Christina Oatfield: On Tuesday February 14th, a bill was introduced in the California legislature to expand the types of homemade foods allowed to be sold in California, especially hot meals. The bill, AB 626, was introduced by Assemblymembers Eduardo Garcia and Joaquin Arambula, however, the bill is still in “spot bill” form, meaning that the… Continue reading
Date archives "April 2017"
Clues for building the bridge to a Networked Democracy
This is a very interesting overview of the problems and progress with participatory democracy. It was written by Cidade Democrática, a Brazilian social participation “think and do” tank and originally published on Medium. The advent of the Internet, the ICTs and the collective intelligence enabled by them point to the rise of a networked democracy that promises, among… Continue reading
On Platform Coops: what the heck is a peer? And a community?
As I anticipated in the first post, I think that “Ours to Hack and to Own” is the best book out there to understand the emerging field of Platform Coops, and yet, I missed some important issues. Maybe this is precisely the virtue of the book: it reflects both the advancements and the weaknesses of… Continue reading
Towards the next system: Transition to co-operative commonwealth
Don’t miss out on this excellent online course by our close friends at the Synergia Institute. It features many of the P2P Foundation’s materials in its curriculum. Although it started in April 3rd you can still enroll here. DESCRIPTION This course presents inspiring local, regional, and international solutions in community energy, local food, social care,… Continue reading
Quebec’s Vacant Church Buildings Resurrected as Community Spaces
Ruby Irene Pratka: The novelist Mark Twain is said to have referred to Montreal as a city of spires, writing that “you couldn’t throw a brick without breaking a church window” in Canada’s largest French-speaking city. “In Quebec cities, the church is the landmark,” historian Paul Mackey says. “In Europe you have castles — here,… Continue reading
From Robin Hood to Economic Space Agency
Our friends from Robin Hood Coop have reinvented themselves as “architects of economic space”! Find out more about their latest venture below. Originally published on Medium. We are architects of economic space Back in the day we were a group of hard core researchers of the coming forms of economy and organization. We knew that it will not… Continue reading
We need our platforms to be real democracies
For most of the last decade, I’ve been a reporter, covering stories on how technology is reshaping public life, from debates about God to protests in the streets. One thing I’ve noticed is that Internet culture has an odd way of using a really important word: democracy. When a new app is said to be… Continue reading
The Great Lakes Commons “Water Currency”
The following announcement was originally published in Kosmos Journal. Kosmos is pleased to award a 2017 Seed Grant to Great Lakes Commons (GLC). The Great Lakes Commons cares for the protection of the second largest freshwater source in the world through education, interventions, and water protection. GLC is a diverse network of people and organizations… Continue reading
Inventing the Future: a Documentary Adaptation
Continuing our ongoing conversation on post-capitalism, Universal Basic Income and other trends, here’s an early look at a documentary version of Nick Srnicek’s and Alex Williams’s Inventing the Future The highly successful book Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams is being adapted into a documentary called Inventing the… Continue reading
Podcast: Kate Raworth on ‘Doughnut Economics’
In this interview, we explore why the economy should look more like a doughnut. In her new book, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist, renegade economist Kate Raworth explains why it’s time to explore new images that tell different stories about the economy. When you think about economics, what images come to mind?… Continue reading
Disengage from the spectacle
A stirring analysis by Richard Heinberg. Originally published in the Post Carbon Institute’s page. Behold today’s edition of Empire’s End—the biggest, best-ever 24/7 reality TV show! It’s been decades in preparation, with a budget in the trillions, a cast of billions! Its hero-villain is far more colorful and pathetic than Tony Soprano or Walter White…. Continue reading
Why Climate Change Is About Human Rights, Politics & Justice
I bet you think of climate change as an environmental issue. It’s mainly about the atmosphere and polar bears and carbon, right? Well, not really. I mean yes – it is about those things, but mainly it’s about human rights and politics. If that doesn’t make immediate sense to you, then this post is for… Continue reading
A roof, a skill, a market: The multiple dimensions of scale
“Beware the scale trap”. In a Letter To Philanthropists Parker Mitchell, a former CEO of Engineers Without Borders in Canada, advised potential donors that “scale is important, but don’t rush it. Most good ideas take time – to iron out the details, to bring down the costs, to be tested in different environments”. Organic demand-driven scale will… Continue reading
Let’s talk about the right to food
An article by Tomaso Ferrando and our regular contributor and colleague Jose Luis Vivero-Pol. Originally published in The BMJ Opinion blog. Recently, the media was abuzz with news of plans by the Scottish Equalities Secretary to legislate the right to food within Scottish law. This would be a step towards tackling food poverty in Scotland. This… Continue reading
MiData: Toward cooperative data ownership
Text cross-posted from Platform.coop We recently had the chance to speak with Ernst Hafen and Ulrich Genick of MiData (pronounced my-data), a Swiss cooperative that aims to restore users’ data privacy through an innovative market solution. Presently, the use of user data is mostly unregulated in the EU, with varying rights and privacy protections across… Continue reading
The Nidiaci Garden of Florence, an Oasis of Commoning in a Busy City
The beautiful city of Florence, Italy, is nearly overwhelmed by throngs of tourists much of the year, which leads one to wonder: How can residents live and enjoy the city for themselves? One fascinating answer can be seen in the lovely Nidiaci garden and park. It is a commons dedicated to children that is managed… Continue reading