November 2016 - P2P-Foundation - lists.ourproject.org

Fwd: Launch Call for Practitioners' Labs IASC2017 Conference 'Practicing the Commons' (Utrecht, July 10-14, 2017)
by Michel Bauwens 10 Nov '16

10 Nov '16

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: collective-action <collective-action(a)uu.nl> Date: Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 3:20 AM Subject: Launch Call for Practitioners' Labs IASC2017 Conference 'Practicing the Commons' (Utrecht, July 10-14, 2017) To: Dear Sir, Madam, As hosting team of the XVI Biennial IASC Conference ‘Practicing the Commons: Self-Governance, Cooperation, and Institutional Change’, to be held in Utrecht, July 10-14, 2017, we are happy to inform you that we have received *over 1,050 abstracts* for papers, panels, and posters for this conference. With the abstracts for Practitioners’ Labs yet to come, we expect the IASC2017 Conference to become the largest international event on commons ever! All abstracts will now be peer-reviewed by our Scientific Review Committee of over 50 international experts; the results are to be expected *in the course of December 2016-January 2017*. With this e-mail e would like to inform you about the *Call for (Contributions to) Practitioners’ Labs* (deadline: March 31, 2017), but also about the current results call and developments regarding the 2017 Conference. *Call for Practitioners’ Labs* We have just issued a *Call for (Contributions to) Practitioners' Labs*. As we intend to bring together not only scholars working on commons, but also practitioners involved in commons or organizations dealing with commons from around the globe, several Practitioners’ Labs will be organized. At these labs, practitioners have the opportunity to put forward their experience on commons-issues and at the same time discuss the challenges and questions they encounter with academics working on these issues, as well as with fellow-practitioners and policy makers. Proposals can be submitted for 1. full panels of approx. 6 participants, 2. contributions to the panels mentioned as in 1. 3. contributions to one of the already prepared *Sponsored Practitioners’ Labs (see *http://www.iasc2017.org/practitioners-labs/*)* 4. individual proposals of practitioners who would like to present their organisation at one of the Practitioners’ Labs For all info and the full text of the call, visit http://www.iasc2017.org/calls/call-for-practitioners-labs/. You will find the call also as attachment to this e-mail. *We would kindly like to ask you to distribute this call among your contacts*. Please do notice that this call is also open to contributions by academics, but they should be aware that the Practitioners’ Labs are explicitly designed for exchanging experience on practical issues and not for the presentation of academic papers. *Become an IASC-member now and benefit from reduced fees at IASC2017* As you are probably aware of, the IASC is a non-profit, member-driven association that offers lots of benefits to its members. If you are not yet a member, now is the time to become a member: you will be able to benefit from a reduced membership fee for IASC2017, but in the meanwhile you will also have* full access to IASC’s digital resources* such as the Digital Library on the Commons, *reduced publication fees* for accepted articles in the International Journal of the Commons and the *opportunity to use IASC’s social media and newsletters* to draw attention to your own projects, publications, events, etc.. You can find the overview of our income-dependent membership fees and subscribe as member via https://membership-iasc.commons.org. *Help us promote the IASC2017 Conference!* The IASC2017 promises to be one of the largest conferences on commons and common-pool resources ever! Help us make this conference to a success by following our social media and using #iasc2017 as topic. If you see an opportunity to distribute promotional materials like posters or flyers on the conference, or on IASC in general, contact the IASC via iasc(a)iasc-commons.org. *Follow us on* Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iasc2017/ Linkedin https://nl.linkedin.com/in/iasc2017 Twitter @iasc_2017 #iasc2017 *Questions?* For all questions about the conference, please contact us at iasc2017(a)iasc2017.org. For questions regarding the IASC, please contact René van Weeren, Executive Director, at iasc(a)iasc-commons.org. Kind regards, The Research Team ‘Institutions for Collective Action’ In cooperation with IASC2017 Conference Team *Conference Website* http://www.iasc2017.org/ *Facebook* https://www.facebook.com/iasc2017/ *Linkedin* https://nl.linkedin.com/in/iasc2017 *Twitter* @iasc_2017 #iasc2017 -- <http://www.iasc2017.org/> -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Fwd: FW: Hazel Henderson on " The USA's Trumped Up election "
by Michel Bauwens 10 Nov '16

10 Nov '16

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Hazel Henderson <hazel.henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com> Date: Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 3:52 AM Subject: FW: Hazel Henderson on " The USA's Trumped Up election " To: Jessica Mathews <jmathews(a)ceip.org> Cc: "Jessica Cheam (jcheam(a)eco-business.com)" <jcheam(a)eco-business.com>, Chandran Nair <cnair(a)global-inst.com>, Martin Ping < martin(a)hawthornevalleyfarm.org>, "Susan Witt - E.F. Schumacher Society ( susanwitt(a)centerforneweconomics.org)" <susanwitt(a)centerforneweconomics.org>, "satish(a)resurgence.org" <satish(a)resurgence.org>, parminder < parminder.js(a)gmail.com>, Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net>, "Olivier Lavagne (olivier.LAVAGNE(a)unep.org)" <olivier.LAVAGNE(a)unep.org>, Tony Manwaring <Tony.Manwaring(a)cimaglobal.com>, f byrne < fergaljbyrne(a)gmail.com>, "Jim Lobe (ipswas(a)igc.org)" <ipswas(a)igc.org>, " othernews(a)netcabo.pt" <othernews(a)netcabo.pt>, Mahenau AGHA < mahenau.agha(a)unep.org>, Michaela Walsh <mahalia935(a)gmail.com>, Maureen Hart <mhart(a)sustainabilityprofessionals.org>, Michael Hopkins < mjdhopkins(a)mhcinternational.com>, "Grunwald, Michael (mgrunwald(a)politico.com)" <mgrunwald(a)politico.com> Hi Jessica: I sent this out this morning. Please circulate ! Warm regards ,as ever, Hazel *HAZEL HENDERSON, D.Sc.Hon., FRSA* *President, Ethical Markets Media; Author, Mapping the Global Transition to the Solar Age* *Hazel.Henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com <Hazel.Henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>* *Watch our TV series on EthicalMarkets.tv <http://ethicalmarkets.tv/> and available for global distribution at Films.com <http://www.films.com/>.* *Sign our Pledge a**t** www.ethicmarkgems.com <http://www.ethicmarkgems.com/> **to never purchase mined gems!* *Read the 2015 **Green Transition Scoreboard <http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/2015/04/21/green-transitions-scoreboard-april…>**® report and watch the 3-intro **video <http://youtu.be/kGDKQlTfSO8>**.* *[image: emm signature block just graphics 9-10-14]* *Ethical Markets Media (USA & Brazil)* *St. Augustine, FL 32084 904.829.3140* *EthicalMarkets.com, HazelHenderson.com* *EthicalMarkets.tv, EthicalBiomimicryFinance.com* *From:* Hazel Henderson *Sent:* Wednesday, November 09, 2016 10:49 AM *To:* em(a)designextensions.com *Cc:* Simon Zadek - Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable FInancial System (simon(a)zadek.net) <simon(a)zadek.net>; Thalif Deen (thalifdeen(a)aol.com) ; 'John Howell' <jhowell(a)3blmedia.com>; 'Rebecca Kreke' <rkreke(a)3blmedia.com>; Kuttner, Robert (kuttner(a)prospect.org) <kuttner(a)prospect.org>; Richard Eidlin (reidlin(a)asbcouncil.org) <reidlin(a)asbcouncil.org>; David Bollier < david(a)bollier.org>; Barnes, Peter (peter(a)tomales.org) <peter(a)tomales.org>; 'Dianne' <ddrwater27(a)aol.com>; Levine, David (dlevine(a)asbcouncil.org) < dlevine(a)asbcouncil.org>; Joel Makower <joel(a)makower.com>; Erika Karp ( erika.karp(a)cornerstonecapinc.com) <erika.karp(a)cornerstonecapinc.com>; Schueth, Steven (steveschueth(a)firstaffirmative.com) <steveschueth@ firstaffirmative.com>; 'Amy Domini' <adomini(a)lwcotrust.com>; 'Nicky at The Finance Innovation Lab' <nicky.johnston(a)financeinnovationlab.org>; Jeremy Leggett <jeremy.leggett(a)solarcentury.com>; Tessa Tennant < tt(a)tessatennant.net>; 'Nick Gogerty' <nick.gogerty(a)solarcoin.org>; Shaw, Martha (martha(a)earthadvertising.com) ; Lubber, Mindy S. (lubber(a)ceres.org) ; Alice Tepper Marlin <ATepperMarlin(a)sa-intl.org>; 'Beth Binns' < bbinns(a)gmavt.net>; Linda Crompton <linda.crompton(a)gmail.com>; Elsie Maio ( elsiemaio(a)soulbranding.com) >; 'Leslie Danziger' <lesliedanziger(a)gmail.com>; Rinaldo S. Brutoco <rinaldo(a)shangrilagroup.net>; Deepak Chopra < nonlocal101(a)chopra.com>; Martin Whittaker <mwhittaker(a)justcapital.com> *Subject:* Hazel Henderson on " The USA's Trumped Up election " Hi Julie : Please post this soonest on www.ethicalmarkets.com “ Latest Headlines “ daily RSS feed on our Green Prosperity and Global Citizens pages, thanks “ GLOBAL CITIZENS RESPONSE TO US TRUMPED UP ELECTION “ This morning ’s election of Donald Trump in the USA requires global citizens committed to global Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) , to rethink our strategies and communications . We can keep messaging our vision of how all the paradigm shifts we are steering toward the global transition to low-carbon , inclusive , green , knowledge-rich sustainable societies are the most viable path to our common future on this planet. My first draft for this messaging to keep hope alive : · Hillary Clinton WON the national popular vote in the USA by a healthy margin ! The electoral college totals reflect years of Republican gerrymandering , voter suppression , fossil fuel and other 19th and 20th century fossilized industrial and financial special interests , further powered by anonymous money due to the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling in 2010 and FBI Director James Comey’s last minute intervention . · Donald’s acceptance speech stressed his first priority is to have government fund INFRASTRUCTURE . i.e. Trump turns out to be a Keynesian , pushing for stimulus , not austerity and budget balancing . We must pull out all the stops to make sure that this new infrastructure is GREEN and keep promoting green bonds and green finance ! This can be facilitated by the boom in renewable energy and continuously falling costs of solar, wind, efficiency and many innovations . We can also cite the $7.1 TRILLION already invested in these sectors which we have tracked cumulatively in our Green Transition Scoreboard® www.ethicalmarkets.com since 2007. · We in the USA need to now demand that Trump reveal his long-secret Tax Returns ! · We can find a consensus with fossil fuel investors , asset managers and allay the fears of pension fund and 401K losses if these fossil reserves are written down as “stranded assets”. We can call on asset managers to correctly re-categorize these “proven fossil reserves “ on so many balance sheets more accurately as “ feedstocks” for later use as chemicals, plastics, new building materials , etc. rather than burning them . As valuable future feedstocks , these assets can maintain their place on balance sheets while helping meet global climate change goals in Marrakech at COP22. ( see Joel Makower’s co-authored The New Grand Challenge (2016) I reviewed at www.seekingalpha.com · We can re-energize Bernie Sanders’ voters by advocating the above strategies and emphasize that they were correct in supporting the green transition, climate change mitigation and fostering local , homegrown economies, crowd-funding , cryptocurrencies like Solar Coin , small businesses , new electronic FINTECH platforms now taking over from over-priced services of the legacy big banks and financial system. · We can keep pushing for more correct indicators , metrics and statistics measuring companies’ performance by the now recognized 6 forms of capital : finance, built, intellectual, social human and natural (IIRC, SASB ,GRI , CASB, JUSTCapital, ESG, CIMA www.cimaglobal.com et. al. ), as well as all the national indicators and accounts ( CIW , Gross National Happiness, etc.) that take us Beyond GDP www.beyond-gdp.eu Let’s keep on moving forward ! Hazel Henderson, Editor “ *HAZEL HENDERSON, D.Sc.Hon., FRSA* *President, Ethical Markets Media; Author, Mapping the Global Transition to the Solar Age* *Hazel.Henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com <Hazel.Henderson(a)ethicalmarkets.com>* *Watch our TV series on EthicalMarkets.tv <http://ethicalmarkets.tv/> and available for global distribution at Films.com <http://www.films.com/>.* *Sign our Pledge at www.ethicmarkgems.com <http://www.ethicmarkgems.com/> to never purchase mined gems!* *Read the 2015 **Green Transition Scoreboard <http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/2015/04/21/green-transitions-scoreboard-april…>**® report and watch the 3-intro **video <http://youtu.be/kGDKQlTfSO8>**.* *[image: emm signature block just graphics 9-10-14]* *Ethical Markets Media (USA & Brazil)* *St. Augustine, FL 32084 904.829.3140* *EthicalMarkets.com, HazelHenderson.com* *EthicalMarkets.tv, EthicalBiomimicryFinance.com* -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Fwd: Medium
by Michel Bauwens 10 Nov '16

