The post Pre-launch Chamber of Commons, Amsterdam, 11 October appeared first on P2P Foundation.
]]>The program for the first half of 2019 is well underway. Because we’re eager to get started and reach out, we’re doing a pre-launch already: October 11th.
That happens to be during the World Commons Week
World Commons Week
From 4 to 12 October, people from all over the world celebrate the World Commons Week: a week dedicated to the study and practice of the commons. Exactly fifty years ago in October, biologist Garrett Hardin published his infamous Tragedy of the commons article in Science. Since then, many scholars have been very busy disproving Hardin’s pessimistic assessment of commons. Also in October, Waag’s Chamber of Commons will launch to carve out new practices, models and politics for the commons, in partnership with Commons Network, de Meent, Sustainable Finance Lab and OBA.
Chamber of Commons
The Chamber of Commons bolsters the interests of commons and commoners. Commons are shared resources managed by communities with an aim of assuring their sustainability and inclusivity. They foster bottom-up initiative and community self-determination, while keeping a close watch on the needs of the wider public. The mission of the Chamber of Commons is to raise public awareness on the commons, tickle the senses, and demonstrate new models through which the commons can address societal questions.
Politics of Nature
“Politics of Nature” is the first initiative to be invited to the Chamber of Commons to explore new ways of relating between humans and nature. Politics of Nature is a brand new initiative experimenting with democratic methodologies, game design and immersive tech, inspired by the ideas of Bruno Latour, Baruch Spinoza and the concept of the Cratic Platform. “In times of democratic and climatic decline, we will need to experiment with and practice new methods and methodologies for addressing difficult issues and respect the beings we co-exist with,” says Jakob Raffn, co-initiator of Politics of Nature.
The case – Amsterdam Rainproof
While Europe this summer has faced one of the most intense regional droughts in recent memory, for a city like Amsterdam the main problems are with excess water: downpours of rain that put the infrastructure of the city under severe pressure. The city has become more densely populated, more intensively used, and more heavily paved; at the same time, climate change brings more extreme weather.
Overall we need to develop a better relationship with water. “Politics of Nature” is a method, a game with which a stronger democratic legitimacy can be created in which not only people, but also plants, animals and buildings can raise their voices. It’s about increasing the number of affected actors in the networks and find consents for coexistence.
We hope to see you for an event dedicated to abstraction, warmth and multi-perspectives.
This edition will take place on Thursday 11th of October at Waag, Nieuwmarkt 4, Amsterdam. Admission is € 5,-
Program:
16.00 Doors open
16.30 Welcome by Socrates Schouten (Waag, Chamber of Commons) and introduction to the case
17.00 Game round 1
18.00 Sandwich dinner
18.45 Game round 2
20.00 Plenary synthesis
20.45 Drinks
This edition of Politics of Nature will have a technological afterlife the 25th of October at the VRDAYS.
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]]>The post Global population does not want commercial banks to stay responsible for creating most of the money appeared first on P2P Foundation.
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More than 23,000 people in 20 countries were asked about who they think actually creates 95% of the money in circulation and who they think should create most of the money.
These questions were part of the Glocalities survey of Motivaction International and the Sustainable Finance Lab that was held in December 2013 and January 2014.
Here are the main results:
- Low knowledge in population of who creates money: Only a minority of 20% is aware that private/commercial banks create most money
- Even among financial sector workers there is a lot of misunderstanding about who creates money
- Only 13% of people want private/commercial banks to create more than 95% of the money in circulation, as is currently the case
- 59% want to assign the responsibility for creating most of the money to a public body (government/central bank)
The following graph shows the main results. See Appendix 1 and 2 for the scores of all countries surveyed:
Source: Glocalities survey Motivaction
“A necessary condition for informed debate on the future of our monetary system is that the public understands how it works. This research demonstrates that only a small proportion does so. It also demonstrates that, when they are taught the reality, most people do not like what they learn.”
Martin Wolf, Chief economics commentator, Financial Times
A minority of 20% is aware that private/commercial banks create most money
A significant proportion of people across the globe (80%) have no idea who creates most of the money in circulation. Half the people think it is a public institution (either a central bank or the government) that creates most of the money in the financial system. Only 1 in 5 respondents gave the right answer, that it is private/commercial banks that create more than 95% of the money. ‘’In the modern economy, most money takes the form of bank deposits. But how those bank deposits are created is often misunderstood: the principal way is through commercial banks making loans. Whenever a bank makes a loan, it simultaneously creates a matching deposit in the borrower’s bank account, thereby creating new money. Bank deposits make up the vast majority (97%) of the amount of money in circulation’’. Source: Bank of England paper on Money creation.
“Money affects every aspect of our lives, but as this survey shows, not enough of us really understand how it works. After the banking crises of the last few years, it’s time to ask whether banks should still be allowed to create our money.”
Fran Boait, Executive Director, Positive Money
The majority of people want a public institution for creating most of the money and not commercial banks
When people are asked who they think should create most money worldwide only 13% prefers private/commercial banks to fulfil this responsibility (as is currently the case), against 59% who wish for a public institution (either government or central bank) to be the main creator of money. Among the minority of people who correctly state that private/commercial banks create most money in circulation, only 27% believe that this should continue to be the case, whereas 63% of them want to see this responsibility transferred to governments or central banks.
‘’It is instructive to learn that the majority of people internationally think that most money is created by public bodies and not by private/commercial banks, while in fact the opposite is true. Even among financial sector workers the majority is not aware of the key role that commercial banks play in creating money and only a minority of them would naturally assign this task to commercial banks. Now the world is facing numerous challenges that can only be tackled by smart investment policies it is time to rethink how the responsibility for creating money should be assigned and monitored.‘’
Martijn Lampert, Research Director Glocalities at Motivaction
Most people in the financial sector do not know that private/commercial banks create money
The awareness in the financial sector about who actually creates most of the money is only moderately higher than in the general population. The answers of people who work in the financial sector in Western economies (Europe, USA, Australia, Canada) reveal that only 26% know that private/commercial banks create most of the money in circulation. When asked who should create most of the money the majority (61%) of financial sector workers also choose a public body and only 16% choose to assign this responsibility to private/commercial banks.
“The current financial system is still prone to crisis. Giving public bodies a larger role in money creation can help to stabilize the system and give governments the much needed funds to invest in sustainability”. Instead of embarking on an unprecedented and uncertain transition it might be wise to start with experiments.”
Rens van Tilburg, Director Sustainable Finance Lab
Photo by badgreeb RECORDS – art -photos 
The post Global population does not want commercial banks to stay responsible for creating most of the money appeared first on P2P Foundation.
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