A book published by my dutch friend Alber Boswijk, an expert in the “experience economy”: * Book: Economy of Experiences. By Albert Boswijk, Ed Peelen & Steven Olthof. The European Centre for the Experience and Transformation Economy, 2013 A summary of the contents, by Albert Boswijk: “In chapters 1 and 2 we present a concise… Continue reading
Essay of the Day: the Italian Struggle for the Constitutionalism of the Commons
The common goods movement in Italy is a powerful example of the way in which social movements are emerging as the new “pouvoir constituant” in a top down and undemocratic process of economic constitutionalism imposed by international economic institutions. They are proving on both national and supranational levels that civil society actors are a potent… Continue reading
Monetary and Fiscal Policies for a Finite Planet
A steady-state economy must follow clear rules: renewable resource extraction cannot exceed the regeneration rate, pollution outflows cannot exceed absorption capacity, neither extraction nor pollution can threaten essential ecosystem functions, and essential non-renewable resources cannot be depleted faster than we develop substitutes. Current levels of throughput exceed all these rules. A must read paper on… Continue reading
Movement of the Day: the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
Presentation excerpted from David Morgan: “Smaller, regional efforts like VAWC and NoBAWC now feed into a national network of worker cooperatives. As the first and primary national hub, the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives (USFWC) brings together the full array of players within this movement. After many years of organizing, they were incorporated in… Continue reading
Silke Helfrich’s keynote at the Commons and Economics conference
Video recording of the conference “Economics and the Common(s): From Seed Form to Core Paradigm”, May 22 — 24, 2013 Watch the video here, read Silke’s notes, and find a short summary explanation below: “The prevailing dogma of market-fundamentalism has increasingly been called into question as the predatory dynamics of the market economy became clear… Continue reading
Michel Bauwens on the importance of open source innovation
Michel Bauwens was invited for a virtual intervention by Simone Cicero:
State in transition
On April 15, the Dutch television program ‘Tegenlicht’ (Backlight) explored the transition process towards ‘The New Netherlands’. One of the main interviewees was the Dutch professor Jan Rotmans (see short biography below), who’s idea of the facilitating government is – in my opinion – very close to the concept of the partner state as developed… Continue reading
Collective sensing and meaning making for the commons movements
A proposal by George Por, who requests you respond here: “The last day of ECC2013, in his presentation titled “Life, Meaning and Spirituality in the Commons,” Andreas Weber talked about enlivenment as a continually deepening our meaningful connection with nature, each other and life. We all know the feeling of being more enlivened, more full… Continue reading
A London Occupy-er (re)visits the Commons and Economics conference
Tina Bakolitsa‘s, Occupy London, take on the ECC conference, including side events: (version without links and pictures) ” The industrial lift door opens onto a light green corridor lined with posters. “Hack the future of photography.” “Intensive product design course.” “Introduction to 3D printing.” “Let’s have a beta beer. – Free beer while it lasts.”… Continue reading
Tom Atlee responds to Joel Dietz’ commons critique
Tom Atlee writes, responding to Joel Dietz: “(1) I see permaculture as an answer to that question, and I see the inquiry about “social permaculture” that is emerging within the permaculture movement as a pursuit of truly useful answers. I also think that “emergent processes” (Open Space, World Cafe, etc.) and work related to my… Continue reading