Commons Creation Collective

Posted on July 22 by Josef

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 20 comments

UPDATE: the first Commons Creation meeting was held at Limehouse Town Hall on Sunday 21st January, 2007. A copy of the presentation given can be downloaded here as a PDF (1.1Mb), PPT (2.4Mb) (PowerPoint), or ODP (2.3Mb) (OpenOffice.org Impress) file. Enjoy! :)

Introduction

The Commons Creation Collective is all about harnessing the wealth and power of our networks and working together to raising funds and awareness.

It will initially bring together conscious event organisers, radial media publishers, and their supporters, to collaborate on two complementary projects:

  1. The Commons Creation Fund
    Lots of people contributing a minimum of £5 a month into a common fund and deciding together how to best to invest it in shared infrastructure. Purpose: to create a commons; a pool of collectively owned/ shared resources (thereby building the foundations for a scaleable community banking and exchange system).
  2. The Commons Creation Flyer
    A regular A3 (folded to A6) flyer, distributed by members, that encourages people to become a member of the collective (i.e. contribute £5 a month, help distribute flyer, promote the collective), give details of all the events organised by members, and links to news and issues they deem important.Purpose: to ensure the success of the Commons Creation Fund, and to inform as many people as possible about all events organised by members, and all the news/issues they deem important.

So, what’s the deal?

INDIVIDUALS

To become a member of the Commons Creation Collective, individuals agree to:

  • Contribute a minimum of £5 per month to the Commons Creation Fund
  • Help distribute the Commons Creation Flyer/ promote the Commons Creation Collective (this can be as simple as inviting friends and forwarding e-mails, or getting involved with day to day admin jobs etc.)

In return, members:

  • Become shared owners of The Commons, our pool of collectively owned/shared resouces
  • Decide together (using Dotmocracy?) how best to spend the money contributed to the Commons Creation Fund
  • Are kept informed about all the latest news and events relevant to the collective
  • Can submit and rate news, events and short articles to be included on the flyer
  • Get FREE entrance to exclusive member gatherings and parties
  • Get discounts from other members of the collective (eg. concessionary ticket prices, cheap books, CDs etc)
  • Get fair access to use of the resources in The Commons (obviously, you own them)
  • Get connected to other people and groups who share similar values and/or are interested in the same things (all the other members and the wonderful people you’ll meet at member events)

GROUPS

If a conscious event/radical publisher/other group wants to get involved they agree:

  • To put a link to commonscreation.org on their website
  • To put a link to commonscreation.org on all their flyers/mailouts/publications
  • To offer discouts and/or special offers to members of the collective

In return, groups will get:

  • A profile on commonscreation.org highlighting all the good work the groups does, including details about how to get involved and links back to their own site etc.
  • Details of all events organised by the group included on the Commons Creation Flyer
  • A link to the group’s website on all copies of the Commons Creation Flyer
  • Additionally, and perhaps most significantly, groups will gain discounted access to and use of the resources held in The Commons (eg. web experts, CD burners, printers, vans, lighting rigs, staging, land, venues, etc.)

Who needs to be involved?

Event Organisers:

Radical Media Publishers and Bloggers

How will it be financed?

The aim is for the whole thing to be self-financed by member contributions (we encourage those who can afford to contribute more than £5 a month to do so). Some seed funding will also be sought, but there is nothing stopping a group of co-operatively minded people from pooling £5+ a month straight away.

Next Steps:

  • Gather some of the people who need to be involved and get agreement on the above (or at least something very similar to what is outlined above)
  • On the back of this initial agreement, get more of the people who need to be involved signed-up, whilst also working on the initial website and flyer

APPENDIX
Suggested Initial SMART Goals/Objectives (specific, measurable, acheivable, realistic, time-based)

  • Get first version of http://commonscreation.org up (a nicely designed site explaining the idea, who the existing members are, how and why to join, etc.) no later than one month after getting initial agreement from some of the people who need to be involved.
  • Design and produce the first version of the flyer no later than one month after getting initial agreement from some of the people who need to be involved. Start to distribute flyers.
  • Get 400 members to sign-up and start contributing £5 a month by December 31st, 2006.
  • Hold a monthly member’s gatherings (meal and jam session), starting no later than Januray, 2007.

Suggestions about where to put/invest money

  • La Base - “Some seek to destroy the pyramid by taking the power of the top. La Base creates by giving power to the base. When the base rises, a new structure rises with it.”

