Critique of the existing system has never been lacking on the Left. But, argues Danijela Dolenec, Elinor Ostrom's empirical work on the commons suggests another approach, one that seeks to discover the practical underpinnings of durable socialist organization. As Dolenec puts it, 'the design of in
Elinor Ostrom's studies of commons-based social organization have important lessons for those looking to develop new commons, online and elsewhere. Here Dan Hind sets out some key findings from her work, and sketches some of the implications.
Horizontal democracy attempts to ensure equality by embracing diversity and conflict. Within these political structures, diversity is not a problem that needs to be resolved: there is no narrative of uniformity, no shared identity (national or otherwise) and no predetermined ideology.
This vital matter of public concern, with far-reaching ramifications for our relationship to nature should be subject to greater democratic debate.
The point of looking at how consensus is actually established in practice is to see that despite the fundamental difference in logic, consensus and voting share a problem that may be more evident in voting but which - it seems - is also unavoidable in consensus: there is always an element of coerc
