Luis Enríquez from Ecuador recently contacted us to share this text on what he calls “Smart Copyright Licenses” (A CopyFair venture). Luís informs us that some projects are already using these early drafts. Luis Enríquez: THE COPYRIGHT OF THE COMMONS HAS TO BECOME DYNAMIC! This is a very challenging affirmation, and I will explain why…. Continue reading
A quick message from our friends at STIR to Action. There are more details on the workshop at the bottom of the post. STIR to Action: Thanks to the kind support – and solidarity – of many co-ops around the UK, we’ve now got 5 free places on Alt Gen’s Freeing the Freelancer workshop on… Continue reading
Gathoni Blesso: Across the globe we observe similarities and intersections in black people’s struggles in both Western and non-Western contexts. This stems from pervasive socio-political and cultural notions that black bodies can a) be commodified, hence b) be consumed, and, when of no use, killed. The consistency with which black people are made disposable, is… Continue reading
As I pursue a new career focused on the commons economy, messages from Idealist, Linkedin, OnRamp and Immigrant Spirit fill gmail account. While reading the notices I have noticed trends in the type of talent that projects are recruiting. One trend involves mapping commons ecosystems in a local region. Open Map is an open source… Continue reading
There has been a surge of new interest in the city as a commons in recent months – new books, public events and on-the-ground projects. Each effort takes a somewhat different inflection, but they all seek to redefine the priorities and logic of urban governance towards the principles of commoning. I am especially impressed by… Continue reading
An interview with the Director of the Culture Department of the City of Warsaw – Tomasz Thun-Janowski, City of Warsaw This interview by Igor Stokfiszewski first appeared on politicalcritique.org. Tomasz Thun-Janowski is the Director of the Culture Department of the City of Warsaw. He completed Polish studies, theatrical sciences and philosophy at the Nicolaus Copernicus… Continue reading
Originally published at The Next System David Bollier, in his paper for our “New Systems: Possibilities and Proposals” series exploring viable political-economic alternatives to the present order, suggests that a commons-based framework could provide a critical template for de-commodification, mutualization, and the organization and control of resources outside of the market. We’re excited to share… Continue reading
http://teamhuman.fm/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/TH-Ep.-02-Richard-Maxwell.mp3 Playing for Team Human today is Professor Richard Maxwell. Richard Maxwell is a political economist of media. His research begins at the intersection of politics and economics to analyze the global media, their social and cultural impact, and the policies that regulate their reach and operations. Richard has published on a wide array… Continue reading
Excerpts from The Guardian. Authored by Helena Smith: “Something is stirring in the Greek capital – and in more ways than one Navarinou Park has come to represent it. Stavrides calls it a movement, a new form of commons in which public-spirited individuals reclaim public space; others an informal urbanism born of a spirit of… Continue reading
It’s common among centrists to describe themselves — in contrast to the “far Left” and “far Right” — as the “rational adults” who can compromise and get things done. The “rational adult” trope usually appears in conjunction with “Horseshoe Theory,” according to which wisdom and reasonableness inhere in the political center and deviation from the… Continue reading
Cross-posted from Shareable. Kelly McCartney: As more and more consumers get savvy about where they put their money, how do cooperatives expand their supply to meet the demand? After all, worker-owners each have a stake in the co-op’s future and a vote on the co-op’s decisions. And that can be a problem if a business… Continue reading
Liquid Democracy Documentation Project – Interviews #37-38 – Axel Kistner and Andreas Nitsche, Interaktive Democratie e.V. from Jose Ramos on Vimeo. This interview is with two of the lead developers of the Liquid Feedback system, Axel Kistner and Andreas Nitsche. Liquid Feedback was the first software system that operationalized a liquid democracy voting system. This… Continue reading
In the last two weeks, we introduced Episode 1 & Episode 2 of Welcome to Frome, the new audio documentary series produced by the Upstream podcast. Episode 1 explored the mini-revolution that took place recently in Frome, a small town in the sleepy western countryside of England. It also looked at some of the radical new initiatives… Continue reading
EuropeanCommonsAsembly.eu Our call Civic and community initiatives are working to vitalize our urban, rural, scientific and digital commons, and promoting a future guided by democratic participation, social equity and environmental sustainability. At the heart of these acts of “commoning” are satisfying, joyful social relationships that regenerate our interpersonal and physical surroundings. We reject the idea… Continue reading
On September 26, a group of nonprofits, foundations, and other civil society organizations jointly publish a “Call for a European Commons Assembly”. The collectively drafted document, which continues to garner signatures from groups and individuals around Europe, serves as a declaration of purpose for a distributed network of “commoners.” The Assembly seeks to unite citizens… Continue reading
Cat Johnson: Seed sharing in California took a major step forward on Friday when Governor Jerry Brown signed into law the California Seed Exchange Democracy Act, an amendment to the California Seed Law. It’s the latest victory in a global movement to support and protect seed sharing and saving. AB 1810, which was introduced by… Continue reading