thanks raffael, forwarding the demonetarization initiative to our mailing list, Michel On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 8:22 PM, Raffael Kemenczy <[email protected]>wrote:
Hello Michael,
I modified the wiki article on the Network of European Technocrats and created the European Organisation for Sustainability page (name was changed, I am a member). I also added reference to The Starfish and the Spider Book as the idea for the Project's name came from it.
As we were writing about this topic, I'd like to forward the attached e-mail to you (maybe you've already seen it, as I just saw that Franz Nahrada is also on the list). Feel free to forward this to interested parties as I am sure it intersects with the areas you are working in as well.
Kind regards,
Raffael
---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Andreas Exner <[email protected]> Date: 11 January 2011 10:44 Subject: [Demonetize.it] platform - open mailing list
Hi everybody
I'm very glad to make the list of people who signalled interest to work on a de- monetarization project now open to everybody. Some requests are still open (e.g. to Harry Cleaver, Raul Zelik, indigenous networks). Please spread the invitation if you know people who might be interested in such an initiative.
This is the content of this mail:
1. PEOPLE 2. STATEMENT 3. WEBLOG & "NETWORKING GROUP"? 4. MEETING, COMMUNICATION & MISSION 5. FURTHER STEPS
Beneath you'll find the original invititation.
1. PEOPLE
Some very quick and rough information on the people who would like to build a platform "demonetarization" or who signalled considerable interest in such a project - please post your corrections if I got something wrong or if you'd like to present yourself otherwise.
Franz Nahrada (Globally Integrated Village Environment, * http://www.give.at/* <http://www.give.at/> , networker, commons, Vienna)
Athanasios Karathanassis (political ecology, regulation theory, Hannover, "Naturzerstörung und kapitalistisches Wachstum", *http://www.amazon.de/Naturzerst%C3%B6rung-kapitalistisches- %C3%96kosysteme-%C3%B6konomischer-Entwicklungen/dp/3899650182*<http://www.amazon.de/Naturzerst%C3%B6rung-kapitalistisches-%C3%96kosysteme-%C3%B6konomischer-Entwicklungen/dp/3899650182>)
John Holloway ("Change the World without Taking Power", * http://libcom.org/library/change-world-without-taking-power-john-holloway*<http://libcom.org/library/change-world-without-taking-power-john-holloway>, Puebla)
Gustavo Esteva ("Post-Development", *http://gustavoesteva.com/*<http://gustavoesteva.com/> *)*
Lars Stubbe (works on social movements in Latin America, engages in an autonomous trade union group, Kassel)
Nikola Winter (works within the "Zeitgeist-Movement"; she is interested in the project as a "private person") * http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/*<http://www.thezeitgeistmovement.com/>
Martin Scheuringer (editor of "Streifzüge", *http://www.streifzuege.org/*<http://www.streifzuege.org/> *)*
Raffael Kemenczy (works on models to organize a demonetized economy, * www.kemenczy.at* <http://www.kemenczy.at> , works together with EOS * www.eoslife.eu* <http://www.eoslife.eu> )
Alfred Fresin (works on a model to organize a demonetized economy, "Bedürfnisorientierte Versorgungswirtschaft", *http://stattkapitalismus.blogsport.de/2009/05/07/ergaenzung-die-bedeutung- der-stimmigen-kritik-der-marktwirtschaft-fuer-eine-al*<http://stattkapitalismus.blogsport.de/2009/05/07/ergaenzung-die-bedeutung-der-stimmigen-kritik-der-marktwirtschaft-fuer-eine-alternative/> *)*
Genevieve Vaughan ("For-Giving. A Feminist Critique of Exchange", * http://www.for-giving.com/* <http://www.for-giving.com/> *)*
Werner Rätz (Attac Germany, basic income, *http://www.attac.de/was-ist- attac/gruppen/?L=2&ognum=10007*<http://www.attac.de/was-ist-attac/gruppen/?L=2&ognum=10007>) Friederike Habermann (People's Global Action, works on feminism, solidarity economy, Berlin)
Veronika Bennholdt-Thomsen (one of the founders of the paradigm of "subsistence economy", feminist, part-time in Vienna)
Thorsten Endlein (works on solidarity economy, * http://www.kritischeuni.de/* <http://www.kritischeuni.de/> *, *Kassel) Helge Buttkereit (works on social movements in Latin America, * http://www.buttkereit.info/* <http://www.buttkereit.info/> *, * works with the Hans-Jürgen Krahl Institut, *http://www.hjki.de/*<http://www.hjki.de/> that published a brochure on "Practical Socialism")
Christian Lauk (works on political ecology, agrarian metabolism; economic growth, *http://www.social-innovation.org/*<http://www.social-innovation.org/>, Vienna)
Andreas Exner (works on solidarity economy, economic growth; editor of "Streifzüge", *http://www.streifzuege.org/* <http://www.streifzuege.org/>, *http://www.social- innovation.org/* <http://www.social-innovation.org/> , *http://krisu.noblogs.org/* <http://krisu.noblogs.org/> part-time in Vienna)
Christian Siefkes (commons, "peer economy", *http://www.keimform.de/*<http://www.keimform.de/>, Berlin)
Stephanie Grohmann (feminist, working on queer economy, social movements)
Stefan Meretz (commons, *http://www.keimform.de/*<http://www.keimform.de/>, Berlin)
2. STATEMENT
The preliminary "mission statement" - until now no changes to this version were submitted - was:
