This event is being brought to you by InCollaboration in association with the UTS Centre for Business and Social Innovation, Mercury Coop and StartSomeGood, with support from many other individuals and organisations. The event will be introduced by Jess Scully, Councillor, City of Sydney, who will then join us for the discussions.

Many of us agree business as usual is no longer an option. Climate change, homelessness, a growing gap between rich and poor, and a strong sense that our systems are unfair and unsustainable, make for a society that is increasingly divided, anxious and insecure.

Given these challenges we are delighted to be bringing you Michel Bauwens, the founder of P2P Foundation, a global network of researchers and practitioners working in face-to-face and on-line communities for the common good and for the care for the Earth. Michel formerly worked in the agribusiness division of an oil company and decided to leave and to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. Michel has gone on to become a global voice and has inspired and supported many initiatives in Australia and across the world working towards true sharing economies and resilient communities, challenging many of the current dominant business models where the bulk of the profits go to a few.

The event will consider the following questions:

How do we get from “winner-takes-all” to “everyone-has-plenty”?
How do we properly recognise each of us for the contribution we make to health and wealth in our communities?
How do we protect and strengthen our communities and care for the Earth with everything we do?
How do we draw from the strengths of different organisational forms including cooperatives, Non- Government organisations (NGOs), social enterprises and government to collaborate effectively towards the common good?

Michel will use examples from around the world to show how lasting prosperity and wellbeing are best served by promoting “the commons”. This can include resources such as water, air, technology, food production and energy systems which are owned and managed or stewarded by communities.

Michel will also discuss the importance of engaging the different organisational forms. Cooperatives give opportunity for local and community ownership, but cooperation isn’t always easy to do. NGOs access communities often not attended to by the market, but are hampered by government bureaucracy. Social enterprises can move fast and innovatively, but need to manage failure risk carefully.

Following Michel's presentation, there will a facilitated discussion with the audience. Let’s talk about how we place community and common good at the centre, enabled by government. The discussion will be facilitated by David Pointon, Associate, and Tirrania Suhood, Founder, InCollaboration and Melissa Edwards, Senior Lecturer, UTS Centre for Business and Social Innovation.

Come to this event to:

Learn about the commons and cooperative ways of living and working.
Hear about what is already happening in Sydney, Australia and globally.
Find out how we can promote wellbeing and ensure everyone has access to food, housing, energy and essential needs.
Consider how we can work together, design our organisations, our platforms, our communities and our society in ways so that we can truly care for each other.
Consider what stronger collaboration amongst cooperatives, NGOs, and social enterprises can do, with government playing an enabling role.
Experience a sense of community as we engage with each other in facilitated dialogue.

Participants will join Michel Bauwens to explore strengths, opportunites and challenges in communities and networks, and collaborative ways forward using a facilitated tranformational design process.

Thanks to Parliament on King, who will be providing sumptious light refreshments on arrival.

These events are part of a broader emerging strategy, linking in with other strategies committed to common good and resilient communities. We thank our many additional supporters and collaborators.

InCollaboration