The World’s First Solutions- Focused Media Production Cooperative for a more Ecologically Sensible Future, Starting Today.

Production, Reinvented

“Creating a global, science backed commons inspired by nature, where passionate people collaborate locally and globally to share solutions, drive action, and empower all life to thrive.”

Creating a global solutions-focused production network for the betterment of all life—powered by collective action, rooted in scientific solutions, and inspired by nature—would be a monumental yet transformative undertaking. It could be framed as a “Web of Life for All Life”, where individuals, communities, organizations, and institutions contribute to a commons of knowledge, resources, and action for the flourishing of both human and nonhuman life.

Here’s a broad outline of how it might look, work, and the systems, structures, and ethical policies we’d need to support it:

Vision & Purpose

The overarching purpose would be to align human activity with the wellbeing of all ecosystems—social, environmental, and economic. This vision can be framed as:

A Global Knowledge Commons: A platform for sharing scientifically backed, nature inspired solutions.

Empowering Local Action: Giving communities the tools and resources to take meaningful action locally, while connecting to the global whole.

A Dynamic, Evolving System: Constantly updated with new research, innovations, and feedback loops from local communities and ecosystems.

Core Principles & Ethical Policies

The ethical framework should be rooted in inclusivity, sustainability, and long term thinking. Key principles include:

Respect for Life: Upholding the intrinsic value of all living beings and the interconnectedness of ecosystems.

Collaboration Over Competition: Fostering solidarity rather than division, with an emphasis on cooperation and mutual benefit.

Transparency & Openness: Ensuring open access to knowledge, with transparent data sharing and clear governance.

Decentralization & Local Empowerment: Encouraging action at the local level, with autonomy for communities to decide what is best for them within the global framework.

Accountability to Future Generations: Incorporating a longterm, multigenerational approach to all policies and decisions.

Access for All

Facts (not Fiction)

Translatable Text

Clarity above all else.

Systems & Structures

To make this vision a reality, several interconnected systems would be required:

Global Digital Commons Platform:  This would be a shared online space where all participants can access and contribute to the evolving repository of scientific knowledge, solutions, and best practices. The platform could include:

Scientific Knowledge Database: A central hub for peer reviewed research, evidence based solutions, and case studies.

Interactive Solutions Mapping: Visual maps showing how different communities and ecosystems are implementing sustainable solutions, which others can learn from and adapt to their own context.

Tools & Resources Repository: A place to access opensource technologies, educational materials, toolkits for local action, and funding opportunities.

 Collaboration Network: A global directory to connect individuals, organizations, and communities working on similar challenges.

Decentralized + Interconnected Management Systems

A decentralized management system would empower local decision making while ensuring global coordination and solidarity. This could take the form of:

Local Action Councils: Community led groups that make decisions about what actions to take, informed by the global knowledge commons.

Global Stewardship Council: A council made up of diverse stakeholders (scientists, activists, community leaders, policymakers) that provides strategic oversight, ensuring the system remains aligned with its core principles and evolving science.

Feedback Loops: Mechanisms for local actions to be reported back into the global commons, fostering a cycle of continuous learning and adaptation.

Open Data & Knowledge Sharing To ensure inclusivity and equal access to information:

Open Access & Peer Reviewed Content: All scientific research, data, and solutions should be open access, ensuring anyone, anywhere, can contribute and benefit from it.

Data Sovereignty: Ensuring that data shared by communities about their resources, culture, or ecosystems remains controlled by those communities, in alignment with their wishes and needs.

Incentive Structures

To encourage active participation and contribution, we’d need to create incentive mechanisms, such as:

Reputation Systems: Recognition through a merit based system (like digital badges or points) for people who contribute useful knowledge, resources, or solutions.

Resource Allocation: A system where points or reputation can translate into access to tools, funding, or technical support for projects.

Impact Tracking: Metrics for measuring how contributions to the platform have led to measurable improvements in local communities, ecosystems, or the economy.

Encouraging Global Solidarity and Engagement

To ensure people everywhere come together in solidarity, we would need to focus on:

Inclusive, Multilanguage Platforms: The platform should be multilingual, easily accessible across different cultures, and sensitive to local needs and customs.

 Storytelling and Visualization: Using stories, videos, infographics, and visualizations to make complex scientific concepts, environmental impacts, and local successes easy to understand. Stories help inspire action and foster empathy.

Cultural Relevance: Tailoring messages and actions to fit the cultural context of different regions—what works in one community may not be appropriate in another, so local autonomy is key.

Gamification: Introducing elements of gamification (with clear, tangible rewards) to motivate participation and create a sense of fun around collective action.

Building Trust and Engagement

To make it easier for people to trust and engage with this project:

Clear, Transparent Communication: Regular updates on the platform’s progress, funding, and actions taken. Openly report both successes and failures.

Peer Reviewed & Evidence Based: The commons would be scientifically credible, drawing on Peer reviewed research and real world impact data to support claims.

Ethical Oversight Committees: A system of ethical oversight at both global and local levels to ensure the platform and its actions align with ethical standards and respect for life.

Making It Easy for People to Understand

To ensure accessibility, we can focus on:

Simple Language: Avoid jargon and use plain language to explain complex ideas. Break down scientific and policy documents into digestible summaries.

Interactive Tools: Allow people to explore solutions and challenges interactively, giving them a more hands-on experience with the data.

