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“Every time a civilization is in crisis, there is a return of the commons” – Interview with Michel Bauwens

October 30, 2019

“Every time a civilization is in crisis, there is a return of the commons” – Interview with Michel Bauwens

The commons are nothing new. Historically citizens always came together to pool resources and manage them collectively and autonomously. It is the responsibility of cities and states to identify, connect and support them. Today the commons appear as a choice of society in a world at the end of its lifespan. A society where economic and productive systems will finally be compatible with the major planetary balances.

‍We increasingly speak of commons. “Common goods”, “creative commons”, “commonalities”…  What exactly are the commons about?

Michel Bauwens: The commons are three things at the same time: a resource (shared), a community (which maintains them) and precise principles of autonomous governance (to regulate them). These are very concrete things, which do not exist naturally but are the result of alliances between several parties. “There is no commons without commoning”. Examples are renewable energy cooperatives,  shared mobility projects, entities of shared knowledge, food cooperatives… 

In fact, we all have and create commons without knowing it, and have always done so… following more or less intense cycles of mutualization.

In fact, we all have and create commons without knowing it, and have always done so… following more or less intense cycles of mutualization.

If commoning follows cycles, where are we today?

M. B. : There are long, civilizational cycles and short, economic cycles. Regarding the former, every time a civilization is in crisis, there is a return of the commons. Because when class societies disintegrate, when resources are overexploited and run out, pooling resources makes more and more sense. Today, we face a global environmental crisis that is giving rise to a resurgence of the commons. Yesterday it was the end of the Roman Empire, the crisis in Japan in the 12th century or in China in the 15th century… 

 …click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Why we need new narratives and strategies to save the environment

November 16, 2018

Why we need new narratives and strategies to save the environment

The fatalist-gloomy-future narrative around climate change hasn’t been compelling to mobilise enough individuals and communities for change. In response, new organisations are emerging with positive narratives and more complex strategies to tackle ‘the problem’ of our generation.

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We asked Cacau Araujo for the details behind this change in environmental discourse and strategy. She is part of Alana –a Brazilian socio-environmental NGO– and Believe.Earth –a global Movement born in Rock in Rio in 2017, that promotes positive stories of individuals and their environmental revolutions. Their goal is to inspire and show that a better world is possible if we all believe in it.

Cacau was one of our speakers at FutureFest, an event where we ran explorative discussions on the future of work in July 2018.

What is the key to building better narratives around climate change without falling into wishful thinking?

We discuss this a lot because it is the most common feedback we receive when presenting our optimistic approach. We try to convey positive narrative as a strategy. Nonetheless, to avoid falling into a wishful thinking trap, we continuously acknowledge the problem and back it up with science. Every time we talk about building solutions, creating narratives and addressing social and environmental issues, we use science as an ally.

We focus on an optimistic discourse because we need a new breath of fresh air; otherwise we wouldn’t be able to keep going. Negative discourses are a slippery slope towards cynicism, where people would stop trying to enforce change because they can’t see the point.

‍…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Designing for a better society: how tiny houses can have a huge impact

April 23, 2018

Designing for a better society: how tiny houses can have a huge impact

Interview with Ricardo Mayor on the role of designers and architects crafting our social tissue. We explore how the tiny house model was adapted to respond to the current refugee crisis. From how new production models can empower citizens and change our relationship with refugees, to ultimately changing the way we design cities.

We are all familiar with the current refugee crisis. Images of camps, temporary settlements and people living in the streets of big cities have become ordinary. We all know there is a problem,  that cities are incapable -or unwilling- to deal with it. But what if we could design a solution that not only offers refugees decent living conditions but helps us to connect and improve our relationship with them?

French and Spanish architecture firms Quatorze and D.A.T Pangea took on the challenge. The result is In My Backyard (IMBY), an initiative that builds tiny houses to temporarily install in people’s backyards to host refugees. We discussed with the architect behind the IMBY project from D.A.T Pangea and speaker at the Ouishare Fest Barcelona 2017 Ricardo Mayor, to understand how tiny houses can change more than just our backyards.

Architects and urban planners have a huge responsibility designing the places we live, ultimately changing our interactions and social tissue. in your experience,  how can we design cities – and all that is in them- to foster a more just and collaborative society?

It’s not an easy question. I would say that any construction project has to start by thinking and considering throughout the production process the users. With IMBY we wanted to answer the question of how, starting from design and production methods, we could build a house that could foster social integration and civic engagement in a sustainable model. And this can only be done by empowering the people.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

‘Cosmo-Localization’: Can Thinking Globally and Producing Locally Really Save Our Planet?

February 6, 2018

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‘COSMO-LOCALIZATION’: CAN THINKING GLOBALLY AND PRODUCING LOCALLY REALLY SAVE OUR PLANET?

Fablabs, makerspaces, emerging global knowledge commons… These are but some of the outcomes of a growing movement that champions globally-sourced designs for local economic activity. Its core idea is simple: local ownership of the means to produce basic manufactures and services can change our economic paradigm, making our cities self-sufficient and help the planet.

Sharon Ede, urbanist and activist based in Australia has recently launched AUDAcities, a catalyst for relocalising production in cities. She shared her insights on the opportunities of making cities regenerative and more sustainable as well as the limits of cosmo-localization.

TECHNOLOGY, AS WE ALL KNOW, IS NOT NEUTRAL. MAKING THE TRANSITION TO SELF-SUFFICIENT CITIES NEEDS A CULTURAL SHIFT, NOT JUST A TECHNOLOGICAL ONE. SO, HOW DO WE DESIGN OPEN-SOURCE TOOLS THAT FOSTER A CHANGE IN BEHAVIOURS AND ARE INCLUSIVE?

Technology will go where cultural, social and economic values direct it. A cultural shift will include open source tools, and the kinds of processes we need to create those – but a cultural shift will require much more.

Governments can and do play a significant role in shaping culture through policy and regulation, and contrary to popular belief about where innovation originates, the state is not only a key entrepreneurial actor but also has a huge opportunity to reinvent itself as the ‘partner state’ – where government responds to the contributory democracy we are seeing emerge as a force that does with, not for or to, the communities it serves.The technology, and who owns it, is just a manifestation of what we value.

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT THE REAL BENEFITS OF LOCAL PRODUCTION, ESPECIALLY THAT LAST-MILE DELIVERY IS MORE HARMFUL TO THE ENVIRONMENT THAN THE BENEFITS IT BRINGS. IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT IS THE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT OF A PRODUCT THAT HAS BEEN GLOBALLY DESIGNED AND LOCALLY MANUFACTURED?

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Olduvai IV: Courage
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Olduvai II: Exodus
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