The ReeFab Charter
The charter below was created at the IAAC Barcelona FabLab on 25 April 2024.
It was created as a manifesto of the ReeFab project and our vision for the future of FabLabs, at least in Europe.
Its main inspiration is the original Fabfoundation charter, written on 20 October 2012.
It is a prospective artifact with this challenging idea :
“What if the FabLabs were invented in 2024, with the climate challenges we face nowadays ?”
The aim of this alternative charter is to embody a future for Fablabs in a world where the ecological transition is no longer a goal but an achievement.
It is built around the reef as a metaphor for a precious, complex and virtuous ecosystem in relation to its environment.
This “manifesto” is available to anyone, to any makerspace: you can use it as inspiration, a message or a claim, or even to call your place a ReeFab if you like!
What is a ReeFab ?
A ReeFab is a playground for ecological practices.
It is grounded to the reality, and close to the people.
It is orientative about knowledge, know-hows, skills and sharing.
A ReeFab can as much be a time-space, an activity rather than a well defined place.
What is in a ReeFab ?
In a ReeFab, you can find equipments to run ecological activities.
These are artifacts, tools, machines, objects, creations and real results that highlight interactions and synergies between different people, ideas and challenges.
How does it operate ?
A ReeFab is adaptive. It adapts to its users, who are citizens from any age and any country.
It also adapts from society and environment.
A ReeFab is non-hierarchical and participative.
Whoever has an idea is always legitimate.
Who is part of a ReeFab ecosystem ?
A ReeFab ecosystem is built around 4 main “corals” :
The workshop : a fablab, a makerspace, an experimentation space, a prototyping space. Somewhere you can make and build stuff. It is run by a staff, centralized or decentralized.
Young adults : wether they are students, unemployed, dropped school… no matter their situation.
Social & educational structures : entities here to educate, support, help youngsters to become citizen.
Local economic players : all forms of organization dealing with manufacturing, production and the environment.
A ReeFab can grow, shrink and see its number of members and connections evolve over time.
What is the goal of a ReeFab ?
A ReeFab must have a local impact on society.
It enhances employability of young people, and bring them useful, meaningful paths.
A ReeFab fosters and maintains the relationships between local actors.
Wether they are companies, factories, craftsmen and women, startups, associations, institutions, NGOs…
A ReeFab contributes to the environmental protection, research, prototyping and exploration of solutions.
What are the values of a ReeFab ?
A ReeFab is locally grounded and tangible.
It is open and inclusive :
Trial and error is ok. People are here to experiment, so it is a context for tolerance, ambiguity and mistakes.
It is accessible for people in difficulty.
Any way of thinking is welcome when it deals with others with respect.