On June 23rd, the Diamante Bridge Collective hosted a transformative workshop titled “How to Merit the Commons” at Diamante Luz. This session aimed to explore community governance, voting rights, and sustainable practices through interactive activities and collaborative discussions. Here’s a recap of our journey and the way forward.
Workshop Session Summary
The workshop began with a warm welcome, setting the tone for a day filled with meaningful engagement. We gathered in a serene, natural setting that mirrored our commitment to harmony with nature and each other.
Impromptu Networking
We broke the ice with an impromptu networking session where participants paired up to explore the concept of “meriting the commons.” Conversations flowed easily as everyone shared their personal interpretations and ideas about earning the right to be heard and vote on community matters.
1-2-4-All
Next, we delved into the heart of the workshop with the 1-2-4-All exercise. Individually, we reflected on the criteria and processes that should govern access, voting rights, and harvesting yield from the commons. These reflections were then shared in pairs and later expanded in small groups. The collaborative spirit was palpable as each group presented their top insights:
- Education and Service: Emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and contributing to the community.
- Assessment and Accountability: Establishing clear steps for self-assessment, accountability, and council discernment.
- Ecosystem Perspective: Paying attention to the needs of the ecosystem and contributing accordingly.
- Shared Values and Reputation: Agreeing on common values and recognizing the importance of reputation in the community.
15% Solutions
We then moved on to the 15% Solutions exercise, where participants brainstormed immediate, small-scale actions to merit the commons. Ideas flowed freely, leading to actionable proposals:
- “I See You” Game: A recognition game where people can appreciate other people’s contribution. [GivePraise](givepraise.xyz] is a Giveth family tool useful to acknowledge community contributions.
- Opt-in Form: Instead of aiming to have a platform for this, with the implication of solving the technical and customizing complexities; a simple form for members to indicate the level of rights they feel they deserve, such as voice, vote, or access to the commons.
- Community Bank proposal: Implementing a system to track and value the time contributed by community members. Might be a Time bank, a community currency, a resource based trading economy.
Reflection and Future Planning
In the final segment, “What, So What, Now What?”, we reflected on the day’s activities and insights. Participants expressed appreciation for the coherence and common ground established during the workshop. While tangible outcomes were challenging to pinpoint, the actionable proposals from the 15% Solutions exercise provided a clear path forward.
Next Steps
Here are the next steps we have identified to continue building on the momentum of our workshop:
1. Implementation of the “I See You” Game
- Description: Develop the game format to recognize community contributions and efforts. Refer to GivePraise documentation for inspiration.
- Accountable Person: Gustavo
- Feasibility: High
- Status: To be planned. We have access to deploy this solution in the DBC Discord. To check if having this on Telegram is still possible.
2. Creation of Opt-in Form for Rights and Recognition
- Description: Create a simple form allowing members to express the level of voice, vote, and access to the commons they feel they deserve.
- Accountable Person: Danibelle
- Feasibility: High
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Status: Diamante Luz is in the process of implementation of this, you can check this example form for the D-Lusz stewardship scope as a reference. We encourage all land projects to do something similar within their scopes.
We will need also a form for the DBC community level for starting to reattribute contributions from individuals within our community.
3. Establishment of a Time Bank Community Currency
- Description: Implement a system to track and value the time contributed by community members.
- Accountable Person: [Name]
- Feasibility: Low
- Status: To be planned
4. Continued Education and Encouragement
- Description: Develop and distribute educational materials and sessions on the principles of the commons and community governance. Encourage leadership and active participation. Make more events on the land where people can take more action on engaging with the commons.
- Accountable Person: [Name]
- Feasibility: High
- Status: To be planned. This might deserve a proper collective session to be hold on this and the commitment from a technical provider.
5. Regular Check-ins and Feedback
- Description: Schedule regular community meetings to check in on progress, gather feedback, and adjust plans as necessary.
- Accountable Person: [Name]
- Feasibility: High
- Status: To be planned.
We believe that with the active participation and contribution of our community members, we can achieve significant progress in meriting the commons and fostering a thriving, sustainable community. Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed to this workshop. Let’s continue to work together towards our shared goals.
Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments below. And if you feel to take accountability to lead any of the points above, please move forward and commit in this thread. Let’s keep the momentum going!