10 Nov '16

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: David Kyuman Kim <dkkim(a)conncoll.edu> Date: Thu, Nov 10, 2016 at 1:25 AM Subject: Medium To: Love-Drive Politics Collective <lovedriven(a)googlegroups.com>, Love Driven Politics Collective <love.driven.politics(a)gmail.com> Dear friends, On this strangest of days, I posted on Medium a few words as part of our call to live love-driven politics. If it’s helpful, do share it. https://t.co/2KKm3JXw2u Let’s take care of each other in this dark time. Much love, David ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ ☸ ☼ david kyuman kim Professor & Chair, Department of Religious Studies Core Faculty, Program in American Studies Connecticut College 860-439-5075; dkkim(a)conncoll.edu Twitter: @qmanpvd -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "lovedriven" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to lovedriven+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to lovedriven(a)googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/lovedriven. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ msgid/lovedriven/96B24C2D-ABEF-4473-8614-3A4C94C656AC%40conncoll.edu <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/lovedriven/96B24C2D-ABEF-4473-8614-3A4C94…> . For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Fwd: [NetworkedLabour] Fwd: [New post] The end of the middle
by Michel Bauwens 09 Nov '16

09 Nov '16

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: peter waterman <peterwaterman1936(a)gmail.com> Date: Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 6:58 PM Subject: Re: [NetworkedLabour] Fwd: [New post] The end of the middle To: Orsan Senalp <orsan1234(a)gmail.com>, "<networkedlabour(a)lists.contrast.org>" <networkedlabour(a)lists.contrast.org> Orsan I really don't understand your comment on Ursula's thought-provoking piece. I responded to it on her site as follows: Ursula Thanks for this provocative piece. I hope it will stimulate a wider discussion. You say, however, 'Tragically, this dissolution of clear class analysis has been echoed on the left as well as in this centre ground, where concepts like 'the 99%', the 'multitude' and the 'precariat' have been substituted for that of the working class.' Surely, such concepts have attracted the left because of the failure of various 'labourisms' (Marxist, therefore, as well as the Social Democrats you mention) whose assumptions about what the 'working class' was and its role in social emancipation, 1) failed to recognise the increasing diversity of working classes/categories, and 2) evidently have had decreasing 'popular' appeal. So I think you/we, who concentrate on the 'labour question' need to re-define 'the working class', in terms the encompass or overlap with those concepts you dismiss, and then less dismiss populism than consider how socially-emancipatory movements (rather than 'the left' which is being left behind) do or might appeal to our alienated majorities (this being the other sense of popular) worldwide. Finally, we have to recognise Global Trumpism as a crisis not only for 'the left' but for liberal or parliamentary democracy worldwide. This game has been played out at increasing distance from 'the people'. And the latter are tending to vote against a game being played over their heads and at their expense. Best, PeterW On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 11:48 AM, Orsan Senalp <orsan1234(a)gmail.com> wrote: > The end of the middle (in the West).. New middle is being forned local > ethnicisms, nationalisms and fascisms (of local capitalists) on the one > hand, and 'war of civilizations' of the globalist capitalists on the other. > > The new middle, will be constructed and based on the middle classes of > Brics; who are described as hungry and increasingly capable of consuming > like hell. > > ... > > Begin forwarded message: > > *From:* Ursula Huws's Blog <comment-reply(a)wordpress.com> > *Date:* 9 november 2016 08:58:18 GMT+01:00 > *To:* <orsan1234(a)gmail.com>orsan1234(a)gmail.com > *Subject:* *[New post] The end of the middle* > *Reply-To:* Ursula Huws's Blog <comment+e3bb7b91173sva9kaa6vx > sr(a)comment.wordpress.com> > > administrator posted: "There was a sudden moment yesterday morning when I > was hit (it felt bodily, like a punch) by the realisation that it was > really likely that Trump would win the US presidential election. I was > half-watching the morning news on the BBC while preparing break" > Respond to this post by replying above this line > New post on *Ursula Huws's Blog* > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/author/ursulahuws/> The end of > the middle > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-end-of-the-middle/> by > administrator <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/author/ursulahuws/> > > There was a sudden moment yesterday morning when I was hit (it felt > bodily, like a punch) by the realisation that it was really likely that > Trump would win the US presidential election. I was half-watching the > morning news on the BBC while preparing breakfast and they showed clips of > the final rallies of the two candidates: Clinton in Philadelphia, embracing > Bruce Springsteen and Trump addressing a crowd in New Hampshire. What > jolted my attention was Trump's language: 'Tomorrow', he said, with > complete confidence, 'the American Working Class will strike back'. Wow, I > thought, he actually said it; he actually used that phrase 'working class' > which has always seemed so inexplicably taboo among mainstream Democrats. > And I felt a deep conviction that he understood precisely what he was doing > when he used it. > > For years, I, and no doubt other people on the European left, have been > puzzled by the way, across the Atlantic, workers have been persistently > described as 'middle class'. It could perhaps be explained in several ways: > negatively, as a way of disassociating from any hint of communist leanings; > more positively as an appeal to the aspirations of the poor in a society > that has grown through upward mobility, particularly of second-generation > immigrants; as a way of fudging class differences in an electoral system in > which victory can only be won by broad alliances between what Marxists > would regard as proletarians and elements of the petit bourgeoisie. > > One of its many effects has been to make it difficult to speak clearly of > class at all. People are analysed in their capacities as consumers, or in > relation to their ethnicity or other demographic variables, but rarely in > relation to their role in the economic division of labour. Although the > industrial working class may be romanticised nostalgically (interestingly > enough not least by Democrat supporters like Bruce Springsteen) it is > marginalised in general discourse. An increasingly fictionalised idea of a > centre ground made of 'hard working families' is substituted for them in > the mainstream discourse (echoing the language of the 1990s centre-left > political discourse which presumed a fuzzy middle ground in which 'third > way' politics might work). > > Tragically, this dissolution of clear class analysis has been echoed on > the left as well as in this centre ground, where concepts like 'the 99%', > the 'multitude' and the 'precariat' have been substituted for that of the > working class. > > By not daring to speak its name, these deniers have opened the door to a > reframing of working class identity. If the people (workers or former > workers) who perceive themselves to be losers of neo-liberal globalisation > policies know very well, and rightly reject the designation 'middle-class' > find that they are not being addressed by social democratic parties then > they will look for leaders who seem to recognise them for who they are and > what they fear. And what we are seeing, in the USA as in the UK and other > parts of the world, is that those who do so are populists. > > Working class people who have been told they are middle class know that > they have been lied to, and will not trust the politicians they believe are > liars. The unfolding tragedy we are living through shows that may then > become open to believing other liars, who persuade them to deflect their > rage against fellow members of the working class, whom they do not > recognise as such, having been deprived of the analytical tools to do so. > > To paraphrase G.K. Chesterton: When men choose not to believe in socialism > they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of > believing in anything. > > > > > *administrator <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/author/ursulahuws/>* | > November 9, 2016 at 6:58 am | Categories: Uncategorized > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/?cat=1> | URL: <http://wp.me/p14K0k-O5> > http://wp.me/p14K0k-O5 > > Comment > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-end-of-the-middle/#respond> > See all comments > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-end-of-the-middle/#comments> > Like > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-end-of-the-middle/?like_act…> > > Unsubscribe > <https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=2268d5b61ab0d530b26169de75f8e49d&email…> > to no longer receive posts from Ursula Huws's Blog. > Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions > <https://subscribe.wordpress.com/?key=2268d5b61ab0d530b26169de75f8e49d&email…>. > > > *Trouble clicking?* Copy and paste this URL into your browser: > <https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-end-of-the-middle/> > https://ursulahuws.wordpress.com/2016/11/09/the-end-of-the-middle/ > Thanks for flying with <https://wordpress.com>WordPress.com > > > _______________________________________________ > NetworkedLabour mailing list > NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org > http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour > > -- *Click here for Peter's recent writings* <https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8s52g2y905rq6w/WatermanGmailSignaturePanel%20%20…> _______________________________________________ NetworkedLabour mailing list NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] Workshop "Commons Josaphat" on Urban Commons in Brussels
by Michel Bauwens 09 Nov '16

