community action

Conserving Natural Wealth

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Version: 
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Problem: 

 At the heart of preservation of the natural world is the conservation of our earth’s diminishing biodiversity, which could also be described as ‘natural wealth’. It is this biodiversity that has provided us with the sustenance and material support that has allowed us to shape our world, from the most basic processes such as oxygen supply to the formation of minerals essential for the production of complex modern equipment. The power that this natural wealth afforded us has become its greatest threat. In addition to the essential provision of food, fuel, building materials, clean water and air, a specific region’s biodiversity is often the cornerstone of its cultural identity. While it is problematic to quantify the rate of biodiversity loss, it has become increasingly evident in the broader context of widespread habitat loss, the true toll of which we cannot even begin to fathom. There are of course complex threats to biodiversity, such as the harvesting of wild plants and animals for research in order to find commercially valuable genetic and biochemical material, also known as ‘bioprospecting’. Such industries should be allowed to operate only within defined frameworks that are designed in conjunction with conservation objectives. The capital and expertise for such an industry most often originates from more developed countries, while their target areas will be in considerably underdeveloped regions of developing nations. This reality highlights the need for strong community organisations and heightened civic intelligence, particularly in these biodiversity ‘hotspots’, which are at risk not only from external exploitation of natural resources but also the wrong kinds of development.

Context: 

 

 

Discussion: 

The key areas of focus would be to strengthen communities in several ways, most importantly their understanding of their natural wealth, including its vulnerabilities, their ability to make decisions collectively and their capacity to communicate with other parties that can assist them in the preservation of this natural wealth. Civic intelligence is an important foundation in such circumstances, especially given the wide range of opportunities for more prominent community members to accrue disproportional financial benefits from what are, at best, collectively owned resources.

Pattern Sets: 
Preserving the Natural World

Addressing Socio-economic Disparities

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Problem: 

In my experience, most of the problems that arise in community decision making, particularly when natural resources are concerned, stem from basic disparities within the community. Often one part of the community feels like it has historically had less of a ‘share’ in something and thus pushes a more extreme agenda, sometimes only to antagonise those that they consider to have benefitted disproportionately. When considering a specific region, it becomes necessary to take into account these disparities and enact measures that create, or at least create the illusion of, a level playing field. In less-developed areas with important natural wealth, it is crucial to define collective ownership and responsibility at the earliest possible time. It is within an organisation that these disparities can be addressed gradually and systems put in place to ensure balance, particularly where the allocation of funds is concerned. One system that has worked in my experience is defining clearly the development objectives of various areas and prioritising them numerically relative to objectively considered needs so that when funds are available to the organisation there is little room for argument, given that the priorities have been previously agreed upon in the the absence of funds, the arrival of which are often a source of great tension. 

 

There is an old saying in the Samburu language which translates as ‘a decision made by few is more effective than one made by many’. While this may seem to directly contradict the idea of collective decision making, it stresses the need for unity amongst the community and the careful choice of leadership. Once a certain leadership system is established they should be allowed greater freedom to make and implement their decisions. This brings us back to civic intelligence and the importance of defining clear overlying objectives that are permanent guidelines even though leaders may change.

 

We must define the principles on which we intend to develop, against which we may analyse a particular case. Principles could include environmental preservation, cultural preservation and equitable distribution of wealth but would be specific to a particular area and its features. 

Inteligencia Cívica

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Group Name: 
Spanish translations of Liberating Voices card verbiage
Version: 
1
Verbiage for pattern card: 

Inteligencia cívica describe que tan bien grupos de personas persiguen fines cívicos a través de medios cívicos.  Inteligencia Cívica hace la pregunta crítica: Es la sociedad suficientemente inteligente para afrontar los desafíos que se le presentan?  La inteligencia cívica requiere aprendizaje y enseñanza. También requiere meta-cognición – el pensar y realmente mejorar como pensamos y trabajamos juntos.

Discerning Opportunities

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Prateek Trivedi
Version: 
1
Problem: 

Modern development can take many forms including technological advancement, economic development or improved technical expertise. The most visible form of development, however is the construction of buildings and shops. In Samburu County in Kenya, for example, many view construction as the first step to financial prosperity and many have secured plots of land in order to hastily begin building, particularly along the recently-tarmacced main road towards Ethiopia. As existing towns expand, these ghostly clusters of half-finished concrete buildings mark the beginnings of what could quite soon be a devastating urban sprawl. 

