The evolution of OpenIA with ChatGPT: is non-profit a guarantee of ethics?

The evolution of OpenIA with ChatGPT: is non-profit a guarantee of ethics?

by | 9 Feb 2023 | Communs & plaidoyer, Editorial

Ethics and performance: the case of Chat-GPT development

ChatGPT is not only a technological revolution, it is also a case study in corporate social responsibility. Developed as a counter-model to GAFAM with a non-profit organisation, OpenAI, the company that produces Chat GPT, eventually branched out into a capitalist model. In addition, the Kenyan workers’ case revealed by Time also involves Samasource, a former NGO turned for-profit company. Time’s revelations raise the question of whether non-profit statutes are now being used as launch pads for tech companies motivated by profit rather than by the public interest. A look at this case and the questions it raises.

Although the non-profit sector has been structured around models of democratic governance, transparency and ethics that are beyond those of the average sector, there are situations that can challenge this solidarity ethic. Like any commercial enterprise, non-profit structures can be subject to constraints. Economic difficulties, a drop in turnover, economic redundancies and treasury problems are all threats to non-profit organisations. They are therefore obliged to make ethics and performance coexist in their objectives. Could these pressures supplant the general interest mission of the non-profit sector ?

The evolution of OpenIA: from non-profit to limited profit status

Issue faced by the company OpenAI, mainly known for its tool ChatGPT. The organisation was founded by Elon Musk and Sam Altman in 2015 as a non-profit company. The aim was to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of all, thus quickly entering into direct competition with GAFAM.

The company’s status changed in 2019: one year after Elon Musk’s departure, the company is switching to a limited profit motive to attract investors. This is an American entrepreneurial status that allows a company to incorporate private funding while limiting dividends to shareholders. Despite this change in status, the company continues to position itself as acting for the common good, the website even states that their mission is: “to develop artificial intelligence for the benefit of all humanity.”

Until the publication of a Time magazine study in early January, the company maintained an image of transparency and ethics faithful to its origins. To resolve the toxicity issues present in previous AIs at ChatGPT, the company used a subcontractor located in Kenya. The revelations of the investigation have undermined OpenAI’s apparent ethics, whether in terms of working conditions, remuneration or the massive exposure to toxic content and language. In the press release produced in response, OpenAI’s managers explain that they had no knowledge of their service provider’s practices.

Strong pressures on a competitive sector

This case reveals the hidden side of the struggle between competitiveness and ethics. In an ultra-competitive sector massively invested by GAFAM, Open-AI found itself confronted with the limits of its moral commitments. The company commissioned by Open-AI is in fact employed by the majority of its competitors, because it offers extremely competitive prices. While the organisation can be criticised for breaking with its initial commitments, it has in fact behaved like any of its competitors. The use of subcontractors to filter out hate data is a method used by OpenAI’s main rivals in the AI race. Companies such as Google, Meta and Microsoft have also signed contracts with the same operator implicated here and for similar tasks. As OpenAI has developed, it has become more and more similar to its competitors, both in terms of the evolution of its status and in its practices of raising funds and using cheap service providers.

In reality, Open-AI is being criticised for the incoherence between its positioning in the media and the reality of the company’s operations. Displaying a particular legal status and moral commitments has made the company a global phenomenon. When the reality behind this success was revealed, many users felt cheated by the company.

However, the case of Open AI should not be generalised to all non-profit organisations and companies or even to the AI sector. The last one represents a real asset for the Social Tech associations which in the near future will probably work with artificial intelligences such as ChatGPT. Writing articles, research aids and integration in search engines, the applications of AI in the web will be multiple and intersectoral. Social Tech will certainly be capable of taking advantage of these opportunities to develop ethical solutions with real impacts.

What is ChatGPT’s view ?

ChatGPT was asked a few questions to find out its analysis of the dilemma its creators faced, between productivity and ethics. And for AI, the conclusion is clear: companies with a commitment to non-profit and ethics have a responsibility to the public and the rest of the non-profit sector. Transparency and accountability of non-profit organisations is an absolute necessity.
Having made no specific commitments in response to the scandal, OpenAI plans to reach $1 billion in revenue by 2024. This goal seems to be moving further and further away from its initial intention, but also from the recommendations of its own product as evidenced by this response provided by the said AI :

About the author

Léon Launay
Community, Communication and Public Affairs Manager
leon(at)socialgoodaccelerator.eu
Emmaüs Connect becomes a member of the Social Good Accelerator!

