[P2P-F] Great Story on the Commons

[Michel Bauwens]

fyi

On 3/23/11, Jay Walljasper <jay at jaywalljasper.com> wrote:
>
>
> Dear Commoners:
>
> Here is an interview about the Field Guide on Shareable.net, which I am very
> happy about.  Really good questions from P2P's Michel Bauwens and
> Shareable's Neal Gorenflo really pushed me to think widely about the
> commons.  I hope you like it.
>
> Best, Jay
> A Field Guide to the Commons
> By Paul M. Davis
> 03.22.11, 9:38am Comments (0)
> 0Shar
> In the following interview, Michel Bauwens of the P2P Foundation and
> Shareable publisher Neal Gorenflo speak with Shareable cities columnist Jay
> Walljasper about his new book, All That We Share, fostering new lifestyles
> based on sharing, building more equitable and sustainable cities, and much
> more.
>
> Michel Bauwens: Jay, in your discovery process of so many real and
> constructive commons projects that are already out there, how do you see the
> right balance between making something new that can create already new
> lifestyles based on sharing, i.e. commoning; and perhaps more politicized
> resistance movements. In other words, when do we go from yardsharing to
> joining the Egyptian crowds?
>
> The principles and practices of the commons can make positive impact on
> people’s lives at both at the intimate level of the community and on the
> wider political and economic sphere of larger society. And, indeed, the two
> are inextricably linked. Both represent an alternative to the modern market
> mentality, which holds up a model of buying and selling as the highest form
> of social organization. Sharing is dismissed as an outdated and impractical
> ideal. So, anytime we can show how cooperative efforts have created tangible
> benefits for people, then we are making progress toward a commons-based, not
> market-ruled, future.
>
> A basic rule for community organizers is that small-scale local victories
> set the stage for bigger projects to come. People who have experienced the
> rewards of the commons in creating a community garden or being part of a
> car- or bike-sharing project may feel empowered to tackle bigger issues like
> global economic inequity or environmental devastation. Yet, at the same time
> the sight of people in the streets of Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and
> Yemen standing up for the common good can inspire us to reach out to our
> neighbors to make a difference in our own backyard. And that may start the
> wheels turning for further changes to come.
>
>
> Cartoons by Andy Singer
>
> Michel Bauwens: Do you think the commons can flower in the long-term, in the
> face of a perhaps hostile corporate-market-state? Do you believe commoners
> should also be thinking about the kind of policies which can sustain the
> commons on the longer term, and help them become a more substantial part of
> society?
>
> Yes, I think the commons can prevail over the long term although I have no
> illusions that a peaceful, evolutionary revolution will be simple or quick.
> The market mentality has taken root in people’s minds over the past 300
> years, and with a particular fierceness over the past 35. History shows that
> any successful movement—from women’s suffrage to civil rights—takes decades
> to make things happen. Even remarkable successes that appeared to happen
> overnight—dissidents tearing down the Berlin Wall, the dismantling of
> apartheid, and the recent Middle Eastern revolutions—were years in the
> making. But at the same time, the rise of the Internet and other
> instantaneous global communications might speed up the process.
>
> However, the formidable power of corporations, abetted by their agents in
> government and media, cannot be underestimated. We commoners face a daunting
> task. What makes me optimistic is that the rise of market forces over recent
> decades has not delivered on the promise of making us happier, healthier or
> more secure. Just the opposite—a small coterie of fabulously rich investors
> rule the world while the rest of us struggle against economic uncertainty,
> ecological degradation and social alienation. I believe people will become
> increasingly open to hearing new ideas about how best to manage our economy
> and political systems.
>
> That’s where the importance of both commons policies and demonstration
> projects come in. If we can point to the success of various commons-inspired
> initiatives around the world—environmental restoration in India, community
> revitalization in Ohio, a step toward democratization on Facebook (all
> examples from All That We Share)—we can win people’s hearts. And the more we
> can articulate practical commons-based policies that can solve old problems
> and create new opportunities, the more we can change people’s minds.
>
>
> Michel Bauwens: What do you see as being the most imposing roadblocks facing
> commons initiatives, and how have the most effective initiatives overcome
> them?
>
> The powers that be stay on top through their brilliant manipulation of our
> fears. They’ve convinced many people that more sharing will lead to chaos,
> conflict and poverty. They preach that avarice is the most basic of human
> traits, while cooperation is a risky proposition. This amounts to a
> rewriting of both history and anthropology. Reams of evidence show that
> human advancement has always depended more upon collaboration than
> competition—but that gets lost in the flurry of advertising, PR and other
> forms of modern mythmaking that shower us each day.
>
> As commoners, we must begin to counter this misinformation and spread a new
> message about the importance of all protecting and expanding all that we
> share—which can become the cornerstone of a new kind of society where more
> people around the world enjoy happier lives.
>
> Neal Gorenflo: Though All That We Share is just out, you've already done
> some speaking events about it. What has surprised you the most about its
> reception so far?
>
> I have been doing a lot of radio interviews all across the U.S., both public
> and commercial stations, and am surprised about how much enthusiasm the
> radio hosts express about the commons. These are people who have been
> professionally trained to be skeptical, but when they take a good close look
> at these ideas, they see all kinds of possibilities—even ones that I have
> not thought about.
>
> The hard thing in talking about the commons is that it is a new, and in some
> ways radical idea, but once people understand it, they get excited about
> what it could mean for creating a brighter future. It gives us all
> permission to ask “What if?”—What if we really did treat the environment as
> an inheritance we want to pass on to our children? What if we really did
> treat all humans as equal?
>
> Neal Gorenflo: Since you're a fellow commons activist as well as a
> journalist, I assume you have a goal for the book beyond telling a good
> story. What do you hope to achieve with the book?
>
