Good Energy and Economy – Transforming Communities through Collaboration Between Energy Cooperatives and Local Authorities

The concept of Common towards an economic, social, ecological democracy

For more than 5 years we organize seminars on the Common, we crossed many practical experiences with academic research on the concept of the Common realized a first e-book on the subject.
It seems to us more and more obvious that this concept of the common can give a framework to an alternative project of left embracing at the same time the social, economic emocratic and ecological question.
Many seminars, are organized on common goods, common … We believe that the role of transform! is to bring this concept as a central political issue and also to avoid it being misguided, including recovered by capitalism that prepares us a society where the owners are still masters of the world but totally hidden in an “uberized” society.

This concept of the Common speaks more and more to those who wish a social transformation in agreement with an ecological transition.
It appears as a process more relevant, more dynamic than the concepts of socialism or communism tainted by experiences leading to dead ends.
The concept of the common is based on two fundamental principles:
1-the social and democratic construction that is the process of the Common
2-The Common process is governed by the right of use which replaces the right of capitalist property, which governs all of our present Western societies

To fight for the common today is to fight against this inalienable right of property which overhangs all other rights.

Some Common rights have existed in the past, but they have all been eradicated by capitalism, going further and further into the commodification of society.
It is against this that the concept of Common fights and try to build  another society. Many experiences exist, micro farming experiences, a new municipalism reclaiming new, more participatory rights, on the issue of water, energy, cooperativs, selfmanaged entreprises struggles against land grabbing, and “unnecessary big projects”.
From all  these experiences clash against the question of institutions and the state necessary for sustainability of the Common and also to its generalization
For all these reasons and strong of our past seminars, we would like to organize in June 2019.
Our presence in Zagreb will also be an opportunity to meet and discuss with the energy transition movements that will be meeting in the city for their assembly in those days.
A general conference will be held on May 31 to transform! europe will participate with two members of the commons working group, who will present the work we are working on.

On June 1st and 2nd we will hold one of our seminars which will be attended by representatives of the movements that will participate in the initiatives in the city.

With support of: