CAN Update

Thanks Indra and Maria for organising such an interesting call yesterday. Sorry my contribution was a bit scrappy ... here's the main links I used.

• Living Lab workshops, and use of the fictitious town of Slipham https://networkedcity.london/livinglab

• Combining project stories, geographic and network mapping https://bit.ly/32ur01O

• Additional sorts of mapping including 3D photos https://clerkenwell.commons.london/

I'm interested in two pathways for development: 1) an open, collaborative exploration into who's doing what nationally and locally around CAN-type models, and so what might be involved in creating a flexible development kit 2) developing Slipham as a way to play-through creating a CAN (or similar) as the beginning of a learning and planning process.

I can develop these ideas further, if worthwhile. Any direct questions, ideas to david@socialreporter.com ... I don't think Loomio offers messaging?

Hi David, thanks for your reply above. Just wanted to mention: if people are signed in, they should be able to see a 'message David' button on your profile (get to by clicking on the image alongside a post)

Hi all, before Monday's zoom, whilst reading something by Bill McKibben, (quote below) I wondered about the idea of starting a wiki page of similar quotes to do with the broad topic of getting going with & developing CANs: community action, citizen action or community agency networks, of all kinds? (page title suggestion anyone?)

"So that’s why I’ve come to think that organizing is such a key thing, and such a key part of being human is… All an organizer is someone who’s able to talk with the people around them and get them working together in the same direction. And that’s desperately what we need right now. That’s the closest to a kind of elixir that I have found to allow people to get the kind of courage that’s required to stare, quite plainly, at the crisis that we’re in, and not blink, and not turn away, and if they’re shedding a tear, which they should be, nonetheless to be able to see through those tears to where we need to be, and how we’re going to get there."

— Bill McKibben, Engaged Buddhism / What can we do about the Climate Crisis?

Love that idea.

Love the idea too and the quote (gonna read that article now).

Great. Thanks. Page started at Quotes about community action and the power of community. Additions or comment welcome.

Useful article in the Guardian from John Harris "Local people have had to improvise during the pandemic. Could their solutions stick?" https://bit.ly/2V61jRb with mention of Flatpack Democracy, Trust and People and other initiatives.
Maybe this and similar pieces are useful catalysts for exploring CANs. As mentioned before, the idea of creating the fictitious town of Slipham is to explore what a group of citizens (possibly Guardian readers :-) might do.

Could we briefly, on this evening's call, consider what challenges the group (in Slipham or elsewhere) might discuss when they meet? E.g.

• How do we find out what is happening elsewhere ?

• Which national networks could help?

• How do we get more people involved?

• How do we build on what we have?

• Do we develop a plan or just get started on something?

• Will local groups collaborate?

• ... and who has some inspiring quotes! (Thanks Phil)

That might give us a framework for our own exploration

Hi David on the question of what is happening elsewhere and national networks - you may find the UK Democracy Map a useful tool (http://democracymap.uk) for this. Slightly wider than just CAN work but deeply embedded in that and we've sent out the map to around 500+ organisations identified as being within the democratic space, with is quite steeped in this type of work and that identified within John's article.

Thanks Jon - that’s a terrific project, and just the sort of thing local groups need to know about. Now, if someone was doing that for other areas ...

David

Nice and easy to replicate! :)

Is it possible to search against categories?

At the moment it's still building up so not a huge amount of data (around 33 orgs) at the moment - but yes, you can go to 'Data' and create a temporary filter and then search by the responses. We're looking at how it will develop more in the future as it builds up including a nice front end so easy to explore - if there's anything you're particularly interested in let me know and I can help out. We've also got a private analysis of some 500 orgs within the space that we haven't published as didn't feel right, but have sent out to them to fill out and may be useful if there's particular things you're looking for!

Sure David, could you introduce the discussion?

We'll hear from Mags and Mike first, ask questions, and then we could move on to this...

Depending on the number of attendees, we could go into breakout rooms.

See you soon!

In case you don't have the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7521650198

Sorry to miss you all yesterday. I was presenting at a conference in Australia last night and so had to prep. Looking forward to seeing the recording.

Thanks for an excellent Alternative editorial https://bit.ly/2KsEk0i, referencing the John Harris article mentioned earlier.

