A Brief History of uniteddiversity Key Points in our history: * January 23rd, 2000: Josef registered uniteddiversity.com * June 28th, 2000: Josef takes uniteddiversity : Profit and Power to the People and shows it to Danny, Tom, Adit, Anna, AC (friends from LSE) * February 8th, 2001: Our first “Sessions of Spontaneity” party was held at Public Life. DJ Fiend and Mat EP on the decks, Spectre on the mic. * August 14th, 2001: The Unknown, band of the Camden Society for people with learning disabilities, becomes the first live band to play at uniteddiversity’s “Sessions of Spontaneity” * September 11th, 2001: No one turns up for uniteddiversity @ Public Life. * November 13th 2001: We gave out free copies of DJ Rubbish’s Armageddon Session, over a year before it was officially released, 2 months after 9/11 (Rubbish, aka our resident Mat EP, was there at the time) and a month after the marches against invading Afghanistan. Our Tools for Change CD-Rom included artciles by John Pilger, a full pdf copy of the Koran, and the Oxford University’s Introduction to Islam. * January 16th, 2002: After a one-off gig in December, we begin our 3 month residency at the Bug Bar in Brixton. Seb Rochford of Polar Bear is our resident drummer and brings along Z Star who blows our mind and gets everyone dancing their socks off. * February 1st, 2002: “Sessions of Spontaneity” 1st Birthday @ Pirate Castle * April 2nd, 2002: uniteddiversity @ WKD with Z Star, Sonarfly and residents * May 1st, 2002: Sustainable Enterprise Agency proposal (see udSEAdraftv0.2.pdf) * June 17th, 2002: Purchased CD production equipment which has since paid for itself and become part of the uniteddiversity commons. We used it to print and burn good-value high-quality demo CDs and CD-Roms for (Un)signed Bands (e.g. Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland, Menlo Park, Planetman, Saritah) and NGOs (e.g. new economics foundation). The equipment includes the infamous 7-drive CD burner that lived at LARC for a while, with Indymedia London, London Rising Tide and others, before moving to the rampART creative centre down the road (where it joined a switch/router, laser printer, 4 desktop computers, reams of paper and spindles of CDs also supplied by uniteddiversity to help estabish rampARTs shared office space and hacklab) It is where all the Tools for Change CDs have come from, and was recently used by Peace Not War to burn their London Mix 2006. * August 6th, 2002: uniteddivesity @ WKD with Keziah Jones and Z Star. * August 7th, 2002: Registered uniteddiversity LLP with Companis House. * April 9th, 2003: Pay what you like Peace Party and launch of the Pedipeace concept @ Sahara Nights, with Pillow, Sonarfly and DJ Rubbish. * June 5th, 2003: Launch of our book shop during uniteddiversity @ Sahara Nights, featuring Polar Bear and Saritah. * Feb 7th, 2004: uniteddiversity’s open space and birthday celebrations at 491Gallery * 2005 * Feb 12th. 2nd Open Co-op meetup at ECF and Peace Not War Party at Circle Community Centre. * Feb 8th. ud’s 4th bday. Josef (and Oli) host a forum about The Open Co-op and co-operative economics at the rampART creative centre, after an excellent film, The Take. * Jan 8th. First Open Co-op meetup * History of uniteddiversity o 2000 o 2001 o 2002 o 2003 o 2004 o 2005 2000 * 23rd January 2000 – registered uniteddiversity.com * 9th April 2000 – UmightlikeUD.pdf * June 28th 2000 udppp.pdf – took to show TPLP (Danny, Tom, Adit, Anna, AC): From udppp.pdfuniteddiversity : Profit and Power to the People.“Our distinctness is as precious as our unity, and our unity as our distinctness. Without…harmony…how could we hold together? But without our difference, how kindle each other?”"