BURNERS WITHOUT BORDERS
Unlocking the Creativity of
Local Communities
Coming back from the pandemic, Burners sparked projects that leveraged the mighty power of community to change the world.
A SPRING SUMMIT AT FLY RANCH
Burners Without Borders (BWB) hosted their 2022 Spring Summit at Fly Ranch. There, campers tested prototypes, participated in workshops, and gathered ‘round for a burn.
GRANTS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY PROJECTS
Through its Community Microgrant Program BWB supported civic projects that have a positive impact on communities. Two leadership events, the Multi-regional Summit and Burners of New Zealand and Australia, selected grantees via Civic Ignition workshops.
“I am so grateful for the support from Burners Without Borders. The symposium was a fantastic day of connection and hearing from experts on cohousing from around Australia. The best news is the event has resulted in bringing together people interested in being a part of cohousing in Canberra.”
~ Cris Clucas, Civic Ignition Grantee from the Australia and New Zealand Leadership Summit (Burning since 2019)
BWB CAMP IN BLACK ROCK CITY
BWB Camp amplified the impact of Burners around the world through its speaker series and other activities, while serving as a hub for Renewables for Artists Team (RAT), and Burner Leadership Achieving Sustainable Theme Camps (BLAST).
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“Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new.”
~ STEPHEN SONDHEIM
Hands Across the World
From Bogotá to Canberra, BWB chapters brought grassroots projects to life, offering mutual aid and disaster relief to communities in need.
BWB BY THE NUMBERS
- 16 BWB Chapters and 13 Active Working Groups
- 1,000+ volunteers for 12,000+ hours of civic service
- 44 initiatives funded, distributing $45,000 in micro-grants
Ensuring a Safe Landing for Afghan Refugees
Social entrepreneur Sophia Swire, who provides a safe home for families in Islamabad, contacted BWB to help Afghan families land safely in Brazil. The UK’s Sunday Times shared Sophia’s story:
“She is worried, however, about the families destined for Brazil — a country with very little infrastructure for receiving refugees. So she fires off a (message) to the San Francisco headquarters of Burning Man, the annual festival she has often attended in the Nevada desert. ‘They have their own community, Burners without Borders — they can pull off miracles,’ she explains. Her message prompts immediate offers of help from ‘Burners’ in Brazil, who organise for the first of the families to be picked up from the airport in São Paulo and find them accommodation.”
Burners Responding to Ukraine
The Burning Man community has a history of working in solidarity with displaced people. Burners leveraged their networks to help those affected by the war in Ukraine, and BWB shared information on how to provide resources.
Wisdom from the Intersections of Intercultural Collaboration
A collaboration between the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) and Burning Man Project, the Culturally Attuned podcast shared stories of working effectively across cultural divides.
