Organizations

About Howtopedia

Who we are?
A non-profit organization based in Zurich, Switzerland.

Our Vision
The vision behind howtopedia is the belief in an autonomous, alternative development through the diffusion of simple technologies and practical knowledge. We believe that each individual should have at his reach tools and information for empowerment.
Internet is a powerful media, which more and more people are aware of as an inestimable source of information. The specific resource for development aid is increasing constantly, but there is a need for a one-stop information place addressed to the broad public.

Our Mission
Our objective is to become the reference for people looking for resources for empowerment. We promote simple technologies in all areas of daily life.
howtopedia focuses on a bottom-up strategy. It collects and disseminates self-help resources and know-how in order to facilitate the local self-organization worldwide.

Simple technologies

• Cause minimal cost
• Use local materials
• Require minimal skills
• Are easy to maintain
• Protect the environment and comply with the principle of sustainability
• Are solution-oriented
• Help acquire new skills

Core tasks
howtopedia’s central activities are:

• The propagation and promotion of simple technologies
• The collection of knowledge in the field of simple technologies and practical knowledge
• The exchange of knowledge, and knowledge transfer between organizations, research institutes, innovators and individuals
• Promoting the innovation
• Facilitating access to information, especially in transitional and developing countries
• The recruitment of new users

Means
howtopedia provides an Internet platform that can be exploited as an open online library by registered organizations and individuals across borders. Its content is the result of collaborative work and it acts as an interface between information providers and users. howtopedia pursues information control.

How to take part to our project
You can participate by :

• Sharing your experience by writing or translating articles. Contact us to get a user name and editing rights
• Inform us about free of right information sources
• Using the site and talking about it
• Sending us your feedback about the website or your story at info@howtopedia.org
• Or help us financialy for hardware, software, maintenance and communication expenses. Support howtopedia!

If you would like to publish an article but do not have time, e-maill us your project page link, or send the documents and we will add your project page to our library.

Financing
howtopedia is committed to not-for-profit principles. The work of the association is supported by staff and volunteers from Switzerland and worldwide. The funding is achieved through membership fees, donations and contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations, governmental and international organizations. However, howtopedia accepts contributions only if full independence in conducting the projects is guaranteed.

How to contact us

• info at howtopedia.org (de, en, es, fr, it, pt, tr)

// Howtopedia // Maud Châtelet // Langstrasse 193 // 8004 Zürich // Switzerland // 00 41 76 422 3003

Special thanks
We would like to thank especially Practical Action and INTI for their confidence and their support.

We need your support to finance the project. Any help is very welcomed: Support howtopedia!

Many Thanks to all of you.

Partner Organisations

The following organizations are partnering with howtopedia and contribute to the constrctuction of the library:

• INTI
• Practical Action
• Prolinnova
• RESEDA
• Article 25 Development and Disaster Relief
• EWB Engineers Without Borders -Uni Karlsruhe
• IRC
• RAINTREE-FOUNDATION

Scientifical Online Libraries on Agriculture and Technology

AJOL African Journals Online: database of over 175 digitised African journals.
http://www.ajol.info

AGLINET Agricultural Libraries Network
http://www.fao.org/library/_Info_ServicesEN/aglinetEN.htm

AGORA Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture
http://www.aginternetwork.

AGRIS International Information System for the Agricultural Sciences and Technology
http://www.fao.org/agris

@SIC Archive ouverte en sciences de l'information et de la communication
http://archivesic.ccsd.cnrs.fr

Bioline International
http://www.bioline.org.br/

CABI Information for Development Program
http://www.cabi.org/datapage.asp?iDocID=234

'CGVlibrary CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research
http://vlibrary.cgiar.org

Dgroups
http://www.dgroups.org

EIFL Electronic Information for Libraries
http://www.eifl.net/

EOLSS Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems
http://www.eolss.net/

Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.

GDNet's. Free Journals Access Portal For Social Sciences
http://www.gdnet.org/online_services/journals/gdn_journal_services/index.html

HINARI Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative
http://www.who.int/hinari/en/?lang=en

IAALD International Association of Agricultural Information Specialists
http://www.iaald.org

ICT Update http://www.ictupdate.cta.int

iNARS Forum Information and Agricultural Services http://www.dgroups.org/groups/iNARS

INASP International Network for the Availability of Scientific Publications
http://www.inasp.info/

INFOTECScientific and Technological Information System for the Agricultural Sector in the Americas
http://www.infotec.ws
http://www.infoagro.net/infotec

ISTEC Ibero-American Science and Technology Education Consortium
http://www.istec.org/

INIST Institute for Scientific and Technical Information
Open Access to Scientific and Technical Information
http://www.inist.fr/openaccess/index.htm

PERI Programme for the Enhancement of Research Information
http://www.inasp.info/peri/index.html

Scidev
http://www.scidev.net

SIST Système d'information scientifique et technique
www.sistsciencesdev.net/index.html

SIDALC
http://orton.catie.ac.cr/defaulten.htm

TEEAL The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library
http://www.teeal.org

USAIN United States Agricultural Information Network
http://usain.org/developingresources.html

Other WIKI's

• MakerWiki.com
• Hoemoetdatdan.nl Dutch site with movies which show how to do things. Possibility to upload your own movies.
• how-2.tv Howto site with movies which show how to do things. Possibility to upload your own movies.
• appropedia.org Appropedia is an open library wiki, focused on two core initiatives: Reducing poverty through International Development and increasing sustainability through the use of Appropriate Technology
• http://www.infobridge.org Infobridge is a shared repository with information on organisations, projects, experts as well as many documents and good practicies in the area of agriculture, NRM, ICT4D.Possibility to manage and upload own information.
• The NewWays Community cultivates practical ideas to support social equality, environmental sustainability, and conscious consumption towards a balanced ecology and economy. Check out our short video on how NewWays can work for you!