[ELECTRON] Common Good Awareness Project

[Bob]

About the only way folk can exercise their democratic rights, or feel it is
the only way, is through the ballot box. While corruption levels in public
life and everything else that ordinary people need to sacrifice to get
through there week, seem to be at a record high - we are soon again to be
given the choice of who will become the minder of the public estate.
Cynicism is rife and trust wanes - and in folks belief that ordinary people
have the ability to be involved in shaping their future, their environment
and their communities.


But what else do we have?

The "Common Good Awareness Project" is not here to tell you what to do. It
is here to highlight some - not alternatives, but well established laws,
democratic structures and principals that could help "ordinary people"
become part of the decision making process in their communities.


What is the Common Good?

The Common Good is over 500 years old - is rooted in our community - and
permeates through our daily lives. It is a hedge against short term
solutions and political expediency. The common Good is a long term
investment. Most Glaswegians know we own the parks - even young people.
There are still strong remnants of ideas that things should be shared and
include everybody - All over Scotland. (Read the Scottish Enlightenment our
culture was built on these principals.)

The Common Good contains a substantial range of public assets of land,
property, such as schools, public buildings, parks, art work and much more.
There are laws that should protect these assets, a historical and cultural
context, and the Common Good is based on democratic principals.

Our Common Good is part of who we are as a nation. Not in the flag waving
sense, but what we share as people of the world - from the Enlightenment
and our history of struggle for the underdog. Why are we not proud of these
achievements? Why do we not drape our city squares, cover the side of buses
telling the world - and creating festivals of these things?


"500 Years Celebration of the Common Good of Scotland"

"The Scottish Enlightenment 18th Century Excellence"


(The Scottish Enlightenment was the period in 18th century Scotland
characterised by an outpouring of intellectual and scientific
accomplishments. By 1750, Scots were among the most literate citizens of
Europe, with an estimated 75% level of literacy. Wiki)

These were part of a processes of commonality - outporings of generosity
that had a far reaching effect and influence, not only across Scotland but
across the world. Other countries recognise this wealth more than we do
ourselves.


If we lose the Common Good we lose a uniqueness that can't be replaced.

Our Common Good is under threat all over Scotland - as administrators of
our assets look to solve their short term problems by using our long term
wealth. If our Common Good disappears, it can't ever be replaced by using
money. We lose the Common Good and we also lose the story, the history, the
institutions and the idea of the civil society that created it.


But its not all bad news - Crisis can also be a process of transformation

The all out threat to our Common Good is timely and has unearthed and
reminded us of some useful possibilities. If there is one thing we need in
these times of irrationality, disassociation, separateness, and isolation,
is something to focus on - something that has a past a presence and a
future - something we can build our vision, (even the poorest of us) of
where we want to go.


What we are looking for here, is not some new government initiative,
finance, private partnership, representation, or drain on government
funding. We simply want recognition and control over what already belongs
to us. We want the Common Good land, the valuables, and the profits that
have been made off of our Common Good, to be put back into the Common Good
fund for communities to decide what use these assets and profits should be
put to - Remembering assets run into millions an pounds.


There are many examples where the Common Good is being used to benefit
local communities (and many more examples where it is not.) There are
places where Common Good assets have been re established, taken back from
the developers and the mismanagement by those we employ to look after them
- And all carried out by people who had never heard of the Common Good
before realising their institutions (town halls schools etc) could be
protected using Common Good law.


The Common Good could be used as a democratic filter system, in which
government legislation, proposed regeneration schemes and commercial
developments, could be passed through - to see if they properly serve the
community, are needed, have been thought out properly, allocated the right
space and of what social benefit to local people?


These funds could also be used to develop citizenship in young people,
through real things and in giving them some responsibility and use of the
very assets that were established "through" good citizenship and a vision
of a better society.


There are many ideas, experiences and possibilities. The question is how do
we collect Common Good information and spread the word about, what it is
and what it represents. How do we create activity? How do we make it
interesting for young people? This the project will set out to do.


The law and some aspects of Common Good can be complex and a wee bit
difficult to understand, but we have people to help us with this. The
project will mainly concentrate on awareness that the Common Good exists -
but awareness through doing things - particularly among our young, who have
most to gain.


So there is work to be done - but think of what could be achieved through
our collective effort.

The site has been organised to encourage anybody who is interested and a
wide range of topics and activities.
If we are to make our Common Good useful we need to go where we haven't
been before - Look at things through other peoples eyes - listen more - and
dispel the fear of being involved.


Most young folk want a free and creative life - we need to learn to trust
them - encourage their capacity to learn through a common good - lest they
turn into adults whose only concerned is in the "personal". I think the
Common Good is the best thing we have got going for us - It has nothing to
do with party politics, sectarianism, and the cynicism that keeps so many
locked in indifference and the mistaken belief that "There is nothing we
can do"
There is plenty we can do and the Common Good serves as a useful hub in
which to organise - how we can do it.


What the CGAP website is set out to do is:

*Present some ideas of how folk can get involved through their own time
scales and experiences - using all the tools at our disposal

*To point to the rich wealth of research and work in Common Good, that has
already been carried out and to encourage more.

*To highlight the campaigns, the groups and the people who have been
working hard to protect the Common Good in our name.

*And to create a Common Good map of Scotland.



(The website is in no way finished it will be shaped, developed and altered
to accommodate needs. We need feedback and your ideas for improvements.
NOTE: This is not all going to happen tomorrow - it is going to take some
time, commitment and dedicated work - there is lots to do, but that's
always the case with things that are worth while)


In the Common Good. Bob Hamilton.

Site development: Magnus Lawrie, Simon Yuill, Bob Hamilton. You can join
the team at the Electron Club. Workshops will be announced soon.

Please forward: www.inthecommongood.org

-- 
Lookout for Common Good at the next Reshuffle. Pearce Institute and some
workshops all through May:
http://www.citystrolls.com/latest-updates/reshuffle/reshuffle-10/may-days-10.html




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