Reflections on the Commons Space at the World Social Forum in Montreal 2016
For many months I’ve intended to write an article on the Commons Space at the World Social Forum (WSF) which took place in Montreal in August of 2016.
Economy featured
An Infrastructure Fix
President Dwight Eisenhower wrote his name in concrete by building the interstate highway system. President Donald Trump has made infrastructure one of his signature issues, perhaps because he too likes to write his name on big projects.
Degrowth In Movement(s) – A Dialogue Between Alternatives
Finally it is done: all texts from the project “Degrowth in Movement(s)” to be published in English are now available online. Representatives from different social movements share their perspective on degrowth and illustrate commonalities, differences and points of critique. In Germany, last year’s publication of the respective German texts, videos and pod casts marked the … Read more
French Development Agency Champions the Commons as New Vision for Development
As climate change intensifies, the ecological implications of growth-based “development” are now alarming if not fatuous.
Permaculture, Commons and Community
In the individualistic society which is promoted by global capitalism, it’s a radical act to choose to live collectively. Sharing, be it space, food, or resources, has not been strongly promoted by those who want us to consume as much as possible…
The Joke
It is a great joke, that the deepest commons have been passed on in daylight, unnoticed by thought police, secret police and dragoons. No disguise, samizdat, remembered whisperings; no underground… These commons are bequeathed in a code that anyone can read – elegance of architectural design, fine lines of a boat, laughter and tears extracted by good verse and prose…
The Real Reason your City has no Money
NOTE: Images in this archived article have been removed. Image from Wikimedia. Lafayette, Louisiana, has a population of around 125,000. That makes it about the 200th largest city in the country; not really big but not really all that small either. It has a unique culture and geography, but the layout and design of the … Read more
Sustainability 4.0
Sustainability 4.0 implies the empowered co-creation of prosumers in order to re-shape economy and society towards social inclusiveness and ecological soundness.
Union Co-operatives: What They Are and Why We Need Them
Trade unionist Jimmy Reid described alienation as ‘the frustration of ordinary people excluded from the process of decision-making’. This frustration is endemic in contemporary neoliberalised economies…
An Update on Mineral Depletion: Do we Need Mining Quotas?
To ensure that sufficient zinc, molybdenum and antimony are available for our greatgrandchildren’s generation, we need an international mineral resources agreement.
Shaun Chamberlin: Surviving The Aftermath Of The Market Economy
And these are troubled times. It’s getting harder and harder for everyday folks to pretend otherwise as carrying the weight of the self-delusions begins to exceed the cost of waking up and squaring oneself with reality.
De-[Constructing] Growth: Decoupling Profits from Unsustainable Production*
While not offering a critique of the degrowth discourse, I throw some light on the debate by offering a deeper and more useful conceptualization that avoids the negative connotations of, and resistance to, “degrowth”