The Economist Magazine Gets Religion on the Commons

Posted on October 3, 2019 by David Bollier

It’s only a short article with not much analysis or detail, but The Economist magazine seems to have embraced the commons. This is a stunning reversal for a publication that has long regarded Garrett Hardin’s “tragedy of the commons” fable as gospel and sufficient reason to expand private property rights.

Yet there it was, in the September 12 issue: “The alternatives to privatization and nationalization,” the headline declared, proposing commons as a better way to manage wealth. This was followed by the heretical subheadline: “More public resources could be managed as commons without much loss of efficiency.”

Gobsmacked by this conclusion from a champion of market economics, I immediately pored through the unsigned article to see the reasoning behind the article. Alas, there was not the indepth analysis that I had hoped for. Still, it was encouraging to see The Economist reconsider the English enclosure movement. Instead of celebrating the Industrial Revolution as a necessary Great Leap Forward, the article questioned whether enclosures actually resulted in productivity gains, as frequently claimed by capitalist historians.

“Privatising shared resources, it turns out, does not always lead to a productivity boom,” writes the author, nor does it “always lead to a productivity boom.” Citing research by Robert Allen of NYU Abu Dhabi, the author notes that English lords did not necessarily reinvest their profits to improve productivity and spur innovation: “Most indulged in fine living; many were debtors rather than savers.”

The author goes on to reference Ostrom’s research showing that commons are often stable and durable, such as the Swiss commons of Törbel, which have managed shared irrigation systems for 500 years. “An exclusive focus on states and markets as ways to control the use of commons neglects a varied menagerie of institutions throughout history,” the author concludes.

In a final note, the author invites us to consider how commons could change society: “A world rich in healthy commons would of necessity be one full of distributed, overlapping institutions of community governance. Cultivating these would be less politically rewarding than privatization, which allows governments to trade responsibility for cash. But empowering commoners could mend rents in the civic fabric and alleviate frustration with out-of-touch elites.”

The author even cites Ostrom’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, in which she called on policymakers to “‘facilitate the development of institutions that bring out the best in humans’. This prompted the author to offer a benediction: “That sounds like common sense.”

I remain amazed that this piece was able to survive a gauntlet of business-minded editors at The Economist. While I appreciate the good press for the commons (instead of the umpteenth retelling of the "tragedy" story), I frankly would have welcomed a deeper analysis of the larger cultural and political ramifications of commons.

But relax, I tell myself, this is a moment to be gracious. Thank you, Economist, for opening the door a little on the realities of commoning. May you find the courage to entertain a richer treatment of the non-capitalist possibilities already unfolding all around us.

Register for Next Week’s Online Facilitation Unconference!

Posted on October 3, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

The sixth Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU) is happening on Oct 7-13, 2019! This digital gathering is hosted by the Center for Applied Community Engagement LLC, and is a great opportunity for anyone interested in virtual facilitation – no previous experience needed! OFU is part of the International Facilitation Week and members of the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) can receive a 30% discount! This global event is happening next week so make sure you register and get your tickets ASAP! Follow OFU on Twitter with the hashtag #OFU19 for more #FacWeek updates. You can read the announcement below for more info or find the original on the OFU Exchange site here.

Online Facilitation Unconference 2019

Welcome to the sixth Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU), the week-long international learning exchange exploring the art and practice of facilitating in virtual environments.

Join us on October 7-13, 2019. Tickets on sale now!

Who should attend?

OFU aims to connect people from these three broad groups:

Facilitators
Practitioners from other fields whose work also includes facilitation
Technology providers

We welcome participants from all backgrounds and across all levels of expertise regarding facilitation and the use of online technology.

For example:

You are a senior facilitator who has just recently started to deliver your services in virtual settings. Do you have questions or roadblocks you’d like to discuss?
Or maybe you are already an expert in virtual facilitation. Are you currently exploring some cutting edge method and would like to try it out in a friendly, constructive environment?
Or maybe you work in an entirely different field (e.g., business management, education, the non-profit sector) and you are frequently tasked with leading productive online meetings or expect your staff to be able to so. Do you have insights you can share? Or are you looking for approaches to training that fit your needs?

