Connecting Communities for a Sustainable World
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Hi, I am located in Green Bay. I was wondering how I might be able to join your hub for attending the Online Summit. Thank you 🙂
Dylan. I’d like to join your hub. Geoffrey Henny (Professor Economics, Business Studies and Sustainability Innovation at Cleary University)
[email protected] or [email protected]
In my view the Nation State is becoming harmful to its citizens and obsolete. I believe the future is a network of “Sustainability-focused” city states organized around Commoning principles and practices that we are seeing emerge in places like Ghent – Belgium, Barcelona – Spain, Bologna – Italy, Frome – UK, Bristol – UK, Seoul – Korea and many other cities. In these reorganized and regenerating urban settings, the Commons grows large enough to keep the market economy and the government in check to serve the interests and enhance the well being of ordinary people and the environment. Over time successful models of this kind will hopefully dissolve the nation state and its destructive foundations of competitive environmentally destructive growth, violence, enclosure, exploitive hierarchy, and exclusionary inequality. This dissolution will hopefully allow collaborative caring to be at the heart of economic and social life in Commons-driven communities. To get there will not be easy. There are powerful forces against it. However there are thousands of experiments happening all over the world and rapid scaling may occur through non violent attraction rather than confrontation once good models are discovered through trial and error. In my view this is probably the only way to save humanity and a lot of life from the threat of extinction that hangs over us all from climate change and weapons of mass destruction. Here in Ann Arbor, Michigan we are working on our own experiments with a lot of bright committed people – including quite a few inside city government, the University of Michigan and several large forward thinking companies. We even envision the revival of the ancient Roman institution of the Tribunate of the Plebs reborn as a Commons Council or Tribunate of the Commons which will guard the interests of ordinary people in their relations with the current wealthy-dominated government and market powers. A key part of this effort will be the creation of a Commons controlled public bank and alternative economic exchange mechanisms driven by technologies like holochain. Another key feature will be new decision making technologies using systems like loomio.org. Of course a panoply of Commoning projects are also being developed around alternative energy, permaculture, new environmentally sound affordable housing, art, innovation, childcare, elder care, healthcare, education for sustainable living, reduction in loneliness, and changing relationships from instrumental to caring between citizens. The Ecovillage experience and concept is a powerful Lode Star in this effort as are the many Ecovillage initiatives beginning to emerge in Michigan which we are attempting to assist with a new developing Ecovillage support organization. Another Lodestar is the Threefolding vision of Rudolf Steiner and the Anthroposophical society along with its daughter organizations such as Camphill communities, Waldorf Schools, biodynamic farming, and Anthroposophical Medicine. Finally the example and experience of mutual support and self governance systems like AA and other twelve step organizations are an important factor. The bottom line is we need a new way to live together to survive and the tools to do this are all around us. We just have to pick them up and try new ways of using them ??