The Isiolo-Moyale road has been under construction for a few years, with the Samburu section from Isiolo to Merille completed in 2010. The region has experienced a surge of development and and while there may not be a great deal of land suitable for farming, the northern part of Kenya is of growing interest to industrial entities, particularly those in the mining and energy sectors.

In addition to construction, there is the distinct possibility of mining operations being expanded into areas that have so far remained in a natural state, particularly with the increasing prevalence of rare earth metals in consumer products. As China comes to terms with the severe environmental damage that has resulted from its provision of as much as 97% of the world's rare earth metal demand, other nations have been realizing plans to end their dependence on Chinese supply, which has considerable implications for the environment.

 

 

Context: 

It is a common opinion that the northern rangelands are barren and therefore ripe for exploitation, however they hold a great deal of natural wealth and can support far more than they appear to. The individualistic trend of the modern society has had a detrimental effect on the land and I would argue that for any positive development to occur on a significant scale, communities must operate with a heightened civic intelligence, discerning between opportunities that will bring net benefit in the longer term. 

Discussion: 

In the case of communally-owned lands, there should be strong organization and established processes to discern between the development opportunities that are brought to their respective area and rather than being distracted by the promise of immediate financial gain, an opportunity should be set against defined principles and assessed objectively. 

 

Development opportunities are most often defined monetarily and are only marginally influenced by the communities that they will affect. In order to discern between positive and negative opportunities, we must define the principles on which we intend to develop, against which we may analyze a particular case. Principles could include environmental preservation, cultural preservation and equitable distribution of wealth but would be specific to a particular area and its features. 

Street Music

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Douglas Schuler
The Public Sphere Project
Celebration of Public Music
Version: 
1
Problem: 

(note that the Problem Statement is still in work.....)

Music, including singing as well as the playing of instruments, has been a key element of the human condition for millennia. Unfortunately -- at least in the United States -- music has become more of a commodity, to be enjoyed passively and non-interactively. 

The rise of mass media is probably at least one of the culprits. 

Context: 

(note that the Context Statement is still in work.....)

Discussion: 

(note that the Discussion is still in work.....)

Street Music blurs the distinction between producer and consumer of music as well as the distinction between formal and informal venues for music production and consumption. 

Although street bands, including many of those found at Honk Fests, can be found at protests (including the Infernal Noise Machine (image below) that supported the demonstrations against the World Trade Organization in Seattle in 1999), their actions are often political to a large degree by virtue of their publicness in an era of electronic or other formalized or mediated forms of music consumption. 

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-MLvzLlou4 for Environmental Encroachment's performance of Hashia.

 

Thanks to a member of the Bucharest Drinking Team and to Bob of Environmental Encroachment for their thoughts on the current breed of "new street bands" including their history and motivation. 

Solution: 

 

Solution in work:

something about establishing and supporting street music. More and more and more of it....

Categories: 
orientation
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engagement
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social
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products
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Social Critique
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Community Action
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Social Movement
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Media Critique
Information about introductory graphic: 
Photo of Church, a marching band from Santa Rosa, California. Shot by Douglas Schuler, June 1, 2012. Georgetown (Seattle, WA)
Information about summary graphic: 

Infernal Noise Machine, Seattle Washington

Street Newspapers

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Douglas Schuler
Version: 
1
Discussion: 

The homeless newspaper movement is active in many cities around the world. Although it takes different forms in different cities, the basic model is the same: The newspaper concentrates on issues of homelessness and poverty, two subjects that are not likely to be covered sensitively or in much depth by mainstream media. Beyond that the newspaper is often actively engaged in the struggle for the rights of poor people and engages poor people and their communities in every aspect of the newspaper production and distribution. The Real Change weekly newspaper in Seattle is sold by people who are homeless or otherwise in underprivileged positions for $2.00 and receive $1.40 plus tips for each paper sold.