What to expect?

OFU provides an opportunity for attendees to explore, share, learn, and connect with colleagues from around the world. We hope you will:

Explore a wide range of topics related to online facilitation
Find answers to questions or challenges you have encountered in your work
Discover new tools, methods, resources, etc.
Make new connections with colleagues from around the globe!
Come away with new energy and plenty of new ideas to try out next!

As is the nature of unconferences, our attendees are active participants who will create the agenda collaboratively based on their shared interests and needs. Yes, you will help shape what will be talked about!

Event timeline

October 7–9 – Join one of several live welcome sessions (each approximately 45 minutes long via videoconferencing) as well as several other pre-scheduled sessions. More details soon!
October 10–12 – Unconference sessions
October 13 – Room for spill-over sessions (if needed)
Later in October – Event follow-up

A few key things to note:

The Online Facilitation Unconference (OFU) is an annual learning exchange on the art and practice of facilitating in virtual environments. It is a community-driven event that brings together people from diverse backgrounds from all around the world whose work includes, or who otherwise have an interest in, facilitating in the virtual realm.
OFU is an event for newbies and experts alike. Whether you are a seasoned facilitator pro or a beginner, whether you are already highly skilled using technology for this work or still trying to figure out the possibilities – OFU provides a venue where you can ask and answer questions, share and solicit advice, discuss your latest project, challenge or idea, explore new tools, discover new tricks, and find like-minded colleagues.
Aside from a handful of pre-scheduled sessions, OFU is an unconference (an event where the participants co-create the agenda). OFU is a blank slate for you to pitch your ideas in collaboration with fellow attendees. The agenda will emerge based on your and everyone else’s needs and interests.
OFU is a not-for-profit event. It is important for us to keep the event open and accessible for everyone who is passionate about the topic. If you aren’t in a position to pay full price, please make use of our low-income options and encourage others to do the same.
Sometime in early September, we will announce a more detailed schedule that will specify the various main time slots during which the majority of unconference sessions are expected to be held. These time slots are optimized for trans-continental collaboration and sharing (Americas, Europe/Africa, and Asia/Australia). We highly encourage our session hosts to schedule their sessions within these designated time slots as much as possible so as to maximize global participation.
Session hosts are encouraged to record or otherwise document their sessions. Following each session, any available recordings or documentation will be posted to the OFU website in a timely manner.
OFU works best the more people contribute. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn and share about facilitation in virtual environments and bring along your friends and colleagues from around the world!

Learn more about the session offerings on the OFU Eventbrite site at www.eventbrite.com/e/online-facilitation-unconference-2019-registration-71022166211.

You can find the original version of this on the OFU site at www.ofuexchange.net/.

the “America in One Room” experiment

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Peter

On the New York Times op-ed page today, James Fishkin and Larry Diamond report the results of convening 523 randomly selected registered voters for several days of deliberation. These voters were surveyed before and after the discussions. Their appraisal of democracy rose markedly. They also shifted their views in specific ways:

The most polarizing proposals, whether from the left or the right, generally lost support, and a number of more centrist proposals moved to the foreground. Crucially, proposals further to the right typically lost support from Republicans and proposals further to the left typically lost support from Democrats.

I have known Jim Fishkin and his work for 20 years and admire it a lot. These experiments are illuminating, and they open possibilities for reform. They also remind us that the politics we see around is the outcome of specific institutional arrangements that could be changed. For instance, we are not hard-wired to fall into two partisan camps; that is a feature of our electoral system. If we were randomly recruited into deliberative bodies, we would see very different results. If we can change something, we should consider changing it.

