Link to original article: Link <http://www.coworking-news.de/2015/01/the-right-to-cowork-free-coworking/>
*The Right to “Cowork”: Free Coworking!* Since 1948, the right to work <http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_to_work> is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights <http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Declaration_of_Human_Rights>. It is a right that all the signatories of the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” try to achieve by means of: “technical and vocational guidance and training programmes, policies and techniques to achieve steady economic, social and cultural development and full and productive employment under conditions safeguarding fundamental political and economic freedoms to the individual.” As many probably agree, this right is not working in practical terms for everybody in the same way (see data of the World Bank <http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS/countries>). Two European examples with Greece and Spain with an unemployment rate of 27,3% and 26,6% respectively in 2013, show this quite easily. (Current figures for 2014, with 25,8 % <http://www.tradingeconomics.com/greece/unemployment-rate> and 23,7% <http://www.tradingeconomics.com/spain/indicators>respectively are not much better.) *What has this got to do with “Coworking” and the “Right to “Cowork”"?* Coworking, as I understand it, is a “new culture of work” that “wants to improve on the way things have been done in the past”. Some of these aspects have to do with more openness, collaboration, accessibility and community <http://coworking.com/>. Where the economies of most states find it hard to realize that “right to work” fully, I believe that most coworking spaces should find it much easier to realize a “right to cowork” in their spaces. WHAT COULD THIS “RIGHT TO COWORK” ENTAIL? I believe that: “everybody who has a got a great idea and wants to realize it in a space with others (like a coworking space), should be given that chance by being offered to use this space for free. In return for using the space for free, the user commits some time and energy to sustain and support the space and community that lets him/her use this space for free.” This is not just a nice idea, but something that many coworking spaces already operate <http://www.shareable.net/blog/free-coworking-growing-rapidly-fueled-by-open-collaboration> . Everyday new groups and spaces join that free coworking movement, as you can read in every daily issue of ”Free Coworking News <http://freecoworkingnews.com/>“. To spread free coworking further and further, and to realize this “right to cowork” for as many people as possible, I have set up today a campaign on betterplace.org <https://www.betterplace.org/en>. The idea is simple: We need more money <https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/25418-free-coworking-worldwide-free-collaboration-space-use-for-your-projects> and volunteers <https://www.betterplace.org/en/volunteering/21454-support-and-spread-free-coworking-worldwide> to spread free coworking, so that at the end of the day, everybody who has a got a great idea and wants to realize it in a space with others (like a coworking space), can do so, because it is accessible and free for her/him. If you want to support this simple “right to cowork” to further good ideas, opportunities for more and more people, more community, more collaboration, more openness, better accessibility and sustainability then please donate via betterplace.org: *Donate now for “Free Coworking Worldwide: Free Collaboration Space Use for Your Projects”. The donation is processed by our partner betterplace.org <https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/25418-free-coworking-worldwide-free-collaboration-space-use-for-your-projects/donations/new>* If you currently have no money to spare, you can support the campaign by volunteering <https://www.betterplace.org/en/volunteering/21454-support-and-spread-free-coworking-worldwide> or by taking part in the “Free Coworking Challenge <http://www.coworking-news.de/2015/01/the-free-coworking-challenge-it-is-very-easy-to-do/> “. This is a global campaign! Please spread it, so we can make a real impact! -- Visit this forum on the web at http://discuss.coworking.com --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