As you say the Flatpack campaign, and other movements to support citizen-based action, need to be "Collaborative not competitive, diverse on principle, deeply connected to individual as well as planetary well-being".

Can there be some resonance with collaboration at a different scale reported in this piece in the The Times about the Oxford vaccine https://bit.ly/3ft7pUU?

“We realised you need a vast number of people to make stuff like this happen,” Professor Pollard says. Oxford had a small manufacturing plant, it had new vaccine platforms, it had clinical trials experts. But they were all separate.

“It required a completely different way of working. Rather than having lots of people who work on vaccines working in silos we had to get the whole group together.”

The vaccine-makers achieved collaboration through institutions, government, and corporates, because that was necessary in the circumstance.

The A/UK editorial goes on to say about community wealth building:

"... it’s crucial that this does not remain a volunteer network doing the governments work while Westminster spends 30 billion on military expenditure we never approved. More community agency should add up to more jobs, more money and more flourishing.

"To achieve that local economies are increasingly what we call cosmo-local - drawing on the experience, methods and practices from cutting edge thinking from around the world. This is partly through CANs like Transition having global communities of their own to connect with. But it will increasingly be through global networks of all kinds coming into the homes of every citizen".

So we need flat-packs for citizens, as well as for citizen-led councils. Should we be designing those, collaboratively? What's the cosmo-local (unbranded) equivalent of IKEA?

Yes! Isn't that what we are doing here? I had a surreal experience yesterday by the way: .I noticed someone walked into my Zoom room an hour after our co-creators meeting. I usually leave that (dinner time!) but decided to go in and see who it was - one Roberto Hinestrosa from Mexico. He was trying to meet because he has been following AUK for a long time and has been setting up a Citizens Action Network in Tijuana, using our videos. He is currently in New York and working with other networks: they want to build a network of CANs around the world...

Hi Indra, Maria, all - thinking further on collaboration to develop cosmo-local CANs - which networks do you think might be most receptive? Is there an emerging database of global, UK, local initiatives that might join up - or should we start one? I'm using Airtable to do some cross referencing of actors, resources, methods, models

Hi David & all, you'd be welcome to use anything we have already on CASwiki, or use the wiki itself for this. Either fine, not pushing anything here.

On a more practical point, and as feedback to the zoom's. Any chance we could have a simple listing of co-creators, their weblinks (or link to any relevant online presence), plus if people want to a brief description of projects etc, so'd it's much easier to take a look at all the stuff that's going on (especially relevant to CANs) rather than to have to constantly scrabble about looking / asking for this basic stuff, instead of listening to the conversations!?

Thanks Phil - I agree on who's who etc. Should we move toward a CAN development group, not just discussion group?

I'd be very keen on a development group. As I see it - and picking up from above - there's two aspects 1) seeing what's already there, engaging actively and learning from them 2) designing ideal prototype for future - part of which would be Slipham, the other in situ. How would you proceed?

Thanks Indra. I think it would help if we filled out the two aspects, and then developed a proposal (s). Since we are in Loomio, we could try the proposals tool, if we want to check commitment https://bit.ly/3q1m7rg. Maybe we need one or more docs, so we have stuff in one place, rather than just email threads?
I would like to develop the Slipham co-design game further, so that it provides a set of workshops methods for starting and running CANs or similar initiatives, with a focus on how to use maps, apps, stories and democratic processes as part of that. People would play through the game (s), reflect on their own situation, and then draw on some linked resources to carry things forward.
I would like to make the game/kit development a participatory process so that we draw on and digest models, methods and resources from localities and networks, and test and evolve as we go. I should say my colleague @Drew Mackie is the expert on this. I can do the research, with others, but Drew is the designer.
In doing that we could work together to cover some of your suggested 1). We could make a start on a demo, but would need to look for funding for substantial development.

On 2), were you thinking of working "for real" with some localities to prototype their CANS (with or without games)?
Hope that helps - but really open to ideas.

The strength of Flatpack Democracy is that it's a manual built on actual experience. I would we wary of going too far along the game route if the 'plays' don't come from proven value. It would be great if it could be developed out of the different tools and practices arising from what's tried and tested, giving players the freedom to mix and match and reimagine. Does that make sense?

Certainly - you can construct a game with options based on what has worked elsewhere - then people have the task of playing through what is appropriate to their situation.

