Via Mary Beth Steisslinger:

Hello Friends Around the World, thought you might be interested in participating in the next Common Course online, beginning the end of January, 2011.

I am putting this out to people i know who are working towards sustainability and justice in various fields.  I think you will find that the commons movement provides means to operationalize sustainability and enable transparency, sharing and justice in ways that have not been possible until recent times.

Outreach and development for the Common Course is through the Commons Knowledge Alliance and Commons Action for the UN.   Common Courses will soon be available for universities and organizations around the world via creative commons licensing.

You can learn quite a bit about the 4 week intensive course and see the curriculum by following the links below.  The course is open to anyone.  Please share this with anyone working in sustainability who you think may be interested.

The Common Course is now open for enrollment.  A short introductory conference call is offered on Saturday, January 29.

Click here to find out more details of the new Common Course

Below you’ll find an overview of what will be offered during this Common Course curriculum.

Hope to have your participation,
Mary Beth Steisslinger, MS
For the Common Course Team

The Common Course – an Overview

The full Common Course Curriculum

Sponsors: The Anthroposphere Institute, The Commons Knowledge Alliance

Format:

1. Self-study; materials available on-line

2. Regular participation in on-line discussion group (minimum of 3x/week)

3. Participation in weekly conference call

Academic Director: Leo Burke

Online Discussion Facilitators: Leo Burke, Robin Temple, Mary Beth Steisslinger, Jay Bender

Webmaster:  Robin Temple

Tuition:  $25 for participants from OEDC countries; $5 for participants from non-OEDC countries

Website: The Commons Campus

Materials:  All text materials will be posted on the website in PDF format; audio materials in MP3 format; videos in YouTube format (.flv)

Course orientation conference call: Saturday, 29 January, 2011.

This orientation conference call will be the official start of the Common Course.

The orientation call will give you a chance to be introduced to your instructors on the Common Course, hear from others who are also participating, and ask any technical questions you may have about using this online learning platform for the course.

Topics:

Week I—Introduction to the Commons (29 Jan – 5 Feb)
Overview of the commons, including history, current usage and definitions.  Major issues facing the commons today.
Conference call Week I: 5th February

Week II: The Enclosure of the Commons (6 Feb – 12 Feb)
History of the enclosure process.  Current attempts at enclosure, privatization, monetization of the commons.
Conference call Week II: 12th Feburary

Week III: The Commons and Climate Change (13 Feb – 19 Feb)
The impact of climate change on the commons and the use of commons trusts to protect the climate.
Conference call Week III: 12th Feburary

Week IV: The Depth and Breath of the Global Commons: From Philosophy to Acton (20 Feb – 26 Feb)
Examining the philosophical underpinnings of the global commons and looking at ways of taking effective action to create a sustainable future.
Conference call Week IV: 26th Feburary

Common Course Working Group
[email protected]