Welcome to our University of Hope!

Birgit is the creative force behind the University of Hope. She draws her inspiration and motivation from deep personal experiences. As someone who suffers from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Birgit understands the challenges of living with these conditions firsthand. These experiences have profoundly changed her life and led her to develop creative solutions and survival strategies. She created us to support you in times of crisis with innovative and creative ideas and solutions, bringing you hope, safety, and resilience.

One of her great personal passions is scenario planning, strategies for prevention, crisis communication, strengthening resilience, and topics related to disaster management. She deliberately chose the certified courses 'Crisis Communication' and 'Disaster Management' at the Vienna Academy of Business, as Ms. Mag.a Dr.in Riem Khalil (social scientist, university lecturer) and Professor Alexander Siedschlag, M.A. (Chair of Homeland Security, Pennsylvania State University, USA) are the optimal lecturers for these topics with high expertise and extensive experience.

We, the MindGuardians, were created to support you with creative and innovative ideas and solutions, bringing you hope, safety, and resilience. It is crucial that we are well-prepared and resilient together. Given the increasing frequency of disasters, other threats, and a growing shortage of emergency personnel, we unfortunately cannot always rely solely on external help and wait.

The sick leave and overload of our police and fire departments, who perform invaluable work every day, also mean that we need to take action ourselves. This status quo, combined with the reality that more than 400 million people worldwide are already affected by Long Covid and ME/CFS, as well as the increase in neurological diseases and the fact that friends and acquaintances are often not well-prepared for crisis situations, inspired Birgit to establish the University of Hope.

Together, we aim to inspire you to act independently and more safely in crisis situations, thereby reducing the potential overload on our rescue and medical forces.

We warmly invite you to become part of this community of hope because together, we can better overcome the challenges of Long Covid, MCS, and ME/CFS, develop creative ideas and solutions, and create a better future.

With our University of Hope, we aim to build a bridge in people's minds, connecting those who need help with those who can provide it. We firmly believe that creative and innovative approaches based on understanding and compassion can make a real difference in the lives of all people.

What to Expect at Our University of Hope

We will continuously add new sections and topics ...

Currently, at our University of Hope, you will find

1. Introduction to the University of Hope

• 1.1. MindGuardians_Innovarium

2. Well Prepared - Are You Really Well Prepared?

• 2.1. Our Power Team "SOS, Signals, Warnings & Precautions"
• Mindfulness and crisis management - strong synergies for optimized resilience
  

2.2. Resilience and Prevention - Strengthening Our Societal Resilience

• 2.2.1. Micronutrients and Vitamins

2.3. What Do Long Covid, CFS, Myopia and Disaster Preparedness Have in Common?

• 2.3.1. Muscle Changes - PEM Post-Exertional Malaise (PEM) - Disaster Management
  
• 2.3.2. Scenario Planning
• 2.3.3. Expanding the Disaster Preparedness Portfolio - Topic "Eyes"
• 2.3.4. Solutions and Approaches for Visual Aids
• 2.3.5. Valuable Prevention Tips

2.4. What Do Orthostatic Hypotension/Intolerance and Disaster Preparedness Have in Common?

• 2.4.1. Prevention Tips

3. Have You Thought About It? New Game - New Approach

• 3.1. Integration of Bicycle and E-Scooter Couriers in Disaster Management
• 3.2. Emergency Supplies - Food Disaster Preparedness Packages

4. The Invisible Danger - Creating Interactive VR Experiences to Raise Awareness About Chemical, Pesticide, and Xenobiotic Exposures

• 4.1. Scenarios and Possible Interactive Elements
• 4.2. What Do a Missing Sense of Smell and Taste and Reduced Reaction Have to Do with Disaster Management?

5. Shelters & Self-Protection

• 5.1. Music in Shelters? Absolutely...
• 5.2. Visual and Tactile Support for Fears and Worries
• 5.3. DIY Shelters

6. Welcome to the Club of Little (Big) Heroes and Heroines
6.1. Heat Exhaustion Scenario - "Club of Heroes and Heroines"

• 6.1.1. First Aid Explanation Videos Created by Our Little (Big) Heroes Themselves
• 6.1.2. Additional Creative Scenarios for the Club of Little and Big Heroes
• 6.2. Team Hope, Resilience, and Cohesion - Building a "New" Bank (Imagine a major natural disaster destroys your local bank and you receive the task to rebuild it using the simplest means)
• 6.3. Clever Management of Menstruation: Using Improvised Means and Handling Emergency Situations

Herzlich Willkommen in unserer Universität der Hoffnung!

Was wird euch in unserer Universität der Hoffnung erwarten?

1. Vorstellung der Universität der Hoffnung

• 1.1. MindGuardians_Innovarium

2. Gut vorbereitet - Bist du wirklich gut vorbereitet?

• 2.1. Unser Powerteam "SOS, Notsignale, Warnung & Vorsorge"
• Achtsamkeit und Krisenmanagement - starke Synergien für eine optimierte Resilienz
  

2.2. Resilienz und Prävention - Unsere gesamtgesellschaftliche Resilienz stärken

• 2.2.1. Mikronährstoffe und Vitamine

2.3. Was haben Long Covid, CFS, Myopie und Katastrophenvorsorge miteinander zu tun?

• 2.3.1. Muskelveränderung - PEM - Katastrophenmanagement
  
• 2.3.2. Szenarioplanungen
• 2.3.3. Erweiterung Katastrophenvorsorgeportfolio - Thema "Augen"
• 2.3.4. Lösungen und Ansätze für visuelle Hilfsmittel
• 2.3.5. Wertvolle Präventionstipps

2.4. Was haben orthostatische Hypotonie / Intoleranz und Katastrophenvorsorge miteinander zu tun?

• 2.4.1. Präventionstipps

3. Schon darüber nachgedacht? Neues Spiel - Neuer Einsatz

• 3.1. Integration von Fahrrad- und E-Scooterboten im Katastrophenmanagement
• 3.2. Notvorrat - Lebensmittelkatastrophenvorsorge-Pakete

4. Die unsichtbare Gefahr - Schaffung von interaktiven VR-Erlebnissen zur Bewusstseinsbildung über Chemikalien-, Pestizid- und Xenobiotikabelastungen

• 4.1. Szenarien und mögliche interaktive Elemente
• 4.2. Was haben ein fehlender Geruchs- und Geschmackssinn und verminderte Reaktion mit Katastrophenmanagement zu tun?

5. Schutzräume & Selbstschutz

• 5.1. Musik in Schutzräumen? Unbedingt ...
• 5.2. Visuelle und taktile Unterstützung bei Ängsten und Sorgen
• 5.3. DIY Schutzräume

6. Willkommen im Club der kleinen (großen) Heldinnen und Helden

6.1. Szenario der Hitzeerschöpfung - "Club der Heldinnen und Helden"

6.1.1. Erste-Hilfe-Erklärvideos durch unsere kleinen (großen) Helden selbst erstellt

6.1.2. Weitere kreative Szenarien für den Club der kleinen und großen Helden

6.2. Team Hoffnung, Resilienz und Zusammenhalt - Aufbau einer "neuen" Bank (stellt euch vor, eine große Naturkatastrophe zerstört eure örtliche Bank und ihr erhaltet den Auftrag, diese aus einfachsten Mitteln wieder aufzubauen)

6.3. Der clevere Umgang mit der Menstruation: sich mit improvisierten Mitteln behelfen können und im Notfall (müssen)