[p2p-research] P2P Foundation and Las Indias

[Josef Davies-Coates]

2010/11/25 Sociedad Cooperativa de las Indias Electrónicas <
info at lasindias.coop>

> As for Radial Routes, I think they are quite different from Las Indias,
>> but they are a large distributed (around the UK) community of people who
>> live/ work in co-ops and in my experience really do practice what they
>> preach and are an example of real solidarity/ community in action :)
>>
>
> Yes, I got the same idea: they seem to be interesting, but their model is
> quite different, more «traditional» in my opinion:
>
> - They are a «community» of coops and not, as we are, a community (of
> persons) with coops (as tools subordinated to the needs of the real
> community).



Whilst that is indeed how they describe themselves on their website, I can
assure that they ARE a real community of persons.


This difference has consequences both in deliberation and in social action.
> And this consequences are very important to us. Indeed they probably are not
> a «real community», meaning they have not a common deliberative process, and
> because of it not a real identity nor a «demos»
>


Like I say, in my experience they ARE a real community. They do have a
deliberative processes and a real sense of identity.


- Coops are localy oriented, and probably if you ask them, they will call
> themselves British. But we will never call ourselves Spanish, Venezuelan,
> Uruguayan or with any other national name.
>
> It could seem to be anecdotical, but indeed without transnationality deeply
> rooted in your identity, every problem will be focused at the end of the day
> from national state point of view... and in consequence:
>
> *you will loose your relationship with your peers out of the nation and
> your coop will win only «fellow nationals» as new members, feeding again and
> again this «nationalization»
> *your deliberation will derail then towards mediatic agenda, vacuuming the
> social space of knowledge generation and autonomous deliberation that the
> real community behind the coop probably was in its origins.
>


I'd say that is certainly not true of the (mostly activists) who make up the
Radical Routes network/ community. Many of them are very active in actions
outside of the UK. They are very much a part of the much larger community of
what I guess could be described as anti-capitalist anarchists.


An slow read to what community mean for us
> http://lasindias.net/indianopedia/Community
> will probably give more keys for understanding why we think these
> differences so clearly.
>
> But anyway, we will get in touch with them. As we are everything but
> proselitist, we will probably enjoy many things and points of view we surely
> have in common!



Yes, do get in touch! :)



>  BTW, would Las Indias be interested in helping to turn a bit of land
>> near Cuenca in Spain into an eco campsite and permaculture project? And
>> can they help me set-up a Spanish co-op to whom I can transfer the
>> ownership?
>>
>
> Jose and Manuel were discussing about it before in the table of work, I
> think they were preparing an email to this thread too...
>


Look forward to reading it!



> Abrazos!
>


Igualmente!

Josef.


-- 
Josef Davies-Coates
07974 88 88 95
http://uniteddiversity.com
Together We Have Everything
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