Papers by Alex Megelas
Response to Toronto Police Service's consultation on the draft governance for the acquisition and use of AI technology
SSRN Electronic Journal
Cet ouvrage fut élaboré afin de documenter et de diffuser la matière présentée et discutée lors d... more Cet ouvrage fut élaboré afin de documenter et de diffuser la matière présentée et discutée lors du Forum. Les présentateurs furent invités à adapter leurs présentations et de nouvelles contributions ont été soumises en réponse aux thèmes et aux enjeux soulevés par le Forum dans le but d'élargir les perspectives sur des questions d'obsolescence, de gestion des déchets, d'activisme technologique et de pratique artistique contemporaine. Le contenu est regroupé par thème ou préoccupation. Chaque texte apparaît tel qu'il a été soumis par son auteur, en français ou en anglais, accompagné d'un résumé traduit. Des éléments complémentaires tels qu'une bibliographie et des coordonnées ont pour but de promouvoir le réseautage et la collaboration autour des thèmes visés par le Forum. Les informations biographiques des collaborateurs étaient à jour en 2013. Le Forum public sur le statut de l'équipement électronique à Montréal a été collaborativement conçu, élaboré et produit par Tim Dallett et Adam Kelly de l'Institut de l'artéfact, ainsi que Kerri Flannigan, Monique Mathieu, Coco Riot et Julie Tremble d'articule. La recherche initiale fut alimentée par des discussions avec Peter Flemming, Nelson Henricks, Teresa Rowatt, Kim Sawchuck, Will Straw et David Tomas. L'organisme non-gouvernemental montréalais Action REbuts fut une source importante de conseils et de soutien tout au long du projet. Les événements du Forum ont été rendus possible grâce à la participation généreuse et dévouée de tous les présentateurs, dont
Brouillon Général! Montréal
Power Up! Learning in a Hackerspace
This qualitative research project considers the acquisition of technological literacy in the live... more This qualitative research project considers the acquisition of technological literacy in the lived, physical context of the Foulab hackerspace, a community of practice located in Montreal, Quebec. Hackerspaces are an offshoot of hacker culture. They are physical sites (garages, lofts) where individuals who sometimes self-identify as hackers come together to share tools and knowledge, and collaborate on projects of a technological nature. As educational communities, hackerspaces are member-led and member-funded. Initiatives stemming from hackerspaces including computer programming, electrical design and small electronics projects. Power Up! participants were six individuals, including the lead researcher, who all identified themselves as having experienced barriers to engaging with technology. The research objective was to see how (if) Foulab would contribute to participants overcoming their reluctances, successfully complete a project and in so doing, acquire mastery over the tools and knowledge required. Participants were required to design and build a bicycle-powered electricity generator with the support of the Foulab membership, facilities and tools. While the project was successfully completed, there were clashes between the lab and Power Up! project which prevented the project from being fully integrated into Foulab. The research project documents this and how, as a result, Power Up! grew into its own peer-based learning community. Participants met at Foulab weekly for ten weeks. At the onset of the project, participants were asked to take part in a written reflection and a group conversation in order to consider their prior and current engagement with technology. Participants then began to develop a methodology for working together that first saw them engage in research into the theoretical fundamentals of electrical conductivity and electrical project design. They then came up with a design for the bicycle-powered generator and gathered the tools and parts necessary to assemble it. This process, and the participants' engagement with each other and with Foulab, was documented in field notes by the lead researcher. At the conclusion of the project, participants took part in a group discussion to reflect on the experience.
Mutual Aid : Building Solidarity During This Crisis (and the Next), de Dean Spade, Londres et New York, Verso, 2020, 128 p
Politique et Sociétés
The Parc-Extension Neighbourhood Round Table is a local, multi-sector and multi-network concertat... more The Parc-Extension Neighbourhood Round Table is a local, multi-sector and multi-network concertation body whose main objectives are to provide the neighbourhood with a ten-year plan and to improve the residents' living conditions. Brick by Brick is a community organization which, since 2016, has been working to create a community housing project and a social centre in Parc-Extension. Brick by Brick seeks to address the needs of the neighbourhood's residents while honouring their diversity through its various projects. Tiger Lotus Coop is a cooperative focusing on community health that offers women and trans people education services and workshops in Montreal. The CBAR network is a collective of scholars and community organizers working in Parc-Extension. They meet up to share and identify the neighbourhood's research priorities, while promoting a collaborative approach to address social justice issues.
