Commons Knowledge Alliance

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= educational project, sponsored by Notre Dame University, Anthroposphere Institute, and CommunityIntelligence, currently in beta development

The Commons Knowledge Alliance merged with the School of Commoning and can be found at the new URL = http://schoolofcommoning.com/

Description

Leo Burke:

"When fully developed it will have four learning spaces: (1) Community Knowledge Garden where users can find and use a variety of commons resources; (2) Commons Campus that offers a range of e-learning and social learning courses on the commons; (3) Commons Forums that enable users to interact on projects related to the commons, as well as plug into communities of practice; and (4) an Online Library that contains annotated resources available for downloading."


Details

"The Commons Knowledge Alliance offers four different but interrelated services or “spaces.”

1. Community Knowledge Garden. In this space there are a range of commons-related documents organized by subject areas and tagged for easy find and reference. This is a Creative Commons-licensed, open-source space where you can browse, quote, add-to, reuse, repurpose or even remix resources.

2. Commons Campus. This is a learning environment where you can find two kinds of online courses:

a. E-learning courses on the commons. Some courses are introductory, others cover more advanced topics. Some course are free, others have a modest tuition to cover expenses. b. Social learning courses that emphasize mutual exploration and shared innovation. As we learn together, we grow our collective intelligence.

3. Commons Forums. This is an interaction hub that hosts conversations about anything relating to the commons, including the collaborative development of the Commons Knowledge Alliance itself. It is also a space where communities of practice can meet.

4. Online Library. This is a collection of downloadable, annotated resources related to various dimensions of the commons. Here you can find articles, research papers, links to books, videos, and websites, and other knowledge assets. Commoners are encouraged to add assets to the library so that they can be shared with others."


Characteristics

"1. It’s a Commons. The Commons Knowledge Alliance is itself a commons. This requires each of us to take responsibility for making the alliance as valuable a resource as possible. We do this by making suggestions for improvements, contributing where possible, volunteering to teach a course or lead a discussion group, and recommending the Alliance to others.

2. It’s Open Source. This means that the assets and courses on the site, unless otherwise noted, belong to all the members of the commons. You can use these assets in your own work, as well as distribute them to others.

3. Relationships Matter. The commons comes alive through relationships—the lively interactions that we have with each other. We learn from each other, challenge each other, help each other. In doing so, we come to appreciate that we are, in the words of Martin Luther King, “caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”

4. A Radical Inquiry. The Commons Knowledge Alliance explores the premise that all life is an indivisible unity. And this unity is not anything that we need, or even can, evolve into. Rather, it is a priori or prior to any divisions or difference-making mental or social structures that we tend to overlay on reality. In practice, this means that our decisions, behaviors, and actions take the totality into account, and we operate for the good of the whole. We invite you to join with us in a fearless, unbounded exploration of the implications and possibilities of this presumption.

5. Practically Speaking. The Commons Knowledge Alliance requires money and energy to keep going, add new things, and serve more people. Anyone can browse the resources in the library. To download or upload resources or to participate in courses or discussions, you simply join as a member. There is no membership fee for individual commoners (some courses have tuition) but everyone is invited to make a donation."



More Information

Contact Leo Burke via leoburke1948 at mac.com