Categories: 
orientation
Categories: 
organization
Categories: 
engagement
Categories: 
social
Categories: 
products
Themes: 
Research for Action
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Education
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Economics
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Policy
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Social Critique
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Community Action
Themes: 
Social Movement
Themes: 
Case Studies
Verbiage for pattern card: 

The homeless newspaper movement is active in many cities around the world. Although it takes different forms in different cities, the basic model is the same: The newspaper concentrates on issues of homelessness and poverty, two subjects that are likely to be covered sensitively or in much depth by mainstream media. Beyond that the newspaper is often actively engaged in the struggle for the rights of poor people and engages poor people and their communities in every aspect of the newspaper production and distribution. The Real Change weekly newspaper in Seattle is sold by people who are homeless or otherwise in underprivileged positions for $2.00 and receive $1.40 plus tips for each paper sold.

Information about introductory graphic: 
From Real Change Newspaper web site, <a href="http://www.realchangenews.org/">right here</a>

True Pro Family Policies

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Group Name: 
PTPH Group 4
Hannah Moats
Jerome Wilen
Version: 
2
Discussion: 

Women supposedly have a choice to keep or terminate pregnancies. But do we really? Our society is structured in ways which promote male-oriented policies. These structures do now allow pregnancies to be anything other than career inhibiting, economically arresting, and eliminating of a women’s ability to continue or complete her education. It is time to implement approaches which encourage women to pursue pregnancy, should they desire it. These programs should include:

  • paid maternity leave,
  • reduced costs for pregnancy, natal, and toddler medical care,
  • reduced costs for childcare,
  • safer and more varied childcare options programs which realistically allow for women to pursue their education while the parent of a young child or infant,
  • encouraging adoption as an option for pregnant individuals and for individuals wishing to become parents,
  • encouraging the placement and support of foster children, and
  • when possible, encouraging the involvement of fathers and extended family in early childcare.
Information about introductory graphic: 
http://www.schsa.org/PublicHealth/mainpages/healthCareProviders/index.html

Local Knowledge

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Pattern ID: 
728
Pattern number within this pattern set: 
728
Douglas Schuler
Public Sphere Project (CPSR)
Version: 
1
Problem: 

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Context: 

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Discussion: 

This pattern is still in an exploratory stage. It will contain ideas  from Street Science by Jason Corburn, Local Knowledge in the Age of Globalization by Anne Fischel and Lin Nelson, and "Improving Civic Intelligence for Habitat Protection & Rehabilitation" by Prateek Trivedi.

This is from Prateek's report: 

When considering the application of any ‘modern’ or scientific environmental management, one must take into account the indigenous knowledge of the resident communities. As Alison Field-Juma wrote, “Re-examination of indigenous natural resource management systems has shown that far from being static they have embodied the responsiveness, resilience and complexity of the ecology upon which they are based.”

Solution: 

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Pattern status: 
Released

Witnessing

in
Pattern ID: 
397
Pattern number within this pattern set: 
397
Douglas Schuler
Public Sphere Project (CPSR)
Version: 
1
Problem: 

Every day throughout the world violence is unleashed against defenseless people, animals, habitats. Domestic violence, police or military abuse, neglect of children, the disabled, the poor

Context: 

genocide, environmental abuse, white collar crime, corruption, domestic abuse, prison, psychiatry, orphanages, old folks home, police abuse, violent crime, neglect. Occasionally these stories find public exposure. More often they do not. When they are revealed, positive actions can be -- but are infrequently -- taken.

Discussion: 

Witnessing, initially, requires presence at the scene of the transgression. Beyond that it requires making some type of record. The record can take many forms -- written, spoken, audio, video, drawings or photographs, songs, music, or theatrical presentations. The record must be conveyed because it gains significance when it becomes more public. Witnessing requires courage and perseverance. Exposing violence or criminal action exposes the perpetrator and hence the risk of retaliation is voluntarily assumed by the witness. Increasing the publicity associated with the crime increases the chances that the criminal will be prosecuted; ideally -- ultimately it would result in fewer instances of that type of crime. [it may also force the crime underground!] At the same time increasing the publicity can increase the risk to the witness. Witnessing is a legal as well as religious concept. Explain... Please note that this pattern submission is a draft at this point.

Solution: 

The act of witnessing must be supported and protected, it must have positive consequences and be prevalent if it's to be an effective tool in society.

Pattern status: 
Released
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