I am sceptical for a number of reasons but primarily because I do not see a organic connection with anything that is unfolding on the ground.
What I see unfolding is quite different, and I believe our solutions must be in harmony with these more grassroots trends.

My starting point is the conviction that the famous double movement of Karl Polanyi, in which periods of market liberalization creating social chaos, make place for counter-epochs when the market is re-embedded in society under social pressure, is no longer functioning at the national scale.
We are now in the midst of such a Polanyan moment, in which the systemic crisis of 2008, has created a backlash of left and right-wing populisms, which are destabalizing countries, but do not seem capable to bring about any real systemic change at the nation-state level.

The main reason seems to me is that while Nation and State are operating at the national level, Capital is operating directly at the global level, and can destabilize any local/national attempt at reform. There isn’t any real form of internationalism at the level of political movements and institutions, and the left remains deeply embedded in nation-state logics of neo-Keynesianism. The exceptions, Varoufakis’ Diem25 movement, with its pan-European outlook, have not yet proven to have any real traction, and the inter-national sysem of cooperation is not strenghtening, but weakening.

However, in civil society, we see an entirely different situation. Global open source communities are characterized by the exponential growh of the numbers of code and coders; and a significant part of its workers is trans-nationally neo-nomadic, creating entirely different sub-economic systems; there is a tenfold growth of urban commons in the western cities (which I have documented myself in Ghent, Belgium, but is confirmed by various other studies), and their practices are moving from the mere redistribution of products and services, to actual cosmo-local production (shared code, relocalized material production) of energy and organic food. Many of the exploding number of local projects, are actually not local, but transnational in nature: as Enzio Manzini called them, they are ‘Small, Local, Open, Connected’.

For the network of commons and p2p-researchers associated and partnering with the P2P Foundataion, this means a changing focus, from the mere inter-national, to the truly ‘trans-national’. What is happening in the world today is that next to the geographic nations, there is the emergence of true global neo-nomadic ecosystems of cooperation.
So what I believe needs to happen is a change of focus. Of course, the national and the inter-national remain powerful and will do so for the foreseeable future, but at the same time, we need to build trans-national institutions, and strategies.

Elsewhere, we have argued for new models, such as the Partner State, and institutions for public-commons cooperation at the territorial level. But progressive forces should no longer see policy making as only focused on market value, on their own nation-state only, or on international political cooperation, but rather on the transnationalization of infrastructures. For example, right now, cities are coalescing to regulate the negative effects of Uber and AirBnB, but why not create, through city alliances, global open depositories for the ‘generative’ transformation of all bioregional provisioning systems, i.e. supporting the infrastructure for mutualization that is both local, but can benefit from global transnational knowledge sharing. Imaging having access to a global set of tools to develop FairBNB’s and MuniRide’s. Imagine, like it is already happening in France, building Assemblies and Chambers of the Commons, cooperating at a trans-national scale.

So rather than a World Political Party that would continue the paradigm of competitive politics, endlessly fighting on what is the ‘right program’, I would rather see the development of a global Commons Transition Coalition, rooted in actual reconstructive and prefigurative practice, but which can play a political role by representing the new forces of transformation, at the institutional level of inter-nationality. What we need, is a new configuration between the territorial nations, weakening as we speak , with the emerging transnational nations, growing rapidly.

Photo by NASA Goddard Photo and Video

The post Has the time come for a World Political Party? appeared first on P2P Foundation.

On the evening of November 15, during a 3-day meeting of the European Commons Assembly, a conversation took place between representatives of the commons movement and DIEM 25. The context was sweet and sour.

2015 began with the enthusiasm of the Athens Spring and the New Politics it heralded. Later that year, austerity politics trumped, and the rise of the extreme right in Europe made it into the news. 2016 brought new fences around Europe and ended with Trump’s victory in the USA. These are the developments real democratization is up against – in economic, political and cultural terms.

Deepening democracy is at the core of both DIEM 25 and the commons movement. This conversation allowed for a cognitive and political mapping of both DIEM 25 activists and commoners from all over Europe: Where are we at and in which context?  Lorenzo Marsili (XYZ) metaphorically: “we can certainly common our way out of a beautiful collectively-managed garden, but around us will be wasteland”.