09 Nov '16

dear Geert I would love to meet you and your crew, however, my agenda is already full for this very short trip to belgium, in the spring though, I will be 3 months in Ghent and will definitely visit, Michel On Wed, Nov 9, 2016 at 6:08 PM, Geert de pauw <geertdpw(a)gmail.com> wrote: > dear all, > > > Commons Josaphat <https://commonsjosaphat.wordpress.com/> is a Brussels > collective that believes in the commons as a paradigm for urban > development. > To realize this, we worked out a proposal for the development of the > Josaphat site, one of the last undeveloped pieces of land in our Region > (24ha). > The owner, the Brussels Region, wants to sell a big part of the land to > developers. We propose to develop this futur urban neighborhood in a new > way, in cooperation with existing civic initiatives: cohousing groups, > community land trusts, energy cooperatives,... > The principles are collective land ownership, anti-speculation, > solidarity, collective management. (more info in the french version of our > proposal for this Commons Neigbourhoud > <https://commonsjosaphat.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/commons-josaphat_josaph…> > ) > > The presence of so many European commoners in Brussels is the ideal > occasion for us to discuss our proposal with you and to learn of your > experiences. That's why we organize a *workshop on Tuesday, 15/11 from 16 > to 19h* at Zinneke, Place Masui 13 in Brussels. We want to organize > exchanges between members of our collective and people who work elsewhere > in Europe in the development of urban commons. > We are mainly looking for concrete and inspiring examples. We would like > to focus on: > > - The drafting of a charter > - Developing a governance model to scale of a neighborhood > - Citizen funding of such a large-scale project > - Models for the collective management of the public and common space > > Can you let us know if you are enthusiast (and available) to participate > the 15/11 from 16 to 19h? Thanks! > > Annexed you'll find a short description of what we do. If you're > interested, let us know, we'll send you a short presentation with more > inof. Hope to meet you on our workshop (or at on other moment of the > European Commons Assembly), > > Geert De Pauw, Sophie Ghyselen, Verena Lenna, Loic Géronnez for Commons > Josaphat > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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why targeted social programs are self-defeating
by Michel Bauwens 07 Nov '16

07 Nov '16

It's really worth remembering why the labour movement chose for welfare systems that did not target only the 'deserving poor'; the research shows that targetting effectively reduces the political support for such welfare programs, leads to defunding, to a deterioration of the programs and so to a vicious cycle: Very much worth reading in full: http://theweek.com/articles/601672/just-give-welfare-everyone (otherwise this is a great and recommended report on how freelancers and precarious workers are organizing with the help of unions and coops, and it includes a report on the emerging labour mutuals which bridge the gap between the precariat and the salariat; ** Report: Not Alone. Trade Union and Cooperative Solutions To Self-Employment. By Pat Conaty, Alex Bird and Philip Ross. Co-operatives UK, 2016* URL = http://www.uk.coop/notalone pdf <http://www.uk.coop/sites/default/files/uploads/attachments/not_alone_-_trad…> ) "Targeting keeps the costs of programs down. As a broader matter of principle or fairness, it's best to avoid giving money to people who don't need assistance. But while targeting sounds rational in the abstract, it may be self-defeating in practice. "By discriminating in favor of the poor, the targeted model creates a zero-sum conflict of interests between the poor and the better-off workers and the middle classes who must pay for the benefits of the poor without receiving any benefits," sociologists Walter Korpi and Joakim Palme argued <https://campus.fsu.edu/bbcswebdav/institution/academic/social_sciences/soci…> in *The Paradox of Redistribution and Strategies of Equality*. "...The greater the degree of low-income targeting, the smaller the redistributive budget." Poverty can socially mark people in their community and in the public discourse: as lazy, as lacking virtue, as unworthy. But government aid programs that target people in poverty can socially mark them in the same way, precisely because other people who aren't getting the benefits see the people in poverty getting them. As early as 1976, Ronald Reagan was telling stories <http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/innocent-mistakes/> of young black men <http://billmoyers.com/2014/02/27/ronald-reagans-racially-tinged-stump-speec…> buying steaks with food stamps, and women gaming <http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=255819681> the welfare system. More recently, in 2013, conservative media got ahold of a single anecdote of a man buying lobster with food stamps and beat it into the ground <http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/08/13/fox-news-reports-on-snap-binging-lo…>. These sorts of urban legends then feed attempts <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/01/food-stamps-resentment_n_3518821.h…> at both the federal <http://www.cbpp.org/research/ryan-budget-would-slash-snap-by-137-billion-ov…> and state <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/08/missouri-food-stamps_n_7026704.html> level <http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/05/01/3653919/wisconsin-food-stamps-s…> to either cut food stamp spending, or hem in <http://www.thenation.com/article/why-do-americans-feel-entitled-tell-poor-w…> its recipients with drug testing and other humiliating restrictions. Work requirements for government aid are also extremely popular <http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/business/jobs_employment/jul…> . There's even international evidence for this: Studies <http://www.vox.com/2016/1/23/10810978/cash-transfer-givedirectly-spillover> of two programs that gave direct cash transfers to poor people in Kenya and Malawi found, not surprisingly, that the recipients of the money did better. But the people in the same communities who didn't get any aid showed *decreased* life satisfaction and spikes in emotional distress. In America, race and racism intensifies <http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/01/bernie_san…> the effect. Poverty and the programs targeted at the impoverished do not just mark people in general as lesser; they're largely used to mark black Americans specifically, despite the fact that the majority of welfare recipients are white. Poverty and economic deprivation are among the main <http://theweek.com/articles/573307/end-police-violence-have-end-poverty> vehicles <http://theweek.com/articles/567495/what-black-lives-matter-gets-wrong-about…> by which racial injustice is created. White resentment of black Americans was one of the central forces <https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/05/23/yes-opposition…> of opposition to traditional welfare (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aid_to_Families_with_Dependent_Children> and even ObamaCare (which is also heavily targeted <http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2014/01/potential-effects-affordab…>at the poorest Americans). Giving people aid through government programs is never just an "economic" act. It's always a social act, too, as well as a political one — and thus an act with social and political consequences <http://www.vox.com/2016/1/23/10810978/cash-transfer-givedirectly-spillover>. The social and political effects of targeting benefits create resentments that can fracture the political alliances needed to preserve welfare state programs. Targeting winds up defeating itself, because the targeted programs lose support, gain enemies, and become easy political targets for cuts. The welfare state winds up more stingy and redistributing less. Because the politically powerless get these targeted benefits, people start to resent them. So politicians cut the programs. Then the programs don't work very well. "Programs for the poor are poor programs," as an old adage goes. The answer to the problem is to actively pursue "universalism" — avoid programs that target poorer Americans or that have eligibility cutoffs for people with too much income ("means testing" is the technical term) and instead deliberately distribute government aid across as broad a swath of the population as possible. A universal basic income <http://theweek.com/articles/444714/why-reform-conservatives-should-embrace-…> — which would give the same monthly cash benefit to every man, woman, and child in the country — is the extreme version of this idea. But universalism is an approach, not a policy, and can be pursued to varying degrees. For instance, one could imagine a program <http://theweek.com/articles/566391/what-hillary-clinton-doesnt-about-women-…>that gives the same monthly cash benefit to every family with a child, per child, regardless of income. You could extend that framework <http://mattbruenig.com/2015/07/10/a-basic-welfare-framework/> to the rest of the welfare state as well, with similar programs for every student, every retired person, every disabled person, and every person caring for a disabled or sick person. Single-payer systems <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-payer_healthcare> are an example of universalism in health care. The closest America has come to universal programs are things like Social Security and Medicare, which go to everyone over a certain age. And while resentments of the poor in general and African Americans in particular have certainly been used to prevent their expansion (Social Security excluded <https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/06/03/a-second-look-at-soc…> 65 percent of the black workforce and only 27 percent of the white workforce when it was implemented in 1935, and the gaps weren't closed for almost two decades) there's little evidence from American history that they can fracture universal programs once they're in place. Social Security and Medicare, much to the chagrin of many reformers, are pretty much untouchable in U.S. politics. Meanwhile, politicians have cut <http://www.demos.org/blog/1/20/16/are-programs-poor-actually-poor-programs>AFDC and other targeted income supports in the last few decades, sometimes severely. That's the theory, anyway. The data backing this theory is not airtight, though. When economist Lane Kenworthy looked across <http://lanekenworthy.net/public-insurance-and-the-least-well-off/> several major western nations, from 1985 to 2005, he found a strong relationship between how big a country's welfare state budget was and how much it reduced inequality. He also found that in 1985, there was a strong relationship between how much a country relied on universal programs and how much it reduced inequality. But by 2005, that relationship had disappeared. How much a country relied on universalism didn't seem to have much effect on how much its programs reduced inequality. That said, Kenworthy was working with a small data set. His results largely depended on changes in Denmark and the United States. Denmark has moved from universalism to a more targeted system without becoming any noticeably less generous or redistributive. It still spends gobs <http://www.demos.org/blog/5/4/15/david-brooks-makes-basic-poverty-mistakes> on its welfare state, and boasts very low levels <http://www.demos.org/blog/10/20/15/united-states-vs-denmark-17-charts> of poverty and inequality. The United States, meanwhile, cut its targeted programs (think welfare reform <http://theweek.com/articles/566842/why-paul-ryans-welfare-reform-always-goi…>) while leaving broad programs like Social Security and Medicare in place. The nature of its welfare state programs became more universal on net, while staying extremely stingy <http://theweek.com/articles/553937/americas-social-safety-net-way-skimpy--h…> . This led Kenworthy to propose an updated theory: By installing universal systems first, Denmark changed its social character. It created the social and political solidarity that allowed it to target programs more effectively later on. Achieving that solidarity would likely be much harder in the U.S., given our history of slavery and Jim Crow and white supremacy, not to mention our comfort with inequality. But the story of how this happened doesn't change the effectiveness of universalism as an important strategy toward equality. SHARE! <?subject=Just%20give%20welfare%20to%20everyone&body=:http://theweek.com/articles/601672/just-give-welfare-everyone> -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] [NetworkedLabour] Fwd: [Participants] Internet and social movements in Morocco
by Michel Bauwens 07 Nov '16