Hi all, re a possible development group a couple of questions:

Is there a size limit to CANs? eg as far as I know Transition network, although stemming from Transition Towns, have tended to be fairly relaxed about any group naturally forming to transition a wider community eg transitioning a whole city. My own inclination would be to not to have any size limit, including beyond cities, but not trying to persuade anyone, just asking the question, particularly how you A/UK people see this. (If I'm remembering right, David can tell us the population size of Slipham?)

The other question, bearing in mind one of Indra's questions: "how do we bring the people who do not share our values / mindset together with this agenda?", is: are there anything like any (other?) 'qualifying characteristics' to CANs?

Hi Phil - I don't think we've limited Slipham's size. It has morphed from small town to London borough in various games. Here's an indicative network map, which can be expanded https://kumu.io/admaque/slipham-living-lab. I think that the questions emerging here are ones that might be addressed by a development group through an initial exploration.

Hi Phil - Have you had time to look at our 'how to build a CAN video on the website?' A lot of these questions are answered there ie how to attract others. The collaboratories were co-designed in Plymouth and serve well. The AUK CAN prototype is a response to the needs of the time - therefore must aim to go beyond the traditional divides and be cosmolocal if it is to generate the shift we need in order to address the multiple crises. However, building on what has already been achieved by others is also crucial. It's an ecology of change. The bit we haven't really experienced yet is how to connect the CANs to each other - at the moment they tend to be siloed and often unwilling to connect with others. So it needs a big vision of change to attract them. I think we are onto that here!

Hi all, hope you all had a good Christmas. Here's my Christmas present to you all.

first draft /outline (bare bones skeleton!) of CAN handbook synopsis, 6 or 7 wiki pages beginning with: Citizens Action Network handbook& some development process ideas in:

Citizens Action Network development
Hopefully you won't be too concerned if at first it looks nothing like you imagined. That's just the nature of first outlines. And there'll be plenty of opportunity to shape, and shape the feel, as the project develops. Not by any means an easy or flowing read, but hopefully inclusive of a fair bit of what we discussed in the zoom, plus one or two extra possibilities perhaps.

For me, the opportunity to contribute to a project as potentially exciting as this is perhaps the best Xmas present I could have wished for!

I've had great fun playing around with all the ideas and suggestions generated so far to create the outline. So Thanks everyone for all your contributions so far! And of course do add anything in that I might have missed. If anyone concerned a major change needed, or a major problem with any of the content, please discuss first on one of the talk pages.

Ways of working, navigation, etc: there are some notes on the CAN handbook talk page
Possible next steps:
1. ideas and options for enhancing and taking forward the development process - David? and anyone else?

2. it'd be great if some of us could start thinking about suitable photos, images, etc, to add into the draft, eg see very basic stuff in Menu of possibilities(can we find much more appropriate images?), to help make the thing more visually attractive, etc.

Within CASwiki, as part of Appropedia we're limited to only using images which have a copyleft type licence eg creative commons, but if this is a problem for anyone we should be able to get round this by just maintaining links to alternatives to weave in later on.

3. video (and audio?) resources to support the handbook and its readers: eg featured videos in some sections, + suggestions for playlists (eg via tincan tv?)

4. enriching the content:
- more reviewing of Daily Alternative content, eg perhaps related to the Menu of possibilities...is there a global listing of tags?

- it feels like there might be quite a lot of relevant stuff eg to with Resourcing Citizens Action Networks within CASwiki, so would just be a case of reviewing and including stuff which looks related or helpful.

5. review other similar handbooks

6. last but not least, it kinda feels like there's an Alter Narratives project begging to be started - see Citizens doing it for themselves

If and when we might feel ready, I can take the 'headers' & 'footers' off the pages.

Hi Phil - great to get started with ideas on content! I'm working on some complementary ideas about how we might offer people a set of cards to plan their CAN. More on that later. I think Maria will post a video of our last meeting, and we might have a dedicated thread for the handbook/guide. In case useful, I pulled some insights from the many A/UK blogs referenced by Maria. Google doc here https://bit.ly/2LVtkJD

Hi David, that's brilliant! I'll merge some of this into the wiki pages referencing your google doc. If I miss out anything which you think needs to be there, let me know. Thanks very much for this.

