In 2022, the RESERVIST project at Fab Lab Barcelona initiated a series of talks to foster a resilient and crisis-responsive distributed design community, addressing challenges such as natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. RESERVIST brought together individuals from the maker network, particularly the fab lab network, to share their experiences in response to crises. The project aims to establish a network of “reservist cells,” resilient networks of makers and local manufacturers that can be swiftly activated to provide products and services in response to sudden demands.
On August 23, I engaged in a conversation facilitated by researcher Jean-Luc Pierite to discuss my experiences as a community development worker in natural disaster scenarios in El Salvador. I shared how these experiences influenced my future work as a maker, focusing on disaster-related projects, social risk prevention, environmental sustainability, and using appropriate technologies in vulnerable communities. We also explored integrating the maker community’s work with local industries during times of crisis, a pivotal topic for RESERVIST.
RESERVIST conducted more interviews with other experts, including individuals I deeply admire, such as Adriana Cabrera, Vaneza Ñuflo, Andrew Lamb, and Enrico Bassi (link).