What is the political significance of the commons today?
18/05/2013
11.00-17.00
Struggles in Common: A day of talks and discussions organised by the provisional university featuring acclaimed historian Peter Linebaugh, author of The Magna Carta Manifesto
This event is open to the public and admission is free but booking is advised. RSVP:commonsevent@gmail.com
Across Europe, the dominant response to the financial crisis has been an attack on social life. National governments have adopted policies of severe austerity, resulting in cuts across all aspects of social welfare (health, education, payments to the unemployed) as well as the privatization of public resources (third level education, water, transport). While these policies are carried out by elected governments, they reflect the erosion of democracy and the concentration of power in the hands of financial and European elites.
Against these attacks, people have sought to defend their social rights and the non-market value of vital public resources and services. Recognizing the double crisis in the economy and democracy, alternative social and political experiments have thus emerged. These experiments have recalled the history of the commons and the radical promise it holds for a future beyond the state and capitalism.
This day-long event brings together collectives and individuals involved in excavating the history and contemporary significance of the commons. The purpose is to share our experiences and knowledge in order to develop the concept of the commons in a manner which is directly related to the present political conjecture. The event includes a talk by acclaimed historian Peter Linebaugh and contributions from research collectives based in Spain, Ireland, USA and the U.K.
Location: DIT, Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1
For more information: provisionaluniversity@wordpress.com
Speakers include:
Peter Linebaugh is Professor of History at the University of Toledo. He is the author of The Magna Carta Manifesto and co-author (with Marcus Rediker) of the Many-Headed Hydra: The Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic. He is also a member of the Midnight Notes Collective.
Amanda Huron is a researcher and activist based in Washington D.C. She has been working with housing cooperatives in Washington D.C. as well as an “undocumented” (i.e. unlicensed) community radio station.
Observatorio Metropolitano are an activist research group formed by activists and professionals from different fields. They provide critical analyses of the fundamental lines of transformation in the contemporary metropolis. Their most recent book is Crisis and Revolution in Europe.http://www.observatoriometropolitano.org/
Plan C is a UK based political organisation made up of people who are politically active in their workplaces and communities. They work together to support each other, amplify their struggles and think strategically.http://www.weareplanc.org/
Seoidín O’Sullivan is an artist and educator. Her case studies focus on people joining together in action to protect or develop an aspect of their local commons. Her work addresses issues of land use, lost knowledge and biodiversity.
The Free Association are a writing collective loosely based in Leeds. They are the authors of Moments of Excess. http://freelyassociating.org/
The Provisional University are an autonomous research and educational collective based in Dublin. They carry out research and organize educational activities which strengthen social movements and create discussion outside the academic institution. http://provisionaluniversity.wordpress.com/
Update: Please note that the venue for this event has been changed from O’Connell House to DIT, Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1.
Ireland after NAMA 
April 17, 2013 at 11:17 am
Reblogged this on Cumbrian Irish.
April 17, 2013 at 9:16 pm
The links between economic hinterlands is breaking down because people don’t have real (fiscal) money in their pockets.
Bank high street credit creation creates in the main high real physical input “assets” such as cars with huge non labour input running costs which we not cannot afford.
These started off as conduits for bank extraction of the capital base &labour value but now have formed the basis of our communication and burb lifestyle.
We need to save rational pre car settlements using fiscal money creation so as to restart critical mass in these areas.
The success of the 1 Euro ticket scheme (with some social problems) in Southern France needs to be looked at.
Look what happened to Grau de Roi in 2011 when the train from Nimes was subsidized (at 1 euro a ticket) ……. ok there was a huge amount of friction between local shopkeepers and some street urchins …….also perhaps young people having a good time at the beech in a now old society was a bit of a shock to some I imagine.
But things seem to have settled down since then.
Now RFF are desperately trying to relay this old but now very busy branch line before the summer season !!
We have NODAL CRITICALITY in the towns along this route.
Other isolated rural towns with stations almost ready for closure getting in on the act.