le numérique modifie l’appréhension de la ville et des études urbaines.

from www.sciences-po.fr/recherche/fr/dispositif/medialab.htm

We will be there for Benkler talk entitled Observing Networked Politics and see if we can grasp some usefull inputs for our Thesis. What does resist the assumption of not being networked today anyway? Certainly not politics.

RAX!