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    Commoning posts

    Solving the housing crisis via the commons, Part 1: the housing crisis

    This is Part 1 of a two-parter, about how the housing crisis causes debt-bondage and wage-slavery, and how the housing Commons can release people from debt and give them freedom to do what they know needs to be done. Read more

    Corvées: commons practices in ancient and modern France

    Will Ruddick of Grassroots Economics talks about the French mutual aid tradition of Corvées. Read more

    Predicting financial collapse (and what to do about it)

    How likely is financial collapse? Matthew Slater, blogger and co-author of the Credit Commons white paper, looks into it: Read more

    Rebuilding the flax / textile industry as a commons: Fantasy Fibre Mill

    Dave Darby of Stroud Commons and Lowimpact.org talks with Rosie Bristow and Nick Evans of Fantasy Fibre Mill, working to resurrect the flax / linen industry in the UK, as a commons. Read more

    Stroud Housing Commons: latest developments

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-May-2024 | 0

    We’re building a housing commons in Stroud, and recording everything so that it’s replicable in any town. We’re finalising our partnership agreement, after which we’ll put the first house in the commons. Read more

    How a new land commons movement can support agroecology

    There’s huge overlap between the principles of agroecology and of commoning, and growth in the commons movement could mean a shift towards agroecology and away from damaging industrial agriculture. Read more

    What makes the commons movement different? (A: it’s much more difficult to co-opt.)

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 03-Apr-2024 | 0

    The commons is a movement to create a different world, not just the same system with a few tweaks to make it more bearable. If successful, obviously there will be entities out there that will try to undermine it, buy it and ultimately, to crush it. But there are aspects to the commons model that will, I think, make it more resistant to this than existing models. Read more

    A ‘Transcender Manifesto’ for a world beyond capitalism. A seed.

    Dil Green is a founder member of Mutual Credit Services, who are working with Stroud Commons to design models for the commons economy for various sectors of the economy. This article first appeared on his blog 5 years ago, but it’s so relevant to the current commons movement, that we’re re-posting it here. Read more

    Easy ways that you can help grow the commons movement

    We’ve put out requests for help before – in blog articles, at public events and via word of mouth. And they worked. In Stroud, we now have a core group of 10 people and three sector groups – housing commons, land common and leisure commons, with 8-10 people each. Read more

    I was interviewed about the commons by the ‘Voice of Islam’ radio station

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 11-Mar-2024 | 0

    I was invited to be interviewed about the commons and mutual credit for a show on the radio station ‘Voice of Islam’ called ‘Beyond Capitalism: Mutual Economics’. Read more

    Festival of Commoning, Stroud, Gloucs, Sep 13-15, 2024

    A Festival of Commoning in the UK: Stroud, Gloucestershire, September 13/14/15 2024. The time is right for a Festival of the Commons. Read more

    Bath presentation: introducing the commons

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 21-Jan-2024 | 0

    We were invited to give a presentation at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution on Jan 9th. Here’s the transcript and slides. Read more

    Is the corporate digital takeover of big cities ‘progress’?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 01-Jan-2024 | 0

    In Brett Scott’s blog post, The War on Informality, he talks about his impressions of London after some time away, how it’s becoming more and more difficult to escape surveillance capitalism, and how it’s seeping into every area of Londoners’ lives. Read more

    Explaining the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 17-Dec-2023 | 6

    The word ‘commons’ can mean different things to different people. We’ve been working with specialists to help build the commons economy, so we’d like to concisely describe what we mean, and how you can join us. Read more

    Helping commons groups form and grow in Stroud and other towns (and countries)

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 05-Dec-2023 | 2

    Commons ideas have gone down well in Stroud and we have thriving groups in various sectors. We’ve been approached by formative groups in several towns in the UK and in other countries. Read more

    You can help develop non-corporate digital tools to support collaboration between community groups

    Are you sick of having to always use corporate software, that uses your data to track your activities, to try to sell you things, and who knows what else? Read more

    Restanza and the cultural commons

    Paul Jennings of Criafolen | 20-Nov-2023 | 0

    We’d like to see the commons economy grow to allow people (especially young people) to stay in their communities, rather than having to move to big cities to work in the corporate sector and pay extortionate rents. Here, Paul Jennings (who we’re liaising with about the commons in Llandeilo) talks about the concept of ‘Restanza’… Continue reading Restanza and the cultural commons Read more

    ‘Bear ye one another’s burdens’: friendly societies for social welfare

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 30-Oct-2023 | 1

    Every neighbourhood had a friendly society. At their height, just before WW1 9 million people were members of friendly societies in the UK! Read more

    How to build an energy commons

    This is a draft outline of a design for an energy commons in any town – an energy sector owned by communities, providing affordable, locally-generated, renewable energy. Read more

    Decentralising power: the why, what, how and who of growing the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 08-Oct-2023 | 11

    Why we need to replace capitalism with a commons economy; who will do it and how. Read more

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