But I do have some worries:

Does the shift to moderate opinions demonstrate that deliberation is desirable? It could also be interpreted as a bias: putting people together in heterogeneous groups disadvantages the radicals and their ideas. I try to challenge myself by seriously engaging several opposing political movements with which I disagree. That is my own approach to deliberation, and it could be considered a form of moderation. But I don’t find myself shifting to centrist positions, many of which I find thin gruel and incommensurate to our problems.
What is the overall theory of change? If we like this alternative form of politics–much more deliberative, and also more moderate, than the status quo–how should we institutionalize it? The easy part is to invent policies that would make democratic deliberation mandatory. The hard part is figuring out who would fight for those policies, and why. More people are motivated by political agendas and identities than by procedural ideals, and especially procedures that favor the center.
What about people who are not invited to deliberate, or who don’t like the results of the deliberation? Do we see them as worse qualified to express themselves?
Is this experiment a form of civic education that teaches people to value interactions that are civil, professionally organized, calm, and “invited”–thereby implicitly devaluing such forms of politics as social movements, strikes, competitive elections, and litigation? If that is the lesson, is it an acceptable one?

Wednesday Webinar Roundup with Courageous Leadership Project, NCL, and more!

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Keiva Hummel

Here are the upcoming D&D online events happening over the next few weeks, including NCDD sponsor org The Courageous Leadership Project, NCDD member orgs National Civic League, National Issues Forums Institute and Living Room Conversations, as well as, from the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) and the International Associate for Public Participation (IAP2).

NCDD’s online D&D event roundup is a weekly compilation of the upcoming events happening in the digital world related to dialogue, deliberation, civic tech, engagement work, and more! Do you have a webinar or other digital event coming up that you’d like to share with the NCDD network? Please let us know in the comments section below or by emailing me at keiva[at]ncdd[dot]org, because we’d love to add it to the list!

Upcoming Online D&D Events: The Courageous Leadership Project, National Civic League, Living Room Conversations, NIFI, IAF, IAP2

Living Room Conversations Training (free): The Nuts & Bolts of Living Room Conversations

Thursday, October 3rd
2 pm Pacific, 5 pm Eastern

Join us for 90 minutes online to learn about Living Room Conversations. We’ll cover what a Living Room Conversation is, why we have them, and everything you need to know to get started hosting and/or participating in Living Room Conversations. This training is not required for participating in our conversations – we simply offer it for people who want to learn more about the Living Room Conversations practice.

Space is limited so that we can offer a more interactive experience. Please only RSVP if you are 100% certain that you can attend. This training will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. A link to join the conversation will be sent to participants the day before the training.

REGISTER: www.livingroomconversations.org/event/training-free-the-nuts-bolts-of-living-room-conversations-19-2/

Online Living Room Conversation: Relationships Over Politics – 90-Minute Conversation w/ Optional 30-Minute Q & A with Hosts!

Thursday, October 3rd
4 pm Pacific, 7 pm Eastern

Is it possible to use Living Room Conversations with our families and close friends? It is ultimately challenging, because family are more likely to break ‘host and guest’ social norms. The emotional stakes are higher, conversations are colored by long, deeply personal histories and it can feel easier to ‘take the gloves off’ and fight dirty, unconstrained by the politeness usually offered acquaintances. How might we hold the tension of our differences while working to repair connection and not further deepen division within our circle of family and friends?

All sorts of people tell us they want to use the skills they practice in Living Room Conversations to help restore connection with friends and family. So, let’s use a Living Room Conversation to talk about just that! This Living Room Conversation will help us listen and learn about where we have different opinions, along with shared ideas about how to best navigate time with family & friends (who may not share our view of the world). HERE is the conversation guide.

REGISTER: www.livingroomconversations.org/event/relationships-over-politics-90-minute-conversation-w-optional-30-minute-q-a-with-hosts-2/

Online Living Room Conversation: Race and Ethnicity – A Special Three-Part Series

Tuesday, October 8th
10:30 am Pacific, 1:30 pm Eastern

Check out this four-minute video from our first Race & Ethnicity Conversation Series to get a taste of this conversation! In this series of three conversations, participants explore the complexities of the concepts of Race, Ethnicity, and their impacts on people from all walks of life. We will cover new questions from the three Race & Ethnicity conversation guides found here. The following conversation series will occur on October 15th and 22nd.