Hi all, development of the draft proceeding at pace, thanks to David's contributions, see above, with at least two new sections.

@David, it's great to have your insights, text selection suggestions, etc. leading to improvements in readability, relevance, layout, etc! Only currently about half way through, but hope to have the rest done within a few days. Thanks once again!

@all The Examples of Citizen Action Networks
page (...just a working title) raises a really interesting question for me, which I'd love to get other peoples' thoughts on, especially 'A/UK central':

It's something like how might we want to do something like this longer term? Here's how they do it in Transition Network for example

(better title: Citizen Action Networks near me?)

So how would it be if we could include a couple of maps here, (in this section of the wiki version of the handbook), say a UK map, and a world map, (or the other way round)?

Coincidentally, Appropedia, the wiki within which CASwiki has found a highly congenial, integrated and collaborative home, is currently developing a maps facility
World map example here
Country example here
As I understand it we're not yet at the stage when we can do cities or regions, but that'll come.

Love to get your thoughts and feedback on this.
PS found the tag cloud!

Hi @Phil Green - and anyone else interested - as mentioned, I'm developing the card-based kit/game ideas. There's some "thinking out loud" here https://quip.com/a3L1A35VLcPx/CAN-development
I can refine for our next call, and hopefully develop a demo if I can enlist help from colleague Drew Mackie.
The notes are in Quip.com, which has advantages over Google docs. I can transfer later. At this stage just checking against your development.

Hi David, totally fabulous! What amazing and just so spot on relevant work! Just a quick scan so far, will give it a proper read as soon as I can. My eyes drawn to Development Suggestions. Hopefully we can feed something like that into a zoom at the earliest opportunity.

@Indra Adnan @Maria I've done some "thinking out loud" here https://quip.com/a3L1A35VLcPx/CAN-development and wonder if any ideas there appeal.
Thinking about our call on the 7th, we could explore hands-on how a postit/card-based kit of ideas and howtos might work, to complement the guide/handbook. With my colleague Drew Mackie I could share how that's worked in face-to-face workshops, and we could demo something on Miro.

Thanks @David Wilcox and @Phil Green for all this amazing work. I'm still deep in the throes of finishing a manuscript, but looking forward to reconnecting on 7th!

Thanks Indra - look forward to reading! I put 7th when I think it should be Monday 11th. I'll check with @maria what may be planned

Thanks @Indra Adnan and @Maria for another interesting call on Monday. Here's my slides about the kit and game, with background thinking. We now have the excellent handbook work by @Phil Green on the wiki, and a skills share system from @Rosamonde Birch that should help collaborations.
I'm finding interest in the concept of CANs among people I talk to in London ... but it is difficult to explain what's next, and how they might get involved beyond Zoom calls.
Is it time to take stock, and decide where we put our energy? Should we do a poll?

Also massive thanks to you, Phil and all those who have contributed so far. Let's have another discussion about next steps: there are a lot of other factors to weave into next steps. Shall we have a meeting Friday or Monday just about this?

Hi all, thanks very much @Indra Adnan @Maria & @David Wilcox for nice comments and links. @Rosamonde Birch skill share thingy looking good! I'm up for co-creating (David?), or just staring off either a CAN development thread here on loomio or a group.

One thing I think would help a lot, as I think this thread demonstrates, is to set at least some threads up as latest at top. This switch on loomio happens for all in that thread, but suggest is not really radical anymore when people used to this from eg fb timelines.

I'm up for another meeting, pref for Monday.

Hi Phil - just caught up with all your amazing work on the Wiki https://www.appropedia.org/Citizens_Action_Network_handbook
Really interested in the approach. It looks as if you are weaving/linking CAN components, fractals and insights with other related examples ... which is the strength of a wiki. How are you finding it?

Thanks @Indra Adnan - Monday would work for me, after 11.30. @Phil Green - agree on rethinking threads. Something to discuss with @Maria after we have a possible direction?
Incidently, just had the latest of a series of inspiring conversations with the Danish-based group developing https://www.acter.global/. It is in early development, but the architecture, taxonomy and functions are potentially a great fit for local CANs, CAN of CAN, and networking with other networks.
They are keenly interested in CANs and A/UK (given the Danish Alternative origins).
I've agreed to share ideas on the London opportunities to see how we might design on-the-ground/online together. We could explore CAN possibilities with them - depending on our direction.
It might not be "the solution" but we would learn a lot with like minds.