07 Nov '16

Would you have a link to this important article ? It didn't show up in google, Michel On Mon, Nov 7, 2016 at 2:37 PM, peter waterman <peterwaterman1936(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Richard Greeman <rgreeman(a)gmail.com> > Date: Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 6:33 PM > Subject: [Participants] Internet and social movements in Morocco > To: participants(a)internetsocialforum.net > > > *Behind the Demonstrations in Morocco* > > > > By Richard Greeman > > > > On Wednesday Oct. 26, the well-known Moroccan historian and human rights > activist Maâti Monjib and five of his colleagues were hauled into the High > Court at Rabat to answer charges of “attacks on national security” and > “receiving foreign funds.” They are facing up to five years in prison for > their activities as investigative journalists, human rights advocates and > members of the “February 20th Movement” -- the Moroccan version of “Arab > Spring” of 2011. > > > > Two days later, anti-government demonstrations spread across Morocco after > social media spread the story of Mousine Fikri, a fishmonger crushed to > death inside a garbage truck as he tried to block the destruction of a > truckload of his fish confiscated by police. The February 20th Movement, > long assumed dormant, sprang back to life and took the lead in organizing > the protests, which spread to 40 cities. > > > > These two events – the Monjib trial and the demonstrations sweeping the > country -- are hardly unrelated. Monjib and his co-defendants, journalists, > media activists, and fighters for human rights, were already a thorn in the > side of the regime even before the 2011 rising. Since then they and their > colleagues have courageously struggled for media freedom while building the > on-line infrastructure of information and interaction that makes possible > real-time on-the-ground mobilizations like those taking place this week. > Their efforts have not gone unrewarded, despite years of government > harassment including base defamation campaigns in official media, bogus > arrests on morals charges and the current treason trial. As today’s > headlines illustrate, social media remain a potent tool in the hands of the > oppressed, and the authoritarian regime of King Mohammed VI had “good” > reasons to persecute media activists like Monjib and his friends. > > *A Long Tug of War* > > The mastery of social media has apparently leveled the playing field in > Morocco’s long struggle for democracy and human rights. On the ground, it > helps coordinate mass mobilizations challenging the regime in the streets, > demanding an end to corruption, brutality, and injustice summed up by the > cry (and hash tag) of *Hoga!* *(*oppression). His Majesty, out of the > country on an official visit, has not returned to take charge of the > emergency. In any case the authorities dare not attempt to repress the > demonstrations and sit-ins by force on the eve of the upcoming COP > conference in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh, at which the Monarchy’s > international reputation as a progressive island of stability in the Arab > world is at stake. The timing couldn’t be worse for Mohammed VI. > > The tug of war on the ground is matched by propaganda war in the air in > which for once both sides are well armed. The regime controls all the > official “vertical” media and can spin the truth in any direction. The > popular movement ripostes with its Internet-based, horizontal social media > and investigative journalist-bloggers. Here’s how the story of Mousine > Fikri’s death plays out in the rival media. > > The regime is going through the motions of satisfying the call for justice > without actually seeking justice. The Royal Prosecutor in the town of Al > Hoseima noisily prosecuting eleven officials. This made the *N.Y.Times. *But > don’t look too closely. To calm the fury, the eleven police and fishery > officials have been locked up, but for “forgery” (in fact faulty paperwork > in recording the incident). They will be released when things calm down. > However the Prosecutor is *not* investigating the question of who gave > the order to turn on the crushing machine at the back of the empty garbage > truck. (The fish had not yet been loaded). According to the independent > on-line journal *Le Desk,* this operation requires the cooperation of *two > *workers: the driver to turn on the electricity in the cab and his > assistant to pull the lever at the back of the truck, where Mr. Fiki and > his friends were presumably visible. Eyewitnesses have been quoted saying > they heard someone give the order: “crush him.” > > The authorities are classing Mr. Fiki’s death as an “accident.” In the > social media, it is called a “state-crime.” Few believe the regime will > keep its promises to “investigate” Fiki’s death: after five years the > Interior Ministry still has not found who was responsible for the deaths of > 15 protesters on Feb. 20, 2011 -- the date which gave the popular movement > its name. The regime, through its official and allied websites, has also > been flooding the web with disinformation designed to confuse and discredit > what the protestors and the independent media are saying. These wild > stories are not likely to be believed by anyone but dedicated loyalist > > * Background to this Struggle* > > The democratic uprising in Morocco (also known as “Revolution2.0” or “the > social media revolution”) was not defeated in the Spring of 2011, only > stalemated in its struggle with the *makhzen *(or deep state) that rules > supreme behind the façade of a progressive, pro-Western monarchy, based on > well-controlled moderate Islam (the King is also Commander of the > Faithful). In July 2011, Mohammed V succeeded in diverting the broad > democratic movement’s demands into electoral channels by proposing a new, > more “liberal” constitution in a snap referendum. > > > > This “compromise” Constitution gained a hardly credible 98.7% of the > votes, and has never been enforced, *au contraire. *As the democracy > spring faded into memory, the *makhzen, *thirsty for revenge, began > tightening the screws on February 20th and Human Rights activists and above > all on the independent investigative journalists, who expose corruption and > oppression. For example my good friend Ali Anouzla, the independent > journalist who in 2011 first brought the news of the uprisings in Tunisia > and Egypt to the Moroccans, was imprisoned in 2013 for “inciting terrorism” > (in fact for exposing the corruption of the Monarchy). Anouzla was > arrested again on Sept. 17 and held without charge for a little over a week > before being formally accused of « material assistance to a terrorist > group, » « advocating terrorism, » and « initiating terrorist acts. » On > Oct. 25, after strong international protests, Anzoula was provisionally > released. > > > > Meanwhile, during 2009-2016 over at the Center for Study and Communication > in Rabat, hundreds of young journalists and human rights activists were > being trained to use the electronic tools of citizen-journalism, in > particular the App known as StoryMaker (mentioned in the indictment against > Maâti Monjib and his students). The Center was founded by Monjib (Professor > of History at the University of Rabat) and named for the tolerant medieval > Arab philosopher Ibn Rochd (Averroes in English). > > > > *Repression* > > > > As repression increased in 2015, the government forced the Center to > close. Monjib, an internationally known scholar who frequently attends > conferences, was stopped at the Casablanca airport and banned from > traveling. Only at the end Monjib’s 20-day public hunger strike did the > government agree to lift the ban. Next came a series of groundless > accusations culminating in the Rabat High Court trial for “attacks on state > security” and “mishandling funds,” a trial that once again was adjourned > last week, perhaps because there is no evidence. > > > > Another reason why the regime is trying to discredit Monjib is that he > edited a book entitled « *Islamists versus secularists : Dialogues and > Confrontations* » and brought representatives of two independant Islamic > Parties together with Socialist and Secularist leaders on his campus. This > was the first public dialogue between the two sides, which have often > settled their differences in blood, and was covered by Al Jazeera and other > serious media. These meetings continued and resulted in the *rapprochement > *of the two sides in a common pro-democracy movement, such as has > recently been achieved in Tunisia. The *Makhzen, *whose policy is “divide > and rule,” rightly considers this *rapprochement *a threat to its > hegemony. > > As a result of these activities, Monjib has been the object of a sustained > campaign of calumny aimed at destroying his reputation as a scholar, human > rights activist and man of peace. Pro-government websites continue to spew > filth about Monjib’s impeccable personal and financial life. Monjib > himself analyzed these techniques in an article published before he himself > became a victim: First, activists are attacked in media close to the secret > services so as to discredit them and prepare public opinion for what is > coming next. He distinguished three types of slander: sex for Islamists, > drugs for young activists and money for Left personalities. Next are > publically accused of “high treason,” “espionage,” “drug possession,” “tax > evasion,” “illegal business,” etc., often changing the charges and keeping > them tied up in court. > > A defense committee (supported by Noam Chomsky) has been established in > France, and funds and support are very much needed. Please sign up at > solidaritemonjib(a)gmail.com (dollars and pounds accepted). > > > > *Theory and Practice* > > > > Among the ibn Rochd Center’s most promising graduates are two of Monjib’s > young co-defendants before the High Court of Rabat: Samad Iach and Hicham > Mansouri. Last year, the scholarly, slight Mansouri was arrested, convicted > and sent to prison a trumped-up charge of living off prostitution. Iach and > Mansouri are now in exile in Paris, where they are working as journalists > and studying communications at the University. Mansouri’s > thesis-in-preparation documents how on-line discussion of democracy and > revolution actually *preceded *the revolts of 2011 and shows how “people > with a common interest in democracy built solid networks and organized > political actions.” He concludes, “armed with their Smartphones connected > to the Internet, thousands of young activists and citizen-journalists have > succeeded in getting around censorship and providing information in real > time while encouraging sharing, comments and interactions among the > citizen-users.” This is clearly bad news for corrupt despots everywhere, > Morocco not excluded. > > > > According to *Forbes, *Mohammed VI is the richest man in North Africa and > the fifth richest on the continent. The King has control over and profits > from the national economy in every sphere, for example phosphates, > Morocco’s most profitable export, as well as the fishing industry. His > Majesty has imposed an electoral system which makes it impossible for any > party to win an absolute majority, and the new Constitution, devised by a > commission all of whose members were nominated by the King, leaves all > power in his hands. Unlike his father, Hassan II, who during his long reign > (1961-1999) was infamous for his use of kidnapping, torture, and long-term > imprisonment, Mohammed VI, a progressive, modern autocrat, prefers new > methods of repression, similar to those used by the ‘progressive’ and > pro-Western Aliev dictatorship in post-Communist Azerbaijan, considered > one of the worst human rights violators in the world.[1] > <#m_-5876017178777201986_m_743564307291440496__ftn1> Mohammed VI has > excellent reasons to want to take revenge on Professor Monjib and his > friends, and today His Majesty is stuck between a rock and a hard place. > Stay tuned. > > > > Although the world looks dark these days, the continuing tug of war in > Morocco inspires hope… and solidarity. Please contact: > solidaritemonjib(a)gmail.com > > > > Nov. 1, 2016 > > > > ------------------------------ > > [1] <#m_-5876017178777201986_m_743564307291440496__ftnref1> > https://blogs.mediapart.fr/hicham-mansouri/blog/181016/affai > res-monjib-et-yunus-maroc-azerbaidjan-memes-techniques-de-repression > > > > _______________________________________________ > Participants mailing list > Participants(a)internetsocialforum.net > http://internetsocialforum.net/mailman/listinfo/participants > _internetsocialforum.net > > > > > -- > *Click here for Peter's recent writings* > <https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8s52g2y905rq6w/WatermanGmailSignaturePanel%20%20…> > > > _______________________________________________ > NetworkedLabour mailing list > NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org > http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour > > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] [NetworkedLabour] Fwd: Are the Trades Putting Labour’s Head in the Gas Oven?
by Michel Bauwens 07 Nov '16