REGISTER: www.livingroomconversations.org/event/race-and-ethnicity-a-special-three-part-series/

IAP2 Monthly Webinar – 2019 IAP2 Projects Of The Year (USA & Canada)

Tuesday, October 8th
11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

We are excited to feature the two Core Values Award winners for Project of the Year.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) won the USA Project of the Year award for “PedPDX”. This project addresses discrepancies in pedestrian infrastructure around the Rose City, and involved people of a variety of different ethnic and social groups. One city council member referred to the public engagement process as the most robust and comprehensive he had ever seen.

The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer used a variety of techniques and approaches in reviewing Canada’s Cancer Strategy, focusing on “underserviced” populations — people in remote areas, Indigenous people, new Canadians, LGBTQ people, for example — often don’t get the same level of cancer care and treatment that others do. The Partnership managed to bring these voices to the table and help re-design a cancer strategy that puts them on an equal footing.

REGISTER: https://iap2usa.org/event-3404391

International Association of Facilitators webinar – Becoming a CPF with the IAF

Tuesday, October 8th
3 pm Pacific, 6 pm Eastern

Making the decision to seek the IAF Certified Professional Facilitator (CPF) accreditation can be hard. Common questions people ask are What’s involved? How much time will it take? Will I meet the requirements? and What if I don’t pass? In response to strong interest from members we will be exploring these questions at a webinar with hosts that have years of experience as professional facilitators and as IAF Assessors.

REGISTER: www.iaf-world.org/site/events/webinars

International Association of Facilitators webinar – Knowing Me, Knowing You – Why do we do/say the things we do?

Wednesday, October 9th
10:30am Pacific, 1:30 pm Eastern

Remember building sandcastles at the beach? As soon as the structure reached a certain height, any amount of sand that we added on top fell to the sides. Why? The base was not wide enough to go any taller. The base or foundation determines the height of the sandcastle.

The same applies to the Altitude we want to reach in our lives. That base is determined by our Beliefs and Values. Becoming aware of what drives us and strengthening the same by conscious living makes our roles purposeful and meaningful. What we do and say shape the results, which in turn affect our reputation and credibility as a professional.

REGISTER: www.iaf-world.org/site/events/webinars

The Courageous Leadership Project webinar – Brave, Honest Conversations

Wednesday, October 9th
9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

Some conversations are hard to have. Fear and discomfort build in your body and you avoid and procrastinate or pretend everything is fine. Sometimes you rush in with urgency, wanting to smooth things over, fix them, and make them better. Sometimes you go to battle stations, positioning the conversation so you have a higher chance of being on the “winning” side. NONE OF THIS WORKS. Instead, it usually makes a hard conversation harder; more divided, polarized, and disconnected from others. The more people involved, the harder the conversation can be. I believe that brave, honest conversations are how we solve the problems we face in our world – together.

In this webinar, we will cover: What is a Brave, Honest Conversation? Why have one? What can change because of a brave, honest conversation? How do you have one? What do you need to think about and do? How do you prepare yourself for a brave, honest conversation?

REGISTER: www.bravelylead.com/events/bhcfreewebinar

October CGA Forum Series: A House Divided: What Would We Have to Give Up to Get the Political System We Want?

Friday, October 11th
11 am Pacific, 2 pm Eastern

Please join us for a Common Ground for Action (CGA) online deliberative forum on A House Divided: What Would We Have to Give Up to Get the Political System We Want? If you’ve never participated in a CGA forum, please watch the “How To Participate” video before joining. You can find the video link here. If you haven’t had a chance to review the issue guide, you can find a downloadable PDF copy at the NIF website here.

REGISTER: www.nifi.org/en/events/october-cga-forum-series-house-divided-what-would-we-have-give-get-political-system-we-want

Online Living Room Conversation: Race and Ethnicity – A Special Three-Part Series

Tuesday, October 15th
9 am Pacific, 12 pm Eastern

REGISTER: www.livingroomconversations.org/event/race-and-ethnicity-a-special-three-part-series/

October CGA Forum Series: A House Divided: What Would We Have to Give Up to Get the Political System We Want?

