Open Source Ecology (OSE) International

OSE is a global movement and collaboratory. Our goal and current engagement is building the world's first replicable, open source, post-industrial village. The name refers to an ecology, or ecosystem, of open-source hardware that works as an ecological whole. However, the name implies much more than technology - for technology is merely a basis upon which social organization can happen, in harmony with its natural life support systems. The real issue then emerges - the possibility of unprecedented quality of life for all.

To build a post-industrial village, we are developing and testing the set of tools required to build such a village - the Global Village Construction Set. Land stewardship and local production via open source design and digital fabrication - founded on open sharing of information - are the key features of this adventure. Right livelihood and resolution of pressing world issues is the intended byproduct.

Factor e Farm

• Our main open source collaboratory and land-based development facility, since 2007, is Factor e Farm, in the Kansas City area, central USA. See our weblog for ongoing updates.
  • Ongoing events and workshops are posted at the Factor e Farm mailing list
  • Our static website is here
  • First year of Factor e Farm

• Wiki development site for the Global Village Construction Set
  • Donate to the project
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• The first university chapter of OSE started in 2008 at the U. Missouri, Columbia

• See our legacy webpage here.

• Archives of some of our theory and history are here.

External Links

• P2P Foundation called us, arguably, the most important social experiment in the world
• BoingBoing article on the open source, CEB press - [The Liberator]
• Wired magazine blog on The Liberator
• Discussion of the economic model for open source production - with The Liberator as a case in point
  • Followup discussion on economic sustainability of open production by P2P Foundation
• Discussion on land stewardship basis of distributive economies
• Open source design and manufacturing resource at the P2P Foundation - [1]
• OSE Specifications for Distributive Production and internal link
• Review of sustainability movements - [2]
• Greenr - Accelerate the Change - blog post on Open Source Ecology
• German blog discussing the wealth of resources that come from land

Videos

• Factor e Live series - chronicles of Global Village construction
• Video Interview on Global Swadeshi Dialogues
• Video of Presentation on the Global Village Construction Set, U. Missouri, Columbia, 2008
• Audio interview with Agroinnovations

Highlights of our Work

• Advanced Compressed Earth Block (CEB) press prototype done
• Open source tractor prototype in action
• Product ecology overview
• OSE Product Development Cycle
• Neocommercialization of open source technology
• Technical proposal for the Global Village Construction Set

Collaboration

• Core Development Team application - for the Global Village Construction Set
• Solar Turbine development email group
• Student internships and research - see Research Projects
  • [OSE Mid-MO]
• We are accepting organic farming internships through ATTRA, Organic Volunteers, and WWOOF
• Find out why you should donate here.

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