Meeting for a Sustainable ECA
Nicole Leonard
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(Last updated August 15): Call for participants: Meeting for a Sustainable ECA
Nine months have passed since our First Meeting in Brussels in November 2016, and we are 15 months on from the initial gathering of commoners in Villarceaux, France that began this project of the European Commons Assembly.
In 2017, different projects are active, particularly on commons politics at the municipal scale (Fearless Cities, ECA Madrid) and around the economy of the commons in relation to the Social and Solidarity Economy in Europe.
To be able to develop and diversify its actions and activities into the future, ECA needs to clarify a plan for the management of ECA resources and financing, one that is rooted in the values of the commons and that reflects the practices we defend.
That is why we propose to again meet in Villarceaux, with the objective to draw up a proposal and prototype a system for managing our resources for 2018 and beyond that can then evolve and adapt over time. It should include:
• a fund-raising plan taking into account foundations that have in 2016 and 2017 provided funding (and in some cases propose to continue), as well as possibilities for other sources of funding.
• a mechanism that allows consideration of individual contributions and those of organizations to ECA
• a formal collective organization in charge of the management of ECA resources, corresponding to commoning values and practices.
• the basis of a charter of principles applicable within ECA for the management of its resources
We hope it will consider:
• The balance of power in ECA between European geographical areas, particularly East / West.
• Diversification of activities promoted within ECA (such as exchanges between members in the form of travel and residences, or co-productions of content and initiatives)
• The relationship between ECA and other assemblies of the commons in Europe and other continents
• Development and pooling of shared knowledge and communication infrastructures for the commons movement in Europe
• Cultural and linguistic diversity in ECA
The program of this meeting is open and will have to be discussed within ECA through the specified loomio channel below. It will be limited to 16 participants (gender-balanced) to promote productive work.
How to participate
If you would like to come to Villarceaux and take part in the meeting, please nominate yourself by declaring your interest and full name in the loomio thread (link below) in the ECA Governance Subgroup (you may need to request to join this subgroup if you are not already in it). Be sure to take into account the following timeline and conditions:
- This meeting will take place from the afternoon 2 October to the morning of 5 October in Villarceaux, France (near Paris).
- Accommodation, food, activities, and travel will be fully supported, but there will not be additional funding for this work.
- You will be an active participant and stakeholder in the process, and the production of the result afterwards.
Loomio thread “Meeting for a Sustainable ECA”: https://www.loomio.org/d/lXqS3xaf
You will have until August 25 to nominate yourself. The list of participants will be finalized by September 3. If necessary to apply the voting system and/or resolve gender discrepancies (see the attachment for more info), it will happen between August 25 and Sept 3.
The loomio thread is now and will continue to be open to carry on the conversation for the content and organization of logistics of this meeting. Frédéric Sultan and Nicole Leonard agree to synthesize the loomio conversation periodically, every 10 days. For more detailed information, you can review the attached document.
We look forward to hearing from you and collaborating on this important project. We especially encourage people who have been involved in coordinating ECA activities and from countries in the east of Europe to take part.
Sincerely
Frédéric Sultan - Remix the Commons
Nicole Leonard
Frédéric Sultan Tue 5 Sep 2017 10:24AM
Hi Nonty, yes, I agree with Nicole. It is hard to evaluate now. The idea is to be able to share the discussion and the results after the meeting at Villarceaux with the other people. So we have to define the method, tool and agenda, so as people can endorse commitments.
Frédéric Sultan Thu 7 Sep 2017 9:30AM
Hi @amandajansen
Discussing with @nicoleleonard , I realize that we have made a mistake in the list of nominees! we forgot to include you in the list when you had declared your interest the 25 of August on loomio. I am sorry for this mistake. Are you always interested and available to participate? Can we include you in the meeting ?
Again, sorry for that !!
Ana Margarida Esteves Thu 7 Sep 2017 11:36AM
Dear all, how will we organize transportation from the places where we currently are based to Villarceaux?
Frédéric Sultan Thu 7 Sep 2017 11:52AM
Hi Ana, the idea is to arrive for the lunch time at villarceaux. For that, people have to travel to Paris (airports or train station) in the morning and go to the station Cergy by RER (local train) in the north of suburb of Paris. Then, a shuttle will be organized. The return will be during the afternoon 5 of Oct.