Emmaüs Connect becomes a member of the Social Good Accelerator!

by | 13 Jan 2023 | Actualités de SOGA

Emmaüs Connect becomes a member of the Social Good Accelerator!

We are delighted to welcome Emmaüs Connect as a member! Joining the Social Good Accelerator means joining a community of players committed to the digital transformation of the social economy and the full recognition of European Social Tech.

Emmaüs Connect supports the most isolated people by acting on the three main levers of digital inclusion: access to means of connection at solidarity prices, cheap refurbished equipment and free learning to acquire essential skills, and has been doing so since 2013.

person working Emmaus

Two people are accompanied by an Emmaüs Connect animator (Source: Emmaüs Connect)

“Emmaüs Connect is very proud to join SOGA and to share its commitment to making digital life accessible to everyone. We are convinced that the European Union is the right lever to carry our fights and make laws and practices in favour of an inclusive digital – that is to say appropriable even by the most fragile – solidarity and with the lowest environmental impact. It is only by collaborating and bringing together the actors of Social Tech that we will succeed in the digital transition for all.”

Charlotte Bougenaux, Co-director of Emmaüs Connect

Do you know LaCollect.Tech?

It is the Emmaüs Connect platform, created to collect digital equipment, recondition the equipment and distribute it at solidarity rates to people in digital poverty, with the profits helping to finance Social Economy and Solidarity-based recycling organisations. Over the past year, the platform has already received more than 20,000 pieces of equipment, reconditioned more than 7,400 pieces of equipment and equipped more than 3,000 people.

The Social Good Accelerator salutes this great initiative with a triple environmental, economic and social impact. Companies of all sizes, institutions and now local authorities, if you have unused equipment, visit La Collecte.tech. Stop digital waste, let’s act together for a useful and responsible digital world!

About the author

Justine Coopman
Communication, Community and Public Affairs Officer
justine(at)socialgoodaccelerator.eu
Social Good Week is back to promote digital public interest in Europe

Social Good Week is back to promote digital public interest in Europe

by | 6 Dec 2022 | Actualités de SOGA

Social Good Week is back to promote digital public interest in France and Europe

As part of the French Social Economy Month, the Social Good Accelerator and its partners are relaunching the Social Good Week on a European scale, from 2 to 8 November. During one week, the actors of the social and solidarity digital sector have organised events, in the territories or online, which will be relayed on a unique platform. The ambition was to federate and highlight the alternative digital models carried largely by the social and solidarity economy. Our objective is to create a sounding board and a European advocacy.

Some digital companies cannot be bought

They choose non-profit or limited profit models to focus on democratic, social and environmental missions. These are the Social Tech. They regenerate the egalitarian and revolutionary vision of digital technology from the origins of the Web. For all that, digital is still mainly valued through its ability to “create super profit”. In 2022, how can we accelerate a sustainable, social and solidarity-based digital to address democratic, social and climate emergencies?

A multitude of alternative models already exist and should be developed

Let’s mention Civic Techs such as Bayes Impact, Fluicity, Open Democracy, digital mediation actors (grouped under the MedNum cooperative), solutions for mobilising associative resources (HelloAsso, microDON, Koeo, Vendredi), digital commons models (citizen databases or free software such as Wikipedia, Open Food Facts, Open Street Map, Framasoft, general interest start-ups) or organisations that, under social economy status, offer professional training to people who are far from employment (Simplon, Social Builder, Code Phénix…).

We firmly believe that the digital public interest can only change scale at the European level.

The European Union has managed to preserve, as best it can, its social pillar and is seeking to catch up technologically with the challenges of ecological, societal and democratic transition. Its digital strategy (Digital Compass) is based on four major ambitious pillars for 2030: secure and sustainable infrastructures, digital transition of all businesses, digitalisation of public services and enfin the development of skills, undoubtedly the most important. The ambition is to train more than 20 million professionals and equip 80% of the European population with ‘basic digital skills’.

To achieve these objectives, the Social Economy is full of solutions. The digital transition of social and solidarity economy organisations, which provide daily support to vulnerable groups, access to culture, popular and sports education, the fight against inequalities, democratic vitality and the ecological transition, represent both a lever and an opportunity. It is by relying on the alternative digital models of the social economy that all of its actors will be able to really get on board the train of technological transition while preserving the social and/or environmental missions, which are real levers for the transition of the economy towards models that are compatible with the emergencies of the 21st century.