> My first hope with All That We Share is that it helps people identify how
> the commons enriches their lives. From the bike trail that they love to ride
> on the weekends, to the Internet they use for work and pleasure, to the
> municipal water supply that pipes clean H2O into their homes, to the dance
> steps they show off at the nightclub—these things are no one’s private
> property, they are there for everyone to use. The focus in the media is so
> much on the privatized world of individualism that we forget about all these
> common assets upon which we depend. And once folks experience that “a-ha”
> moment, they will be more motivated to protect and promote the commons
> everywhere—from volunteering at the local library or fighting deep cuts in
> the local parks budget to speaking up about the importance of global
> biodiversity and demanding pharmaceutical companies make life-saving drugs
> available to poor people around the world.
>
> The idea of sharing the commons motivates people to think differently about
> how the world works. An important message here is that the commons is not
> all about duty, obligation and sacrifice; it is also about fun. The art of
> sharing improves our lives as it improves the world. We feel more
> connections with others, and less isolated because realize that were not
> completely on our own.
>
> I wanted to the book to reflect this sense of fun and kinship. That’s why
> it’s not all just ideas and theories. I included cartoons, lists, stories
> about how the commons has changed people’s lives and brought about
> improvements in communities from North Dakota to Colombia.
>
>
> Photo credit: Jan Gehl + Associates
>
> Neal Gorenflo: Do the values of the commons have a shot at gaining parity
> with marketplace values? And where do you see the commons getting the most
> traction?
>
> For most people, commons values are already more important than market
> values. In our families, we don’t give our daughter with “A” grades at
> school healthier food and warmer clothes than her sister who gets “B”
> grades. We share what we have as fairly as we can. This is even true across
> society. We don’t sell police and fire protection according to how much you
> pay in premiums, denying some lower-income people police assistance in the
> case of burglaries, vandalism and domestic disputes. That defies common
> sense and common decency.
>
>
>
> So why do market values totally dominate other parts of our lives? Because
> we’ve been told that it’s more effective, efficient and productive. Yet is
> that really case? The U.S. has a largely market-driven medical system that
> has resulted in more expensive, lower quality health care than in other
> countries.
>
> The Great Recession has shown many people that the unrestrained market is
> not the best operating system for all human activity. There is a place for
> governance, whether in the form of government regulation or citizen
> initiatives. Tea Party types, of course, resist this common sense but they
> will likely run out of steam when faced with the reality that we face
> serious problems besides budget deficits. At least, I hope so. Most people
> are beginning to see that some essential needs are better met through
> cooperative, collaborative action than by privatization. Protecting our
> communities, the environment and the overall social fabric are three areas
> where the principles of the commons can be applied most immediately to
> create new solutions and opportunities.
>
> Neal Gorenflo: What part do you see cities playing in the advancement of
> commons as a social, political and economic force in society?
>
> By its very nature, urban life is about sharing. City dwellers all depend on
> the same water supply, sewage system, street network, transit systems,
> public health measures, public safety etc. This explains why urbanization
> has increased steadily through the centuries, and the fact that half the
> world’s people now live in cities. Cities, by design, allow people to
> mingle—and from all these human connections come great new ideas for
> businesses, cultural institutions and community improvements. But for cities
> to remain vital and healthy places to live, the commons must be protected.
> More and more people who care about the fate of their communities are coming
> to understand that and are fueling the growth of the emerging commons
> movement.
>
> Neal Gorenflo: What commons-based innovations and policies can most increase
> the social equity and sustainability of cities?
>
> A great example is Bogota, which I write about in the book and also on
> theShareable site. It’s not a place you’d immediately think to look for
> shining examples of urban revitalization, but they have done some remarkable
> things. A former mayor, Enrique Penalosa, was dedicated to the idea of
> social equity but realized that under the current economic conditions,
> equity of income was not going to happen anytime soon. But he was not going
> to give up on equity of quality of life. Happiness, he believed, is not just
> for the rich. So he set about strengthening the commons throughout the city:
> parks, libraries, public schools, public transit, public spaces, bike
> trails, sidewalks, pedestrian streets, water and sewage services.
>
> His theory was that wealthy people can buy what they need to make them
> happy, but everyone else depends on the commons. So he wanted to make sure
> the commons were as good as possible. One very symbolic thing he did was to
> stop cars from parking on the sidewalks. Poor people don’t have yards to
> hang out in; they hang out on the sidewalk, and shouldn’t have this space
> taken away so wealthy folks can park anywhere they please. He also created a
> world-class Bus Rapid Transit system, which works like a subway except that
> people ride in buses on the surface of special transit streets, which even
> the wealthy love to ride. Penalosa admits that he wasn’t focused on
> sustainability in doing all this, but the result was that Bogota is now
> looked to as a leader in sustainable urban development. Sustainability and
> social equity often go hand in hand.
>
> But it’s important to keep in mind that social equity is not just about
> providing poor- and middle-class people with services, it also about
> including them in decision making that affects their future. The idea of
> participation and collaboration is at the very core of the commons.
> Decisions that are made at the top and handed down to the rest of us
> frequently fail. That’s because the wisdom and knowledge of people affected
> by these policies is left out of the process. This is especially true in
> cities. The people who live in a neighborhood are the experts on that
> particular place, and can offer the best—and often cheapest—ideas on how to
> improve it. That was the theme of my earlier book, The Great Neighborhood
> Book.
>
>
> Jay Walljasper
> *Writer  *Speaker *Storyteller
> JayWalljasper.com
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