Local Ambassadors: Train and empower individuals in local communities to act as ambassadors for the platform, making the global knowledge commons tangible at the community level.

Empowering Action at the Local Level

To drive meaningful action, the global platform should emphasize:

Tailored Local Solutions: Provide tools, technologies, and models that can be adapted to specific local conditions.

Partnerships with Local Governments and NGOs: Work closely with grassroots organizations, local governments, and indigenous communities to ensure their voices are at the center of decision making.

Support for Indigenous Knowledge Systems: Integrate traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) alongside modern scientific solutions, recognizing its value for sustainable living.

Sustaining the Movement

Sustaining such a project would require:

Long Term Financing: A blend of crowdfunding, philanthropic support, government investment, and corporate responsibility to fund the platform’s growth.

 Volunteer Networks: Engaging volunteers from around the world to help maintain and expand the platform’s reach, infrastructure, and operations.

 Conclusion

A Global Web of Life for All Life would be a vast, interconnected web of knowledge, action, and collaboration that is rooted in the scientific understanding of the world, inspired by the wisdom of nature, and led by the collective will of a passionate, diverse global community. By making the platform inclusive, accessible, and adaptable, and by emphasizing local empowerment alongside global solidarity, we can create a living, breathing commons that empowers all life to thrive.

Co-create Content and Initiatives
Collaborate on co-creating content, projects, and initiatives that cater to both core and new audiences. This can involve joint storytelling projects, cross-promotion of content, and shared community engagement strategies.

Communication and Coordination Tools
Utilizing communication and project management tools like Trello, Google Drive, and Airtable can enhance coordination and real-time collaboration among community media organizations. These tools enable seamless file sharing, task assignment, and project tracking, ensuring efficient teamwork and avoiding silos.

Conduct Community Needs Assessments
Conduct collaborative community needs assessments to identify new opportunities for collaboration and better understand the needs of the communities served.  This can inform the development of relevant and impactful joint initiatives.

Content Verification and Fact-checking
Utilizing content verification and fact-checking tools like Truly Media can ensure the accuracy and credibility of community-generated content, which is crucial for maintaining trust and integrity within the collaborative network.

Data Sharing and Visualization
Platforms like data.world  enable secure data sharing, visualization, and collaborative analysis among community media organizations. This can facilitate data-driven storytelling, investigative journalism, and evidence-based decision-making within the collaborative network.

Develop Shared Guidelines and Standards
Develop shared guidelines, standards, and codes of conduct for community media operations within the collaborative network.  This can ensure consistency, quality, and ethical practices while respecting the unique identities of individual organizations

Establish Clear Communication and Coordination
Establish clear communication protocols, regular meetings, and coordination mechanisms to ensure effective collaboration and avoid silos. This can involve appointing a dedicated coordinator or utilizing online collaboration tools.

Foster Capacity Building Organize workshops, training programs, and knowledge exchange sessions to enhance the skills and capacities of community media practitioners. This can include technical training, journalism skills, and best practices in community engagement.

Leverage Diverse Expertise and Resources
Leverage the diverse expertise, resources, and strengths of the participating organizations to create synergies and maximize impact  This can involve sharing technical expertise, fundraising strategies, or community outreach approaches.

Multimedia and Interactive Storytelling
Adopting multimedia and interactive storytelling formats, such as live-blogging platforms like ScribbleLive, can enhance the quality and engagement of community-generated content. These tools enable the integration of various media formats, fostering more immersive and impactful storytelling experiences.

Promote Collaboration and Networking
Facilitate collaboration and networking opportunities among community media organizations. This can involve joint projects, cross-promotion of content, and sharing of best practices. Regular meetings, conferences, or online forums can foster these connections.

Shared Online Platforms and Repositories
Developing shared online platforms or repositories can streamline content distribution, training resources, and knowledge sharing among community media initiatives.[ These centralized hubs enable easy access to co-created content, educational materials, and best practices, fostering collaboration and capacity building.

Social Media and Digital Outreach
Leveraging social media platforms and digital outreach strategies can amplify the reach and impact of community media initiatives, enabling cross-promotion of content and engagement with wider audiences. Social meddia can also facilitate networking and knowledge exchange within the collaborative network.

“We are on the cusp of the fastest, deepest, most consequential transformation of human civilization in history…” — Tony Seba & James Arbib, Co-Founders of RethinkX

Humanity is on the brink of existential transformation, but we’re blind to the deeper processes of change. To recognize the mind-blowing possibility space of the next decade, as well as its catastrophic risks, we must grasp the patterns of history to understand how they can illuminate today.

Rethinking Humanity takes viewers on a whirlwind tour of the rise and fall of civilizations through a powerful lens that makes sense of the past, so that we can step into the present and create our future. During the 2020s, key technologies will converge to completely disrupt the five foundational sectors that underpin civilization, and with them every major industry in the world today. In information, energy, food, transportation, and materials, costs will fall by 10x or more, while production processes an order of magnitude more efficient will use 90% fewer natural resources with 10x-100x less waste.

The knock-on effects for society will be as profound as the extraordinary possibilities that emerge. For the first time in history, we could overcome poverty easily. Access to all our basic needs could become a fundamental human right. But this is just one future outcome. The alternative could see our civilization collapse into a new dark age. Which path we take depends on the choices we make, starting today. The stakes could not be higher.

Source: RethinkX