[Iyf-ct] Reimagining Society Project

[Glen Thompson]

Thanks for the link Andreas, 

Had a quick look over topics, may be useful to see how essays allow Iyf to
find practical frameworks to promote participative democracy.

Robin Hahnel's essay, Overcoming Blind Spots In Left Vision: Participatory
Planning, could be a good place to start?
http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/21474 

As Hahnel notes: "So while we must do all we can to tame markets for now,
because markets are antithetical to building the economics of equitable
cooperation we must also work to replace markets with an altogether
different coordinating mechanism."

I've just come out of a weekend at the .ZA Geek Retreat in Johannesburg,
while most of the discussions focused on market-led means to envision the
future of the Internet in SA, there were two points that provide tactical
opportunities to seek a role for the Internet in an equitable future: 

(1) The use of community wireless networks that provides free Internet
access within a neighbourhood (think of content delivery, education, VoIP
telephone calls), and 
(2) Consumer activism for increased access to broadband Internet
connectivity as well as to reduce the cost of the Internet, mobile Internet
(data), and SMS. 

What Iyf could do in this space is to publicise the real cost of
Internet/mobile connectivity and what free access may mean for participatory
democracy (e.g.: hosted applications to support community-run budgets). 

Cheers

Glen 

________________________________________
From: iyf-ct-bounces at lists.resist.ca [mailto:iyf-ct-bounces at lists.resist.ca]
On Behalf Of Andreas Spath
Sent: 21 June 2009 10:37 AM
To: In Your Face
Subject: [Iyf-ct] Reimagining Society Project

Has anyone seen seen this:

http://www.zcommunications.org/zparecon/reimaginingsociety.htm

It's something called the Reimagining Society Program which we might want to
keep an eye on. There are participants from around the world (including SA -
Patrick Bond, Jonathan Grossman, Mandisi Majavu, etc.) who will contribute
essays and debate "the way forward" from an essentially anti-authoriarian
left perspective. Right down our alley, I think...

There are already some opening essays on the website:

http://www.zcommunications.org/zparecon/rsessays.htm

Cheers,
Andreas