The conversation was set up to explore common ground and devise concrete cooperation.

The challenge is huge. It is beyond than making democracy more bottom-up, more local or more participatory. It is about re-thinking democracy and enacting a truly democratic culture at all levels! One thing became crystal clear: both approaches are, to quote a Belgium participant: “extremely complementary.”

Quotes

Came into mind after thinking about the “make commons great again” phrase which echoed and provoked resistance:

• Make commons thrive again.
• Make commons thrive.
• Make commons!
• More commons for more democracy! Now!
• There won’t be more democracy without more thriving commons.
• Thriving commons mean/equal more democracy. Beyond nationalism and beyond the prevailing left vs. right polarisation.

What does it mean to be political for the commons movement?

Ana Margarida Esteves, social scientist, Portugal: “Actually the true politics is being built outside the so-called public institutions.”

response David Hammerstein: “… and that’s what the commons is about!”

Joren de Wachter, DIEM 25, Belgium: “The commons has been of enormous benefit in bringing a huge amount of good thinking, knowledge and experience to this process.” (of democratization)

DIEM25 and the Commons movement

Lorenzo Marsili, European Alternatives and DIEM25, Italy: “It’s years of working together on commoning.

“It is time to say that the neoliberal capitalist system, of financial capitalism that we have had after 30 years of appropriation and concentration of the wealth is now defeated. Unfortunately what might follow up from it might be even worse unless we capitalize on this moment and gain a transformation in historical proportion and go forward.”

Marsili: “DiEM  needs commoners, needs the movement for the commons. Not to decorate  its movement but to use its message when it comes to what a new economic  and a new investment policy means for the EU.”

What to do?

Agnieszka Wisniewska:  “This is politics! This is how we are doing politics. [ …] when we ask all these questions, when we don’t know, when we don’t agree, when we discuss about the things we have in our heads, [when we] imagine how to do something. This is the beginning.”

Lorenzo, Marsili: “A people, the demos, emerges through joint struggle and joint mobilisation. […] the only way it is possible to happen is by doing it.”

Joren de Wachter: “We need to develop a narrative that is better and more effective than the neoliberal narrative that is bankrupt.”

One way to do it?: “Change the frame and the words that are being used to discuss what is going on in the society around us. We don’t use competition, we use cooperation; we don’t think that when everybody is nasty it will mean everything will be good for everybody.”

David Hammerstein: “We have to have the feeling of home and identity without nationalism.” ->
whereas…

Joren the Wachter: “Nationalism, as part of how you look at your identity, is something that is very dear and close to people.”

Silke Helfrich: “This new narrative needs to be beyond market fundamentalism and nation states, beyond left and right and even beyond political parties.”

Laura Colini: (Our idea of…) “Commons has to be dealing with basic societal battles. They are not just goodwill, good intentions, right-based arguments. They […] have to deal with basic minimum income or living wage, or measures like child guarantees or basic health care.”

Next Steps:

Marsili: commoners should participate in drafting DIEM25 policy papers
+
” I think we need something like a commons group within DiEM that can directly make sure that the commons is not only a part of a wider policy but that there is a very clear policy on the commons.”

Featured image by European Commons Assembly. Separator images by Bart Cosijn and Zemos98

The post A Conversation between DiEM25 and Commoners: How to Build an Alternative Together? appeared first on P2P Foundation.

European Commons Assembly: Final Program

Last updated: November 11, 2016.

Click here to download the program (PDF)

All activities are still open except the Visitor Tour and Session in the European Parliament, which have
reached maximum capacity. If you are not participating in Parliament but plan to attend other events of the
ECA, please fill out this form in advance: https://goo.gl/forms/WnZqivZEHKCXK4xz1

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15

*Those arriving before 14:00 are welcome to meet the coordinators at SMART.be, Rue Emile Feron 70, 1060
Bruxelles. After 14:00 the meeting point is Zinneke, address below.