07 Nov '16

Am I correct to read 'fully public' as no place for coops and citizen initiatives ? On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 5:11 PM, peter waterman <peterwaterman1936(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Sid Shniad <shniad(a)gmail.com> > Date: Fri, Nov 4, 2016 at 10:58 PM > Subject: Are the Trades Putting Labour’s Head in the Gas Oven? > To: > > > > > *http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#continue > <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#continue>T h e B u l l e t > A Socialist Project e-bulletin November 4, 2016* > > > > > *Standing Rock Solid with the Frackers:* > > > > *Are the Trades Putting Labour’s Head in the Gas Oven?**Progressive > labour must, however, develop its own vision of an energy future, one > grounded in fully-unionized public renewable power systems, scaled up > low-carbon mass transit, and radical energy conservation in the country's > housing stock and commercial buildings. This is a political ‘construction’ > project that, if implemented, could create millions of ‘climate jobs.’ * > > *Sean Sweeney* > > [image: Inline image 1] > > If anyone were looking for further evidence that the AFL-CIO remains > unprepared to accept the science of climate change, and unwilling to join > with the effort being made by all of the major labour federations of the > world to address the crisis, the fight over the Dakota Access Pipeline > (DAPL) provides only the most recent case in point. Taking direction from > the newly minted North American Building Trades Unions (NABTU) and the > American Petroleum Institute (API), the federation stood against > <http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Dakota-Access-Pipeline-Prov…> the > Standing Rock Sioux and other tribal nations. > > In a recent video interview > <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r89lKwockYY?t=15m50s>, NABTU president > Sean McGarvey dismissed those who oppose the expansion of fossil fuels > infrastructure. “There is no way to satisfy them... no way for them to > recognize that if we don't want to lose our place in the world as the > economic superpower, then we have to have this infrastructure and the > ability to responsibly reap the benefits of what God has given this country > in its natural resources.” > > Although the leaders of NABTU no longer identify with the AFL-CIO and the > letterhead does not mention the Federation, the Trades continue to > determine the shape the AFL-CIO's approach to energy and climate. This is > despite the fact that a growing number of unions have opposed the DAPL, > among them the Amalgamated Transit Union, Communication Workers of America, > National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Nurses United, New York State > Nurses Association, Service Employees International Union (SEIU); SEIU > 1199, and the United Electrical Workers. Union locals (branches or > chapters) have also opposed the DAPL, among them, GEU UAW Local 6950 > <https://m.facebook.com/GEUUAW/photos/a.636140453102387.1073741828.631404886…> > and Steelworkers Local 8751 > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B__d4zO7hqfdVUVsc0k2V3lxX00/view>. > > These unions have been joined by the Labor Coalition for Community Action, > which represents well established AFL-CIO constituency groups like LCLAA, > APALA, Pride at Work, CBTU, CLUW and the A. Philip Randolph Institute. > > Reacting to the progressive unions’ solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux, > NABTU's president Sean McGarvey wrote a scathing letter > <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzZWcWkNKmz_enJFNXpMVzFVTlhhTmh3ZzUta0lmYm…> to > AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka, copies of which were sent to the > principal officers of all of the Federation's affiliated unions. In a > fashion reminiscent of the Keystone XL fight, McGarvey disparaged the > unions that opposed DAPL. A day later, on September 15th, the AFL-CIO > issued its own already infamous statement > <http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Dakota-Access-Pipeline-Prov…> supporting > DAPL. “Trying to make climate policy by attacking individual construction > projects is neither effective nor fair to the workers involved” said the > statement. “The AFL-CIO calls on the Obama Administration to allow > construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline to continue.” > > Split, Coup, or Both? > > It is important to note that the AFL-CIO issued its statement on the basis > of a generic ‘pipelines’ Executive Council (EC) resolution passed in > February 2013. Does this DAPL statement therefore speak for the 55 > affiliates of the Federation? Hardly. The use of a vague EC resolution to > support the DAPL is therefore something of a coup for NABTU, one that will > further damage the reputation of the entire U.S. labour movement both at > home and abroad. > > In a New Labor Forum column almost a year ago > <http://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/?p=2285>, I tried to draw some of the > lessons for the labour movement following the acrimonious fight among union > leaders around the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline. I said KXL could be a > precursor to a more protracted and serious leadership-level conflict in the > years ahead, and that this could be avoided if certain union officers were > to rethink their close relationship to coal, oil and gas industry groups > (the so called Black-Blue Alliance) and take the lead in driving a > different conversation about ‘extractionism’, climate change, and jobs. > > The DAPL fight suggests that the split in labour is deepening. McGarvey's > letter to Trumka warrants careful study. Referring to the fact that many of > the unions that opposed KXL are now opposing DAPL, McGarvey writes, “It > seems the same outdated, lowest common denominator group of so-called labor > organizations has once again seen fit to demean and call for the > termination of thousands of union construction jobs in the Heartland. I > fear that this has once again hastened a very real split in the labour > movement at a time that, should their ceaseless rhetoric be taken > seriously, even they suggest we can least afford it.”[1] > <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#fn1> For now, NABTU has > managed to align the federation squarely with the fossil fuel industry. > > So What is U.S. Labour's Climate and Energy Policy? > > The AFL-CIO's statement on DAPL says that it is “neither effective nor > fair” to make climate policy by attacking individual construction projects. > So what kind of climate policy *does*the AFL-CIO support? The 2013 > Executive Council ‘pipelines’ resolution > <http://www.aflcio.org/About/Exec-Council/EC-Statements/Statement-on-Energy-…> begins: > “The AFL-CIO supports a comprehensive energy policy focused on investing in > our nation's future, creating jobs and addressing the threat of climate > change.” Fine words, but have there been any actions to back them up? > > At the global level, the Federation has never supported the International > Trade Union Confederation's (ITUC) commitment > <http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/ituc_contribution_to_unfccc_cop22_en.pdf> to > the science-based emissions reduction targets proposed by the > Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Every other major > national labour body supports these targets, but not the AFL-CIO. > Similarly, it was the only major national trade union center to oppose the > Kyoto Agreement in the 1990s and, again, the only one to applaud the State > Department's voluntary ‘pledge and review’ approach to emissions reductions > expressed in the 2009 Copenhagen Accord. Global labour was unanimous in its > condemnation of the weak, non-binding and science-denying content of the > Accord – with the AFL-CIO once again being the exception. > > During the 2008 Congressional debate on the (failed) climate bill during > president Obama's first term in office, the AFL-CIO, urging ‘a cautious > approach’, could only support the weakest bill, one that ensured more free > pollution allowances for the fossil fuel sector than any other bill > drafted. Following the defeat of the climate bill in the Senate, the > AFL-CIO essentially stepped away from energy climate policy altogether. And > with Congress obstructing action on climate change, the Obama > Administration ordered the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take > the lead. The EPA developed the Clean Power Plan (CPP) that seeks to > achieve a 32 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from coal and gas-fired > power plants by 2025 based on 2005 levels. The CPP was the basis of the > U.S. contribution to the Paris Climate talks in late 2015 and in the more > recent bilateral climate talks with China. > > In a June 2014 statement, AFL-CIO president Trumka expressed concern > <http://www.aflcio.org/Press-Room/Press-Releases/Statement-by-AFL-CIO-Presid…> about > the CPP's impact on the U.S. coal industry and warned that climate > protection not “be another excuse to beat down working Americans.” But in > the absence of both a coherent policy and a clear lead coming from the > AFL-CIO, key affiliates have moved in to stake out their own space. Several > energy and construction unions have signed onto a lawsuit to prevent the > EPA's implementation of the CPP regulations, with SEIU siding with a broad > set of groups who seek to defeat the legal threat.[2] > <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#fn2> Led by West Virginia > and more than 20 States, the challenge to the EPA would bar the agency from > regulating GHGs <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gas> from > existing power plants altogether. If successful, this would essentially > wipe out any federal climate policy because the Administration is relying > almost exclusively on the EPA to comply with the commitments made in Paris. > > Exporting Carbon > > Meanwhile, in mid-2015 the Laborer's Union (LiUNA) and the Operating > Engineers successfully linked arms with the likes of the Koch-funded > Americans for Prosperity, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the API in a > call on Congress to lift the export ban on U.S. crude oil that was > introduced in 1975 during the Middle East oil crisis. The two unions stated > that, “Lifting the ban will result in increased domestic crude production > and deliver hundreds of thousands of jobs across all sectors of the > American economy.”