Date archives "June 2015"

Background to the commons initiatives in Lille: the ROUMICS 2014 video

The very interesting Encommuns.org initiative which we presented here several times, is rooted in two open source third places, la Coroutine and Mutualab, but also in the annual ROUMICS conference, which is especially concerned with equiy and rights issues around internet and media infrastructure, i.e. promotes a civic understanding of the internet. Here is a… Continue reading

Overcoming the extractive mindset through generatively feeding the network

We exceptionally republish Seth Godin‘s editorial, pointing to the need to overcome the extractive mindset: “For generations, places with significant oil production have developed a different culture than other places. This extraction mindset occurs in environments where profits are taken from a captive resource. It doesn’t matter if it’s coal, tickets or tuition, the mindset… Continue reading

The Papal Letter (3): The Technology Critique of Pope Francis

Excerpts selected by Hudson Luce: Section “106. The basic problem goes even deeper: it is the way that humanity has taken up technology and its development according to an undifferentiated and one-dimensional paradigm. This paradigm exalts the concept of a subject who, using logical and rational procedures, progressively approaches and gains control over an external… Continue reading

Commons Festival in Toulouse and France, with launch of Assembly of the Commons

One of the key ideas and proposals of the P2P Foundation, the Assembly of the Commons, is getting traction. After the launch in Ghent, and plans in Lille, northern France; Toulouse is also planning a event on October 10, in the context of the Temps des Communs urban campaign in French and French-speaking cities. Watch… Continue reading

Book of the Day: the Squatters’ Movement in Europe

* Book: The Squatters’ Movement in Europe. Commons and Autonomy as Alternatives to Capitalism. Squatting_Europe_Kollective. Pluto, 2015 Here’s the summary: “The first definitive guide to squatting as an alternative to capitalism. It offers a unique insider’s view on the movement – its ideals, actions and ways of life. At a time of growing crisis in… Continue reading

The Papal Letter (2): Eight spiritual and political innovations, including the concept of the commons

It places the commons over property. “God rejects every claim to absolute ownership,” Pope Francis writes. While the world’s rich justify their pollution on the basis of property rights, Catholic tradition upholds private property only as long as it fosters stewardship for the common good. Excerpted from Nathan Scnheider: “Initially drafted by Cardinal Peter Turkson… Continue reading

Project of the Day: Co-Creative Event Pattern Language

The Co-Creative Event Pattern Language is a tool for group conscious self-organization, developed by Lilian Ricaud: He writes that: “As a group of people, it’s easier to join and work together AGAINST something than FOR something.Command and control or consensus work model have limitations for group organization (Marsh, H. 2012).It has to do partly with… Continue reading

A short report on the Dublin Community Land Trust Conference 2015

By Pat Conaty: “The Dublin CLT conference last week really engaged everyone in the room including the leading housing policy expert in Ireland, Rory O’Donnell. His presentation was masterful and echoed the other ones. Architects, planners, grassroots people, politicians from Dublin and elsewhere were all in the room. We were linking up last week commons… Continue reading

Three proposed governance hacks for making peer production into a real economic and social system

Michel Bauwens: (also published in an edited form in the Winter 2015 issue of STIR) Capitalism wasn’t always an organic and dominant system. Before it achieved its status as a full mode of production, i.e. as a coherent way to create and diffuse value, as a form of society and civilization, it needed to hack… Continue reading

The Papal Letter on the Climate Commons (1): Human Dominion vs Stewardship over Nature

By JACK JENKINS & EMILY ATKIN, reviewing a draft of the coming papal letter on climate change: “The likely encyclical draft — entitled “Laudato Si” or “Praised Be,” from a prayer by St. Francis of Assisi — directly addressed the old biblical claim that because God gave humanity “dominion” over the earth in Genesis, humanity… Continue reading

Video: Statement of Solidarity with the Greek People Facing Illegitimate Debt

Introduction from the from the Spanish Citizen Debt Audit Platform: “What is exactly happening with Greece, what lies behind the negotiations and how important is debt and what are the consequences for the Greek people? Last month Greece began a Debt Audit process which aims to analyse its debt on the basis of it being… Continue reading

Book of the Day: Major Douglas and the Social Credit Movement

* Book: Major Douglas. The Policy of a Philosophy. Social-Credit.com, 2015 Here’s the description from the publisher: “The year is 1934. Montague Norman is governor of the Bank of England, Sir Otto Niemeyer is at the Treasury. The Great Depression is on the wane but the industrialized world is still reeling from its effects. In… Continue reading

The Evergreen Direct Investment and other alternative investment efforts

Without conscious awareness, we have confused speculation for investment. From an overview by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns: “Many small and medium-sized businesses have a difcult time raising money, as they are too small to attract large investors, yet also too big for other sources such as family and friends. The Small Business Administration… Continue reading