IOPS - Home Introduction to Parecon: The Basics of Participatory Economics The following are installments for a column run in the Nashville Free Press. Participatory Economics, or Parecon for short, is an economic model developed by Michael Albert and Robin Hahnel as an alternative to capitalism. As I did not come up with this economic model, much was certainly borrowed from Albert and Hahnel for this column (some points and examples come directly from Albert). Installment 1 of 13 Over the next several months, I will be offering pieces introducing readers of the Nashville Free Press to the basics of Participatory Economics. Now before anyone starts rolling their eyes, please know that this is not some dressed up version of communism. And probably just as important as what that alternative entails is the concept that an alternative even exists. Made famous by the British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, TINA was already a widely shared belief in the Western world. Well, advocates of Parecon see things differently. Installment 2 of 13 Think about it. And why?
An Interview Introducing and Exploring Parecon | Envisioning a Post-Capitalist Order 1. Where did parecon come from? What is its history? Participatory economics, or parecon, came mainly from the cumulative struggles of diverse populations trying to win liberation from capitalism. I once heard about a strike, billed as the first, by Egyptian peasants against a Pharaoh who moved from requiring six days labor on the pyramid a week, to requiring seven days, and from providing food to providing nothing. Parecon meaning classlessness most broadly was born when revolutionaries of various camps began imagining and seeking a classless economy. Parecon itself, the model, came into being more recently, however, with a particular conception of defining institutions, when Robin Hahnel and I thought through our reactions to various schools of anti capitalist activism, and set out our views in a book titled Looking Forward, about sixteen years ago. 2. Both. I think the model is accurate regarding broad defining features. 3. 4. 5. We want two things from a remunerative norm. 6. 7. 8.
2012: Time For Change (2010) "2012: Time for Change" presents an optimistic alternative to apocalyptic doom and gloom. Directed by Emmy Award nominee João Amorim, the film follows journalist Daniel Pinchbeck, author of the bestselling 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl, on a quest for a new paradigm that integrates the archaic wisdom of tribal cultures with the scientific method. As conscious agents of evolution, we can redesign post-industrial society on ecological principles to make a world that works for all. Rather than breakdown and barbarism, 2012 heralds the birth of a regenerative planetary culture where collaboration replaces competition, where exploration of psyche and spirit becomes the new cutting edge, replacing the sterile materialism that has pushed our world to the brink.
Don't Panic - The Truth About Population (2013) Using state of the art 3D graphics and the timing of a stand-up comedian, world famous statistician Professor Hans Rosling presents a spectacular portrait of our rapidly changing world. With 7 billion people already on our planet we often look to the future with dread, but Rosling's message is surprisingly upbeat. Almost unnoticed we have actually begun to conquer the problems of rapid population growth and extreme poverty. Across the world, even in countries like Bangladesh, families of just two children are now the norm - meaning that within a few generations the population explosion will be over. A smaller proportion of people now live in extreme poverty than ever before in human history and the United Nations has set a target of eradicating it altogether within a few decades.
The Dutch "Basic Income" Experiment Is Expanding across Multiple cities By Maria Sanchez Diez / qz.com Free cash is in the works for a growing number of Dutch urbanites. After the city of Utrecht announced that it would give no-strings-attached money to some of its residents, other Dutch cities are getting on board for social experiments with “basic income,” a regular and unconditional stipend to cover living costs. Tilburg, a city of 200,000 habitants close to the border with Belgium, will follow Utrecht’s initiative, and the cities of Groningen, Maastricht, Gouda, Enschede, Nijmegen and Wageningen are also considering it. Supporters of basic income say it is a good mechanism to alleviate poverty and social exclusion. Ralf Embrechts, director of the Social Development Association of Tilburg and one of the promotors of the program, said that’s the theory the program is designed to test. Authorities aim to test how citizens react without that sword of Damocles over their heads.
Money & Life (2013) Money & Life is a passionate and inspirational essay-style documentary that asks a provocative question: can we see the economic crisis not as a disaster, but as a tremendous opportunity? This cinematic odyssey connects the dots on our current economic pains and offers a new story of money based on an emerging paradigm of planetary well-being that understands all of life as profoundly interconnected. A Note from the Film-makers: We offer Money & Life to the world in spirit of the Gift. Instead of setting a price and transacting before you’ve seen the film, we are turning the tables and allowing you to experience the film and gift back according to your values, your means, and the quality of how the film may have gifted you. All donations will go towards the recuperation of production costs and also to supporting the film’s continued outreach and distribution. Host A Screening Donate to support the film
This Music Festival Will Challenge the Two-Party System Claire BernishJuly 21, 2015 (ANTIMEDIA) The second annual United We Stand Festival is slated to take place at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles on September 19 from 5-10 pm PST. This historic event marks the Free and Equal Elections Foundation’s kickoff for a series of open presidential debates for 2016—and will be broadcast worldwide by freeandequal.org. However, the UWSF is much more than just a music festival. As a platform for voices of every race, color, and creed, the 2015 UWSF is an educational event combining activism, information to challenge the two-party political duopoly, practical solutions for both political and non-political issues, and the arts. During such a tumultuous time of injustice and hostility as we’ve witnessed in Ferguson, Baltimore, and around the country, Free and Equal’s initiatives have sparked a peaceful, positive, and powerful movement for effective, potent solutions. Claire Bernish joined Anti-Media as an independent journalist in May of 2015.
Remember us, for… | Tilos Horizon Share this: Like this: Like Loading... Leave a Reply Follow Get every new post delivered to your Inbox. Build a website with WordPress.com %d bloggers like this: Treehouse Hotels Robin’s Nest Our trip to Robin’s Nest Treehouse Hotels in Hesse, Germany was filled with winding roads through small villages and eerie night routes. When we finally arrived on the mountain, where the treehouses are located, it was late at night and the forests were pitch black. We were finding our way to the cabin through the vast darkness, when we found owner Peter Becker sitting at a campfire. The moment we walked into our treehouse, a warm and cozy feeling spread over us thanks to the beautiful wooden interiors and a flickering fireplace. Who’s behind ‘Robin’s Nest’ and how long did it take to build the treehouse hotel? Peter Becker: It’s a one-man show. What were you doing before? Peter Becker: I lived in Berlin for about seven years where I had a small bar and gallery on Reichenberger Straße. That's when I rediscovered my connection to nature after all these years in the big city. How did you come up with the idea of a treehouse hotel? "How cool would it be to have a treehouse right here?"
The Economics of Happiness (2011) Economic globalization has led to a massive expansion in the scale and power of big business and banking. It has also worsened nearly every problem we face: fundamentalism and ethnic conflict; climate chaos and species extinction; financial instability and unemployment. There are personal costs too. The Economics of Happiness describes a world moving simultaneously in two opposing directions. We hear from a chorus of voices from six continents including Vandana Shiva, Bill McKibben, David Korten, Michael Shuman, Juliet Schor, Zac Goldsmith and Samdhong Rinpoche - the Prime Minister of Tibet's government in exile.