    What is La Base
    La Base is rooted in the idea that real democracy and human rights can only be meaningful when accompanied by economic rights and autonomy.

    La Base is not an organization, but a fund of productive capital owned in common. Access to this resource is universal but entails an obligation to ensure its sustainability for all, now and in the future. Those who use La Base are free to create their world as they will.

    La Base’s resources are currently used as fair loans to individuals to help them pursue their economic independence in democratic collectives. Loan repayments go back to the common fund to be used by others. To learn more about loans and other practical applications of La Base, please see the actions.

  • Rootstock - “supporting co-operatives working for social change”

    Rootstock is a social investment society set up as an initiative of the Radical Routes network of co-operatives. Radical Routes is a growing network of housing and workers’ co-operatives working for social change.

    Radical Routes co-operatives are active in many fields, including:

    Sustainable land use through permaculture, land restoration, woodland creation, and growing and distributing organic food.

    Communal housing - co-operatively owned housing is a resource for the whole community rather than a commodity for the profit of a few.

    Resource centres for communities

    Information through publications, radical bookshops and practical support for new co-ops.

    Campaigning on issues such as ecological preservation, animal rights and housing.

    International peace work

    Home education

    Electrical, plumbing and small scale building work

    Support services including Book keeping and accountancy, Computer services, Training and consultancy, Mediation and group working

  • Triodos - Europe’s leading ethical bank that only finances projects wtih affect positive social, environmental and cultural change.
  • Ecology Building Society - a mutual building society dedicated to improving the environment by promoting sustainable housing and sustainable communities.
  • London Rebuilding Society and other CDFI’s (Community Development Finance Institutions)



See also:

20 comments

  1. Josef Jul 25

    Josef. I’m totally sold! This is exactly what we need. - Jamie Woon

    I’m very glad to report that Dannii and Jamie (One Taste), Al (City Hippy) and Sharon (Land Roots) have all confirmed their desire to join the Commons Creation Collective as soon as it goes live and I tell them how to pay. :)

    Peace Not War are pretty much confirmed too (Mudge and some others already are, but I’m just waiting to confirm with the whole collective that they are happy with signing up as a group).

    My mate Taylz from Cacophonic e-mailed me to offer his help too :)

    Told him that for now he can just work on signing up the rest of the Cacophonic collective…

    More soon.

  2. City Hippy Jul 26

    Just to re-iterate my support for this project…I love what Josef is creating and will be delighted to be a part of it…the value of our network far outweighs the value of us as individuals :)

    Namaste

    Al

  3. Josef Jul 31

    I did a search for Commons Creation and discovered that…

    Philip Merrill says:

    I’m overjoyed to see this.

    While Rob Myers adds:

    It’s very cool.

    :)

  4. Josef Jul 31

    Peace Not War are now part of the collective :)

    Still, things wont go live until I’ve signed up a few more groups…

    Off to the Big Green Gathering tomorrow (come find me at the Peace Not War stall in the campaigns field).

  5. Eugenia Aug 1

    Hey Josef,

    This is beautiful!
    It’s really exciting,
    thanks for putting energy into this!
    I can’t wait to come back to london now and get involved.
    Ive looked at the ethical bank links and building society, thanks, something I’ve wnated to look into for so long.

    Collaboration, and collectives are the way we can create sustainable structures that are non hirarchical and lasting, and benefit all and the world.
    I believe in constructing change, making it happen, in beeing the change you want to see.

    bless and see you soon

    Eugenia

  6. Josef Aug 9

    Thanks for you wonderful comments Eugenia :)

  7. Josef Aug 14

    I’m pleased to announce that Movimientos are now signed-up too :)

  8. Josef Nov 9

    I got a positive response when I talked about Commons Creation at the last Synergy Project post-production meeting. Now just got to get them signed up in writing.

    As part of this process I sent this e-mail to Dom yesterday:

    Hi Dom,

    Thanks for the questions :)

    RE: “To offer discounts and/or special offers to members of the collective”

    The idea is for member groups/organisations to actively support the collective, and encourage people to join (thus raising more funds and gaining more exposure) by incentivising membership with special offers/discounts for members.