…our diversity hurts, it even infuriates; but it does not really matter. Indeed in the end it is an enrichment…a welcome participation of each in the uniqueness of the other”- Olaf Stapledon. Taken from ‘The Core’ 1945.What is uniteddiversity?uniteddiversity is the world’s first business based on the unique E-sEnsE™ business model, the pioneering new force promoting beneficial change in the New E-conomy.E-sEnsE™ business is an expression of a common sense belief in Ethical, Equitable and Efficient values and practices. Who is uniteddiversity? uniteddiversity is a collective of symbiotic engineers and cultural communicators. We help bring people together in mutually advantageous relationships. You are already a cultural communicator, and can easily become a symbiotic engineer. The best way is to work with, or help, uniteddiversity. The easiest way to help is to give uniteddiversity your time and/or money – consider it an investment, for you and for the world. For more information mailto: info@uniteddiversity.com 2001 * 1. Feb 8th 2001 – First uniteddiversity @ Public Life * 2. Feb 22nd – uniteddiversity @ Public Life * 3. March 8th – uniteddiversity @ Public Life * 4. March 22nd – uniteddiversity @ Public Life * 5. April 26th – uniteddiversity @ Public Life * 6. May 23rd – uniteddiversity @ Public Life * 7. June 28th 2001 – uniteddiversity @ public life (last 2nd and 4th thursday) (see udmail3 dated 27th june) * 8. July 24th 2001 – uniteddiversity @ Public Life: JDC, Chunky Hampton, DJ Fiend, Mat EP, Spectre * 9. August 14th 2001 – uniteddiversity @ Public Life: The Unknown * 10. September 11th 2001 – uniteddiversity @ Public Life: No one * 11. October 9th 2001 – unofficial re-birth Public Life: Physical Love * October 13th – Anti War Demo: Afghanistan * 12. November 13th – Public Life: Polar Bear PLUS DJ Rubbish and War Special CD Rom * November 18th – Anti War Demo * 13. December 3rd – Bug Bar: Fat Tuesday 2002 * 14. January 16th – Bug Bar: DJ Fiend, Mat EP, Spectre, Polar Bear plus guest Mr Hectic, Lazarus Black, Ellie and Z Star o o * 15. Feb 1st 2002 – Pirate Castle: Polar Bear, ud’s 1st Birthday o * 16. February 13th – Bug Bar: Acoustic Ladyland * Feb 15th and 22nd: Anti-War Demos * Feb 27th 02 – find out no more bug bar after march (see ud010302.htm) * 17. March 13th – Bug Bar: Paul and Shingai * 18. Tuesday 2nd April 2002 – uniteddiversity @ WKD: Z Star, Sonarfly and residents * May 1st Sustainable Enterprise Agency proposal (see udSEAdraftv0.2.pdf) * 19. May 7th – wkd: polar bear, luis tuna, lone * 20. June 4th – wkd: sonarfly * 17th June 2002 – order cd equipment. This equipment has since paid for itself – Josef used it to burn and print good-value high-quality demo CDs and CD-Roms for (Un)signed Bands (e.g. Polar Bear, Acoustic Ladyland, Menlo Park, Planetman, Saritah) and NGOs (e.g. New Economics Foundation). The equipment includes the infamous 7-drive CD burner that lived at LARC for a while, with Indymedia London, Rising Tide and others, before moving to the rampART creative centre down the road (where it joined a switch/router, laser printer, 4 desktop computers, reams of paper and spindles of CDs also supplied by uniteddiversity to help estabish The Hub, rampARTs shared office space). * Monday June 24th – anti apathy * 21. Tue July 2nd – wkd: Acoutic ladyland and sonarfly, jade and one * August 5th – invoice nef for 500 CD Rom to take to Joburg £590 * 22. August 6th – wkd: Keziah Jones and Z Star * 7th August 2002 – Registered uniteddiversity LLP * 23. Septemer 3rd – wdk: Mr Ping and Pillow (plus Z exclusive acoustic set at end) * 24. October 1st – wkd: Jin Goh Quartet, Pillow, Nicky Marbles, Owen Saunders, Paul * October 1st – invoice menlo park for 500 promo mini-cds £675 * 25. November 5th – wkd: Z Star 2003 * Feb 2003 – 2nd Birthday * 26. April 9th 2003 – Sahara Nights: Pay what you like Peace Party; Pillow Sonarfly DJ Rubbish * 27. June 5th 2003 – Sahara Nights: Polar Bear and Saritah plus books * Saturday June 15th – Camden Green Fair: Books * 28. August 7th – Sahara Nights: Saritah, Planetman and the Internationalz, Chris Bowden 2004 * 29. Feb 7th, ud’s 3rd Birthday and Feb7thOpenSpace at 491Gallery * 30. WTF’s The Future @ 491Gallery * 31. WTF’s The Future @ 491Gallery * Oct 15th-17th. Take the bookshop on the ECF Carnival Forum Bus, and publically launch The Open Co-op during the European Social Forum. I didn’t end up doing the video with Vinay on March 31st (I was too tired and not feeling inspired – its still going to happen though…). This summary of the plan I recently wrote in an e-mail to