Welcome to Demotech, design for self reliance!
Demotech is anorganization based in Maastricht, in The Netherlands which tests andpromotes a unique approach to sustainability, development, and dailyliving around the globe. This section of the website will introduceyou to Demotech, its initiatives, ideas, members, and ambitions. Pleasefollow the links to specific pages and documents. Below youwill find a general introduction to Demotech thinking, theory andpractice.
Demotech: an introduction
DearReader,
I wish you, reader of this story, a long and happy life. Your life, the way you live it and what it means to you and the peoplearound you is what our research centers on. We want to get moreout of life: fun, meaning, friendship and … comfort. That is why wework, for ourselves, and for you. What we produce is forourselves as for you free for the taking.
Re-design is our job. Re-designing concepts, tools, methods, ideas to make them accessibleand affordable to everybody in the world. By re-designing the way welive, Demotech works to improve our lives with techniques and tricksaimed at a single over arching goal: More Joy Per Person.
Whatbothers us most is that successfully participating in a rich societycreates little joy for its participants. Notwithstanding the immenseuse as well as destruction of resources. Notwithstanding the cheaplabor of poor people that is abundantly made use of.
Whatamazes us most is joy and merriness that we observe in the streets ofpoor countries, where people live with a hundred fold lower income. Asa research organization Demotech want to explore the reason for thelack of fun when being rich and the presence of joy when being poor.According all economic know-how it should be the other way round, butthis is clearly not the case.
The results of this research isdocumented in this web page. Working with students and professionals,with people in poor and rich countries, Demotech combines theoreticalresearch and practical applications to uncover a new technology guidedby our own values. However, ‘Democracy Supporting Technology’ has a lotto accomplish before it deserves that name. Being aware of theshortcomings of contemporary technology is good for a start. Gettingresults asks for more. It asks for the highest targets, the smartestinnovation, endless debugging and deep awareness during practicaltesting and actual use. As time has taught us some of the tricks, weare overwhelmed by the rich potential of our approach. Therefore thiswebsite is a call for participation!
We ask you, dear reader,to take the time to read this website and add your own criticalthinking to our ongoing action.
All Yours,
The DemotechTeam