Urban WWOOFing
The CouchSurfing Wiki, an informal workspace which anyone can edit.
Introducing... Urban WWOOFing!
The following is the evolving outline of the Urban WWOOFing concept (which is based off the model for Rural CS, thankyou). Currently in its very early days, this CS group and homestay concept aims to slowly mature within the safe confines of the CS community. You may wish to contribute to this page directly or perhaps discuss it in the Urban WWOOFing group on the CS main site.
Scope of Urban WWOOFing
This has the potential to be a networked global community linked up off the back of Couchsurfing.org. See the discussion about it here: 1
Background
Urban Wwoofing seeks to connect useful travellers who wwoof in rural areas and often end up in hostels or couch surfs in the city - with supportive and needy hosts in those urban areas. It is an existing practice which happens in patches but this intiative is to give it a name then network and promote the concept openly.
Why is it useful ? and to whom?
Travellers are always looking for cheap accom right? This often ends up in folks helping out at hostel in exchange for staying there. Many travellers reach a country through the airports in the cities and urban areas. Why wwoof only in the countryside and stay at hostels in the town when there are so many empty guest rooms in peoples urban homes?? Urban Wwoofing seeks to bridge the mind-gap between travellers norming to bartering food+housing in urban as well as rural areas.
Increasingly - hosts in urban areas have more house jobs on their hands and there is a big movement towards growing food in the cities happening around this here earth. There is an increasingly long list of jobs in the urban (or suburban) environment. Also as the cost of living rises in urban areas homeowners and tenants often need to spend more time away from their homes working in order to pay for them. If hosts are up for the barter homestay concept then they can get a real reward of more stuff done around their homes.
What is the difference between Urban WWOOFING and couchsurfing experience?
Urban WWOOFing facilitates medium term stays (3days plus) which extend on the existing shorter stays common to CS. The concept works through direct reciprocity, in that an Urban Wwoofer does odd jobs, repairs and helps out around the house in exchange for food and housing. Details of which can be worked out on a case by case basis - usually the method would be setup by the host.
What is the difference between WWOOF/Helpx and Urban WWOOFing?
WWOOF is an existing global network involving various non-profit orgs who connect wwoofers with hosts usually through a directory in paperback form. For example the Australian WWOOF org provides an annual wwoofing book for $AUD60 which includes insurance.
Urban WWOOFing seeks to be radically different from both existing WWOOF and HELPX style network in the following ways:
- Decentralised structure: using the couchsurfing.org project as a portal for hosts and travelers to list them selves in the "directory" and contact each other directly. This CS platform allows an immediate advantage over national annual paperback wwoofing guides and is more inline with the inspiration for HELPx - but still includes supportive community guidelines in the spirit of CS groups. This refers to the feedback possibilities which already exist. *edits needed there !*
- Open Source - No fees, possibilities for a donation structure. Costs are avoided in the establishment and running of urban wwoofing, no costs are put into any phsical publications.
- Insurance is not relavent: Urban Wwoofing is not an organisation and wishes to stand apart from conventional wwoofing orgs who charge for insurance. We are a community group providing a directory service through which people make connections which they alone are responsible for. As human beings we can connect with each other and solve any problems which come up without litigation and insurance companies.
Guiding Principles
Some guiding principles which the Urban Wwoofing practice hopes to follow, are:
- Reciprocity + Gifting
Giving and receiving in a reciprocal manner but not without a touch of selfless gifting now and then.
- A Decentralised Do-ocracy using Non-Violent Communication
Working in peoples homes can be tricky compared to farms as it is smaller and more personal. Let us call upon the NVC methods and solve any problems which may arise ourselves (without litigation and insurance).
- Collective Wisdom
We are all students, we are all teachers. Let's celebrate and value the diverse knowledge we each gather in our lives and enjoy sharing it. Often this may not just be from host to wwoofer!
These principles give big nods to the Permaculture Principles, Permablitz, Open Source Software movement and Burning Man Principles. Over time it will grow up and have its own concise documentation, but for now the wikipedia link fest can suffice. So don't expect to find all the answers here, jump into the couch surfing group or just start doing it with people you know ! Full links are here
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Spreading the word
Some promo ideas here are:
- the usual online social media streams (blog - podcast - social network)
- word of mouth (the traditional kind). potentially assisted with business card sized flyers
- a diy recycled fridge magnet campaign - using magnetic Provisional driving plates from road sides
- within simliar CS groups once a firm framework had been laid out.
- ultimately translated into several languages and also in comic pictorial form as a zine (/pdf)
Initial people involved
Dylan Prins Iniated the wiki page and possibly coined the term.
The CS group lives here
There is an Urban Wwoofing concept page on the frugalist massive blog
Early Examples
Some intial examples of urban wwoofing hosts will be listed here.
Urban WWOOFing – guidelines for hosts
On a basic level, The guidelines remain the same as in a urban Couchsurfing experience.
Check the "How to be a good host" page
Urban WWOOFing – guidelines for guests
Again, on a basic level, The guidelines remain the same as in a urban Couchsurfing experience.
Check the "How to be a good guest" page
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