Table of Contents Knowledge based economy, IT and the villages    The strength of the village    Embedding the Conference in an international network    The Gestalt of the village as theme of the Workshop    Knowledge based economy, IT and the villages    The strength of the village    Embedding the Conference in an international network    The Gestalt of the village as theme of the Workshop

Proposal (Waclaw): Meeting should be combined with a workshop " marginal rural areas in the face of knowledge based economy"

Second Proposal (Franz): This workshop could be follow-up to the three international Global Village Symposia. We had similar subjects, now we can focus on marginal rural areas.

Knowledge based economy, IT and the villages

Waclaw: when we speak about possibilities of village development resulting from knowledge based economies (KBE), then ICT are very important parameter, but we should see him in connection with other elements influencing on situation of village in new economy. Speaking about ICT we narrow a little to this, what is a tool. I think, that on rural areas, especially these marginal, basic problem is incompetence of adaptation to new economies. Main hindrance is not here incompetence of using ICT. Prior is little set of idea: for life and for business fitting to new times. When we know where we go, we know also what can be useful. When we enter on path of development we know already, that such tools, as ICT will be necessary.

Franz: The problem is that "new economy" is quite a vague term which can mean almost opposite things: the centralisation and monopolisation of knowledge and the turnig of knowledge to tradeable commodity - or the approach on open sharing and common grounds. Newer findings support the view that commodification of knowledge sharply disrupt the process of knowledge creation and this is only good in urban, taylorist workflow settings, which are totally opposed to the style and the mode of work in disperse rural communities. Therefore, talking about marginal rural areas in face of knowledge based economy, we are automatically drawn to the central question of *how* this knowledge economy works. Is it supporting and spurring creativity by giving free access to a shared repository of cultural patterns, or is it demanding the submission to intellectual property rights of patternholders? In the latter case, marginal rural areas will be more subject to disadvantageous and marginalizing tendencies. That is, in fact, the current path of development. But there is a big counteracting stream: It is amazing how fast Brazil, China, Argentina, Peru and many other countries ("villages" of the world) are picking up on the open source movement! They know they can change the path.

• The best way of adaption is to actively change the circumstances**.
  

Waclaw: Village will not extort access to knowledge with appeals, with requests, with rules. The way to KBE is trough being a partner, a player and not to be a beggar. It is possible to enter KBE even from position of village. Village which is creating their own new products does not have to do this alone, so far it's even not prepared to do this alone. It should do it with partners from world of knowledge, in cooperation with universities, research centers etc. The main point will be however the theme, the idea: for changings, for researching, for conversations. Less, but still very important point will be communication tools. Village then will come into being in new economy, when it will offer new products and among them new ideas, new solutions. Of course this does not means a break with tradition, because something new can be certain version of something old (tradition) or other combination of existing elements.

The strength of the village

Franz: I agree with you that we must "know where we go" in rural areas. The subject cannot be ICT alone, but they are just a part of the vision or the image of a future village that can be attractive and worth of living. The village as a living environment is competing with the city, where most young people go after they have a chance to get a taste of. So the challenge is to make village life as attractive as the city. The village has to embrace this competition and bring its strengths to full bloom. If this is not done intentionally and with clear strategic vision, marginal rural areas will continue to fall behind. But the crisis is always the mother of awareness and possibility to act.

Waclaw: It is necessary to discover these strengths together with village inhabitants. It is possible by using such methods like: learning by doing, action learning, participatory action research, advocacy planning, community search conferences, asset based community development, appreciative inquiry, building communities from the inside out, community empowerment. Sierakowo inhabitants suddenly convince, that they will be able to build wooden houses, to serve guests, 13 years old Daniel is proud with one's own knowledge about the region and of old agricultural machines. village inhabitants take participation, as guides, in LARP on the basis of J. R. R. Tolkien prose.