Tuesday, October 15th
1 pm Pacific, 4 pm Eastern

Please join us for a Common Ground for Action (CGA) online deliberative forum on Climate Choices: How Should We Meet the Challenges of a Warming Planet? If you haven’t had a chance to review the issue guide, you can find a downloadable PDF on the National Issues Forums Institute website here. If you’ve never participated in a CGA forum, please watch the “How To Participate” video before joining. You can find the video link here.

REGISTER: www.nifi.org/en/events/october-cga-forum-series-house-divided-what-would-we-have-give-get-political-system-we-want

National Civic League AAC Promising Practices Webinar – Leadership Academies: Turning Ordinary into Extraordinary

Wednesday, October 16th
10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern

This webinar will highlight two leadership academies that have evolved to offer a more innovative and advanced civic learning experience. Registrants will hear from the City of Wichita, KS and the City of El Paso, TX. Cindy Claycomb, a Council Member for the City of Wichita, KS, will discuss how the city transformed its Citizens Academy into a Civic Engagement Academy. Olivia Montalvo-Patrick, Interim Neighborhood Services Coordinator for the City of El Paso, TX, will discuss the city’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy and Advanced Leadership Training.

REGISTER: www.nationalcivicleague.org/resource-center/promising-practices/

Session Highlights of the 2019 FCSS Annual Conference: Florida CUFA Sessions

Posted on October 1, 2019 by stevemasy

agenda

Good afternoon friends! Don’t forget that the 2019 Florida Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference is coming soon (and you can register here!). Not only do we have some excellent regular sessions planned, but we also have our friends and colleagues from the Florida College and University Faculty Assembly joining us! Let’s take a look at some of their featured sessions, which targets those interested in some specifically research focused or driven sessions around the social studies! Please note that this list features only some of the planned sessions.

Session 1

Complexity & Connections: Archaeology Addresses AP World History
Shannon Peck-Bartle, University of South Florida

Changes in the Advance Placement World History curriculum limit students’ ability to develop complicated webs of connections and human interactions. The use of material culture and archaeological methods are suggested to “thicken” the curriculum.

“I don’t want to cause trouble”: A white history teacher’s negotiation of racial boundaries in a diverse rural school
Travis Seay, University of Florida

whs1

This narrative case study of a white history teacher uses a framework of cultural memory to situate racial and historical knowledge in the teaching and learning setting.

Session 2

The LGBTQ-Inclusive Curriculum: An Imperative for the Social Studies
Bárbara C. Cruz, Katty B. Francis, and Cristina M. Viera, University of South Florida

This presentation provides a brief history of LGBTQ content in the K-12 social studies curriculum. Discussion focuses on popular approaches for integrating LGBTQ issues in the curriculum, current legal challenges, and trends in the field.

Incorporation of Cross-Curricular Training in Social Studies and English Language Arts Pre-Service Teacher Preparation Programs
Allison Sheridan, Mary Dougherty, and Chris Spinale, University of Central Florida

For this study, the researchers aimed to examine how university programs are preparing pre-service teachers to incorporate social studies standards into ELA classrooms and vice versa.

Session 3

Adolescent Identity Exploration and Civic Identity Development in a U.S. Government Classroom
Sarah Mead Denney, University of South Florida

adolescent

This multiple case study examined adolescent identity exploration and civic identity development in an AP U.S. Government class. Findings suggest the promotion of these processes is both possible and practical, but require intentional, purposeful teaching.

How Do I Get My Ideas Published?
Scott Waring, University of Central Florida

This session will include general publishing tips and an overview of four social studies journals currently edited by the presenter. The remaining time will allow for discussion and an opportunity to pose questions.

Be sure to check this space for more! Register for the conference today!

Learn here about the keynote!

Check out some of the sessions! and here! and here!

Check out some of the exhibitors here! and here!

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Monthly Archives: October 2019