Since 2009, the McGill Community for Lifelong Learning (MCLL), a program of the McGill School of ... more Since 2009, the McGill Community for Lifelong Learning (MCLL), a program of the McGill School of Continuing Studies (SCS), has been actively involved in outreach programs to the larger Quebec community. MCLL's peer learning process ensures that local participants are involved in co-creating their own educational experience. In cooperation with Quebec's Community Learning Centres (CLCs), MCLL assisted in developing three older adult peer learning initiatives-in Lachute, Saint-Lambert, and Quebec City. In practice, MCLL volunteers explain and illustrate the MCLL model to members of the CLC communities, demonstrating how participants learn from each other through research and discussion. Where appropriate, MCLL moderators/instructors used videoconferencing and workshops to connect with leaders from the various regions for planning and support. This paper describes the challenges and rewards of integrating a volunteer-led lifelong learning program in diverse community settings. By examining what has been achieved and how it has been accomplished over a four-year period, the paper considers the successes of this collaboration and looks into areas of future expansion.
Perspectives sur le statut des équipements électroniques à Montréal = Perspectives on the Status of Electronic Equipment in Montreal
"The [...] anthology responds to the ever-increasing amount of electronic equipment that is ... more "The [...] anthology responds to the ever-increasing amount of electronic equipment that is perceived as obsolete, valueless or disposable. Contributors from diverse disciplines including ecology, waste management, technology activism and contemporary art bring their expertise to bear on the consumption, use, obsolescence, disposal and repair and re-use of electronic equipment. Perspectives’ hybrid approach to these topics will be of interest to both general and specialized readers negotiating the cultural, environmental and social impacts of contemporary technology. Essays, projects and resource materials highlight approaches and practices that question consumption patterns and propose alternative approaches to using technology. Case studies and local contexts from Montreal Quebec are related to issues and initiatives across industrialized societies." -- Publisher's website.
Manuel pour changer le monde, École d’innovation sociale Élisabeth-Bruyère, Montréal, Lux Éditeur, 168 p
La gentrification contre le droit à la ville. Le cas de Parc-Extension
Article rédigé en collaboration avec Alex Megelas et Naomi Nichols.
.dpi, 2011
This article is about hackerspaces and the thedo-it-yourself approach to learning. Over 300 of th... more This article is about hackerspaces and the thedo-it-yourself approach to learning. Over 300 of these communities exist around the world that radically challenge the notion that technology should imprison its users. These hackerspaces promote a new form of social literacy: the idea that technology needs to be accessible, allowing its users to open, explore, modify, repair and adapt it. Foulab is a Montreal-based hackerspace that provides the necessary tools for approaching technology critically. It is an open community that welcomes hackers and others to participate organically in a wide array of activities, workshops and individual sessions, all of which promote the joy of exploring and experimenting with technology
Perspective on the Status of Electronic Equipment in Montréal, 2013
This article considers the structure and mandate of the Foulab hackerspace in Montreal, as an ext... more This article considers the structure and mandate of the Foulab hackerspace in Montreal, as an extension of an emergent hackerspace social movement
Brouillon Général! Montréal
Nouveaux Cahiers du socialisme, 2019
Article rédigé avec Alex Megelas et Naomi Nichols.
Articles by Alex Megelas
The Homeless Hub, 2018
On November 7th, the Quebec Mayor Régis Labeaume announced that imprisonment for people experienc... more On November 7th, the Quebec Mayor Régis Labeaume announced that imprisonment for people experiencing homelessness would no longer be a consequence of unpaid tickets and that offences such as sleeping in a public place and being in a park between 11 and 5 am will be met with some leniency. Although this would initially appear to be a positive measure, the Mayor was also quick to specify that this lenience was meant to be applied to people dealing with mental health issues and not to “les bums” (that is, people who would experience chronic or long-term homelessness “by choice”). This distinction between “involuntary” homelessness and “les bums” perpetuates the idea of an undeserving poor individual and fails to recognize homelessness as a serious systemic issue.
This text was co-authored with Naomi Nichols, Alex Megelas, Raffaela Abbate and Jayne Malenfant.
Journal des Alternatives, 2019
Article rédigé avec Alex Megelas, Amy Darwish, Leonora Indira King, Naomi Nichols et Rose-Anne St... more Article rédigé avec Alex Megelas, Amy Darwish, Leonora Indira King, Naomi Nichols et Rose-Anne St-Paul.
Book Reviews by Alex Megelas
Politique et Sociétés, 2022
Dean Spade, militant trans et professeur de droit à la Seattle University School of Law, offre av... more Dean Spade, militant trans et professeur de droit à la Seattle University School of Law, offre avec cet ouvrage une réflexion importante sur l’entraide, l’engagement communautaire et les luttes pour la justice sociale, qui permettent à la fois de répondre à différents besoins dans nos collectivités et de renforcer les possibilités de résistance populaire face aux crises en cours et à venir.
Uploads
Papers by Alex Megelas
Articles by Alex Megelas
This text was co-authored with Naomi Nichols, Alex Megelas, Raffaela Abbate and Jayne Malenfant.
Book Reviews by Alex Megelas