Pluriversity

Pluriversity – info

Cultural pluralism in Finland is a fruitful reality, despite recent attempts to undermine and attack the notion of “multiculturalism”. Historical minorities are a long-established part of society, and the integration of recent first-generation immigrants has demonstrated considerable successes. As throughout Europe, however, Finland is witnessing a rise of explosive tensions. The dangers of divisive regressions are as great as the potentials of cultural change. How can one create a learning-by-doing platform which brings together a plurality of individuals, cultures and traditions – a university of “pluricultural” life which holds a strong appeal to a new generation?

This project for a Pluriversity rises to this challenge by focusing on universally loved and respected talents, skills and knowledge that every person, of any background, can only wish to learn: how to express themselves in public; how to make a film, write a song, record a track or edit a newspaper; how to make an art work with their own hands; or how to bring to life an economically viable organisation.

The Pluriversity invites leading artists, inspiring teachers and art students from a wide variety of backgrounds to build an overlapping series of long-term projects with these very concrete goals in mind. This pilot project grows a set of learning-by-doing platforms to result in real-world outcomes for young people – of all, and especially disadvantaged backgrounds – at a crucial time in their lives.

In the dangerous climate of intolerance and open racism in Finland today, this is a project which directly engages susceptible young people at a crucial time in their lives. While bringing youths into the orbit of “high art and knowledge”, it also does so without “talking down”, by passing on highly practical know-how and skills, and networks. The Pluriversity practices what it professes: pluriculturalism.

Supported generously by the Kone Foundation

 

Pluriversity archives (recorded streams)

      PLURIeconomy - session 1 @ Villa Eläintarha 24.8.2016

      PLURIecology - Erkan Özgen @ Villa Eläintarha 26.8.2016

      PLURIeconomy - session 3 @ Viipurinkatu8 27.8.2016

      Mobile Talk - Erkan Özgen @ HAM 30.8.2016

      PLURIeconomy - session 6 @ Villa Eläintarha 27.8.2016


An Open “Co-op of Co-ops” for Helsinki?

The PLURIVERSITY’s learning process around the idea of building a CO-OP OF CO-OPS for Helsinki continues with George Dafermos of the P2P Foundation, who will be joining us via video-link.

With this Talk, the Pluriversity’s PLURIeconomy hopes to learn about further really-existing models of co-ops of co-ops. Besides George’s presentation of his extensive research on the Catalan Integral Cooperative (CIC), we will have an interactive Q&A addressing very practical as well as general questions concerning open cooperativism.

To join the process for building a Co-Op of Co-Ops, read and add to the notes online:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Se8L-5g5NB4r1QtV7NmC32jaHgyCS1vAlpXaFuOqjjM/edit?usp=sharing

Live-stream (and archives): http://korppiradio.net/pluriversity/

George Dafermos is a researcher of technology policy and management and a research associate of the P2P Foundation, currently focusing on the intersections between peer production, the commons and the cooperative movement.

Further speakers include: Pedro Aibeo Ruby Van Der Wekken (Commons.fi) Ivor Stodolsky and Marita Muukkonen (Perpetuum Mobilε),

Special guest: Rufus Pollock of Open Knowledge International, in Helsinki as a keynote of mydata2016.org

Welcome!

Time: On Friday, 2 September at 17:00
Location: Eläintarhan Huvila
(same as Session 1)
Eläintarhantie 14
00530 Helsinki

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Tuesday 30.8.2016 17.00-18.30 – Mobile Talk @ Helsinki Art Museum

      Mobile Talk - Erkan Özgen @ HAM 30.8.2016

Erkan Özgen is a pioneer of video art from the Kurdish area of Turkey, with a distinguished record of exhibitions and collaborators.

In this Mobile Talk, Özgen presents an overview of his work, ranging from his stark yet playful early pieces to his most recent videos, which address the traumatic experiences of war and dislocation. His works give a human face to the brutal wars which continue to lay to ruin a beautiful and ancient region.

Works to be screened include, among others: Wonderland (2016); Dark in Dark (2013); Breath (2008); Adult Games (2004), Road to Tate Modern (2003).

In co-operation with HAM Helsinki Art Museum.

Erkan Özgen is currently a Artists-at-Risk (AR) resident at Safe Haven Helsinki, curated by Perpetuum Mobile (PM). Co-organised with HIAP – Helsinki International Artist Programme. Funded by the City of Helsinki. More info here: http://ow.ly/ABQH303A3AN.

