Cycle of Ideas, the citizen cooperation network from Montcada i Reixac

A few days ago the new website Cycle of Ideas was presented at the Auditorio de Montcada i Reixac, a social network of citizen collaboration that brings together citizens, organizations, businesses and government itself to define the needs or deficiencies in each territory and find solutions collaboratively.

"Cycle of Ideas is a collaboration platform that promotes citizen participation and involvement in the operation of district. It is a tool that creates public awareness of our society problems, and finds new solutions to these problems with collective effort. This is a very interesting way to innovate. It is the collective social innovation, "explains Joan Batlle, Assistant to Direcció de Creativitat i Innovació.

Actually, Barcelona Lab, one of Direcció de Creativitat i Innovació de l’Institut de Cultura programs, has been following and helping Cycle of ideas during the creating process of the platform. Joan Batlle tells us that "Eduard Motos, Cycle of Ideas creator, came to Barcelona Lab asking how we could help him. Barcelona Lab has received and invited him to different conferences like #NetBCNLab, where he could contact other similar experiences and shared knowledge and difficulties".

The European Commission has identified these platforms as one of the key to connecting people and ideas to produce social innovation that enables society to face current challenges.

These platforms help to develop a sense of community and create a more cohesive society. They facilitate the sharing of knowledge and are essential to achieve changes in lifestyle patterns of production and consumption and to establish more participatory democratic processes. That is why the European Commission is calling for work to create and launch new platforms for citizen cooperation, especially scientists to study how to promote the development of collective intelligence to build a more inclusive, more cohesive society and more prosperous.

Joan Batlle, also says that "it is often said that the Internet makes us more individualistic, that keeps us from others. But this is not true and here we have a clear example. Cycle of Ideas is an example of how the Internet makes us closer, more local and therefore a stronger society. It is true that the Internet breaks the space barriers and allows us to connect with people around the world and open up other areas of collaboration, but also allows us to know our neighbor and help him. Using this platform has a direct impact on improving our immediate environment".