Together, let’s mobilize the creativity and the community of digital actors of general interest to propose another European model, for a “Social Tech for all”!

 

Read our tribune on Usbek & Rica

About the author

Social Good Accelerator 
Social Good Week is back to promote digital public interest in Europe

Communiqué de presse

by | 22 Oct 2022 | Actualités de SOGA

Communiqué de presse

La Social Good Week revient pour promouvoir un numérique au service du bien commun en France et en Europe

À l’occasion du Mois de l’Économie Sociale et Solidaire, le Social Good Accelerator et ses partenaires relancent la Social Good Week à l’échelle européenne, du 2 au 8 novembre.
Pendant une semaine, des acteurs du numérique social et solidaire organiseront des événements partout en France et en Europe. Certains auront lieu sur le terrain, d’autres en ligne. Tous seront relayés sur une plateforme unique.

Ainsi, notre ambition est claire : fédérer et mettre en valeur les modèles numériques alternatifs portés par l’économie sociale et solidaire. En d’autres termes, il s’agit de créer une caisse de résonance à l’échelle européenne et de porter un plaidoyer commun.

Qu’est-ce que la Social Tech ?

Certaines entreprises numériques font un choix radical. Plutôt que de rechercher l’hypercroissance et le profit à tout prix, elles se donnent pour mission de servir l’intérêt général.
Elles mettent en avant la démocratie, la justice sociale ou la transition écologique.

Ce sont les acteurs de la Social Tech.
En effet, ils renouent avec la vision originelle du Web : un outil conçu pour l’égalité, la coopération et l’innovation citoyenne.
Pourtant, la plupart des technologies sont encore évaluées uniquement à l’aune de leur rentabilité. La Social Tech rappelle qu’un autre numérique est possible : un numérique utile, éthique et accessible.

Une diversité de modèles déjà bien ancrés

La Social Tech existe déjà sous de nombreuses formes.

  • Les Civic Tech, comme Bayes Impact, Fluicity ou Open Democracy, qui donnent aux citoyens de nouveaux outils de participation.

  • Les acteurs de la médiation numérique, fédérés par la coopérative La MedNum, qui permettent à chacun de s’approprier les outils digitaux.

  • Les solutions de mobilisation des ressources associatives, comme HelloAsso, microDON, Koeo ou Vendredi, qui facilitent le financement et l’engagement citoyen.

  • Les communs numériques, qu’il s’agisse de bases de données citoyennes ou de logiciels libres tels que Wikipedia, Open Food Facts, OpenStreetMap ou Framasoft.

  • Les startups d’intérêt général et les organismes de formation de l’ESS, comme Simplon, Social Builder ou Code Phénix, qui ouvrent les portes du numérique à celles et ceux qui en sont le plus éloignés.

Cette effervescence prouve que des modèles durables et inclusifs sont déjà là, et qu’il faut désormais les déployer à grande échelle.

L’Europe, une échelle décisive

Changer la donne ne peut se faire qu’à l’échelle européenne.
L’Union européenne a su préserver un modèle social unique et s’efforce désormais de rattraper son retard dans la transition numérique, au service des défis écologiques, sociaux et démocratiques. Sa stratégie « Digital Compass 2030 » fixe quatre objectifs ambitieux :

  1. Développer des infrastructures numériques sûres et durables.
  2. Accélérer la transformation digitale des entreprises.
  3. Généraliser la numérisation des services publics.
  4. Former plus de 20 millions de professionnels et garantir des compétences numériques de base à 80 % des Européens.

Dans chacun de ces domaines, l’ESS a un rôle clé à jouer. Ses organisations accompagnent chaque jour des publics fragiles, favorisent l’accès à la culture, à l’éducation, au sport, et luttent contre les inégalités. En s’appuyant sur les modèles numériques alternatifs de l’ESS, l’Europe peut réussir sa transition technologique sans renoncer à ses valeurs sociales et environnementales.

Un appel collectif : construire un modèle numérique européen

Nous appelons à mobiliser la créativité et la force de la communauté numérique d’intérêt général pour proposer un modèle européen : un numérique au service de toutes et tous.
La Social Good Week 2022 sera l’occasion de mettre en lumière ces initiatives, de favoriser leur essaimage et de porter une voix commune en France comme en Europe.

Rejoignez-nous du 2 au 8 novembre pour construire ensemble une Social Tech pour toutes et tous !

Lire notre tribune
Digital skills, how to promote them through education?

