You can download the .pdf handout/ slides for this session.

Progress to date on the Institute for Solidarity Economics’ (ISE) work using data to connect the Solidarity Economy will be shared publicly for the first time at Open 2017.

The Institute for Solidarity Economics’ Matt Wallis and Dan Whiteley have been working on the Linked Open Data (LOD) Infrastructure Project since early 2016, and it’s an area that ISE – and many others in the Solidarity Economy Movement – think is an important part of working towards a fairer society for people and planet.

“Data is the fuel that powers the World Wide Web. As an increasing amount of daily life now takes place on the internet, huge global corporations like Facebook and Google realise that data – information about what we do online – is a hugely valuable commodity, converting it into massive financial rewards for the few,” explains Matt. “But for the Solidarity Economy, it can power the growth of our movement, and help to claw back some of what has been taken from us by global capitalism.”

Speaking at Open:2017, Matt will explain the progress he and colleague Dan have made on the project, undertaking a detailed implementation of Linked Open Data, producing an experimental dataset describing over 13,000 UK co-operative outlets (based on the dataset published by Co-operatives UK), with links to other datasets, and producing a map application that is powered by the Linked Open Data.

“Data can help us grow by documenting what’s out there, for example with maps, by making our movement more visible, and by helping people to find alternatives to the global giants,” continues Matt. “Data for the Solidarity Economy can help us regain lost ground by powering platforms to provide alternatives to things like Airbnb, Uber, and Deliveroo.”