    For Synergy Project, offering Commons Creation members concessionary entrance rates would probably be the simplest thing to do. You could also offer discounts on other items in the online shop. You could do the same with IdSpiral shop too :)

    What exactly the discount or special offer is would be for Synergy Project to decide, but the Commons Creation deal is that member organisations offer at least something (in part to ensure all groups signing up make a minimum contribution).

    RE: “how many resources do you currently have that are there to share - I presume the answer is none”

    We haven’t even started yet, but I’m pleased to report we’ve got much more than none :)

    So far, of the few people I’ve actually explained the idea too, 5 have immediately forced £5 cash on me as an encouragement to make it happen. I’ve got £40 in a draw in my room, I’m owed a further £40, and have just begun instructing them how to set-up a standing orders to pay it directly into uniteddiversity’s savings account (a better temporary home for the money than my draw).

    As for actually goods already available to share, uniteddiversity has a 7 tier CD burner that has effectively been part of the commons since I left it with Indymedia at LARC years ago (its since been to ramparts, synergy centre, spike, and is currently looked after and maintained by Peace Not War who’ve used to burn all their latest DIY releases)

    uniteddiversity also has a good bike trailer. I occasionally need to use it for transporting books and other items, and I hire it out a couple of days a week to a friend who uses it for transports instruments and toys to the music lessons for small children he runs. Others at my housing co-op use it for free all the time (really my friend Paul who hires it is paying for my promise that it will be available for his usage at the specific times he needs it).

    uniteddiversity (well, my dad, to be specific) also has land in Spain that could become part of the commons and grow into a small creative ecovillage and centre for sustainable living. :)

    Of course, one of the most valuable resources are all the skills, resources, experience and contacts other members will bring to the collective.

    RE “do you have a business plan in place?”

    Not exactly a business plan, but I’ve got a plan of action in my head that I am in the process of carrying out:

    0. Carry out a decade of research into the functioning of existing systems and into the best practice systems-based solutions to the world’s predicaments, and then network and build relationships of trust with some of the key players in London and beyond. - DONE

    1. Get first few key conscious event/media organisations signed up in principle (with Synergy’s agreement this stage will be complete).

    Sign up so far are: uniteddiversity, Peace Not War, OneTaste, Movimientos, Sunday Sounds and City Hippy.

    2. Organise a gathering of early adopters (those signed up in stage 1) to consensually work out and formally agree on what exactly the Commons Creation deal is, and what the format and content of the flyer should be etc.

    At this meeting I will outline my vision for the collective, including plans to purchase land and hold annual Building Man festivals as the collective’s annaul gathering.

    I will also seek agreement of my proposal that the first £1000 a month generated by membership funds be used to employ me to work full-time on developing the Commons Creation project.

    3. Incorporate the collective as Commons Creation LLP and register the Commons Creation educational charity.

    4. Develop and launch the first version of the http://commonscreation.org website, explaing the idea and inviting people to join.

    This will allow people to sign up online, and to contribute and rate news/events to be included on the site/flyer. It will also give details about existing members etc.

    5. Sign up a load of ethical publishers and media organisations (eg. Red Pepper, Undercurrents, Mute, Indymedia, Positive News, Permaculture Magazine etc.) by explaining the huge captive audience and market our conscious event organisations regularly connect and engage with, and how we can help to increase their circulation and reach.

    Basically this means negotiating on-going free/discounted flyer inserts and/or advertisements space in their publications and on their websites etc.

    6. On the basis of already having a small but powerful and purposeful collective of organisations working together to raise funds and awareness, systematically contact all the other social change organisations in the UK (and then Europe and the World) to join in and to encourage their members to do the same.

    7. Get 200,000 members signed up by the end of 2007, making 2008 the Year of Infinite Possibilities - we’ll have a million £ a month to fund world changing, commons creating, projects :)

    Basically we’ll be able to start buying up land and property all over the place, putting it into the commons, and then using it as the foundations for a whole new economic and political system for the world - mwhahaha :)

    (Our dire global predicament requires the urgent creation of new systems of ownership, economics and governance. Creating a scalable community banking and exchange system is a large part of this challenge, and that is only possible if we have land where we can grow food and house people, thereby making community currencies redeemable for food and housing, just like interest-bearing-debt-based-pump-real-wealth-from-the-poor-to-the-rich-rape-the-earth money is)

    All that will most likely take a lot longer than expected, but the need to start is increasingly urgent and apparent.