Great! Very keen on the international fractal growth : ) In principle 12.00 on Monday would be great. @Maria can you join? If not, when?

Hi all, I'm not available till 2pm on Monday. Would that be a good time for you? @Indra Adnan @David Wilcox @Phil Green

2pm on Monday is fine for me

2pm Monday is fine

Great @David Wilcox @Phil Green. We'll use the same link as for the co-creators call. See you there at 2pm :-)

Apologies - I didn’t change that in my calendar. See you at 2pm

Hi @David Wilcox , thanks very much for your feedback (above).

The shape of the handbook so far flowed pretty naturally in the first 2 weeks out of the last co-creators call of 2020 so it seems to me
1. a potent mix of people, ideas, experiences, etc in the zoom
2. the design of the call enabled productive conversation, exchange of ideas, diversity of perspectives, etc.
3. richness of the material from the a/uk blogs, but of course need from an informational point of view for updating, most obvious case in point: names, urls and focus of CANs as they evolve over time, and pressing need for the basics of a good (and sustainable) system that helps a growing number and diversity of people continue to find each other easily over time (much easier said than done!)
4. for me personally realisation of massive overlap between what I'm trying to do via CASwiki and the potential of CANs, both exciting but also challenging and probably needs a lot of trust building.
5. last but not least the way when one gets down to the actual doing of co-creation (co-authoring? etc), and I don't think its an exaggeration to say this, that's when the magic happens. Weaving your insights into the handbook being a case in point.

Potentially lots of exciting ideas and possibilities for further developing the handbook, but feels as if would be good to get more of feel for how @Indra Adnan, @Maria and others view what's there so far.

Thanks Phil - I think we have potentially complementary approaches, with the CAN model acting as touchstone for your wide-ranging exploration, and the London-focussed one I outlined: notes here.
By the way, have you come across Urban Commons Transitions?

So much to study there! Bauwens is doing such important work, though he sometimes needs translating

And on a different note, check this out (via @Anton Chernikov ) https://www.thegreatconnectionfestival.com/

Thanks @Indra Adnan I wonder whether we should create a simple system to curate good resources on the fly, if people were interested in collaborating. For example, I've used Wakelet to pull together a collection on the London Recovery Programme https://wke.lt/w/s/g6EFqj
Collections can be made public and embedded by anyone on their site if they wish. Here's how NetEquality used my campaign resources
https://netequality.org.uk/experiments/campaigning/

Suggestion: I could explore with you, Maria, Phil and anyone interested how to use Wakelet to create open resource collections around CANs and core topics (democracy, climate change etc). This would complement and feed in and out of Phil's more structured work with the wiki, and your blogging.

Each collection would be curated/edited to reflect A/UK principles, and concentrate on a limited list. Each topic would have a link back to CANs and A/UK.

We then offer the collections as links and embeds ... spreading the word, inviting people to become co-creators

Hi @David Wilcox , sounds good to me! Can't remember if I've said before but I'm up for experimenting with Wakelet as you suggest.

What could happen quite naturally within a CAN if they used a Wakelet listing is that people would quickly get an idea of what resources were most useful and for what purposes, simply through conversation.

If auk and co-creators wanted to try this out it could be made even more useful through at least making space for similar conversation via a dedicated thread in one of the loomio groups.

Maybe off at a bit of a tangent to auk&co-creators interests (? and if so that's fine), but COP26 in Glasgow towards the end of the year seems to me an opportunity for someone, for any sort of linking up of citizen and community action via the whole range of whatever social media channels exist.
eg
https://cop26coalition.org/the-coalition/about/
https://twitter.com/CANotts (Climate Assembly Nottingham)
etc.

Thanks Phil - how shall we get started? Here's a collection about using Wakelet. https://wke.lt/w/s/TzRp93We could agree some core topics around which to curate resources: e.g. the CAN model, democracy, climate action, local economy ... depending on who is up for it ... and do some demos to get others involved?

