Crisis Response Makerspaces

Susan Long, Bahar Kumar, Sebastian Jünemann, Ruben Neugebauer
Crisis situations quickly put conventional supply chains out of
order and medical supplies become a scarce commodity. How can
digital systems of micro- and distributed manufacturing help
strengthen local innovation and production capacity in crisis
areas? What tools can be developed so that those affected can help
themselves? Questions and answers that benefit humanitarian aid and
are essential in the context of a global transition to more
sustainable economic models. The speakers will discuss their
experiences: CADUS has founded the world's first Crisis Response
Makerspace in Berlin, which deals solely with problems of
humanitarian aid and refugees. The speakers are Sebastian Jünemann,
who has developed a concept for a cheap mobile hospital based on
his experience in Syria and Northern Iraq with his organization,
and Lissette Feliciano, a filmmaker from Puerto Rico. She
experienced the political blockade of humanitarian aid after the
devastating Typhoon Maria in the fall of 2017 first-hand. Together
they explain why such a concept is necessary to disrupt the
otherwise non-innovation friendly humanitarian relief
organizations. Bahar Kumar will talk about her experiences running
a community innovation hub in Kathmandu and taking part in the
latest MakerNet experiment on contract distribution, 3D printing
models of earthquake-proof houses for use teaching safer building
techniques to those rebuilding after the earthquake. Susanne Long
from Fieldready will report from the teams in Nepal and Syria, and
the global outreach of Humanitarian Makers. Nepalese and Syrian
makers visit medical practitioners in places where supplies don’t
get through, they find out what is needed, and make it with support
from a global network of engineers. She will look at the path to
massively transforming medical supply chains to use local
production capacity in post-disaster or conflict situations.
Susanne is also demonstrating her work in a workshop at the
Makerspace. supported by BMZ