Since we started nearly four years ago, we’ve been encouraging others to do what we do. We created a kit. We count Restart Parties in nine countries now, with true leaders and advocates for our ethos emerging from Montreal to Milan.
Last week a couple of stories came out featuring the work of self-started Restarters. Without people who take the initiative to plan and host events, community repair would not be possible. We’re sharing here, truly proud of what they are achieving.
Milan
We loved this profile of Savino Curci in Italian daily Corriere Della Sera. A professional meteorologist, he describes restarting as a new flexible form of volunteering. Find Restarters Milano here. Our translation:
“The important thing is that people want to get their hands dirty with us,” says Savino Curci, 53 years. “I’m a Restarter, and with other volunteers during events that are called Restart Parties, I spread the practice of repair to ensure that all of us learn to be responsible for our things, having fun and being together” he says… There are three ingredients of this activity: fun, savings, respect for nature. “Because this kind of volunteering is a win-win commitment, logistically light-touch, also achievable for those with a family, work, kids.”
Barcelona
We spotted an interview with Restarter Cristina Lampón in one of the largest Catalan sites. Find Restarters Barcelona here. Machine translation:
The main objective, explained Lampón, “is not to fix the device, but to get the person as involved as possible in the repair and if there is nothing to lose, at least see what they can do. By just seeing inside the device, you can already see people lose fear to open it,” she adds. The thing that matters, then, is not so much the repair itself, but consumer awareness.
Hackney via Norway
Earlier this year, on the blog of a large environmental NGO, a profile of the Hackney Fixers who are regular organisers of Restart Parties in London. Machine translation:
“This is not a place to repair something for free, it is the place to learn how electrical items be repaired and that one does not always need to throw things at once it is broken,” says Friederike. There is a good mix of people present who come to get things repaired. Some obviously are there because they can not afford new and hope to get a longer life for their item, others because they are concerned about the environment or may not know where else to go to get things repaired.