Mapping the emergent ecosystem of commons-focused projects

[George Por]

Why we need to map map the ecosystem?

When human civilization is going through its most momentous transformation, in which old institutions and arrangements that became dysfunctional are getting replaced by new ones, everything tends to become chaotic and overwhelming. That feeling can fuel backlash against evolution, as well as religious, political, market and other types of fundamentalism. 

Even those of us welcoming and riding the evolutionary transformations of our times, the sheer number initiatives for the transition to a thrivable world seems to be infinite, or at least,  way bigger than we could put our mind around. In these conditions individual attempt to come  up with the map everything, without setting a clear, well-defined boundary of what the person is trying to map is doomed to fail.

That's not to say that mapping is futile. Visually representing the niches in the ecosystem of movements & tribes that model the social practices of a positive future (and their relationships) can enhance those connections, make new ones, and speed the flows of trust, knowledge, and resources, among those niches. In turn, that contributes to the collective intelligence of the ecosystem as a whole.

Our mental models both reflect and constrain our ability to interpret our world. Projecting them into maps to examine and improve them, we can enhance our self-reflexivity, individual and collective. "If we increase our ability to perceive (visualize, understand) problems or opportunities or activities, it will leverage our efforts greatly… If we really could perceive and make sense of much larger chunks at the same time, a lot of stuff would sort itself out quite easily." — Flemming Funch

If we have the humility to accept that the global ecosystem of transition-oriented initiatives grew much more complex than what one mapping exercise can embrace, then we have a chance to focus our attention to the niche that we occupy, the Commons movement, and its adjacent, neighboring niches

What could a well-designed "commons cartography" accomplish? What justifies the time and energy that it will require from the cartographers? Below are some ideas about that, as conversation starter.

I believe a map of the emergent ecosystem of commons-focused projects will make easier:

for individuals to sense and decide which are the projects, with which they resonate the most and to which they want to bring more attention and energy

for commons and groups to assess their functional alignment with each other in the neighboring niches of the fast-changing ecosystem of edge initiatives, thus multiply everyone's transformative impact

for the self-awareness of all fields of transformation to get supported by an emergent platform that acts as a rocket booster for our collective intelligence and wisdom

What do you see that would become possible if we had good maps of commons-focused initiatives of all types, each described with its vital characteristics, such as vision, mission, domain of action, history, size, needs,  aspirations, etc.?

 

 

[Helene Finidori]

This resonates George. There is no need to draw a complete image of the ecosystem. Proceeding by impressionist touches in a semantic type of way collectively helps get a grasp of the whole. An impressionist image is enough to discern patterns. This is what we are trying to build. And to develop your third point, such a map would indeed set the premises that will:

1. Help people recognize which spot or niche they occupy (or at least have an idea thereof) within the whole action space (however fuzzy the image we can draw of it) so they can assert their position and adjust their action in relation to an overarching generative discourse (based upon the commons).

2. Help the various niches find their areas of overlaps and adjacencies so that bridges can be built and exchanges occur, strengthening the meshing of what emerges into a network of initiatives and achievements that indeed multiply everyone's impact and accelerate a convergence.

Both would require that we develop a framework for discourse and narrative to ensure crossing language barriers.

This can ultimately indeed be supported by an emergent platform. One that would bring the parts and the emergent whole to the awareness of each other and provide knowledge and tools for bootstrapped engagement.

This converges nicely with the project of platform I have been working on.

[Helene Finidori]

On a very practical basis,

I like the conversation mapping video George has shared in another part of this forum. This is the type of thing I had in mind for generating narrative and visual metaphors relevant to various niches and issues. This could be something to organize at one of the next face to face meetings.

It would be interesting to brainstorm how this could be held online. Please share your ideas.

In the meantime I am working on a first draft of a map that I will share very soon.

[Peter Challen]

The 1985  'Gaia Atlas of Planet Management - for today's Caretakers of Tomorrow's World' is one such bold attempt to map in visual metaphors and pithy descriptive passages compiled by 68 contributers in an examination of human impact on most life on earth. It does so in 7 chapters - on Land, Ocean, Elements, Evolution, Humankind, Civilisation and Management. In each chapter and almost  every page [of 272] the picture story depicts the oscillating impact upon each other of humans, enterprise and planetary life itself, at the level of potential, then of present behaviour[good and bad] and then on new requirements in  our 'management'. It is dated in certain respects, but the model as a tool of audit has not in my knowledge been bettered. Any new attempt at this process would do well to examine this example and perhaps approach some of the contributors about a Commons-based contemporary version. My own battered copy - used in some hundreds of face to face processes of mutual audit  of our personal and corporate witness - is available for scrutiny. There are a few 2-hand copies   available on Amazon. The first edition is in my view better structured than the second.

[Peter Challen]

Last night I used my amateur's slide presentation on the visualising of the both the  Degrading and Replenishing Economies that JBQ tentatively maps out in his article 'The Commons and  Integral Capital', before 120 Iranian Shia Muslims in a celebratory event. One consequence was 5 separate press interviews afterwards, which I thinks is indicative of the power of visual metaphors. There were also requests for the Slide presentations, which indicates that evocative , educative models can be passed on and subsequently followed up. If anyone is interested in those slides as adapted for the Islamic audience I'd be glad to pass them on - especially for improvement. Tonight I have another opportunity before a regular group of amateur { lovers of intrinsic value] philosophers to try models of communication to re-excite a sense of the commons. Opportunities abound so let us duly prepare the improved models in every way we can. Go to it Helene and George.

[Helene Finidori]

Peter thanks for sharing this experience, I would love to see how you adapted your slides for an Islamic audience and what resonated in particular with your audience. I have a sense there would be much to learn here. And it is unfortunate that I cannot come and have a chat with you and look at your copy of the Gaia Atlas as I am far away. Your mentioning {lovers of intrinsic values} brings to my mind the idea of declining (not sure this is the right word but in the latin sense of declinations)this to various audiences: lovers of wholeness, lovers of human and natural rights, lovers of accountability and responsibility, lovers of solutions etc... To re-excite on the commons in their various dimensions. I will try and organize what I come up with along these lines. Bring some more Peter and group!

[George Por]

I don't have much to add to it, but feel Helene's build on Peter's distinction of "amateurship" very promising for a commons culture worth nurturing! How?

[George Por]

why not explore partnering with the Global Shift ICT Mapping Project