"All production and all ways of life rely on unconditional giving, the direct communication between producers, cooperation and the riches of the earth. Yet the money economy has monopolized our social and natural world for its own, self-referential and destructive purpose: profit. The dynamic principle of the money economy is capital: money begetting more money. It turns human beings into sellers of labour time and consumers of commodities; it pits them against each other; it splits the world into value and non-value, enchaining, exploiting and deforming what it valorizes and destroying what it defines as worthless; it sorts people according to competitiveness and subordinates 'the female' to 'the male'. The economic and socio-ecological crisis of our times is its result. De-monetization, by fostering conscious self-organization of producers, is the way out of it. De-monetization is the first prerequisite for a free society. Yet for a de-monetized society to be free from social domination, a new mode of organizing production and new ways of life must be developed. De-monetization is present in a broad range of debates and practices for another society, that is possible and necessary. This initiative makes them visible, brings them together and explores their differences."
For the weblog and our own self-definition we would need a consensual version. Please indicate the changes you would like to see. You can post to the list - if someone thinks that traffic is too much, please adress it to me, I'll collect suggestions and post them in a summary to all of you.
3. WEBLOG & "NETWORKING GROUP"?
Stefan Meretz has suggested to buy the domain "demonetize.it" - personally, I think that'll be great. Please let us hear what you think about it.
We need a German section, so maybe we first try to include it in " demonetize.it", as well as possible spanish versions and of course an english one.
I would propose to introduce three broad categories on the weblog:
(a) "Understanding" (all theoretical contributions; why is a de-monetized society necessary, why is it possible)
(b) "Doing" (how doe de-monetized social relations work? where can such relations be found? what is their contribution to the current way of living and producing?)
(c) "Strategy & Vision" (how can a completely or overwhelmingly de- monetized society work? what are necessary steps in this direction? which social movements work in this direction? where can de-monetized approaches be found in discussions on solidarity economy, commons etc.?)
NOTE: the people gathered together here display a wide range of theoretical backgrounds, perspectives and even "ethical orientations". This project is mainly or even solely about the least common denominator, it is definitely NOT about a "maximum consensus". The denominator is (a) a de-monetized society is necessary and possible and (b) it must be free of social domination. All other questions will be answered in the most controversial and heterogenous way!
"Demonetize.it" is an intervention that aims at changing the discourse on what direction society shall take. It is NOT about building any kind of "consensus" tackling all sorts of questions that are left unanswered by the demonetization and anti-domination goal. This consensus will neither be possible nor necessary (in my view).
What do you think about a "networking group" or "support group" consisting of the people in this list, that would appear like a "steering group" or an "editorial staff" on the weblog (with similar functions concerning contributions to the weblog and further activities"? This group could be expanded as soon as further people join.
4. MEETING, COMMUNICATION AND MISSION
Friederike Habermann proposed a meeting in Berlin, during, before or after the "Postwachstumskongress" (De-Growth-Congress) of Attac Germany, at the end of May. Please tell us if you would like to come.
Concerning people not able to come to Berlin, we have to decide how to organize our communication: open Email-list? Google-Email-list?
Of course, skype is always possible to supplement communication via Email.
5. FURTHER STEPS
After the launch of a weblog and a consensual version of our "mission statement", I would propose to distribute the access data for the weblog to everybody so that we can fill in relevant information (papers, people, projects).
The meeting in Berlin could be used to propose and discuss further steps. Making a volume "Demonetize.it - A new paradigm of society" (or something similar - both in English and German, i.e. two separate and parallel publications) could be one activity. In preparing such a volume, theoretical questions and empirical experiences could already be brought into discussion within this group (not in the view of reaching "consensus", but in the view of making argumentations clear and differences as well as synergies unambigous). Another one could be to make a congress in autumn 2012.
cheers, Andreas PS: Original Invitation:
Hi all
I am writing in English, since several english-speaking people are in the mail adress, which includes a broad range of people that might be interested in one way or the other in a "de-monetization" approach. If anyone does not want to be part of this discussion, please give me a sign. (I masked your adresses in order to limit unwanted email traffic.)