a list of lovely people is probably the best on paper outline at present: In short, here are my thoughts and the idea: Purpose: to create a Happy Planet. To improve quality of life on Earth whilst simultaneously reducing ecological footprint. To create a world where everyone one is able to live long happy lives without wrecking the planet. Starting points: * Timebanks (I worked for TimeBanks UK), LETS (my Mum ran London’s biggest for 5 years), Bartercard, etc. etc are really great community building and exchange tools, BUT * Until there is a community currency in which I can pay my rent and by food and energy, I/ we will be forever a slave to the capitalist banking system that creates money as debt (and requires constant economic growth, i.e. social and ecological destruction) * Therefore, if I/ we want to launch/ create a scalable values-drive community currency and create a Happy Planet, we need to acquire land and invest in food, shelter and energy infrastructure. * Together We Have Everything. All the money, skills, contacts etc. we need to make this happen. United Diversity was set-up in recognition of this. The plan: * The deal is that all members of United Diversity agree to invest at least 1% of their income into a shared pot and decide together how best to invest it in eco land and infrastructure projects, and to spend at least 1% of their time working on common goals. * Actually, the idea is that everyone agree to contribute at least one “contributary unit” each, with 1% of income and time both representing 0.5 of a unit (e.g. one could contribute 2% of income and no time, or vice versa, but all are encouraged/ incentivised to invest as much as they can.) * Members will be allowed to decide where their money goes both geographically, and what proportions goes into the land fund (for buying land) and infrastructure fund (for lending to eco land projects so they can get more infrastructure), e.g. one. might decide that I want 25% of my contributions to only be spend in my London postcode, another 25% to be spent anywhere in Europe and the remaining 50% to only be spend in Sub Saharan Africa, with 75% going into the land purchase funds in those areas and the rest available to loan to existing community/ eco land projects for infrastructure investments. * How will we make decision about what to spend the money on? Well, everyone should be able to have a say in anything that effects them. And since everything and everyone is connected that means everyone should be able to have their say on everything. However, the amount of say that one has on a particular issue should be proportionate to how much that issue affect you, i.e. people who live and work in Smallville should have more say about what happens in Smallville than people who don’t. Ideally, therefore, ratings and votes in the decision making process (see below) will be weighted according to one’s degree of seperation from the matter at hand. * So what is the decision making process? 1. Brainstrom ideas, rate them on one or more criteria on a scale of -2 to +2. Ideas that, say, get and overall average of +1 got through to the next stage… 2. Top ideas are debated. Members make for/ against arguments for each idea outline how they will increase quality of life whilst reducing ecological footprint, or not. Again, these arguments are rated. Each idea is clear presented with the the strongest for/ against argument clearly visible. 3. A vote is taken, in which all members can participate but where votes are weighted as outlined above. Additionally, members can choose to accept “vote recommendations” from other people they trust on the issue, thereby effectively delegating their vote to whomever they beleive is most informed on the topic. This allows people who have neither the time nor inclination, or simply don’t trust themselves, to still have their say. * So, we’ve brought a load of land and lent money to lots of nice eco/ community land projects to invest in new infrastructure. What now? We rent the land out and/ or sell leaseholds to people who agree to work according to ecological prinicples (in a similar way to how http://ecologicalland.coop/ plan to operate, see http://ecologicallandcoop.wordpress.com/example-elc-hamlets/ecological-land-management-criteria/ ) and we collect infrastructure loan repayments. * Any surplus money coming in from land rentals and loan repayments is split 50/50. 