[3] <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#fn3> > > AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka had publicly stated his opposition to > lifting the ban > <http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/afl-cio-president-oppos…> in > January 2014. Significantly, the reason for Trumka's opposition had nothing > to do with concerns about ‘carbon lock in’ or the need to support the USA's > climate commitments. Rather, the main concern was the impact lifting the > ban would have on U.S. refineries, which are well organized by the United > Steelworkers (USW). In a July 2014 statement, the Federation said > <http://www.aflcio.org/About/Exec-Council/EC-Statements/America-Should-Explo…> > : > > “The surge in U.S. oil production should fuel a surge in U.S. refinery > investment, creating highly paid construction and refinery jobs. American > ingenuity and hard work have put the United States in the fortunate > position of being the world's top oil producer and given us more energy > security than we have had in decades. The AFL-CIO believes the nation > should build on this success to create prosperity and restore the middle > class.” > > > In lobbying against lifting the ban, the USW (joined by the Sierra Club) acknowledged > that > <http://www.usw.org/workplaces/oil/oil-documents/USW-SC-ltr-opposing-lifting…>, > aside from threatening the jobs of U.S. refinery workers, exporting U.S. > crude would also lead to 22 million metric tons more CO2 emissions on an > annual basis. Within six months of the ban being lifted (December 2015 to > May 2016) U.S. crude exports have risen 9 per cent to 501,000 barrels per > day, according to the Energy Information Agency. > > Avoiding The F Word > > With U.S. oil exports rising, LiUNA and other unions have helped the U.S. > oil industry meet the growing global demand for U.S. crude. Union concerns > about climate change were blindingly absent in this campaign (as was the > case in the effort to acquire a permit for Keystone XL). Instead, lifting > the export ban would, we were told, help the U.S. become “an energy > superpower.” > > More recently, LiUNA developed its own Clean Power Progress > <http://cleanpowerprogress.org/>, an initiative apparently driven by a > desire to “fuel a realistic, fact-based conversation” in order to “advance > responsible policies that reduce GHGs and reach the climate change goals > advanced by the Obama Administration.” With Clean Power Progress, LiUNA is > attempting to project a new and greener message. But the union's plan is > focused on helping the U.S. meet its climate commitments – by promoting > gas > <http://www.liuna.org/news/story/hillary-clintons-natural-gas-policy-common-…> > . According to Clean Power Progress > <http://cleanpowerprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Factsheet-UnitedSt…>, > “Transitioning from higher-carbon energy sources (read: coal) toward > abundant natural gas will help the United States meet its ambitious and > responsible clean energy targets and our country's growing electricity > needs.” This is pretty much the gas industry line. It is also clear that > the industry and LiUNA are united on the need to export more gas > <http://cleanpowerprogress.org/update-u-s-natural-gas-production/> (maybe > to help the world fight global warming?) > > Clean Power Progress deserves a more detailed critique, and will be the > subject of a future article. But there are some obvious red flags. For > example, nowhere in the proposal is there any mention of the word > ‘fracking.’ Fracking for gas in shale rock is producing a higher proportion > of U.S. gas every year as yields from conventional gas drilling steadily > decrease. This can hardly be explained as an innocent omission. It is as > if, by not mentioning fracking at all, LiUNA hopes to sidestep rising > concerns regarding the health-related and other impacts associated with > fracturing. Meanwhile, the AFL-CIO has not taken an official stand on > fracking, but in states where drilling has proceeded the Trades have moved > several State AFL-CIO's behind a pro-fracking stance. > > Greenwashing with the Union Label? > > Equally remarkable is that LiUNA is keeping alive the discredited idea > that gas is a ‘bridge fuel’ that is good for the climate because, when > compared to burning coal, gas generates only half the CO2 per unit of > energy generated. But peer-reviewed studies over the past several years > have shown that, when methane leakage associated with fracking is > accurately measured, gas harvested from shale rock is worse than coal > <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/us-methane-emissions-prove-higher/> from > the standpoint of generating greenhouse gas emissions. Respecting the > science, most of the major environmental groups stopped talking about gas > as bridge fuel some years ago. Globally, methane emissions levels are > increasing, and scientists have estimated that 40 per cent of the increase > in the U.S. is due to the growth of the oil and gas sector.[4] > <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#fn4> The EPA's > ‘inventoried’ methane emissions levels are based on companies reporting > their own methane leakage rates. However, the actual atmospheric > concentrations have been found to be much higher > <http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends_ch4/>. This gap suggests that > gas companies have underreported the levels of methane > <http://www.ncwarn.org/wp-content/uploads/EPA-OIG_NCWARN_Complaint_6-8-16.pdf> being > vented or leaking from drill sites, and have funded ‘studies’ that have > been used to provide ‘scientific’ data suggesting the levels of methane > being released are far lower than they actually are > <http://www.skepticalscience.com/frackingupdate2016.html>. > > It would be difficult to exaggerate the significance of this issue. Even a > modest level of methane leakage from drilling sites – between 1.5 to 3 per > cent – would erase all of the climate-related benefits of burning gas > instead of coal.[5] <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#fn5> Statistically, > CO2 emissions from fossil fuel have fallen in the U.S. since 2007 due to > the recession and switching to natural gas from coal to generate > electricity. Leading climate scientist Robert Howarth told the White House > recently: > > “Total greenhouse gas emissions – after dipping slightly in 2007 – have > been rising since at their most rapid rate ever, due to shale gas > development and large methane emissions... Reliable data from satellite and > airplane surveys show much higher emissions and indicate that global > increases in methane in the atmosphere over the last decade may well be the > result of increased emissions from the United States.”[6] > <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#fn6> > > > According to Howarth > <http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/06/howarth-alerts-white-house-growing-…>, > “If the U.S. wants to meet the COP21 target – to which we have agreed – we > need to recognize that natural gas – and shale gas, in particular – is not > a bridge fuel.” > > That LiUNA might be unaware of the data on methane is, frankly, > inconceivable. Overall, Clean Power Progress looks like union greenwashing > of the most irresponsible kind, a poor attempt to sanitize an industry that > resists even the weakest of regulations and refuses to allow independent > verification in the chemicals it uses during the fracturing process. > > Progressive Labour's Construction Project > > The unions that opposed Keystone XL and the Dakota Access Pipeline, along > with those who have opposed fracking and coal and gas export terminals, are > becoming ‘energy unions’ because energy fights will largely dictate what > type of future we can look forward to. For NABTU, having unions in health > care, public transport, and public services, etc. invade and trample on the > sacred territory they call home – energy and infrastructure development – > is beyond infuriating. > > Progressive labour must, however, develop its own vision of an energy > future, one grounded in fully-unionized public renewable power systems, > scaled up low-carbon mass transit, and radical energy conservation in the > country's housing stock and commercial buildings. This is a political > ‘construction’ project that, if implemented, could create millions of > ‘climate jobs.’ But this will require consistent engagement. Many in the > Trades can and will support such a progressive approach to climate and > energy policy. > > For now, having waged a successful *putsch*, NABTU is the voice of the > AFL-CIO regarding a big chunk of labour's energy policy. The Federation's > reputation is now so low that it seems to be no longer concerned about > ‘reputational damage.’ By linking arms with Standing Rock Sioux, > progressive labour is keeping alive the best traditions of labour > environmentalism pioneered by Tony Mazzocchi > <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Mazzocchi> and the Oil, Chemical and > Atomic Workers in the 1970s. > > If it is constructed, the DAPL will require union labour digging a ditch, > and the only difference between a ditch and a grave is that one is normally > a little deeper than the other. • > > Sean Sweeney is Director of the Murphy Institute's International Program > on Labor, Climate, and the Environment. And he writes for New Labor Forum > <http://newlaborforum.cuny.edu/> and Trade Unions for Energy Democracy > <http://unionsforenergydemocracy.org/>, where this article first appeared. > > Endnotes: > > 1. <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#ref1> Sean McGarvey > NABTU, letter to Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO, Sept 15, 2016 > > 2. <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#ref2> Environmental > Defense Fund, “List of Supporters of the Clean Power Plan in Court > <https://www.edf.org/sites/default/files/content/list_of_supporters_of_the_c…> > .” > > 3. <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#ref3> LiUNA and > Operating Engineers, Letter to the Honorable John Boehner, Speaker and > The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader > <https://energycommerce.house.gov/news-center/letters/letters-support-hr-702…>, > Sept 9, 2015. See also: “Oil export ban support pits Obama against allies > in Congress, labor, > <http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/9/oil-export-ban-support-pits-…> > ”; www.ongil-mc.org/about Leadership Chairman: Sean McGarvey, President, > Building-Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO; Secretary/Treasurer Jack > Gerard, President and CEO, American Petroleum Institute. > > 4. <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#ref4> Karlsruher > Institut für Technologie (KIT). “Oil and natural gas boom causes methane > emissions to increase > <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160315104213.htm>: Study > reveals relationship between oil and natural gas production in the USA and > increase in atmospheric methane.” ScienceDaily, 15 March 2016. > > 5. <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#ref5> Alvarez, Ramon > A., Stephen W. Pacala, James J. Winebrake, and William L. Chameides. “Greater > focus needed on methane leakage from natural gas infrastructure > <http://www.pnas.org/content/109/17/6435>,” Proceedings of the National > Academy of the United States of America. 109.17 (2012): 6435-6440. Web. 13 > Dec. 2013. Howarth, Robert, et al. Climatic Change, Volume 106, Issue 4, pp > 679-690. 6/11. “Methane and the greenhouse-gas footprint of natural gas > from shale formations;” Lovett, Richard A. Scientific American. 2013. > “Study Revises Estimate of Methane Leaks from U.S. Fracking Fields Leaks > are minimal during removal of fracking fluids but increase once gas is > flowing.” Retrieved 1/15/14 from: www.scientificamerican.c > om/article.cfm?id=study-revises-estimate-of-methane-leaks-fr > om-us-fracking-fields; Howarth, Robert W., Renee Santoro, and Anthony > Ingraffea. Climatic Change. 1/10/12. “Venting and leaking of methane from > shale gas development > <http://www.eeb.cornell.edu/howarth/publications/Howarthetal2012_Final.pdf>: > response to Cathles et al.” Retrieved 1/15/14. > > 6. <http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/1325.php#ref6> Howarth Alerts > White House of the Growing Methane Danger > <http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2016/06/howarth-alerts-white-house-growing-…>. > See also: Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT). “Oil and natural gas > boom causes methane emissions to increase > <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160315104213.htm>,” Science > Daily. Science Daily, 15 March 2016. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Labour-l" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to labour-l+unsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com. > To post to this group, send email to labour-l(a)googlegroups.com. > To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/ms > gid/labour-l/CACKppczq-7b2L0L%2B6dfeg_n2O8B-NAti59YCKoK9s7G- > Z4%3D0kQ%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/labour-l/CACKppczq-7b2L0L%2B6dfeg_n2O8B-N…> > . > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. > > > > -- > *Click here for Peter's recent writings* > <https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8s52g2y905rq6w/WatermanGmailSignaturePanel%20%20…> > > > _______________________________________________ > NetworkedLabour mailing list > NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org > http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour > > -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/