Digital skills, how to promote them through education?

by | 4 Oct 2022 | Actualités de SOGA, Editorial

Digital skills, how to promote them through education?

On 16 September 2022, SOGA responded to the European consultation on improving the teaching of digital skills.

The thread of this consultation was the question of what actions are required to promote digital skills from the beginning and at all stages of education and training.

Context

Long before the COVID-19 crisis, the need to develop everyone’s digital skills was clearly demonstrated. Digital skill levels remain low, with the digital divide still marked by gender, socio-economic background and urban/rural areas. The COVID-19 crisis has further increased the demand for these skills. This European consultation aims to define the actions required to promote e-skills from the outset and at all stages of education and training. In order to develop digital skills from the outset and at all stages of education and training, the Social Good Accelerator recommends some actions

 

A lack of cross-disciplinary and tailored digital training in university courses and a shortage of talent 

The first observation on the teaching of digital skills is the shortage and uniformity of talent due to the lack of cross-disciplinary and adapted digital training in university courses.

Particularly in humanities courses, the issues of digital culture and design are insufficiently addressed, even though these courses offer the keys to a better understanding of the design and uses of digital tools and technologies.

Proposed solutions:

  • Create discovery and immersion programmes in “Start up studios” for students in the humanities, law, art, etc.
  • Support partnerships between universities / computer science schools and local SMEs
  • Develop sharing and pooling practices to make the development of digital skills more widely available (pooling of spaces, media, tools)
  • Promote and participate in peer-to-peer learning consortia on a European scale between technology students and university students
  • Increase the level of digitalisation of social economy entities by creating an inclusive digital labour market with dedicated training

Accessible, quality and inclusive digital education and training is the first strategic priority of the Digital Education Action Plan 2021-2027. Photo credit: European Commission

Rare and expensive skills that primarily benefit companies that can afford them

For digital operators oriented towards the general interest (digital social economy), the challenge lies in the lack of capacity to raise funds. The challenge is also the war for talent in the digital economy, which needs 20 million new digital professionals by 2030 in Europe.

Moreover, digital services of general interest require certain specificities in terms of design, accessibility, production mode and sharing of data and algorithms, testing and dissemination of productions that are still poorly documented and integrated into initial and continuous training.

Proposed solutions:

  • Develop partnerships between students and people who are far from digital tools. Indeed, although digital education exists in educational institutions, it is necessary to reach those who have not received this education or who will need additional education in the future. In this respect, digital literacy should be promoted for all citizens to ensure that the digital transition is an inclusive process that leaves no one behind. To this end, the development of partnerships with social economy organisations is essential because of the proximity between these organisations and the vulnerable. 
  • Assess the digital skills gaps of social economy actors.

  • Design targeted capacity building and training pathways in social economy organisations.

  • Encourage the replication of actions undertaken in the framework of social economy organisations’ projects by widely disseminating the results of research and analysis concerning the link between the digital transition and the social economy.

  • Multiply and support training in “no code” tools. These tools make it possible to produce advanced and interactive digital deliverables (websites, web and mobile applications, automations, etc.) in a more accessible way, without having to master computer code. We are currently witnessing a growth in job offers for specialised technical skills in no-code (to create websites and mobile applications in particular). For many purposes, some no-code tools can be more accessible than traditional tools, while opening up more powerful possibilities, and inviting more structured digital thinking (and information and data management). 

About the author

Social Good Accelerator team
The Orange Digital Center, an initiative for digital inclusion

The Orange Digital Center, an initiative for digital inclusion

by | 27 Sep 2022 | Communs & plaidoyer, Interviews / Témoignages

The Orange Digital Center, an initiative for digital inclusion

On the occasion of Orange’s membership to the SOGA, let’s get to know the Orange Digital Center in favor of digital inclusion in the territories. For this, we asked Orange teams a series of questions about this innovative project to learn more about this.

Orange digital Center, an international program to promote digital skills 

The Orange Digital Center are places where digital skills are supported and developed. From coding training to digital manufacturing and business creation, they cover a wide range of activities. Free and open to all, these centers base learning on concrete projects. Training programs dedicated to digital professions are offered to students, unemployed people, school dropouts and young entrepreneurs, for example. Most Orange Digital Center also offer workshops, training and online content.

To date (September 2022), 15 Orange Digital Center have already opened in Africa and the Middle East (Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Jordan, etc.). In Europe, the Brussels center in Belgium welcomed its first learners last spring, while the Saint Ouen center in France opened its doors at the beginning of June. Others will soon be opened, notably in Poland, Luxembourg, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Moldavia. Orange has decided to deploy this concept in all the countries where it operates.

