A summary from Q4 2020; authored by Naomi Joy Smith

“Events-Based Economy” is the title of a modestly funded proposal submitted by Naomi Joy Smith and A. Keala Young, to work on developing socio-technical systems for enhancing the capacity of the Permaculture CoLab community to meet the aims of the colab. These aims promote inter-network cooperation, and our proposed work establishes an infrastructure to enable better cooperation through meaningful, rewarding participation at events.

Our initial concept is to lay the groundwork for a participatory commons (see the graphic below) based on the use of interoperable technical infrastructure and knowledge sharing, intended for trans-local communities working with:

• permaculture,

• regeneration,

• conscientious technological innovation,

• regenerative economies,

• design justice,

• community building,

• any combination, catalyst or direct supporter of these movements.

  

  Diagram of a Participatory Commons

Our first proof-of-concept blends:

• a calendar aggregator
• demonstrations of event formats for mobilizing across scales
• Open Badges, the p2p accreditation layer being implemented by iCAFS***
• a series of agreements to collectively govern and manage group data.

*now iCAAFS - international cooperation for the accreditation of ancient & future skills

Opportunity

Since Capacity+, the project providing funding, has earmarked further funding toward training and increasing both quality and quantity of engagement in the pccolab, we are setting up a system to:

1. make events hosted by partner networks easier to discover (these involve not only educational but also relationship-building within and across networks; and opportunities to present work)