    In the short term the business plan is something like this:

    * apply for a small amount of seed funding from UnLtd Level 1
    * start collecting fivers (this has already begun on a small scale) to help cover on-going operational costs (i.e. cover my basic living expenses to enable me to dedicate my time to working on it, no more that £1000 a month and conceivably less)
    * once we have over 200 members and basic costs are covered, start building up a fund to purchase shared infrastructure (e.g. vans, PAs, lighting, server space etc.)
    * save money by owning and sharing this stuff rather than renting it, and make money by renting it out ourselves
    * re-invest monies generated back into the collective, repeat

    Something like that anyway. :)

    Well done, if you’ve got this far!

    Apologies for length of mail :)

    Josef

  9. Rosemarie Nov 22

    neo-dogma-non is in. Well done Josef for getting it off the ground. Looking forward.

    Love
    Rosemarie

  10. Josef Nov 22

    So, Synergy are now very nearly signed up :)

    Dom says:

    I am keen to hear other opinions but after reading your documents,
    your vision and your idea I am happy to start committing synergy to
    the idea of the commons creation

    Let’s hear it from the other members of the SC (Synergy Committee) and then we can take
    it to the next step

    Edwina (on the SC) says:

    Hi Josef

    sounds like a good idea, but I need u to clarify something for me…If the
    synergy project (t/as synergy communities) joins or supports the commons
    creation project, what does that mean in terms of financial reality and
    commitment.

    We have a great distribution network thanks to Giani, and I see no reason why
    this kind of thing shouldn’t be sent out along these same lines of
    communication. But, with the fiver a month thing, are u anticipating that we
    just encourage our network to join up individually, or does the group need to
    commit to donate some funds centrally?

    Also, I know you’re an expert at this kind of thing, but I would love to know
    how u anticipate facilitating the decision making process to decide how the
    money will be spent.

    Much respect for sorting something like this out.

    xEd

    I responed with:

    Hi Ed,

    Thanks for the questions.

    “what does that mean in terms of financial reality and commitment”

    Basically at least 1 person in the Synergy Committee will be expected
    to join as an individual member and contribute £5 a month. As
    directors, this should probably be either Dom or Giani. Of course, I’d
    fully encourage EVERYONE to sign up and add their £5 a month to the
    pot too :)

    The real value to the collective (as you’ve noted) is Synergy using
    its distribution network to encourage other people to become members
    themselves (and hence pay £5 a month into the pot and help promote the
    collective to their networks). In practice this means putting the link
    http://commonscreation.org on the website, and on all future flyers
    and mailouts, ideally with a line or two of text encouraging people to
    visit and join.

    The only other financial commitment would be to offer members of the
    collective some kind of discount/special offers (to create an
    additional incentive for people to join).

    As I’ve explained to Dom and in the comments on the
    http://commonscreation.org page, what exactly this offer is will be
    down to Synergy to decide (I would suggest discounted/concessionary
    entry to Synergy Project events)

    “how u anticipate facilitating the decision making process to decide
    how the money will be spent”

    This will need to be thrashed out and formally agreed at the first
    member gathering (that I’ll start arranging once Synergy is fully
    signed up).

    Basically though, here is how I currently envisage it:

    1. Firstly, the money can only be spent on “shared infrastructure”. By
    this I mean income generating/saving capital goods, things like vans,
    PAs, projectors etc. Things we normally hire out, but if we owned
    ourselves we could hire out ourselvese and generate further funds.

    Once we’ve got loads of members and serious amounts of cash my own
    personal preference would be to invest in land and property (to start
    organic farms and housing co-ops), renewable energy production (wind
    farms, solar panels), communications infrastructre (servers, open
    source software, VoIP set-up etc), and eco-logistics (biodisel vans,
    bike trailers etc.). The things we are all going to need to build a
    collaborative sustainable economy.

    2. To begin with I propose that members gather every 6 months to
    discuss and vote on how the money accumalated should be spent (if at
    all). Assuming founding members agree to it at the first gathering, we
    will start by using a dotmocracy-like process. All members will be
    able to make and rate proposals on how to spend the money, and the
    proposals with the clearest support will be discussed in further
    detail before and final decision is made. More on the dotmocracy
    process can be seen here: http://dotmocracy.org/step-by-step

    3. The idea is to allow members to submit, discuss and rate proposals
    online as part of an on-going process. That way the 6 monthly face 2
    face gatherings can focus on further discussion of already submitted
    and popular proposals. Until we’ve got a website that can do this
    we’ll make do with using paper dotmocracy sheets at the gatherings
    (but I am going to apply for a bit of money to build the website and
    am fairly confident I’ll get it).

