On Thu, Dec 24, 2015 at 4:42 PM, Pat Conaty < [email protected]> wrote:
> 2016. Orsan at Networked Labour has been very helpful and encouraging. > > All the best > > Pat > > > On 24 Dec 2015, at 04:41, Michel Bauwens <[email protected]> wrote: > > I would challenge the generic quality of just positing social commons > without actually working out what it means, > > they may be unpredictable in its fullness but one should not disregard the > seed forms that can be seen in the "commonfare" being developed by > precarious workers today, > > see http://p2pfoundation.net/Category:P2P_Solidarity for different > examples of such activities, > > in particular, the french-language report by saw-b on 'labor mutuals' is > very revealing, and Pat Conaty is preparing a full english report on the > topic > > Michel > > On Thu, Dec 24, 2015 at 8:39 AM, Kevin Flanagan <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> >> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- >> From: Francine Mestrum <[email protected]> >> Date: 6 October 2015 at 10:33 >> Subject: [global social commons discussion] NEW e-BOOK: From Social >> Protection to Social Commons - www.socialcommons.eu - Eng-Fr-Dutch-Esp >> To: [email protected] >> >> >> From social protection to the social commons >> >> Social protection is high on the international political agenda to-day. >> >> In 2012 the International Labour Organisation adopted a recommendation on >> ‘social protection floors’. One could think this is a minimalist agenda, >> but if all people all over the world had their rights respected, this would >> be a tremendous social progress. Social protection is indeed a human right, >> mentioned in the Universal Declaration on human rights and in the >> International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. >> >> Nevertheless, more ambition is called for. I would like to go beyond ‘the >> floors’ and propose a programme for a ‘social common’, for the North as >> well as for the South. Why? >> >> It is clear that when you start talking about social protection to young >> people, many do not pay attention. Social protection! Something of the >> past! Give me a job first, and do not bother me with things I do not need. >> And indeed, many young, healthy people do not need social protection right >> away, they do not need the solidarity of the rest of society, unless…, yes, >> unless they have a car or a labour accident, unless they are suddenly ill, >> unless they think about their future… Just imagine you have to pay out of >> your own pocket your stay in the hospital, or the books and the uniform for >> your kid that goes to school, or just imagine you barely earn enough to >> live and survive without being able to save anything for your old age. >> >> But it remains a challenge to present this protection system to young >> people in an attractive way, to explain what solidarity means, while most >> of the time they do want indeed to show solidarity but do not think of >> social protection in this way. It can help, then, to speak about ‘commons’, >> since this is something they know and support. Because yes, they do want to >> be responsible for their lives and the lives of other, they do want >> concrete solidarity instead of an abstract system they do not really >> understand. >> >> And of course, it would not be fair to present a system of ‘social >> commons’ without really changing the existing systems of social protection. >> In Western Europe, social protection systems are fifty or one hundred years >> old and they do not answer all today’s needs anymore. Society has changed >> and the economy has changed. This means that our social protection also has >> to change. It is no coincidence that some refer to it as being a >> ‘cathedral’ or ‘the biggest revolution of the 20th century’. It was an >> enormous achievement, but it is not fit for our times anymore, some >> barriers to economic and social rights have to be lifted. We should make a >> more coherent system. Citizens’ participation and contributions to these >> changes are crucial. That is why a concept of ‘social commons’ could be >> useful, a new name for a new and better system that offers more protection >> to more people. >> >> It is a fact that most people do not consider social protection to be >> theirs. They see it as a government programme, or something of the trade >> unions or some abstract and absent administration far away in the capital. >> While most of us pay into the system, through our wages and through our >> taxes. Social protection is ours and no one else’s. That is why a new >> concept of ‘social commons’ is more than welcome. >> >> These are three important reasons to *shift from social protection to >> social commons*. Add to this the fact that the existing social >> protection systems are currently threatened and are changing at any rate. >> It is changing because even in Western Europe there are austerity policies >> with cuts in social benefits and even social rights. These are neoliberal >> reforms that make people more vulnerable. But social protection is also >> threatened by the negotiations on free trade agreements that may liberalise >> the trade in services and expose them to international competition. >> Moreover, social protection is threatened by the advocates of the basic >> income grants, an individualistic and liberal solution that cannot co-exist >> with social protection. It would profoundly change the labour market and >> would seriously threaten our desire for more equality. >> >> What do ‘social commons’ mean? >> >> It is difficult