16:00 – 22:00 Social Evening at Zinneke | Place Masui 13, 1000 Bruxelles

An evening to get acquainted, exchange on different instances of European commoning, and build solidarity
going into the following sessions. http://www.zinneke.org/?lang=en

16:00 – 19:00 Workshops and exchanges between European and Brussels commoners

• Commons Josaphat Workshop: Urban commons practitioners in Europe respond to the Commons
  Josaphat collective’s proposal for the development of a wasteland/vacant lot
• Film screenings on housing commons (Community Land Trust, and the fight against expulsion by PAH
  in Spain)

19:00 – 20:30 Dinner by Collectactif Pay what you can, (https://collectactif.wordpress.com/)

20:30 – 22:00 Discussion on DIEM25 w/ Silke Helfrich, Michel Bauwens and other European commoners

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16

[9:00 – 12:00] (Alternate activity) Local Organizing | Rue Emile Feron 70, 1060 Bruxelles

Those who do not participate in the Visitor Group Tour of Parliament can gather at the SMART headquarters in
Saint Gilles and continue working. http://smartbe.be/en/

[9:30 – 12:30] Alternate activity – Managing Water as a Common good (regis. required)
Forest Domaine (Tennis club), Avenue du Domaine 150 – 1190 – Forest

This workshop involves a visit and walk through the commune of Forest (in Brussels), a specific urban water
management supported by hydrological communities. Proposed by Les Etats Généraux de l’Eau à Bruxelles
http://www.egeb-sgwb.be/Home It is limited to 15 people, you must contact Dominique Nalpas at
[email protected] to confirm your spot.

10:00 – 10:30 Accreditation for Visitor Group Tours of Parliament | EP, Wiertz Entrance

Gathering for security verification for those going on the tour of Parliament. Please arrive for 10am with the
travel document that you specified in your registration. This is mandatory for reimbursement.

10:30 – 12:00 Visitor Group Tour of Parliament (full)

12:00 – 13:45 Lunch Break | Free time – Around European Quarter

An open break to leave the Parliament for lunch (not provided). It is recommended to stay in the area.

[12:15 – 13:35] Mapping Workshop at Mundo-b (FT room) |Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Ixelles

13:45 – 14:30 Entry and Accreditation for Parliament Session | Esplanade Solidarnosc 1980

Arrive at 1:45pm to re-enter security with the group – you must be accompanied by a representative of the
EP, who will be waiting at Esplanade Solidarnosc. If you do not take the Visitor Tour, you should get
accredited for entry at this time (also with an EP representative and according to prior arrangements).

14:30 PM – 18:00 European Commons Assembly in EP (full) | Room A1E2 Altiero Spinelli

With a diverse coalition of commoners from around Europe, we enter the European Parliament together for a
facilitated and co-constructed session. We highlight how the commons can inform EU policy, in both content –
with policy proposals – and form, through a participatory methodology. Interpretation ENG, FR, and ITL.

• Webstream link (English and Italian): https://youtu.be/0wEB1FQLNJE
• Program 16th: http://europeancommonsassembly.eu/program-november-the-16th-afternoon/

18:30 – 22:00 Reception at Mundo-b | Rue d’Edimbourg 26, 1050 Bruxelles (10 min walk)

Directly after the session, we walk together to Mundo-b for a reception to celebrate and reflect on our work
together. Food and drinks will be available for purchase at the in-house Kamilou Café.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17

9:30 to 12:30 European Commons Assembly Group Session | Zinneke – Place Masui 13, 1000

Everyone, regardless of participation on the 16th, is invited to participate in this facilitated group discussion of
the future direction of ECA. We also take advantage of the time to plan follow up actions, before saying our
goodbyes.

Click here to download the program (PDF)

For inquiries: [email protected]
For more info on the network: http://europeancommonsassembly.eu/
Twitter: @CommonsAssembly

The post “A Gathering of Commoners” Full program for the European Commons Assembly appeared first on P2P Foundation.

Really worth listening to, watch the video lecture above:

Technical change turns Basic Income into a necessity
Future of Work – 04.05.2016, Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute.
Keynote Yanis Varoufakis (GRE), former Greek Minister of Finance
https://goo.gl/UoLZTp

Photo by Valerij Ledenev

The post Yanis Varoufakis on the death of the 20th Century’s Social Contract, and What is Next appeared first on P2P Foundation.