Franz Nahrada had the idea to start a network on the issue of "de-monetization". Athanasios Karathanassis (who is working on economic growth in a regulation theoretical framework), from the Critical University Hannover is also very interested to explore the potentials of such an initiative.
In brief, I outline a possible view on the topic:
1. The exacerbating economic and socio-ecological crisis makes viable alternatives urgent
2. Capital growth is not an option, but a threat. State intervention is at best a necessary component on a way to overcome the state as a mode of social domination.
3. Social movements gain momentum and put forward a range of alternatives, including most prominently Solidarity Economy, Commons, Basic Income, De-Growth. Some of those approaches or the "sub-concepts" contained therein are rather academic discussions or theoretical concepts, some of them are utopian in character, others are firmly based on real-life experience and organically related to social struggles.
4. Yet these proposals and conceptualizations are ambigous in so far as they mix up categorically different principles of social regulation and ways of life: market and non-market, state and non-state. So within Solidarity Economy, there is a current strongly opposed to value and money; within the Commons as well; within the discourse on Basic Income, there is a current that sees money transfer as a mere stepping stone for de-monetized production; and within the De-Growth debate, voices raise concern whether the money relation is compatible with such a perspective.
5. Proposals (and practices) that rely on a further development of the money economy and state support will encounter serious limits and exacerbate the crisis, since capital, market relations and the state are tightly interlinked and actually just different aspects of a society based on capital, patriarchy and other forms of social domination.
6. In each of the above mentioned proposals (and practices), a social and theoretical current is present, that aims at a de-monetized mode of production. Yet this current is hardly visible since it is intermingled with a broad range of theoretical debate and activism that just aims at prolonging value and the commodity form, exchange of equivalents, money - and in the end, maybe unintended yet necessarily so: capital, the state and androcentrism.
7. It seems thus to be a promising step forward in the direction of real alternatives to make categorical differences clear and a matter of serious discussion: Should we aim to promote a conscious way of organizing social production, i.e. abolish/transcend the commodity form, money and capital? Or should we just try to "reform" capital?
8. As a first step, a weblog should be launched that serves as a platform to (a) present the issue, indicate relevant links to papers, researchers, ideas, activists and practical projects, (b) gain support and enable networking, (c) sort out different approaches and perspectives within a de-monetization paradigm. Languages should be German and English (maybe a set up of two sister weblogs might be an option).
9. The initiative should aim at organizing a congress, maybe, for practical reasons, in a German-speaking country (depending on resources). Time frame: 2012, autumn.
10. Publications should be prepared, maybe as a volume of selected papers on the issue
11. The overall aim is (a) to make de-monetization visible as a clear and strong paradigm that transcends the current society, (b) to link de- monetization perspectives present in different alternative practices and debates, (c) to initiate and/or foster a discourse on de-monetization both on an academic and a social movement level. The core task should be very narrowly defined: against social domination, value and its different forms (money, capital etc.). Yet from this core, a broad variety of discussions might (a) reach out to approaches that rather try to limit the money relation or push for a selective de-commodification and (b) engage with those related approaches in a serious and critical discussion.
I would like to put forward the following short "mission statement" as a first proposal for a working consensus in view of the above-mentioned weblog, which should be as narrow as necessary and as broad as possible, being understandable to lay persons (I don't think my proposal is convincing, but it might serve as a starting point for further discussion):
"All production and all ways of life rely on unconditional giving, the direct communication between producers, cooperation and the riches of the earth. Yet the money economy has monopolized our social and natural world for its own, self-referential and destructive purpose: profit. The dynamic principle of the money economy is capital: money begetting more money. It turns human beings into sellers of labour time and consumers of commodities; it pits them against each other; it splits the world into value and non-value, enchaining, exploiting and deforming what it valorizes and destroying what it defines as worthless; it sorts people according to competitiveness and subordinates 'the female' to 'the male'. The economic and socio-ecological crisis of our times is its result. De-monetization, by fostering conscious self-organization of producers, is the way out of it. De-monetization is the first prerequisite for a free society. Yet for a de-monetized society to be free from social domination, a new mode of organizing production and new ways of life must be developed. De-monetization is present in a broad range of debates and practices for another society, that is possible and necessary. This initiative makes them visible, brings them together and explores their differences."
Please let me know what your ideas are on such an initiative, if you have time and if you are interested. I will collect your responses and make an updated and transparent email list including those that signalled interest in further developing the idea.
I wish you all the best and a Happy New Year 2011, Andreas
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