[p2p-research] Important statement: The P2P Foundation Ecology for the next five years, overview of main building blocks

[Michel Bauwens]

The P2P Foundation Ecology for the next five years



 Dear friends,


 As we are moving closer to the creation of the p2p foundation phyle/coop, I
think it's good to outline how I see the future ecology of P2P-Foundation
related initiatives developing.



 First, and the core of our work, remains the knowledge commons and the
community of participants and contributors, centered around
p2pfoundation.net (and the blog and ning), centered for deliberation about
the p2p research mailing list


 This material is as a knowledge commons, available to the whole of humanity
and aims to create a contextopedia around p2p developments


 In lasindias terminology, I consider myself as a public intellectual in
service of that project


 Second, the P2P Foundation is a formal foundation in the Netherlands,
managed by James Burke, is responsible for managing the infrastructure of
cooperation, which makes our commons possible. It has NOT played that role
yet, but could do so increasingly in the future.



 Third, the commons could and should create an enterpreneurial coalition of
people who can use the commons to develop livelihoods. A first initiative is
the creation of a p2pfoundation cooperative, in the context of a phyle, i.e.
a structure intented to help our members develop a livelihood in the context
of promoting p2p values, lifestyles and infrastructures. The P2P Coop, in
strategic alliance with las indias, is one of the possible vehicles, others
are of course also free to create others.


 One possible role for the foundation would be to determine the rules to
which such initiatives should follow, in order to be recognized by the
community, or formally by the foundation itself. Please note that the coop
is an expression of the phyle, not the total phyle itself. How one should be
related to the other is still under discussion and we are starting this
discussion under the new mailing list.


 Amongst the priority business ventures that I see are:



   1.

   publishing
   2.

   premium services
   3.

   webinars and courses


 Fourth, I think time is maturing for a political expression of the p2p
foundation; this is distinct from the foundation itself and is centered
around changing social and political structures through political and policy
work. How to do this, I have not thought through, but some type of
membership organisation should/could be envisaged. I have as yet no
volunteers yet.


 Five, I have not lost my dream and hope to create a Association of P2P
Researchers.


 My own role will continue to focus on the maintainance of the knowledge
commons, and on the creation of the phyle/coop for the diffiusion of the p2p
ideas.


-- 
P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net  - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net

Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss:
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Think tank: http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI
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