harvesthink

powered by Phoenix Arbor

unleashing the power

of rural communities
 can we innovate the
current touristic
services?
can the services take
into account socio-
cultural values?
harvesthink
A pragmatic approach to rural Croatia
that offers a hands on activity for the
participants while interacting with local
communities. It is an empowering
experience with the purpose of making
a positive impact on the communities
based on concrete actions in an
innovative service design.
 challenge
In Croatian rural areas lack of economic opportunities and
scarce innovative product and service development have
threatened activities of high cultural and social value.

An increased youth migration phenomena has contributed

with the brain drain and human capital dry out, accelerating
local population aging and perpetuating the vicious cycle.

lack of access to the necessary infrastructure and resources

is blocking the power of local entrepreneurial initiatives to
unleash their potential.

opportunity
Diversification of the local economic activities seems to be an
option for amplifying economic opportunities, thus attracting the
young people back to the islands or to the continental seaside.

Agricultural activities linked to cultural values might open a door

to economic diversification in the area, and due to its agricultural
characteristics and cultural importance, many croatian agricultural
products are indeed a source of opportunities.

We believe there is plenty of unexploited scope for adapting

tourism-like activities so that they can deliver benefits to the
local communities.
vision
To provide and inspirational
experience to the participants in
a fertile meeting ground for
positive interaction where
efficient actions towards better
communities are generated. This
provide us with an open,

Objectives
resilient and tolerant society as
well as a reflexive individual

a) To challenge the participantʼs notion of development through learning about local

context characteristics
b) To facilitate space for innovative approach to traditional ways of agricultural work
and cooperation
c) To actively involve the locals into new modes of tourism service challenging their
perceptions of lack of skills and opportunities for innovative service designs
d) To create an inspirational meeting ground for exchange of ideas from different
local and external actors
e) To increase awareness of the local participants about the necessity and potential
of their own active involvement in the area
solution concept harvesThink is a model and inspiration of unleashing the
The foreign participants are immerse in the real atmosphere of the harvesting process and of
crop product elaboration, following local technics and practices while interacting with local
communities. This cultural immersion, stresses the importance of interaction within the local

authentic
power of rural communities. It is an off-season experience community.
of 5 to 7 days for foreign and local participants harvesting
an agricultural good. It has the following characteristics:

the activity is a meaningful experience which delivers immediate value to the

actors involve (foreign and local) in the form of exchange of ideas, cultural
interaction and enhancing understanding.

impact driven
open window
The harvesThink activity includes multi channeled communication system among
the actors involved for post-collaboration, resources exchange and communication.
It also facilitate access to a broad network of resources and infrastructure

hands on activity
The learning by doing methodology of the activity integrates practical
activities and provides place to process iterations (mistakes allowed
approach) and successful achievements.
 “l have learned that in
“l am really surprised my lifetime L want to
about how ancient and make a difference in this
common sense world, no matter how
knowledge might give us big or small”’
a lot of hints on the
origins of sustainability”’
 potential
2008 inclusion equity respect for
portunity challenge solution life cha
_Succesfully initiated communication with two local families
_First steps of the design of a for-profit/for-impact harvesThink model

impact outputs
2009 inclusion impact social ratio
llenge opportunity harvest yield exc
_350 kg of olives harvested with a total production of 42 l of olive oil

and _Commercial value of the olive oil: 525 euros

_2 families involved in the project

aware paradigm documentary awar

_Consumption of locally made products: olive oil, red wine, cheese

outputs _Place of origin of the participants: Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany,

ial encounter mass media article in

Mexico and Croatia,
_Local radio interview
(so far) _Short documentary

iving
2010 sustainable website changemak
_Yearly report for key partners

e opportunity radio interview work

_382 kg of olives harvested with a total production of 65 l of olive oil
_Commercial value of the olive oil: 813 euros
_3 families involved in the project

al entrepreneur scientific article of

_Consumption of locally made products: olive oil, red wine, cheese, bread,
lettuce, paprika, onion, garlic, parsley, dried figs, mandarines, lemons,
oranges.

community potential exchange stre

_Place of origin of the participants: Finland, Canada, South Africa, Mexico and
Croatia
_Short documentary (to be released soon)

flection harvest youth unleash pote

_Official website
_Yearly report for key partners

rural participation solution challeng

_ Periodical newsletter for the participants
_ Initiation of the database of the local providers of food products and of
participants

sustainable website change work and

_ Initiation of the platform for exchange of traditional recipes and ideas
triggered during harvesThink
 confidence was raised of
the local population in their
the participants notions of
own potentials of creating
development were common ground was
change, specifically,
challenged by getting set for exchanging
opening a window of
direct insights into the traditional knowledge
opportunities for off-season

2 4
challenges and potentials and networking among
diversified agro-tourism
of the local context as local and regional
services based on different
well as social and cultural actors
approaches to their on-
values
going activities with cultural

