hallo everyone
this is my first post to the list so to introduce myself i'm ceo of
the software company trampoline systems (trampolinesystems.com) and
founder of circus foundation (circus-foundation.org). i'm organising
an informal workshop on emergent democracy on tuesday 19th august at
the trampery in shoreditch (details below). jonathan gray suggested i
should circulate details to the list. please get in touch if you'd be
interested to talk about something you're working on or thinking about
at the moment, and feel free to pass the details on to anyone else you
think might be interested. there are slots for 3 more contributors
available at the moment.
i'll be presenting part of a session i did at foo camp last month on
the relationship between technological innovation and social structure.
facebook users can rsvp here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=22558039334
thanks!
: charles
= = = = = = = = = =
// WORKSHOP //
Project Themis : Emergent Democracy
Where: The Trampery, 8-15 Dereham Place, London EC2A 3HJ
When: 6pm to 9pm on Tuesday 19th August 2008
Who: Anyone interested in what democracy is for & where it’s going
Cost: Free
When the first city states emerged in southern Mesopotamia around
3500BC they seem to have been governed via an assembly in which all
adult male citizens were able to participate. Meanwhile less formal
systems to make collective decisions for the common benefit have
existed since the beginning of human social evolution. So there is a
somewhat longer history for what we might call “democracy” than is
typically acknowledged. Throughout human history democracy has taken a
myriad different forms, each instance adapted to the particular
environment and needs that prompted its emergence.
Depending on who you listen to we’re either on the brink of an
explosion of new democratic models or the wholesale abandonment of
democracy in favour of more tyrannical structures. Factors as diverse
as the internet, climate change, single-issue politics and the dawning
of the age of aquarius are all cited as decisive factors. Some of the
most intriguing suggestions relate to so-called “emergent democracy”
where clusters of opinion materialise and align themselves in a
completely fluid and decentralised fashion (the Wikipedia article is
hopeless and needs rewriting).
The workshop
On Tuesday 19th August CIRCUS foundation is hosting a small workshop
in Shoreditch, London investigating emergent democracy and other
trends in democratic systems. We’d like to hear from anyone who’s
thinking or working in this field and willing to talk about their
ideas and experiences. People are also welcome to come along, listen
and ask questions. Please get in touch with Charles Armstrong ([EMAIL PROTECTED]
). We’ll get in beer and pizza to keep the wolf from the door.
About CIRCUS foundation
CIRCUS foundation is a small, independent non profit bringing together
technologists and thinkers to help build bridges to the post
industrial society._______________________________________________
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