The Orange Digital Center reflect the responsibility of the Group, the leading digital operator in France. To make digital an opportunity for everyone, the basic skills associated with it must be widely mastered and accessible. This program therefore aims to reduce the inequalities linked to access, equipment, uses and mastery of the digital world, by promoting connectivity, inclusion and the development of skills, without discrimination.

Orange Digital Center

A picture of the first Orange digital center in France. Photo credit: Orange

We asked Orange teams a series of questions about this innovative project: 

With whom and how do you build your programs and workshops?

The program is present in 17 countries to date. Each Orange Digital Center organizes its programming taking into account its local context, its resources, the ecosystem present and the major objectives we have set. The programs are designed to enable the acquisition of digital skills, of course, but also to promote the professional integration of people who are far from employment and to increase the proportion of women working in technology.

The complementary nature of the coding courses, the presence of the fablab and the incubator energizes our learners’ careers. The training courses are often built with partners: local fablabs, SIMPLON in Senegal, Becode in Belgium, the AWS restart program in Tunisia, the examples are numerous.

What are the challenges that Orange Digital Center will have to overcome?

Opening centers with a training space, a fablab and incubation programs in 25 countries is a challenge in itself and we are approaching the goal with 17 ODCs open by the end of August 2022. Once all the centers are open, one of our challenges will be to maintain the momentum and added value of the programs for our beneficiaries. This international network makes it an original initiative. The animation of the ODCs should be key in order to promote capitalization, exchanges and the production of commonalities. 

How do you intend to overcome them? 

For the moment, we are still in a phase of support to our subsidiaries for the opening to the first beneficiaries. Once the network is in place, we are planning joint actions to encourage capitalization between ODCs. For example, the Orange Foundation has launched a call for projects to create training for trainers in the Orange Digital Center fablabs. The partnership with SOGA should also help us better understand the issues we want to address in Europe.

As far as the impact on our beneficiaries is concerned, we have launched social impact measurements on a few programs and, without totally generalizing the approach, we would like to continue it with regular evaluations.

What is the first feedback on the Orange Digital Center opened in Saint-Ouen?

It’s a bit early to say because the activities are just starting. 

In the field of professional integration, the “Envol numérique” pre-qualification program is aimed at young school dropouts. The aim is to give them the desire to train for a job in the digital sector. During 5 weeks of training, followed by 3 weeks of internship in a company, they will acquire know-how (web developer, coding, digital manufacturing, etc.), interpersonal skills (self-knowledge, communication, etc.) and knowledge about the environment and the impact of digital technology. The first cohort has been recruited and will start end of September 2022. The place also hosts activities for the general public. The digital workshops are aimed at all audiences and aim to familiarize themselves with uses ranging from the discovery of a smartphone to the implementation of parental controls. The place also houses a fablab which is used for discovery sessions of digital fabrication. Beyond physical locations like Saint Ouen, Orange Digital Center is the Orange Group’s flagship program for digital equality and brings together many initiatives.

Some examples of available resources

Resources to discover digital responsibility

There are many free online workshops and courses available to everyone. For example, if a person is a beginner, he or she will be offered an online workshop on how to protect personal data. For parents, the digital platform offers for example a workshop to understand parental control and to set up appropriate protections. If you have a child who loves soccer, the French soccer federation has developed tools and awareness programs for responsible digital use. 

Resources to learn how to use digital tools

Training courses are offered to learn how to make the best use of digital tools. For example, the SuperCoders program allows hospitalized children to escape and have fun while learning to code. For job seekers, the Blabla Code program offers training to sharpen your digital skills and boost your resume. But you can also go on an apprenticeship in FabLabs, places where a professional or an individual can come, freely or with prior registration, to bring one of their projects to life, using innovative machines: 3D printer, connected embroidery machine, etc.

Entrepreneurial resources 

The Orange Digital Center offer useful resources to help you get started in entrepreneurship. You can find a guide to entrepreneurship, information on how to create a business, how to equip yourself and with which tools. Women entrepreneurs are also honored with presentations of inspiring women’s stories. You will also find resources related to the protection of your data and communication on the Internet. 

We hope you learned something new and that it will be useful in your digital transition or in supporting the digital transition! For more information visit their website.