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Re: [P2P-F] [NetworkedLabour] our p2p/commons contribution to Journey to Earthland (GTN Discussion) (Michel Bauwens)
by Anna Harris 07 Nov '16

07 Nov '16

That's interesting Bob, do you have any details? > On 7 Nov 2016, at 13:58, Bob Haugen <bob.haugen(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > We worked with a group in Nova Scotia a few years ago that was focused > on economic issues (especially fishing ports), but early childhood > development was one of their main themes, and they thought both issues > were intimately related and inseparable. > >> On Mon, Nov 7, 2016 at 1:53 AM, Anna Harris <anna(a)shsh.co.uk> wrote: >> Military spending is notoriously difficult to observe accurately. However >> manufactured arms is a better assessment than official defence spending. >> >> "According to research institute, SIPRI, the volume of international >> transfers of major weapons in 2010–14 was 16 per cent higher than in >> 2005–2009. The ﬁve biggest exporters in 2010–14 were the United States, the >> United Kingdom, Russia, China and France, and the ﬁve biggest importers were >> India, Saudi Arabia, China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan. The >> flow of arms to Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania, and the Middle East >> increased significantly between 2005–2009 and 2010–14, while there was a >> notable decrease in the flow to Europe. >> https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arms_industry >> >> When we think of violence being an acceptable part of our daily lives, and >> the dissociation which this requires, this is more than just numbers >> however. It is to do with reporting violent crimes, violence in >> entertainment, video games. It is to do with emotions still being seen as >> having no part in scientific discourse. There are many aspects of this which >> result in people accepting soul destroying jobs, increases in anxiety and >> depression etc. Basically not valuing life. >> >> The foundation for all this is set at birth. It may seem incongruous to >> introduce babies into a discussion about structural economic transformation. >> But unless we address those first experiences of a baby's life, it is my >> belief that we will not be able to shift the power play which dominates all >> our lives. >> >> Anna >> >> >> On 6 Nov 2016, at 13:07, Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> wrote: >> >> dear Anna, >> >> I fully agree with your perspective and conclusions here, and that we must >> learn from the good practices of societies before our own, and one's that >> exist today with better child-rearing practices .. >> >> here are some historical trends on military spending though; it is my >> understanding that for many western european countries, military spending is >> down in relative terms, but I checked the UK which is more militaristic than >> most, it seems down there as well, see 'historical perspectives' here at >> https://ourworldindata.org/military-spending/ >> >> nevertheless with the increasing social and ecological crisis, social >> instability is again in the air, and it is not at all impossible to see >> increasing re-armament trends, >> >> Michel >> >>> On Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 6:39 PM, Anna Harris <anna(a)shsh.co.uk> wrote: >>> >>> I am not clear what you both mean by "idealisation". My intention was not >>> to idealise tribal cultures, but nevertheless there is much that we can >>> learn from them, particularly as regards to birth practices. The tribal >>> groups studied were specifically small band hunter gatherers, not tribal >>> cultures in general. And the point is to take what is good, not import >>> wholesale. The evidence is based on recent neurobiological research, not >>> social history. >>> >>> The recent protest at Standing Rock also shows a "tribal" understanding of >>> the importance of natural resources which western cultures can treat with >>> breathtaking ignorance. >>> >>> But I must take objection to the idea that "Military training is now for >>> volunteer professionals, and the kind of de-sensitizing practices are not >>> nearly as generalized as they once were". War is a constant part of our >>> lives, and military expenditure is increasing not decreasing. That in itself >>> reveals a general de-sensitising towards wholesale destruction of people and >>> planet. Many still enter the military because it's the only job open to them >>> without qualifications, and they are treated as heroes. >>> >>> If a newborn experiences the world as a hostile place, everything that >>> comes after is fitted into that paradigm, unless much work is done to >>> counteract that impression. It will also affect the neurobiological >>> development of the newborn, in damaging ways that are difficult to reverse. >>> That is why I am emphasising the need to focus on that entry point, to >>> ensure that as far as possible, the experience of the newborn is tenderly >>> loving and sensitively cared for. Leading hopefully to the conclusion of >>> Michel's last paragraph, with which I strongly agree. >>> >>> On 6 Nov 2016, at 10:24, peter waterman <peterwaterman1936(a)gmail.com> >>> wrote: >>> >>> A good argument, I think, Michel, especially since it has more general >>> implications for facile references to 'el buen vivir' or 'ubuntu'. >>> >>> I make such references myself but by 'facile' I mean an idealisation of >>> the pre-capitalist, pre-class, non-western, society. Such references might >>> serve as useful sticks with which to batter idealised/essentialised Western >>> civilisation/culture, but they hardly help us to dialogue either with such >>> tiny/isolated autonomous formations as might still exist, even less to >>> relate to contemporary indigenous communities, deeply affected by consumer >>> fetishism, equipped with cellphones, and taking action on their own behalves >>> in manners that require (self-)reflection. >>> >>> P >>> >>> On Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 10:38 AM, Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> >>> wrote: >>>> >>>> >>>>> On Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 4:01 PM, Anna Harris <anna(a)shsh.co.uk> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> There is much evidence to show that competitiveness and anxiety traits, >>>>> built in to our modern birth and child rearing practices, support the trend >>>>> towards violence in later life. The lack of care at this crucial point in >>>>> life, sets the tone for later states of dissociation which allow military >>>>> personnel to destroy other human beings without compunction, as well as the >>>>> general lack of connection with the natural environment on which we all >>>>> depend. >>>> >>>> >>>> so first a general remark of your critique. I guess I'm an >>>> integrative-structuralist, which means that what you suggest is part of my >>>> approach, and is well documented on our wiki, but, in this contribution, I >>>> focus on the structural necessity of the commons/caring shift, which is >>>> inevitably linked to the underlying psycho-bodily-relational structures. >>>> >>>> But this being said, I can't agree with the idealization of the >>>> paragraph. We actually now know that tribal cultures were <more> violent >>>> than state-based systems, not less, and that the attachment parenting (which >>>> is good, and I have practiced largely with my children, but especially the >>>> last two), was inextricably linked to the desensitization produced by the >>>> male initiation rituals. >>>> >>>> Reading the the Institute of Psycho-History, and especially their very >>>> well-document 'History of Child Abuse", is very instructive. In fact, we >>>> have now a unprecedented number of children who have been education through >>>> democratic and respectful parenting, and they are the ones driving the peer >>>> to peer/ commons / collaborative culture we draw on. Military training is >>>> now for volunteer professionals, and the kind of de-sensitizing practices >>>> are not nearly as generalized as they once were. >>>> >>>> There are of course huge pockets of the population (say the Trump voters, >>>> and the books of George Makoff), where authoritarian education continues to >>>> be the norm, and produces authoritarian personalities. And the migration of >>>> countries where such repressive practices are still the norm, create >>>> additional problems (it's the rural migration from Anatolia which >>>> overwhelmed the secular state in Turkey). >>>> >>>> So we should continue to build on the huge cultural shifts set in motion >>>> by the 1968 revolts, which were politically defeated, but did put in motion >>>> changes we can built on. >>>> >>>> But of course, I am in agreement that there are still important amounts >>>> of dis-sociation going on in our child-bearing and child-rearing practices >>>> ... and that these need to be changed, (taking babies away from their >>>> mothers as soon as they are born, sleeping in different rooms with anxiety >>>> provoking baby phones, childcare in anonymous and bureaucratic institutions >>>> too early in life) >>>> >>>> I also agree we should be re-creating the positive effects of more >>>> collective child-rearing in renewed community setings .. >>>> >>>> I have been blessed by living the last 12 years in Thailand, where unlike >>>> my experience in Belgium, both caring for my kids , and caring for my >>>> Alzheimer-afflicted mother, was 'easy', because of the support of the >>>> extended family. >>>> >>>> But let's not forget, thai society is also hyper-authoritarian and >>>> violent, much more than ours, and this is because , 'from 1 to 7, treat your >>>> children as kings, from 7 to 14, treat them as slaves, from 14 to 21, treat >>>> them as friends' >>>> >>>> In other words, as I said in the beginning, the attachment parenting is >>>> replaced with very authoritarian education in the school system., >>>> >>>> It leads to a society where you dearly love your (extended) family, but >>>> deeply mistrust anyone outside ... This is what civic societies have >>>> changed, by extending 'love' to a more broader scope, though still limited >>>> to the imaginary community of the nation; part of the next phase, is to >>>> create successful trans-national neo-tribes, firmly rooted in networks of >>>> physical places, that ca form the basis of an extension of that 'love' to >>>> humanity as a whole, >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> Michel >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: >>>> http://commonstransition.org >>>> >>>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >>>> >>>> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >>>> >>>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> NetworkedLabour mailing list >>>> NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org >>>> http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Click here for Peter's recent writings >> >> >> >> -- >> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org >> >> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >> >> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >> >> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetworkedLabour mailing list >> NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org >> http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour >>

