Multitude Project: Difference between revisions
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'''= The scope of the Multitude Project is to drive the multitude social movement. In other words, we try to understand how the new technology is changing the power structure in modern societies''' | '''= The scope of the Multitude Project is to drive the multitude social movement. In other words, we try to understand how the new technology is changing the power structure in modern societies''' | ||
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Along with the aforementioned exploratory and speculative activities, we also propose new methods and tools, to help individuals and groups all around the world in their daily struggle against injustice and economical inequality." | Along with the aforementioned exploratory and speculative activities, we also propose new methods and tools, to help individuals and groups all around the world in their daily struggle against injustice and economical inequality." | ||
(http://multitudeproject.blogspot.com/) | (http://multitudeproject.blogspot.com/) | ||
=Discussion= | |||
From the introduction to the Multitude Manifesto: | |||
"The new technology operates very significant social transformations. Its most important effects are the empowerment of the individual and the coordination of masses. It enhances coherence throughout society in knowledge, intentions or goals and actions. It acts as a catalyst which sums forces from an arbitrarily large pool of independent actors, which can form ad hoc collaborative networks that can span the entire globe, being able to amass tremendous amounts of resources, and to carry out extremely complex actions. All this is possible with the help of new affordable and democratic tools for communication, collaboration, coordination and logistics. The new digital technology gives individuals the ability to coordinate their efforts in order to produce value and to exchange it freely among themselves, bypassing established monopolies. It naturally offers more potential to the many that are inclined to share and to collaborate, to the detriment of the few still in power. A new economy is emerging. Our society is changing. We witness a crucial moment in human history, a step towards a greater democratization of the means of production, a broader redistribution of wealth and more freedom. Classical levers of control are visibly melting in the hands of the elite. A new social equilibrium is starting to take shape. We call this social phenomena of unprecedented scale the multitude constructive revolution. | |||
The multitude social movement is a fast-raising global movement, based on everyone's realization that the new technology empowers us, as individuals and groups, that it helps us to exchange freely among ourselves, and that it facilitates our association into very creative and productive networks, which can span the entire planet. It is based on our realization of the potential introduced by the new technology, which can be actualized by we the people to improve our own lives. People all over the world see opportunities to do things their way, independently of established channels, most of them monopolized and corrupt. This movement is, in essence, the alignment of peoples' actions according to the idea that we CAN do things in a different way, our way, other than the one prescribed by the architects and actual masters of our societies. It clearly manifests itself by the widespread effort to develop various popular and democratic tools that enhance communication, collaboration and coordination, which allow peer-to-peer transactions of all sorts. It is made evident by the widespread adoption of these tools and by the emergence of very creative and productive large-scale collaborative networks. Examples are: Wikipedia, GNU/Linux, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, Discovery and Innovation Networks, sustainable food production and distribution networks, solar energy, massive, global grassroots cultural and political movements... We are realizing that we have the opportunity to bypass monopolistic systems, to take control over our own lives, and we act accordingly. | |||
This movement will rapidly shift the center of gravity in society from hierarchical institutions to decentralized networks, to the multitude. We can trace the multitude movement to the beginning of our history. It's main drive is the will of every individual to be free, to decide for his own life, while living in peace with others. The multitude movement is the endless struggle for freedom and self determination. It is the perpetual conflict between the multitude and those who, through the means of their time, tried to manipulate the masses for their selfish interests. This conflict has taken many forms but one thing is clear, overall, no one can deny the global pattern of progressive emancipation of the masses. Every time a new technology was introduced that empowered the people, unmistakably we seized the opportunity and we cleared another step towards freedom. This was the case with the printing press, the gunpowder, the thermo-mechanical engine and the electrical power, and today with the digital technology. The multitude movement is a movement for freedom, but one that is based on the realization of a new potential introduced by a new technology. It is the most deterministic of all social movements, it is a constructive revolution, a natural readjustment of the entire society to a new spectra of possibilities introduced by a new technology and actualized by the masses, by the great majority. The determinism of this movement is insured by the statistics of the sheer mass of people naturally adopting the new tools that improve their lives and promise them more freedom and self determination." | |||
(http://sites.google.com/site/multitude2008/Home/the-multitude-manifesto) | |||
Revision as of 09:51, 3 October 2010
= The scope of the Multitude Project is to drive the multitude social movement. In other words, we try to understand how the new technology is changing the power structure in modern societies
URL = https://sites.google.com/site/multitude2008/Home
Description
"The scope of the Multitude Project is to drive the Multitude movement. In other words, we try to understand how the new technology is changing the power structure in modern societies, we build a new vision for a brighter future, and we propose a path towards this future, whereby the potential introduced by the new technology is actualized to the advantage of the multitude.