Ana Margarida Esteves Thu 7 Sep 2017 11:59AM
Thanks, Frederic. Who will be responsible for booking the flights/trains? In case it will be the responsibility of each participants, will there be support to cover that expense?
Frédéric Sultan Thu 7 Sep 2017 1:43PM
Yes, the expenses will be covered and we have the choice for booking.
I take the opportunity of your question to share the last information on the organization we, Nicole and me, wanted to send here tonight or tomorrow :
As you can see in the initial proposal, a demand of financial supports was made at the end of July to the Fondation Terre Solidaire. The answer was at the beginning of August : yes in the principle, but because it is a very new fondation (less than 1 year), there is a process of validation by the council in September. I had a call yesterday with the fondation to know how it will work. The results are :
*The date of the council is the 22 of September.
*I have to send today an update of the initial demand in French and with more information on ECA.
*I have offered that Gazibo (the Coop and formal organization for Remix the commons) will bear the operation in the name of ECA and it is ok - and I hope it is also ok for all of us.
*The foundation will ask for a short report (activitiy/results/perspectives)
So, if we agree with this process, we will be able to book the tickets from the 22/09. It can be done by each participant or we can take that in charge. Meanwhile, we have to prepare the program of the meeting and share some information with the place (the Farm of Villarceaux) like diets or individual special requests.
I hope it helps to have a clearer view !
Nicole Leonard Thu 7 Sep 2017 4:08PM
Yes, so to follow up on @fredericsultan 's comments, I have some things to add:
- We have started a folder here with some background info that is accessible to you on the ECA: http://laferme.wiki/stockage/index.php/s/bNBVS5BxDSqs1ax?path=%2FSustainable_ECA%2FResources_folder
You don't have to read everything, but it will help give a clearer idea especially to those newer to ECA. There is a full report on the first meeting of the ECA in Villarceaux in May 2016 and one after the Brussels meeting in 2017 (to skim, they are quite long). There is also the pdf of the Work Package document (unfinished). This was an attempt to consider a longer term vision for financing the ECA. It's also quite long, and we haven't edited it since June. There is also the ECA website europeancommonsassembly.eu where you can see our Call, working principles, and more content.
I have offered to write up a personal "Diagnostic Note" of what I see to be the currrent state of ECA governance and finance. It will be from my personal perspective so will not reflect any organization's views or that of the "ECA". I hope this note will be easy to digest for our purposes in Villarceaux in October.
I invite others who feel inspired to do the same, and will ask others who have been active in the ECA to do so if they wish.
We also need to consider together a process of work from now until Oct. 2, to define our program at Villarceaux. After a conversation tomorrow afternoon with Frederic, I'll come back with a proposal for this here.
Nicole Leonard Wed 13 Sep 2017 8:24AM
Dietary restrictions:
Please, if you have dietary restrictions (vegan, gluten free, etc.) can you please announce them here? The food at Villarceaux is typically vegetarian by default. Thank you.
Frédéric Sultan Mon 25 Sep 2017 3:03PM
Dear all,
The support of the Foundation Terre Solidaire for the meeting Sustainable ECA is just confirmed.
Dear @nicoleleonard @annmarie @anamargaridaesteve @ismaelsene @thomasdegroot2 @timothyflitcroft @gaelle11 @ivorstodolsky @davidhammerstein @cristinafiordimela @nontycharitysabic @amandajansen, I invite you to confirme your availability and book your travel to Paris. You can buy your ticket immediately in the limit of 300 €. If the price is more, please join us, Nicole or me to make the decision.
More details for your travel are in the document attached. Please do not hésitate to ask for any questions regarding the travel and the meeting.
Thanks a lot for your commitment.
Fred
Nicole Leonard · Mon 4 Sep 2017 1:39PM
Hi Nonty, I think it's hard to give an exact answer on that since it depends what we come up with at the meeting! But there are no hard or fixed limits, it will be up to individuals to take on what works for them as follow-up. In general though, you would continue to participate in our conversation and work. At a minimum, this might mean participating in a follow up phone call, sending some emails, collaborating with another person to write something to send to the larger group.... In terms of time, I guess an hour or so a week for a couple weeks? What do you think @fredericsultan