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Re: [P2P-F] [NetworkedLabour] our p2p/commons contribution to Journey to Earthland (GTN Discussion) (Michel Bauwens)
by Anna Harris 07 Nov '16

07 Nov '16

I am not clear what you both mean by "idealisation". My intention was not to idealise tribal cultures, but nevertheless there is much that we can learn from them, particularly as regards to birth practices. The tribal groups studied were specifically small band hunter gatherers, not tribal cultures in general. And the point is to take what is good, not import wholesale. The evidence is based on recent neurobiological research, not social history. The recent protest at Standing Rock also shows a "tribal" understanding of the importance of natural resources which western cultures can treat with breathtaking ignorance. But I must take objection to the idea that "Military training is now for volunteer professionals, and the kind of de-sensitizing practices are not nearly as generalized as they once were". War is a constant part of our lives, and military expenditure is increasing not decreasing. That in itself reveals a general de-sensitising towards wholesale destruction of people and planet. Many still enter the military because it's the only job open to them without qualifications, and they are treated as heroes. If a newborn experiences the world as a hostile place, everything that comes after is fitted into that paradigm, unless much work is done to counteract that impression. It will also affect the neurobiological development of the newborn, in damaging ways that are difficult to reverse. That is why I am emphasising the need to focus on that entry point, to ensure that as far as possible, the experience of the newborn is tenderly loving and sensitively cared for. Leading hopefully to the conclusion of Michel's last paragraph, with which I strongly agree. > On 6 Nov 2016, at 10:24, peter waterman <peterwaterman1936(a)gmail.com> wrote: > > A good argument, I think, Michel, especially since it has more general implications for facile references to 'el buen vivir' or 'ubuntu'. > > I make such references myself but by 'facile' I mean an idealisation of the pre-capitalist, pre-class, non-western, society. Such references might serve as useful sticks with which to batter idealised/essentialised Western civilisation/culture, but they hardly help us to dialogue either with such tiny/isolated autonomous formations as might still exist, even less to relate to contemporary indigenous communities, deeply affected by consumer fetishism, equipped with cellphones, and taking action on their own behalves in manners that require (self-)reflection. > > P > >> On Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 10:38 AM, Michel Bauwens <michel(a)p2pfoundation.net> wrote: >> >>> On Sun, Nov 6, 2016 at 4:01 PM, Anna Harris <anna(a)shsh.co.uk> wrote: >>> There is much evidence to show that competitiveness and anxiety traits, built in to our modern birth and child rearing practices, support the trend towards violence in later life. The lack of care at this crucial point in life, sets the tone for later states of dissociation which allow military personnel to destroy other human beings without compunction, as well as the general lack of connection with the natural environment on which we all depend. >> >> so first a general remark of your critique. I guess I'm an integrative-structuralist, which means that what you suggest is part of my approach, and is well documented on our wiki, but, in this contribution, I focus on the structural necessity of the commons/caring shift, which is inevitably linked to the underlying psycho-bodily-relational structures. >> >> But this being said, I can't agree with the idealization of the paragraph. We actually now know that tribal cultures were <more> violent than state-based systems, not less, and that the attachment parenting (which is good, and I have practiced largely with my children, but especially the last two), was inextricably linked to the desensitization produced by the male initiation rituals. >> >> Reading the the Institute of Psycho-History, and especially their very well-document 'History of Child Abuse", is very instructive. In fact, we have now a unprecedented number of children who have been education through democratic and respectful parenting, and they are the ones driving the peer to peer/ commons / collaborative culture we draw on. Military training is now for volunteer professionals, and the kind of de-sensitizing practices are not nearly as generalized as they once were. >> >> There are of course huge pockets of the population (say the Trump voters, and the books of George Makoff), where authoritarian education continues to be the norm, and produces authoritarian personalities. And the migration of countries where such repressive practices are still the norm, create additional problems (it's the rural migration from Anatolia which overwhelmed the secular state in Turkey). >> >> So we should continue to build on the huge cultural shifts set in motion by the 1968 revolts, which were politically defeated, but did put in motion changes we can built on. >> >> But of course, I am in agreement that there are still important amounts of dis-sociation going on in our child-bearing and child-rearing practices ... and that these need to be changed, (taking babies away from their mothers as soon as they are born, sleeping in different rooms with anxiety provoking baby phones, childcare in anonymous and bureaucratic institutions too early in life) >> >> I also agree we should be re-creating the positive effects of more collective child-rearing in renewed community setings .. >> >> I have been blessed by living the last 12 years in Thailand, where unlike my experience in Belgium, both caring for my kids , and caring for my Alzheimer-afflicted mother, was 'easy', because of the support of the extended family. >> >> But let's not forget, thai society is also hyper-authoritarian and violent, much more than ours, and this is because , 'from 1 to 7, treat your children as kings, from 7 to 14, treat them as slaves, from 14 to 21, treat them as friends' >> >> In other words, as I said in the beginning, the attachment parenting is replaced with very authoritarian education in the school system., >> >> It leads to a society where you dearly love your (extended) family, but deeply mistrust anyone outside ... This is what civic societies have changed, by extending 'love' to a more broader scope, though still limited to the imaginary community of the nation; part of the next phase, is to create successful trans-national neo-tribes, firmly rooted in networks of physical places, that ca form the basis of an extension of that 'love' to humanity as a whole, >> >> >> >> >> Michel >> >> >> -- >> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org >> >> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net >> >> Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens >> >> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ >> >> _______________________________________________ >> NetworkedLabour mailing list >> NetworkedLabour(a)lists.contrast.org >> http://lists.contrast.org/mailman/listinfo/networkedlabour > > > > -- > Click here for Peter's recent writings >

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