50% is re-invested into yet more land/ infrastructure projects and 50% is redistributed to members as dividends. * The amount of dividend income a members recieves us proportionate to how much they’ve contributed in “contributory units” (i.e. money and/ or “sweat equity”, as outlined above). * But is not just how much members put it that effects the amount of dividents they receive. It how much they take out too, i.e. what share of the world’s resources do they use? i.e. how big is their ecological footprint? * What do you mean? Well, the amount of dividend a particular member receives will be based on an equation a bit like this: Number of contributory units multipled by reputation (based on peer rating or any work done) divided by ecological footprint. * This incentivises member both to contribute a lots (and care about the quality of their work) and to reduce their ecological footprint, great! :) * But there is more! The dividends are not paid out in pounds, dollars, euros etc. but in a new United Diversity currency backed by the real wealth and use value of our shared land and infrastructure assets. We might call the currency “ecos” or “freedom tickets”. * Also, eco land projects who fully buy into the whole mission will be invited to issue this currency themselves, and to repay their infrastructure loans in it, backed by an agreement to accept the currency themselves in exchange food/ shetler/ energy. * And people who have no money but lots of time and williingness to work the land will be able to pay their rent on our land in this currency too. * And each year will hold “Building Man” festivals (because its a play on the amazing Burning Man festivals) where instead of creating a temporary city in the desert and then destroying it, we’ll harness all that amazing creativity and self-organising power to build ecovillages in sensible places (i.e. on community owned land) and leave them there! (a great opportunity for people put int their 1%+) * And we’ll celebrate that we’ve finally freed ourselves from the money as debt bank slavery system and created a saner economic model! * Yay! Is that clear? Thoughts, comments, suggestions?!? Also, a friend recently asked: Josef if I don’t have any income can I just give you 1% of the bread that I bake and weasel my way onto your land? To which I responded: Well, 1% of 0 is zero! But, also, you are lying! Job seekers or working tax credit is still some income! Expected contribution is 1% of income and time, with minimums being £5/ month and 10mins a day. Actually, my plan is for the agreement to be that everyone contribute at least one “unit” each, with 1% of income and time both representing 0.5 units. i.e. you could choose to contribute 2% or time and no income, or 2% of income and no time. Do you follow? Either way, YES you can weasel your way onto our land :) Also, for those wondering where the land is: Thought you all might to know that you can check out exactly where the land is using this website: http://sigpac.mapa.es/fega/visor/ Once its loaded up, hit the little binoculars button at the top to open the search dialog box. Choose “Coordenadas” and enter these details in the appropriate fields: X 584051 Y 4441660 Huso 30 That puts the map squarely on the 9m x 9m foundations we’ve already got :) You can use the bar on the right to zoom in. Once you’re really close (i.e. the scale bar at the top is 200m) some check boxes appear under “Capas” on the left. Check the “Parcelas” box and you can see the boundaries of all the different parcels of land. Our land is actually 3 plots. The one you’re centred one, plus the L-shaped one just above and the small one immediately below. Enjoy! Josef. PS you can see some photo in the image galleries on the wiki: http://wiki.uniteddiversity.com/tiki-galleries.php (got a load more photo’s too – will upload them somewhere sensible eventually…)