Peer2Politics

Felix Stadler explains that: “In this lecture, I try to untangle the differences between resources that managed as “public” and are thus connected to notions of the state and citizens and those that are managed as “free” and are thus based on notions of the commons and community. The differences are subtle, but in their …

A rundown of all that's happening in #Gijón this fall at Somero 2015

Continuing our coverage of FLOK Society’s recent “Buen Conocer” summit, we’re glad to present this special long-form conversation between Open Access chronicler Richard Poynder and Michel Bauwens, held just before the summit took place. The interview is specially noteworthy for being a very honest across-the-board examination of FLOK as a process, including both its virtues and the unavoidable pitfalls it has faced. Read on for more.

Forty francophone intellectuals agree on a manifesto, which proposes nothing less than a new humanism. A circle of people around French sociologist Alain Caillé, amongst others philosopher Elena Pulcini (Alumni Senior Fellow at the centre), Eva Illouz, Chantal Mouffe, Hans Joas and Serge Latouche, agreed in a period of a year and a half on this manifesto, as a lowest common denominator of their claims and perspectives for the future. In cooperation with Claus Leggewie (co-director of the centre) and Frank Adloff (also Alumni Senior Fellow) this book has been published exclusively in an English version at the Centre for Global Cooperation Research.The group of social scientists, who call themselves convivialists (deduced from the Latin: convivere: living together and also spending time together) speak out in favor of a new art of cohabitation. They do so out of conviction but also based on the insight of urgent necessity. The convivialists share the concern about the many urgent present and future problems which endanger the fate of mankind. These are: climate change, poverty and inequality, post-democratic tendencies and corruption, the financial crisis as a symptom of unbridled and decoupled financial markets as well as terrorism, war and expulsion.

We are now inviting contributions to this special edition of the Journal of Peer Production in the form of short essays of between 1000 and 3000 words to complement the longer peer reviewed articles that will appear in thisedition of the journal, due to be published in December 2014 The contributions can be testimonies, working papers and critical essays by researchers and practitioners. Debates are essays by several authors expressing clearly contrasting viewpoints about a relevant issue.

Governments have the ability to regulate the way Telecomms and Internet companies operate within their countries, indeed, the government is no stranger to creating regulation. Government regulation ensures buildings are built correctly, structurally sound, follow the fire code, etc. Governments create rules that make sure highways, roads, and sidewalks are used safely. Governments pass laws to prevent consumers from being defrauded, create statuary warranties, labour standards, regulate broadcast media, etc. Governments can pass regulations to protect the right to privacy. The idea that the Governments such as Brazil, Germany and the others participating in NETMundial need reforms to IANA and friends before they can work towards guaranteeing their own citizens’ right to privacy is absurd.