 

About the author

Justine Coopman
justine(at)socialgoodaccelerator.eu
Communication, Community and European public affairs
Lille, France
A look back at 4 days of work for the Social Tech Academy team: #SHU2022 and our second transnational meeting in Italy

A look back at 4 days of work for the Social Tech Academy team: #SHU2022 and our second transnational meeting in Italy

by | 20 Jul 2022 | Projets européens

A look back at 4 days of work for the Social Tech Academy team: #SHU2022 and our transnational meeting in Italy

The Social Tech Academy project has 4 European partners: Pour La Solidarité in Belgium, Fundacion Esplai in Spain, Egina in Italy and Social Good Accelerator in France. At the beginning of July, we met for the first time in Foligno and Montefalco in Italy for 4 intense days around Social Tech.

Warmly welcomed by our Italian partner Egina, it was with pleasure that we participated in the Social Hackaton #SHU2022 during the last two days of the event. Afterwards, we dedicated ourselves to our transnational meeting. Here is a look back at these four days of sharing and enrichment.

The Social Tech Academy team, jury of the Social Hackaton #SHU2022

The main event of #SHU2022 was the Hackathon, the final phase of several training courses offered by the Social Hackademy Lab to students and young people from across Europe. The competition brought together teams of up to 10 people, consisting of young hackers and an experienced team leader. Their objective was to develop a digital project with social impact.

As a jury, we discovered 8 innovative projects using digital technologies for social purposes. We particularly appreciated the “Anlaids” project, a multilingual platform that guides immigrants step by step in booking an appointment for a free screening for sexually transmitted diseases

The Social Tech Academy team on 6 July in Foligno, Italy.

The second transnational meeting of the Social Tech Academy project

On 5 and 6 July we held our first face-to-face meeting, after a fully online kick-off. This meeting was an opportunity to go back over all aspects of project management: deadlines, deliverables, administrative and budgetary follow-up.

Launched in February 2022, the first work block of the project is now almost complete. It consists of a review of the situation in order to better identify the expectations and needs of our 4 target audiences: students, social economy managers, people undergoing professional retraining and social economy trainers. 

The literature review highlighted the opportunities of the digital transition supported by the European Union for social economy organisations, while underlining the obstacles and barriers to the digital transition of the social economy. Secondly, the questionnaire, which received 116 responses, highlighted the needs of our target audiences. On this basis, the training strategy will be built by the end of July. The results of our work will be published shortly.

Finally, after reviewing the work accomplished, we worked together to write an editorial schedule, to establish the architecture of the future platform and to define the themes of future training modules.

On the strength of these exchanges, the Social Tech Academy team reaffirms its enthusiasm for the idea of building the Social Tech Academy, which we hope will help bring the social economy into the digital age.

 

About the author

The Social Tech Academy Team
Analysis of the report on the Digital Commons

Analysis of the report on the Digital Commons

by | 13 Jul 2022 | Communs & plaidoyer, Editorial, Revue de presse

Analysis of the report on the Digital Commons

On the occasion of the Digital Assembly co-organised in Toulouse on 21 and 22 June by the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, the report on the Digital Commons was published. This report was initiated by France during the conference ‘Building Europe’s Digital Sovereignty’ organised on 7 and 8 February. 

This report is the result of collective work by a group of 19 European union (EU) Member States, the European Commission.

The aim was to collectively develop a project to promote and accelerate the development of the digital commons.

The digital commons, pillars of European digital sovereignty

According to the definition of Elinor Ostrom, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2009, a commons is defined as a resource designed and governed by a community, with established rules of access and sharing. A digital commons is therefore a digital resource such as a platform, a website or an application whose particularity is that it belongs to everyone and can be modified by everyone. In other words, the governance of this resource is managed in a democratic and bottom-up manner. 

The basic premise is that a well-maintained digital commons offers ‘a unique opportunity to support European digital sovereignty’.

First, under the right conditions, digital commons contribute to the preservation of control by external powers. Indeed, a digital commons is by definition neither in the hands of a single large company nor in those of a single state. This shared ownership aims to prevent the risk of abuse.

Secondly, the commons contribute to the collective valorisation of a digital resource and to the reuse of the digital data and infrastructure concerning it. The digital commons therefore promote innovation, social value and sustainability. Collective intelligence is indeed increased tenfold by the free access to information and the possibility to enrich the resource.

Finally, the digital commons are a pillar of cybersecurity, provided that they are well maintained. In other words, according to Eric S. Raymond’s adage, ‘if you have enough eyes, all bugs are shallow’ (The Cathedral and the Bazaar, 1999).

