FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Organization data
Founders Reinder van Tijen
Location Netherlands
Site demotech.org/
Green hosting
Active yes
Impact 12,245

Demotech's design initiatives aim at self-reliance and "More joy per person". Life has more to offer then any consumer walhalla promises. Reduction of technology and in its wake economy, can go together with the raising of its quality. Far more comfort and leisure time can be had if we only re-design technology according to appropriate technical guidelines. Not meaning this is easy. But -yes- meaning it can easily be done in an Open Source collaborative approach. There are many examples that guide the way, but -no- such a collaborative culture joint effort still has to come into being.

Ways to participate[edit | edit source]

  • Porting pages from http://www.demotech.org to Appropedia
  • Students research papers and internships
  • Voluntering with work in the Lab and in the field
  • Implement Demotech designs
  • On line support for the Demotech web site
  • Fund raising for our small budgets
  • Donate for research with a high budget uncertency

Redesign, the design space that offers sustainable solutions[edit | edit source]

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Demotech's contribution consists of technical research into ultra low cost and truly sustainable technical solutions. Next to this, Demotech centers on how to get the story about such solutions across to an unwilling world, without hope or expectations that such solutions do- respectively can exist.

Listen and Learn, contacting a new reality[edit | edit source]

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In search of an enjoyable sustainable world, Demotech wants to draw lessons from people living in poverty. "Learning from Poverty" is the shortcut towards a sustainable society.

Think and Write, structuring new thoughts[edit | edit source]

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The proper study of the positive aspects of life in poverty that fit into the "Technology within Poverty" proves to be inspiring. To start re-design at the economic level of poverty gives the realistic framework for sustainability. Demotech found numerous options for this approach and has succeeded to get one generally accepted. We listed similar successes elsewhere. Designs that assist these targets can be found in this group. Demotech, design for self-reliance is a Netherlands based foundation, dedicated to Appropriate technology.

Demotech's categories of designs[edit | edit source]

Means to get informed[edit | edit source]

Link

Empowering people to transmit their ideas to others in demonstrations or exhibitions. To make construction manuals for designs easy to use, but also easy to make. Means for studying. Aids to run a project.

Making made easier[edit | edit source]

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Practical tricks, handy aids and small tools that help to make things in a faster, and generally more efficient way. Many of the Demotech designs make good use of such tools or working methods.

Better living[edit | edit source]

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Better living is about raising the quality of what is a home: free to choose who to share it with. Get in the good things as light and air. Keep out what is not wanted: rain, heat, cold. A place to organize your life in, with a family, with work, with neighbors and all this in comfort and in peace. World wide this is hard to get. It has priority to become available in a sustainable way.

Water & Sanitation[edit | edit source]

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Project initiatives to improve access to water and sanitation, to remove restrictions of cost, to reduce the effort to supply, to ascertain safe use and consumption, to organize proper disposal or secondary use. Ways of teaching and promoting rapid and general adoption of appropriate solutions

Localize Energy[edit | edit source]

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Means to harvest energy from sun, wind, water flow, animal and human power. Means to extract energy from burning fuel. Means to convert energy, mechanical, electrical and heating. Mechanical components for conversion of the speed of rotation. Means to do so locally with what is locally available.

Sound mobility[edit | edit source]

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Redesign transportation for people and goods where it matters for sustainability, for quality, in conditions of poverty, for people disabled. Whether used individually or collectively. Add more flexibility, comfort and fun to transportation.

Demotech pages on Appropedia[edit | edit source]

Search Demotech publications[edit | edit source]

Link

Here you can find all the articles that are published by Demotech.

Search other publications

Link

Here you can articles by others about Demotech or about the Demotech approach.

Search Demotech publications in the Dutch language

Link

Find here all Demotech's publications written in the Dutch Language

Defining concepts[edit | edit source]

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Here you can find definitions and explanations on concepts that are often used in our website, publications and approach.

Location and contact details[edit | edit source]

Biesenwal 3, 6211 AD Maastricht, the Netherlands email: info AT demotech.org

See also[edit | edit source]

Feedback[edit | edit source]

Feedback is crucial to any appropriate technology project. Demotech requests detailed feedback as reward for its otherwise freely distributed contributions. To leave feedback, you can:

Thank you!

FA info icon.svg Angle down icon.svg Page data
Keywords international development, appropriate technology organizations, demotech about
Authors Reinder van Tijen, design, Lonny Grafman
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Language English (en)
Related 13 subpages, 30 pages link here
Aliases Demotech, design for self-reliance
Impact 1,129 page views
Created September 30, 2006 by Chris Watkins
Modified October 23, 2023 by StandardWikitext bot
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