[p2p-research] The grand alliance for the commons

[Michel Bauwens]

slated for publication on april 2 in the blog:

The grand alliance for the commons



In my writings on P2P Theory, I have a rather simple, but I believe true,
formula to describe the crisis of the global system of neoliberal
capitalism.

Namely,

-          i.e. based on a false belief that nature is infinitely abundant
as a resource to be used by humanity, without regard for the finitude of our
planet, the necessary cycles of renewal in nature, etc… Nature is an object
to be depleted, and for waste to be dumped in. This is what I call
‘pseudo-abundance’

-          i.e. based on the false belief, disproved again and again by
studies, that the exchange of knowledge regarding  innovation, culture and
science have to be restricted artificially, in an exaggerated manner that
protects monopolies and their rent-based income. This is what I call
artificial scarcity.

Hence a sustainable civilization or political economy needs to reverse both
polarities. It needs to recognize the limits of the natural world and
respect its cycles of regeneration, and it needs to relax its artificial
scarcities to that knowledge and innovation can flow more freely to the
whole of humanity. In fact, we cannot really solve the first problem,
without tackling the second.

However, we could imagine solutions to the above, that would take place
without regard for the welfare of humanity itself, i.e. that would not
include the equally important requirement for social justice. Hence the need
for a third leg for our stool.

We can translate these three tasks, reversing pseudo-abundance and
artificial scarcity in the context of social justice, by looking at existing
and emerging social movements.

The environmental movement, and all those other forces which are starting
the integrate the demands for sustainability of our physical production, are
the necessary allies for the protection of our biosphere.

The social justice movement is represented by the many social forces
defending the interests of workers and farmers and for socially just
structures, on the local, national, and global levels.

The peer to peer moment in history brings one more emerging social movement
in this potential grand alliance: the movement for the free flow of
knowledge, culture and innovation. This is the contribution of the free
culture movement, of the open access movement,  of computer hackers, and
many other actors tackling artificial scarcity.

Each of these moments has its own related but complementary vision of a
world centered around the commons and civil society. For the environmental
movement, the earth and its resources are a commons whose sustainability has
to be protected; the social justice movements wants to make sure that the
fruits of the physical commons are distributed in a fair manner so that no
part of humanity is excluded from the basic demands of well-being; and the
free culture movements protects the digital commons of education, knowledge,
science and innovation.

This is what the grand alliance of the commons is about: recognizing the
joint interest of these grand social movements in the resilience,
sustainability and thrivability of natural and human commons.

The creation of this grand alliance is the task of 21st century politics.


-- 
Work: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhurakij_Pundit_University - Think thank:
http://www.asianforesightinstitute.org/index.php/eng/The-AFI

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

Connect: http://p2pfoundation.ning.com; Discuss:
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