WTM Forum I: Commoning Economy

With: Katherine Gibson, Martijn Jeroen van der Linden, Philippe Van Parijs, (Un)usual Business

There is a strong urgency to practice alternative models for economic organization beyond mere critique. These models are not based on expropriation, exploitation, and the fantasy of boundless accumulation, but are aimed at a more equal or egalitarian distribution of resources and well-being in common. And in a world seemingly dominated by exploitative economic structures, those structures that instead work toward a commoning of resources still (or already) exist in the form of what economic geographer Katherine Gibson has called “community economies.” Under the pen name JK Gibson-Graham (a collaboration between Gibson and the late Julie Graham), she has published widely on community economies, most notably in the books The End of Capitalism (As We Know It) (1996) and A Postcapitalist Politics (2006). Can community economies move from the margins where they find themselves today, and insert themselves as the general principle to replace capitalist economy? Gibson will bring us into contact with concrete community economy case studies and speak to their expanding potential.

(Un)usual Business (represented by Sara Schoch), will be presenting some of the work that has been done in the past year, including the journal Utrecht Meent Het #1 and the How to get together series, but will also assess their own organizational structure and modus operandi as a possible model that goes against the grain of hegemonic economic logic. 

Subsequently, philosopher and political economist Philippe Van Parijs will discuss the idea of a universal basic income, followed by a floor-discussion amongst the participants of the festival moderated by economic research and Casco board member Martijn Jeroen van der Linde. 

Forum starts at 14:00 hrs and is free to all. However, reservations are required for organizer and contributor preparation (and limited seating); e-mail Steyn Bergs.

This text derives from / is based on Casco - Office for Art, Theory and Design event announcement