 

A strong need for visibility and acculturation of the digital commons

‘However, without a cultural shift in understanding the added value of the commons, their sustainability is threatened by a lack of use and contribution.’ As this report points out, the digital commons are excellent tools for moving towards European digital sovereignty, provided they are widely used. It is true that without widespread use and contribution, the resource can quickly become inefficient and obsolete. Hence the report’s proposals aimed firstly at giving visibility to the digital commons, and secondly, at gaining the trust of the different actors, in particular those of the digital commons community.

Four proposals to promote and accelerate the development of the digital commons

Proposal 1: Create a European one-stop-shop to guide communities towards adequate funding and public support

The idea is to create a platform to centralise at a European level the process of finding public funding for digital communities by providing guidance, expertise and resources.

 

Proposal 2: Launch a call for projects for the most strategic commons

The purpose of a call for projects on the digital commons would make it possible to respond to the financial problems encountered by the majority of commons, given their limited resources.

An orientation of funds towards thematic digital commons is recommended. The themes identified as priorities by the working group are research, e-government and strategic elements.

 

Proposal 3: Create a European Foundation for the Digital Commons

The creation of a European Foundation is the most ambitious proposal. ‘In coordination with the EU’s policy objectives, the structure would aim to foster the development of digital commons ecosystems across Europe, to strengthen existing communities and encourage the re-use of digital resources, while facilitating the spread of the digital commons model by supporting the generation of new digital commons.’

But, it would only become a true catalyst, supporter and promoter of the digital commons ‘if its governance is open and shared with the communities concerned.’ Governance would therefore be shared between the States, the European Commission and the digital commons communities. In addition, a permanent team would be dedicated to supporting this structure.

 

Proposal 4: Leading by example, the digital commons by default

This proposal aims to ensure that national and European administrations assess as a priority the possibility of a solution using open source code and open data as soon as they are faced with the development of digital resources.

Conclusion: the scope of the report

Welcomed by many in the digital commons community, these proposals are encouraging for the future and fully in line with the EU’s climate and digital objectives.

The next step is suggested by the report. This is a broad consultation on this topic in coordination with the launch of the call for projects. However, caution is called for. Indeed, the Czech Presidency of the European Union – which began on 1 July 2022 – must take over to ensure that all the challenges are met. But the Czech Republic is one Member State absent from the list of Member States that supported the report. The adoption of these recommendations could therefore be slowed down.

Finally, to complete these elements, the actors of the sector, including Wikimedia France, Framasoft, and Mobicoop, have taken up the issue. They have, in turn, drawn up a set of proposals with the same objective in mind.

The digital commons still have a bright future. In this regard, our next study will focus on the new models of citizen and contributory economy in Europe. This study will analyse the practices, partnerships and effects of two digital commons by social economy actors: Open Street Map and Open Food Fact.

About the author

Justine Coopman
justine(at)socialgoodaccelerator.eu
Public Affairs and Communication
Lille, France
Rapport d’activité 2021

Rapport d’activité 2021

by | 7 Jul 2022 | Rapport d'activité

Discover the SOGA’s 2021 activity report and its perspectives for 2022

Through its working groups (now renamed ‘programmes’), the Social Good accelerator and its 70 members have carried out ambitious projects for the development of a European digital model that is inclusive, sustainable and accessible to all, accelerating the digital transition of the social economy and social tech.

Discover all the actions accomplished by the SOGA throughout the year 2021 and its perspectives for 2022 in this activity report. This version was approved at the ordinary general meeting on 18 June 2022.

2021 in brief…

European Community programme 

✔️ 3 SOGAcademy webinars aimed at acculturation to digital good practices.
✔️ The complete realisation of the Social Tech Atlas project, an open and bilingual database of European digital social economy organisations.
✔️ European funding obtained for the Social Tech Academy project, a future European resource platform for digital social economy professions
✔️ An award ceremony at the Social Economy Award.

 

Public Affairs programme 

✔️ Participation in the creation of the action plan for the social economy through a 28-page policy paper sent to a European consultation.
✔️ Several policy meetings: with Karel Vanderpoorten (Policy officer at DG Grow) and Nicolas Hazard (INCO).
✔️ Participation in several key political events: the European Summit in Mannheim and the Social Economy Week (ActES).
✔️ The drafting of an open letter to be sent to policy makers at the beginning of 2022 (French Presidency of the European Union).