    4. For this project to really work I believe it will need someone
    working on it full-time: signing up new members, ensuring proposals
    get submitted and debated, organising the member gathering, etc, etc.
    Therefore I propose that the first 200 £5/month collected (i.e. the
    first £1000 a month) be spend on employing someone to do this. Ideally
    me because I’d love to do it :) (but I’d happily job-share too since
    I’d prefer to work as a team)

    5. Beyond this, I don’t think we really should start thinking about
    how to spend the money until we’ve got a sizable pot of money to
    spend, say £10,000.

    6. I intend to register a Commons Creation charity and invite people
    experienced in “communty-based asset development” to become trustees.
    I know a lot of these people already, and am certain that their
    experience and support will help ensure we allocate our resources
    wisely (in fact, as trustee they will be obliged by law to ensure that
    it is).

    I’m thinking of people like Lorraine Hart from the Environment Trust
    who wrote the book “To have and to hold: the DTA guide to asset
    development for community and social enterprises”, Andrew Robinson
    (head of Community Development Banking at NatWest/RBS), Ben Hughes
    (Chief Exec of BASSAC), Steve Wyler (Chief Exec of DTA), Jamie
    Hartzell (Director, Ethical Property), John Jopling (Sustainable
    London Trust), etc.

    With their support and our networks, I am confindent that we really
    can be ambitious enough to think about starting a few housing co-ops,
    community centres and sustainable agriculture projects. Sure, just a
    new PA and a fleet of biodiesel vans would be nice, but lets think
    big! (the world needs us to)

    Hope that explains things sufficiently?

    To the Commons!

    Josef.

    :)

  11. Josef Nov 22

    Just to add that Rose, who is a member of the wider Synergy Project and founder of neo-dogma-non wants to get in on the Commons Creation action :)

    She says:

    Hi Josef

    neo-dogma-non wants to join too. What do I do?

    Love
    Rose

    :)

  12. Josef Dec 20

    There is now a mailing list for signed-up members to start discussing finer details:

    https://lists.commonscreation.org/mailman/listinfo/commons

    We will also be having our first meeting on Sunday 21st January 2007

    :)

  13. Gareth Strangemore-Jones Dec 20

    Hey Josef and friends,

    This initiative is so timely.
    We are on the verge of real social change.

    I am currently involved in two new organisations that may be of interest:
    * http://www.omniworldview.com
    * http://www.ecoshelter.org

    Ecoshelter will be holding a multi media event programme in 2007-2008 and I’m sure there’s a possibility to collaborate once again.

    We’ve managed to straddle the gap between social and environmental wellbeing and commercial responsibility.

    Although plans are relatively advanced, they are as ever flexible. We’ll be looking for event programme content, production and promotion. Please get in touch.

    We will also offer discounts and benefits to Commons Creation members :)

    Peace And Power To You,

    G*

  14. Josef Jan 17

    Thanks Gareth.

    Hope you are your family are doing well in Wales :)

    Hugs,

    Josef.

  15. Chris Anderson Jan 22

    I’d love to contribute to this project. Where do I sign up?

  16. Josef Jan 22

    Hi Chris,

    For now people are setting up standing orders for £5/month into the following bank account:

    sort code: 09-06-66
    account: 40375992

    That is the united diversity saving account and isn’t used for anything else.

    The vast majority of people who attended the first Commons Creation meeting yesterday signed a form indicating their willingness to do this (and some have already done so!) :)

    Ideally the standing order should start on Feb 1st and continue of the 1st of each month thereafter.

    Thanks, and welcome! :)

    Josef.

    You should also join the mailing list: https://lists.open.coop/mailman/listinfo/commons

    And please let me know when you

  17. Chris at swopaplot Jan 28

    This sounds like a great idea! Wish i’d heard about it earlier. Am i too late to sign up for the start of feb? Please mail me!

    thanks and good luck with it :-)
    -Chris

  18. Chris at swopaplot Jan 28

    It’s ok - no need to mail - i’ve set a standing order and requested to join the list :-)

  19. hiutopor Sep 18

    Hi all!

    Very interesting information! Thanks!

    G’night

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