to say what the social commons of the future will look >> like, since societies will have to shape them. It seems obvious to me that >> certain basic principles of our current social protection will have to be >> preserved, such as the respect for universal human rights, the non >> commoditization of social services, the horizontal solidarity of all with >> all. How and to what extent these principles have to be safeguarded will >> have to be decided on by societies. >> >> It would at any rate allow for people to be directly involved in the >> design and the monitoring of our social systems. People have to be aware >> that it is about their rights and that a democratic and participative >> approach is necessary. It has now become unacceptable that governments and >> parliaments decide, without even consulting the people. Societies have to >> examine what they want and what they do not want. >> >> Secondly, this democratic and participative co-decision making can help >> to preserve society itself. Neoliberalism leads to the atomisation of >> society, which, in the long term, threatens society and threatens >> solidarity. >> >> Thirdly, a discussion on social rights can possibly help to extend and >> broaden the rights. We all need protection, throughout our lives, and a >> serious re-examination of our social protection systems can help to make >> them more complete and more coherent. It is now not acceptable anymore to >> have everything depend on your labour market status. And is it not urgent >> to also include a couple of environmental rights, such as the right to >> water? >> >> Once one starts to reflect on these questions, it is easy to see that our >> economic system as well will have to change in order to protect the whole >> of society. Much has already been written on the new knowledge-economy that >> will create another type of labour market. And it is clear that an economic >> system that is driven only by profit-making, externalizing care and nature, >> can have no future. In other words, a social protection system alone >> certainly will not be able to change the economic system, but it can >> contribute to more serious reflections and to some first changes. >> >> Rethinking our economic system in a democratic way will most probably >> lead to the obvious truth that the economy has to be at the service of >> societies, has to produce goods and services societies need and want. In >> other words, the economy has to care for people. >> >> Which makes a full circle. The economy has to care for people, in the >> same way as environmental policies have to care for nature and as social >> policies have to care for people and for all of us. Care can become the >> central concept, care for people, for societies and for nature. Social >> commons, then, care for the sustainability of life. >> >> What these social commons will look like is unpredictable. It will depend >> on the power relations within society and on the democratic content of all >> rethinking. But it seems clear to me one will have to talk of the >> (un)conditionality of social benefits, of the individualisation of rights, >> of the length of working hours, of contributions and of taxes… >> >> What I want to make clear with this book is that social protection in no >> way is an instrument of capitalism, it is not a correction mechanism. >> Social protection can be a tool for systemic change, in a positive sense, >> caring for life. >> >> The social commons are a project for the long term, but to start at a >> moment when our welfare states are threatened and where social protection >> is at any rate on the international agenda, could be a clever strategic >> choice. It is something leftwing parties should think about, since what >> better strategy can one think of to convince people than a promise of more >> rights and more protection? >> >> >> >> ‘*The social Commons. Rethinking Social Justice in Post-Neoliberal >> Societies*’ can be found for free on the website www.socialcommons.eu , >> with a synthesis in Dutch, French and Spanish. Since this project is not >> subsidised and is funded with private means, all donations are very >> welcome. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> -- >> Archive: http://openfsm.net/[…]/1450921610083 >> <http://openfsm.net/projects/gsc/lists/globalsocialcommons-discussion/archive/2015/12/1450921610083> >> To unsubscribe send an email with subject "unsubscribe" to >> [email protected]. Please contact >> [email protected] for questions. >> >> >> >> -- >> https://twitter.com/flgnk >> Skype: kev.flanagan >> Phone: +353 87 743 5660 >> > > > > -- > Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: > http://commonstransition.org > > P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net > > <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: > http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens > > #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/ > > > thank you for the update Pat, in case you missed it, I am looking for suggested updates for my annual review at http://p2pfoundation.net/Top_Ten_P2P_Trends_of_2015 -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/
_______________________________________________ P2P Foundation - Mailing list Blog - http://www.blog.p2pfoundation.net Wiki - http://www.p2pfoundation.net Show some love and help us maintain and update our knowledge commons by making a donation. Thank you for your support. https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/donation https://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation
