[ELECTRON] The Common Good Awareness Project.

[Bob Hamilton]

Its been a while since there were any kind of collaborative projects at
the Electron, since the Green Map. Here is an idea that might appeal to
members. There are no skills that will not be useful, in building
databases, interactive website, engineering, building, architecture,
photograph, film, audio, history, archiving…
--

Building an independent resource centre in Govan

We are looking for volunteer partners, trainers, learners in our
farmhouse project in discovering the many disciplines and critical
connections that will help set up our project learning environment.

The Project

The Farmhouse is an old building in Elder Park, community garden, and
part of Govan’s Common Good Fund, (See below) that has lain derelict for
30 years. The idea is to transform this building into an independent
community resource centre. By a community learning process from
consultation, planning, building and use. The project will also work to
create templates that other communities can use, help to create and
share under the principals of the commons.

How folk engage with this project can be as wide as their imagination
takes them. The project will be treated as a learning process in the
sense of a free university, where the teacher in one workshop will be
the student in another. Part of the process being about “how we learn’
rather than “what we learn”. (Dewey)

Our aim is not to create more work for people but to use the work
already done. Collabourations will be about avoiding reinventing the
wheel, or repeating things. Part of the work will be about exposing
useful existing ideas, information and networks, and using freed up time
for fresh ideas and opening new ground.

We will do this starting with a participatory action research project on
the Farmhouse and by a series of crossover workshops in different
disciplines to help generate the critical connections that need to be
recognised when carrying out this kind of project. The work will also
inform and help to shape the building and the resources future use.

The basic principals will be working to finding new models other than
the mono value of money, because most folk do not have any. Any work
carried out in this project will be  attributed to the collective common
good, and its preservation for the benefit of future generations.

Project will start around mid January 2015. If it is the kind of thing
you would like to get involved in and share your skills:

Download PDF for layout and ways of participation here
www.inthecommongood.org


Contact bob at citystrolls.com for more info.
I will do a more in-depth explanation evening session at club for folk
interested and just for general information.

The Common Good

The Common Good Awareness Project was formed to create awareness of
assets that are unique to Scotland, worth tens of millions of pounds in
different places all over the country. These assets called the Common
Good Fund, are publicly owned, are 500 years old, have laws to protect
them, are an integral part of our history and are disappearing. Mainly,
due to so few people, particularly the young, not knowing they even exist.

The Common Good Fund has its roots in collectivism, probably the same
collectivism that is needed today in communities to create the
solidarity among people that will be needed if we are to achieve any
kind of sustainable change.