Social Movements on the Commons David Bollier iCommons Summit July 31, 2008

Bloggers expose New York Times on Iraq War coverage

Bloggers expose New York Times

on Iraq War coverage

Senate candidate George Allen’s “macaca” slur Kat Ruddy, via Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND http://www.flickr.com/photos/katskiphoto/123998362/

Photo by tsevis, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsevis/2279253649/ Obama’s 1.5 million donors

Photo by tsevis, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/tsevis/2279253649/

Bloggers/activists expose flaws in Diebold voting machines Photo by Aaron Gustafson, via Flickr, CC BY-SA license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarongustafson/63773438.

Photo by Aaron Gustafson, via Flickr, CC BY-SA license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarongustafson/63773438.

Hughelectronic, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA license. http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughelectronic/2261248169/

Hughelectronic, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-SA license.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughelectronic/2261248169/

Norman Rockwell, Four Freedoms Computer networks + free culture = “History-Making Citizenship”

The Commons Sector ( of creativity & culture) … .and countless others.

“ The Great Value Shift” Socially created value is becoming a macro-economic and cultural force in its own right.

The commons paradigm explodes Video photography music-sharing remix mashups Blogs podcasting online games wikis social networking Open educational resources open access publishing open textbooks open courseware & collaborative curricula One Laptop Per Child Open business models open science open databases (CC0) collaborative websites

Video

photography

music-sharing

remix

mashups

Blogs

podcasting

online games

wikis

social networking

Open educational resources

open access publishing

open textbooks

open courseware &

collaborative curricula

One Laptop Per Child

Open business models

open science

open databases (CC0) collaborative websites

“ You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” --R. Buckminster Fuller

Viral Spiral How the Commoners Built a Digital Republic of Their Own New Press, January 2009

How the Commoners

Built a Digital Republic of Their Own

New Press, January 2009

The commons -- a new social metabolism in our cultural ecosystem for governance & law Image by Stanton F. Fink, via Wikipedia, CC BY license, version 2.5 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Image%3ABanffia_confusa.jpg

The Digital Citizen honors: Open access Freedom to participate Transparency Talent & innovation Social equity Decentralized authority “ Freedom is participation in power.” --Cicero

Open access

Freedom to participate

Transparency

Talent & innovation

Social equity

Decentralized authority

The Commons Sector as a New Digital Republic Photo by rw, via Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rbostyle/380346564/

Enclosures are destroying other commons….. Global atmosphere Oceans Genes Seeds Freshwater Forests Minerals Arctic & Antarctic Democratic Governance Civic infrastructure Public spaces Local community Social insurance Parks Wilderness Shared traditions & values

Two general types of commons…. Infinite: The More the Merrier Finite: Tragedy of the Commons L’etrusco, via Flickr, CC-BY-SA license.

Twin errors of neoliberal economic policy Scarce commons (air, water, land) are treated as infinite. Limitless commons (creative works) are treated as scarce (via copyright & patent law).

Scarce commons (air, water, land) are treated as infinite.

Limitless commons (creative works) are treated as scarce (via copyright & patent law).

The Commons: A vision for a new political culture 1. A new narrative to reclaim what’s ours 2. Tech expertise can build democratic practice 3. Moral credibility, cultural authenticity 4. The commons as a third sector that “competes” with governments & businesses.

1. A new narrative to reclaim what’s ours

2. Tech expertise can build democratic practice

3. Moral credibility, cultural authenticity

4. The commons as a third sector that “competes” with governments & businesses.

David Bollier [email_address]