The Reshape

Scaling reforestation efforts

In order to scale reforestation efforts, youth leaders in nature conservation and reforestation around the world need access to a strong support network, transparency tools, and emerging technologies so that they can receive financial, social and political support to reverse the deterioration of nature. The Zurich Hub is developing a technology platform that connects youth leaders and provides them with access to emerging technologies, ecological advice, and exposure that supports their field work. The key features of the project are:

Emerging technologies: The Reshape is a web platform that provides stakeholders in conservation with data-driven maps of their project sites that leverages past satellite data and artificial intelligence to measure the health and ecological value of their restoration sites.

Ecological advice: The Reshape connects youth leaders with scientific experts in ecology and computer science through our WhatsApp group that are available for advice and questions.

Exposure and fundraising: The Reshape features youth leaders in nature conservation and restoration through our Instagram account, podcasts on Spotify, and fundraising initiatives.

Visit linktr.ee/thereshape for more information.

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Züri schenkt

Christmas presents for asylum seekers in Zurich.

Currently, more than 1600 people live in Zurich's asylum centers who were forced to leave their homes due to war, terror and persecution in search of a better life for themselves and their families. Often living alone, in a confined space, in a country foreign to them, the Corona crisis has hit them particularly hard. Christmas gives us the chance to invite refugees with a gift and a welcoming message to participate in our holiday traditions and be part of our community. For this reason, the Zurich Hub has launched the "Züri Schenkt" project. Within "Züri Schenkt", the Hub has been organizing an annual Christmas campaign for refugees and asylum seekers who have found their new home in Zurich since 2016. In 2020, more than 1600 Christmas gifts and more than CHF 25000 were collected as gifts and donations. As a result, all residents of 12 refugee centers in the Zurich area received a Christmas gift.

Visit www.zuerischenkt.ch for more information.

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Covid-19 response

We have addressed the challenges caused by Covid-19 with a fast, multi-stakeholder response. Our priorities have been to curb the epidemic and facilitate inter-generational dialogue.

To complement the official messages, we have contacted German and French-speaking comedians early March to suggest them to use humour to promote physical distancing and hygiene. Comedians with a total followership of 1.2 million have responded by publishing videos to promote physical distancing and hygiene.

#stayathome. In the footsteps of Italian Shapers, we have published #stayathome messages and videos on social media.

We have proposed to Swisscom to analyse anonymized mobile data for guiding policy decisions. Swisscom responded swiftly and positively, and was able to support the Federal Council in order to lower the infection rate while minimizing the consequences for businesses and social life.

Heroes against Loneliness aims at connecting isolated people across generations by randomly connecting registered participants over phone calls. Global Shapers Zurich is a supporting partner of the project initiated by Generali and Lunch Lottery.

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Climate classrooms

Interactive climate change education.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zurich Hub has put on hold the delivery of live pop-up climate classrooms in the city. However, the team is still engaged in testing out a series of alternative climate related projects, for example:

Sustainability blog, where we portray people who commit a large part of their professional and/or private life to the broad field of sustainability.

Climate cooking classes, where we teach simple climate-friendly recipes while fundraising for reforestation projects. Learn about the next one on our Instagram account.

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Career jumpstart

Interview training with Pro Juventute.

Starting your first job is a big step in every young person's life. With many students coming from less advantaged families or having language barriers, this step comes with a lot of uncertainties and new challenges. Together with Pro Juventute, the Global Shapers Zurich help students between the 8^th and 10^th grade with simulated job interviews and individual feedback for their application documents. Thus, we can pass on the experiences and knowledge that we gained from going through the process ourselves and help young people to start their professional careers with excitement and joyful anticipation.

Do you want to get involved as well? Whether you are a Shaper or not, we are always on the lookout for young professionals with a good command of German or French to help out with the mock interviews.

If you want to get active, please sign up using our volunteer form and we will be in contact. Here is a short explainer video in German:

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Topic videos

From the Summit Pre-Davos 2020.

After the Pre-Davos 2020, we produced together with Francis Rafal from the Vienna hub the following videos on some of the issues that were discussed during the summit:

Visit pre-davos.com for more information.

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Run4Artista

Fundraising campaign for Aiducation.

Our member and dear friend Nicolas "Artista" Nägeli tragically lost his life in March 2016 while on a snowboarding-tour in the Swiss Alps. Before this accident, Artista was the co-director of Aiducation International Switzerland.

In his memory the Hub started the campaign #Run4Artista to raise funds for two scholarships for Aiducation (6'400 CHF). After three weeks we adjusted the goal to three scholarships (9'600 CHF) thanks to the early momentum of the fundraising campaign.

On Sunday, 9 April 2017, six of us ran three marathons for three stipends (Sunnie and Christian the full marathon and Aurelian, Kaspar, Alexander and Frederike the Team Run). We raised 10'043 CHF in the online fundraising campaign and fabulousfriends.org was so kind to add another two stipends worth 6'400 CHF.

Together the Zurich Hub raised 16'443 CHF in memory of Artista!

The money will provide five talented and underprivileged students with an Aiducation scholarship. Thank you all for contributing to the great success of this project and a big thank you to Sunnie for pushing the campaign forward with so much energy!

See this article in German by Moneycab for more information.

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Facts about migration

Information campaign on YouTube.

Migration is one of the most discussed and emotionally strained topics in Switzerland. Conversations are often not based on informed data and this impedes the evaluation of needs and impact of policies and creates prejudices. Facts About Migration aims to create transparency around actual net migration in Switzerland. The Zurich Hub created an animation clip, which was published on YouTube, to illustrate the most important numbers in a way that is easy to understand.

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Pre-Davos Summit

The spirit of Davos in Zurich.

Ahead of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, the next generation of global leaders is coming together in Zurich. The Pre-Davos Summit connects 90 Global Shapers from more than 40 countries to find solutions to the world's most pressing problems. The 50 Shapers selected by the World Economic Forum to participate in the Annual Meeting leverage the Pre-Davos to discuss global affairs with 40 peers from Switzerland and refine their plans for improving the state of the world in Davos.

Visit pre-davos.com for more information.

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Shapers United

Gathering of Shapers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

We are excited to welcome Shapers from the DACH area in Zurich once the pandemic is over!

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