Hi @David Wilcox , I think we might be able to get going on something to do with climate action, local economy and (Future?) democracy. (Great example seen recently to do with local economy and which seems to me highly relevant to CANs. You and others might be aware of already, but I'd love to chip in with in case not.) I'll have to get round to having a proper read of your collection about using Wakelet.

At the moment I'm thinking a long the lines of, alongside each Wakelet listing, as well as a dedicated loomio thread, also a dedicated wiki page which would help me (and anyone else) add notes and connections with other stuff via the wiki, so a variety of potential entry points for any would be co-creators.

Thanks Phil, that sounds great. Suggest you play around with Wakelet to see what you think it, and we could demo something to show and hopefully enlist others.

Do people know about this https://dememove.org/? Thought may be of relevance.

Thanks Jon - very much so. Are you up for curating more resources around democracy?
Update: Looking again at your map document I realise what great resources you have there. I'm wondering whether it would be possible to work together to pull out of that example of projects, networks etc that are particularly relevant to the CAN model, and possible networking of CANs. We could then put that together with other resource collections about the model and other topics.

Makes total sense - I'm having a look through responses at the moment - I'll share a few thoughts later this week having had a look through again?

Yes.. and no. The vibe is quite centralising - we are the movement, join us - and old-school political. Not a single picture on the site. All about organising for power. I wasn't surprised to see Compass as one of the initiators. Would make a good partner in the field of democracy building, but have to watch the hegemonising!

Hey sorry, I wasn't able to make tonights call. I was in with MVM as I had a few bits I wanted to raise with them. I will be at next one, no matter what else comes up. I hope everyone is doing well and everything is going as smoothly as possible :)

will look forward to an update the the next call Kayleigh :-)

Apologies from me to. Had to go out at short notice

Don't know how many of you know Shareable? People powered solutions for the common good - we've covered them a few times in the DA. They're super-powered - check out their board - but don't seem to be thinking of CANs. They've just published an e-book which will have good tools and practices: https://www.shareable.net/a-year-of-living-locally/

Yes, agree Indra that Shareable are great, with brilliant resources and stories. I met Tom Llewelyn a couple of hears ago when he launched Activating the Urban Commons https://bit.ly/3pSjOVT
"I asked Tom how he thought we might make London a more Sharing City, perhaps with some of the sort of projects featured in the book. His response – we probably have a lot happening already, so first map that, bring people together, and see where there may be gaps. While online can help, it is best to start with face to face."
The challenge with resources from Shareable, from the many other networks, and the treasure trove of ideas and references in A/UK is now accessibility and sense-making. There's so much good stuff it is overwhelming.
As well as adding, we need routes to help people find and use what is relevant to them.
Tom's suggestion accords very much with the early stages for CAN development. How could we build on that? I'm currently exploring the role of walks - real and virtual - in helping people understand their communities. That can trigger knowledge explorations too.

Love that David. And the role of sense-making is key - to be able to share our observations and see new perspectives. We dropped the ball with Neal Gorenflo about a year ago - just didn't have the time to follow up on his interest (shame!) - but about to reconnect.

The Relationship Project is developing in depth personas for five active neighbours https://bit.ly/3pjm0FX
The Neighbourly Empathizer; The Everyday Carer; The Visionary Disputor; The Practical Tasker; The Community Weaver.
If each heard about CANs, and were interested, what night they do? How to support their exploration of ideas and resources, through A/UK, Shareable, and the many other networks?
If we wish for a human, people-centred development of CANs, is that a good way to go? User journeys and stories ...

I'm always a bit nervous of putting templates on people.. but I agree with the premise of human centred development of CANs. Looking around our networks, i saw that there were at least 6 ways that people are building CANs which currently don't overlap much:

CAN as sangha / church, for becoming, looking at belief

CAN as the place to generate a 4th sector economy built on community wealth / commoning

CAN as democracy hub - participation, governance

CAN as learning club

CAN as farm - aiming for food sovereignty

CAN as care-system

Yes, risks in personas/templates. Just trying to figure whether next steps might be by helping personal exploration, however done; or finding common elements in the examples you mention, to develop a model; or helping emerging CANs to connect. Maybe just see what emerges during the Transition summit, and pick up later. Stuff happens :-)

Yes! What I will be looking for is not only common elements but the Elephant factors! ie if we were to put one of each of those people in a room together, what might they see appearing between them?