 

PluriECOLOGY :: Live Stream :: Friday 26.8.2016 18:00-20:00

      PLURIecology - Erkan Özgen @ Villa Eläintarha 26.8.2016

The contemporary artist and the ecological activist Erkan Özgen lives and works in Diyarbakir (aka Amed) in the Kurdish area of Turkey. In this workshop, Erkan will introduce the “Mesopotamian Ecology Movement” (abbreviated MEH), currently working in 7 cities in Southern Turkey and active across many areas of ecological concern: from advocating municipal bicycle-paths to practicing and teaching methods of collective and communal agriculture, to policy-level campaigns. In short, the Mesopotamian Ecology Movement aims to change societal structures from an ecological perspective.

The aim of the PLURIecology workshop is to initiate possible future collaboration between ecological actors in Finland, Europe and the Kurdish areas of Turkey. One longer-term proposal is to develop an “International Seeds Festival”.

The Mesopotamian Ecology Movement:
http://www.mezopotamyaekolojihareketi.org/
Declaration of 1st Conference of the Mesopotamian Ecology Movement, April 23-24 2016, Wan
http://www.mezopotamyaekolojihareketi.org/index/icerik/declaration-of-1st-conference-of-the-mesopotamian-ecology-movement-april-23-24-wan/

More information on Erkan Özgen and examples of his work can be found on his website:
http://erkan-ozgen.blogspot.gr/

Erkan Özgen is in residence in Helsinki as part of the Safe Havens for Artists at Risk (AR) programme (www.ArtistsatRisk.org) curated by Perpetuum Mobile (PM). Safe Haven Helsinki it is co-organised by PM with HIAP (Helsinki International Artist Programme) and funded by the City of Helsinki. More info on Erkan’s AR-residency may be found here: http://ow.ly/ABQH303A3AN

Erkan Özgen will also be giving a talk at the Helsinki City Art Museum (HAM hall) as part of the MOBILE TALKS series on Tuesday 30 August at 5-6.30pm. Free admission.

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PluriECONOMY :: Live Stream :: Wednesday 24.8.2016 18:00-20:00

      PLURIeconomy - session 1 @ Villa Eläintarha 24.8.2016

An Open “Co-op of Co-ops” for Helsinki?

Welcome to the PLURIeconomy initiative!

… a call for all non/specialist individuals, groups and audiences from communities and youth-associations in and around Helsinki to join together to co-create a loose “co-operative of co-operatives”!

Much has been happening in the world of open/integral cooperatives, alternative currencies, open source communities, solidarity and real-sharing economies. In these times of great changes, all sorts of new models are being proposed to improve the conditions and political participation of everyone – and especially precarious workers – on the local and global scale. In Finland many older and new initiatives are active and developing in this direction. We think it is a good time to develop new ways of working together – to organize ourselves to help each other, and to help newcomers to the field grasp and develop these promising new processes aimed at our common benefit.

With this in mind, we are proposing a space for all interested groups and individuals to informally gather to co-create a joint initiative.

From the 24th August until the 10th of September we have the opportunity to offer an ‘open door’ at the space at “Viipurinkatu 8” to come and discuss ideas and options for what we are preliminarily calling a “PLURIeconomy”.

Could we, should we, create a “co-op of co-ops” in Helsinki/Finland? Should this be modelled on existing experiences in other locations such as the Catalan Integral Cooperative (CIC) or other experiments in “open” or “integral” co-operativism? Together, we look forward to your experimental ideas, concrete models and proposals, alternatives, criticism, networks and hope everyone joins the discussion to co-create a commons.

We look forward to open meetings, in-depth workshops and developing collective proposals on new forms of cooperativism and its technologies and methods, with talks by local activists and invited international guests. One of the basic ideas is to plan and co-create a platform to list all co-operatives geographically and to offer tools and advice for those seeking to set one up.

The PLURIeconomy initiative is part of an umbrella-initiative entitled PLURIversity:  http://pluriversity.net/.

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PluriEconomy, session 3. Saturday 26.8.2016 12.00 – Viipurinkatu 8, Helsinki

      PLURIeconomy - session 3 @ Viipurinkatu8 29.8.2016

Choosing a Model for a Co-Op of Co-Ops

(thoughts on process)

  1. Catalan Integral Cooperative (CIC)
    Viimeaikaisia tai t
  1. FairCoop
  1. MAN (Mutual Assistance Networks)

  1. Finnish Solidarity economy network process – manifesto : http://www.commons.fi/media/1021

Values : Diversity; Autonomy, Shared power; Equality; Quality work; Profit is no end goal; Taking part in surrounding society; Theory, Utopia and practice contstantly inform each other.

->   Can this/similar process inform how Coop of Coop evolving?!

  1. Example of Helsinki Timebank Charter & principles – https://stadinaikapankki.wordpress.com/in-english/helsinki-timebanks-abc/