We believe strongly in the power of the people. The society we live in belongs to us and must be shaped to include the needs of the great majority and to protect the rights of minorities. Change is clearly on the way, in the natural direction of the emancipation of masses, a trend which can be clearly recognized throughout history. Major institutions will be greatly transformed in the near future due to immense pressure mainly induced by rapid technological advancements. Our goal is to predict some of these changes and to inform both sides, the population as well as the ruling class of the potential dangers, hoping to channel the change into a peaceful incremental revolution.
Along with the aforementioned exploratory and speculative activities, we also propose new methods and tools, to help individuals and groups all around the world in their daily struggle against injustice and economical inequality." (http://multitudeproject.blogspot.com/)
Discussion
From the introduction to the Multitude Manifesto:
"The new technology operates very significant social transformations. Its most important effects are the empowerment of the individual and the coordination of masses. It enhances coherence throughout society in knowledge, intentions or goals and actions. It acts as a catalyst which sums forces from an arbitrarily large pool of independent actors, which can form ad hoc collaborative networks that can span the entire globe, being able to amass tremendous amounts of resources, and to carry out extremely complex actions. All this is possible with the help of new affordable and democratic tools for communication, collaboration, coordination and logistics. The new digital technology gives individuals the ability to coordinate their efforts in order to produce value and to exchange it freely among themselves, bypassing established monopolies. It naturally offers more potential to the many that are inclined to share and to collaborate, to the detriment of the few still in power. A new economy is emerging. Our society is changing. We witness a crucial moment in human history, a step towards a greater democratization of the means of production, a broader redistribution of wealth and more freedom. Classical levers of control are visibly melting in the hands of the elite. A new social equilibrium is starting to take shape. We call this social phenomena of unprecedented scale the multitude constructive revolution.
The multitude social movement is a fast-raising global movement, based on everyone's realization that the new technology empowers us, as individuals and groups, that it helps us to exchange freely among ourselves, and that it facilitates our association into very creative and productive networks, which can span the entire planet. It is based on our realization of the potential introduced by the new technology, which can be actualized by we the people to improve our own lives. People all over the world see opportunities to do things their way, independently of established channels, most of them monopolized and corrupt. This movement is, in essence, the alignment of peoples' actions according to the idea that we CAN do things in a different way, our way, other than the one prescribed by the architects and actual masters of our societies. It clearly manifests itself by the widespread effort to develop various popular and democratic tools that enhance communication, collaboration and coordination, which allow peer-to-peer transactions of all sorts. It is made evident by the widespread adoption of these tools and by the emergence of very creative and productive large-scale collaborative networks. Examples are: Wikipedia, GNU/Linux, peer-to-peer lending, crowdfunding, Discovery and Innovation Networks, sustainable food production and distribution networks, solar energy, massive, global grassroots cultural and political movements... We are realizing that we have the opportunity to bypass monopolistic systems, to take control over our own lives, and we act accordingly.
This movement will rapidly shift the center of gravity in society from hierarchical institutions to decentralized networks, to the multitude. We can trace the multitude movement to the beginning of our history. It's main drive is the will of every individual to be free, to decide for his own life, while living in peace with others. The multitude movement is the endless struggle for freedom and self determination. It is the perpetual conflict between the multitude and those who, through the means of their time, tried to manipulate the masses for their selfish interests. This conflict has taken many forms but one thing is clear, overall, no one can deny the global pattern of progressive emancipation of the masses. Every time a new technology was introduced that empowered the people, unmistakably we seized the opportunity and we cleared another step towards freedom. This was the case with the printing press, the gunpowder, the thermo-mechanical engine and the electrical power, and today with the digital technology. The multitude movement is a movement for freedom, but one that is based on the realization of a new potential introduced by a new technology. It is the most deterministic of all social movements, it is a constructive revolution, a natural readjustment of the entire society to a new spectra of possibilities introduced by a new technology and actualized by the masses, by the great majority. The determinism of this movement is insured by the statistics of the sheer mass of people naturally adopting the new tools that improve their lives and promise them more freedom and self determination." (http://sites.google.com/site/multitude2008/Home/the-multitude-manifesto)