You may not find a lot of answers here, but you sure will find some interesting questions. State of The Commons message - 2008 Latest collaborative project. The Commons in brief: A wide open, world-wide forum concerned with improving our understanding and control of technology as it impacts on people in their daily lives. Seeking out and supporting new sustainability concepts for business, entrepreneurs, activists, community groups, and government; a thorn in the side of hesitant administrators, politicians and businessmen in denial; and through our joint efforts, energy and personal choices, placing them and ourselves firmly on the path to a more sustainable and more just society. State of The Commons - 2008 Our annual report to our international collaborators, offering a quick recap of 2007, a look ahead to 2008, and an introspection about the nature of problem-solving in our main areas of competence. The keys to the year directly ahead are two: First, to face the music and recognize the full dimensions and urgency of the problems before our cities and our planet. And in parallel with this, to find more effective ways to solve these challenges, through more seamless international networking and collaborative problem solving. Two-four target focus: The Commons focuses on programs and measures that can obtain visible, measurable sustainability impacts within this very short term horizon. It is not that we neglect the importance of longer term thinking and overarching strategies for these longer term trends and goals - but that we think that the short term is too critical to be neglected. The search is thus on for short term measures that open the way for more ambitious and far reaching longer term strategies and structures. Tools. People. Needs. Hopes. Futures. Collaboration: The soul of The Commons We set as our goal many years ago to create with The Commons an independent interactive platform for new thinking and collaborative problem-solving to take on the arduous challenges of sustainable development and social justice -- a platform mediated by low cost IP technologies, made freely available to all, based on open networking and aggressive international outreach, supporting structured information exchanges and collaborative peer action programs on the matters which are of main concern to us. The New Mobility Agenda Unconstrained by bureaucracy, economic interests or schedules, The Agenda was launched in 1974 as an open international platform for critical exchanges of materials and views, and diverse forms of cross-border collaboration on the challenging, necessarily conflicted topic of "sustainable transportation and social justice". More than twenty collaborative programs and world discussion groups bringing together several thousand individuals and groups in these collaborative efforts. New Ways to Work in an Information Society A 21st century group work platform, mediated by a steadily expanding series of electronic and communications tools, and specifically targeted to encourage and support alternative thinking and hands-on experimentation in the fast-changing, often troubled and seriously under-explored new world of work. Attention to ways in which the world of work and the rapid advances in information and communications technology interface with each other. New opportunities are there. But you must be open to them Communication is the Key The move to sustainability depends on our ability to shape and mobilize technology in new, softer and more effective ways. And of these, information and communication technologies are critical. Start by using this toolset in your daily work to increase your effectiveness -- and in the process you will discover how you can reduce your physical travels by half. Go on a CO2 diet: You and the planet will feel a lot better, you will save a lot of time, and a pile of money, and your children will be proud of you. Check it out here. Gender, Equity and Transport Forum Women suffer in many ways from the transportation arrangements that exist in most poor parts of the world and especially in rural areas where women and girls are required to perform many burdensome and health-threatening tasks. But public policy and investments rarely take this into account. The Gatnet program was created in an attempt to do something about this. It presently brings together some 80 field workers and supporting groups in an open collaborative network. World Inventory of Sustainability Resources One-click access to our continuously updated repertoire of hundreds of outstanding sustainability research and action programs and websites, each doing their bit to advance the sustainability agenda in some fifty countries world wide. Indexed and fully searchable. (Did we miss one of your best references? Let us know so it will be there for all to use.) Personal Responsibility Easy to say, but not so easy to do. Today most of us are locked into daily life choices, small and large, inconsequential and egregious, which together add up to pretty unsustainable lives. Even those of us who claim our concern about the crisis of sustainability for the planet as a whole. Given our high public exposure, our examples count double. Oops. Check yourself out and ponder how we might do better. Britton 2006-2010 work plan/cooperation As founder, coordinator & for my sins usually main paymaster of The Commons, I have temporarily purloined this slot to invite ideas and suggestions for my work program and that of The Commons for the remainder of this decade. The site is intended for long time colleagues, friends and eventual work partners. It is password protected, so if you wish to access, please get in touch first. World sustainabilty news in six languages Drop in to our Forum   Site looks best when using browsers enabled with JavaScript 1.2 and CSS, such as Firefox or IE 6+. Europe: 8/10 rue Joseph Bara 75006 Paris, France, Europe. T: +331 4326 1323 USA : 9440 Readcrest Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90210. T: +1 310 601-8468 No Copyright 1994-2008 The Commons ® Last updated on 8 December 2007 The Commons has had international visitors since 3 July 1995.