1 3 5
and social values

awareness was raised

the traditional scheme
about the presence of the
of harvesting was
opportunities for positive
challenged by the
change derived from the
presence of the
inspirational encounter of
external cooperation in
different perspectives and
the agricultural work

changes
ideas

achieved
The working activity provides a sense of
cooperation, “it creates modes of
sociality and sustains a vital sense of
what it means to coexist and cooperate
with others.
 _Fully integration to Phoenix Arbor
Institute
_Develop harvesThink pilot Experience
_Business model iteration and _harvesThink knowledge transfer
workshop during spring
adaptation
_Continuation with community trust _initiate model replication in another
Croatian rural area
building
_Spreading the concept around the _Develop harvesThink Experience 02.1
during summer
community
_Develop harvesThink Experience 02.2

Project
_Initiate key partners cooperation during autumn
_Seek and found initial capital

course
_Continue key partners cooperation

2009 2011
2008 2010
_Contact with the first local community in
the island of Murter, building trust and _Develop harvesThink Experience 01
commitment
_Business model iteration and
_Setting up the working team adaptation
_Research and field work to identify the _Continuation with community trust
opportunities and clearly design the first building
pilot activity.
_Integrating extra features to the service
_Work on the business model design
integrating social impacts _Finish business plan
_Initiate networking and found seeking _Continue key partners cooperation
for the first pilot
 potential inclusion equit
ln 2011
harvest
portunity challenge solu
activity hink
_harvesThink knowledge transfer
workshop during spring

w ill be
outputs inclusion impac
_Develop harvesThink Experience 04.1
during summer
integra
_Develop harvesThink Experience 04.2
t e d
phoenix to the
llenge opportunity harve
during autumn

a
_Reach break even point
_First self-initiated model replication pilot
I n r bo r
Project
_Facilitate the first community-initiated
spin-off project for the Social
aware paradigm tidocum
s tute
ial encounter mass med
Innovation Lab of Phoenix Arbor

course 2013
iving sustainable website
2012
e opportunity radio inte
al entrepreneur scientifi
_harvesThink knowledge transfer
workshop during spring
community potential ex
flection harvest youth u
_Develop harvesThink Experience 03.1
during summer
_Develop harvesThink Experience 03.2

rural participation soluti

during autumn
_Acquire community full support

sustainable website chan

 harvesthink as part of phoenix
phoenix arbor portafolio arbor
of activities institute
The Centre for Human Development and
Innovative Action. Murter, Croatia

The people at Phoenix Arbor believes that

the pervasive challenges humanity faces
at the beginning of the 21st century can
be re-framed as opportunities for creating
more just, sustainable and peaceful
societies. We aim to bring together a
diversity of change-agents from all over
the world, from different age groups,
professional sectors, cultural
backgrounds, world views and join with
them in a process of dialogic learning and
hopeful action towards creating a better
world than the one currently in prospect.

The Institute will be an inspirational

HarvesThink experience and Phoenix Arbor Institute were born sharing meeting ground where positive change-
the same values since the very beginning, no wonder why the integration makers can give wings to their dreams
HarvesThink, as first Instituteʼs service present in the region, it
of harvesThink as part of the Tourism Re-loaded branch of activities of and where social entrepreneurs with
supports the Phoenix Arborʼs first development phase and
Phoenix Arbor seems to be the next natural step. innovative ideas gather in social
prepares the ground for its future operationalization through:
innovation labs to co-create viable
2010, was a key year for the initiation of the integration and 2011 is sustainable ventures. As such, Phoenix
planned to cover the total incorporation of the harvesthink concept into
• Setting up and mobilizing local networks of entrepreneurs,
Arbor aims to drive the shift towards
accommodation and food suppliers in Murter island and the
the Phoenix Arbor portfolio of activities without loosing its original purpose sustainable and ethical engagement of
surrounded region
and adding value to the Institute. humans with each other and the planet,
• Promoting the Phoenix Arbor values locally and globally
stimulating people to form a critical mass
With this action harvesThink also gains access to the extended
• Directly materializing its vision into a concrete service
of cultural creatives.
resourceful network and infrastructure
to
conclude

+ + + =
agricultural community robust business
access to
activity with
cultural and
trust and model with an
innovative resources and harvesthink
empowerment service design infrastructure unleashing the power of
social value community
powered by Phoenix Arbor

because we believe in because in a globalized

because the future because sustainability
the importance of mutual world everybody
depends also on rural and scalability rest on
trust and confidence for deserves access to the
areas profitability
successful cooperation appropriate resources
 harvesthink
Hermes Arriaga Chief Executive Thinker
Ana Raguz Head of Creativity and Idealist Department
Dario Juraga Local Chief Operational Wonder Man

h a r v e s t h i n k . c o m

Phoenix arbor
Irena Ateljevic Chief Strategic Thinker
Arijaan Pellis Head of the realistic and grounded department
Lisa Schwarzin Head of the Focus and sintetizing Department
Hermes Arriaga Boss of Creativity and tangible stuff
Saskia Leenders Chief Executive of Inspirational arts

Ana Raguz Comunity issues and design sensei

p h o e n i x a r b o r. w o r d p r e s s . c o m