Social Economy Awards

Jeanne Bretécher, President of the Social Good Accelerator receiving the Social Economy Awards in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on 12 October 2021.

Research programme 

✔️ The framing of SOGA study 2 which will focus on the added value of online collaborative economy initiatives, through a comparative study on the use of OpenStreetMap and Open Foods Facts.

 

And many more:

✔️ Fundraising: a European project obtained
✔️ 2 membership campaigns: +24 members
✔️ 12 articles published on the blog and 12 newsletters sent
✔️ On Twitter: about 110,200 people reached, 275 followers, 103 mentions and 7985 visits

Our challenges for 2022 

🎓 Deploying our Social Tech Academy project to its full potential 

First, until the end of 2023, we are engaged in the Social Tech Academy project funded by the Erasmus+ programme. We want to extend this project with one or more complementary project(s).

 

📍Organise Social Good Week Europe 

We are organising this event with kick-off events: in Brussels and Lisbon (already organised) and in Paris (September 2022). The official Social Good Week Europe will take place from 2 to 8 November 2022.

📣 Continue to grow in influence 

We take a political stand with our open letter, our letter to the ministers or the participation in the European consultation and in the construction workshops of the European text “Transition Pathways” with the European Commission in the framework of the action plan for the social economy. SOGA is also a member of the European Commission’s Pact for skills.

 

📚 Launch part 2 of our study 

After having conducted a first study on cooperations between social economy and Tech actors in Europe, we want to launch a second part on citizen databases as a tool for cooperation and value creation.

 

👩 Find a stable business model and stabilise our team 

Finally, we are testing a new service offer based on strategic consulting (consulting, European institutional watch, watch on European funding). 

 

Read the activity report for 2021 in English
Read the activity report for 2021 in French

About the author

Justine Coopman
justine(at)socialgoodaccelerator.eu
Public Affairs and Communication
Lille, France
A short review of the SOGA General Assembly and Annual Seminar in June 2022

A short review of the SOGA General Assembly and Annual Seminar in June 2022

by | 21 Jun 2022 | Actualités de SOGA

A short review of the Social Good Accelerator General Assembly and Annual Seminar

On 17 and 18 June, several members of the Social Good Accelerator met at the Hermitage, located in the commune of Autrêches, in the Oise department for the SOGA General Assembly and his Annual Seminar. Beyond the inspiring setting that this place consists of, the members present took the opportunity to hatch new ideas for the future of the association. Here is a summary of two days rich in discussions and decisions.

The Social Good Accelerator community met in Autrêches (Oise) to discuss the future of the association and deliberate for the yearly General Assembly
Source: Nathanaël Ackerman

Constructive workshops to accelerate the digital transition of social economy
The resumption of face-to-face events, which had not been on the agenda since the health crisis, allowed a number of members to be reunited. In small groups, the group of committed people that quickly formed was also remarkably representative of the association’s community, i.e. diverse, plural but united in its objectives.

Structures from social economy, digital, tech and public affairs were represented around the table (or rather, around the fire). This made it possible to discuss the interest that members have in the work of the association, and above all the reasons for their commitment.

Prospects for 2022 and 2023, looking back at 2021
The General Assembly was an opportunity to look back at the projects on the association’s agenda for 2021. Starting with the Social Tech Atlas, which occupied a large part of the first half of the year, and whose realisation was made possible thanks to the support of the city of Paris and Aésio Mutuelle. As a reminder, the Social Tech Atlas is an interactive map that aims to bring together European social economy organisations that offer technological solutions or services, as well as operators that support social economy organisations in their digital transformation. This project was presented at the EUSES summit in Mannheim in May 2021.

Secondly, the Social Tech Academy project changed its face in 2021, moving from a cycle of webinars to the ambition of becoming an online resource platform on social tech professions.

Finally, the work of the various working groups, renamed into programmes, was highlighted, particularly with regard to their richness and relevance in the key context of 2021 for the social economy.

Located between Compiègne and Soissons, the Hermitage is at the heart of an innovative local ecosystem where market gardeners, foresters, associations and FabLab geeks rub shoulders.

 

Source: Thomas Brisbart, Social Good Accelerator

On the occasion of the General Assembly, which took place on 18 June 2022, the members unanimously approved the activity report for 2021 as well as the financial report for the same year, which was a real turning point for the association. These documents are available to all.

Read the activity report for 2021 in English
Read the activity report for 2021 in French
The community of the Social Good Accelerator worked for two days on the future of the association in an inspiring place.
Source: Social Good Accelerator