Franz:: I agree with you that there is strenth in the village that can be unleashed:

• -landscape, existing co-operation with nature, a lot of free resources which can be considered real wealth.
• solidarity of people: the fewer the people, the more the individual counts, but there is also a widespread feeling for spiritual union.
• potential of expression of individual and common values, the absence of an anonymous form of social control (while many villages still exert a more personal and depressing social control)

Waclaw: Let us have a look on odds, such danger always existing. Unequal relations of knowledge are therefore a critical factor that perpetuates class or elite domination. Inequalities abound - in access to information, in the production and definition of legitimate knowledge, in the domination of expertise over common knowledge in decision making. Underlying all of these elements of the power of expertise is the expert's lack of any accountability to the ordinary people affected by his or her knowledge. The ideology of the knowledge society is a potent one, with profound consequences for participatory democracy: A knowledge system that "subordinates knowledge of ordinary people also subordinates common people" Gaventa, J. (1988). "Participatory research in North America." Convergence, 24 (2-3):19-28. We don't prevent such subordination through appeals and laws, but trough activity.

Embedding the Conference in an international network

Franz: I also advocate a broader perspective, and why I think the "wire" to Jeff Buderer" who has an equal scope is so precious. Jeff is a long - term inhabitant of Arcosanti] and works with the oneVillage Foundation. He has proposed to link the Polish event to the upcoming Paradox Conference in Arcosanti. I think he has the same "broadband view", that the village must use its strategic strengths to become a liveworthy place in the eyes of the young people.

The Gestalt of the village as theme of the Workshop

Franz: So what would be the subject of a Global Village Symposium or workshop?

here are my main suggestions.

• The ideas about the future of the village. How will this place look like in 50 years? Will it be another extension of the city, or will it be deserted? Or if not, what else will it be?

We try to show in Malechowo, how country school can be a center of knowledge creation and place for development of different intelligence. We began from trainings of juggling, we taught to juggle 30 kids, and later they taught to juggle 400 schoolboys. Then we added to juggling also other technics and plays connected with brain training and creativity development. From 8 to 15 February we organize workshop of creativity enlarging plays. Our aim is preparation of 40 coaches of creativity enlarging plays (CEP), which will take participation at CEP festival organization (May 2004). Together with festival will be seminar about brain gym. This is also knowledge, our products for KBE. Next step will be creation CEP center: services, research, development

Other example: village Zarszyn , south of Poland. There is 500 years old tradition of common pastures. Today, when agriculture dies and in Zarszyn there are only few cows, falls also common pasture, falls, because they're loosing basic, original function. What we can do with common pastures in KBE, how to use them, how to make a profit on this basis? Already not through pasturing of cows and mowing hays. Now we can make profits by showing and researching an idea of common pastures from different points of view: economic, ethnographical, literary, social, ecological, geographical...

Franz:

• What ideas and village dreams are there in the brains of visionaries, futurists, that they want to share with us?

Franz:

• How can information economy help us come closer to that future?

http://www.viitindia

Franz:

? what type of economic relations, what tools, which services, which products do we need (and are they out there??) and what can we ourselves contribute and deliver? What new professions, processes and so on are there "inside"and "outside" the information sphere?

Waclaw: How to use ICT in creative manner, to enlarging rural areas competitive abilities on the market? Shoemaker seeking in Internet for information about tradesman of leather is still shoemaker. Their main product are boots, not knowledge and information. Which one has to be a shoemaker in KBE, which one has to be a farmer in KBE? Differences are colossal, not in a tool but in a vision and of mission of shoemaker, farmer etc. We need rethinking, changing a model. Shoemaker equipped in ICT tools an possibilities still fights with competition of great shoe producers and mostly loses. What about their odds: shoemaker as artist, teacher, educator, therapist, and? With him such shoemaker should cooperate, which one knowledge they should conquer? Knowledge about tradesmen of leather and market, sale through Internet? This is not enough. How such shoemaker, smith, farmer can cooperate with university, with artists? What they can do to grow stronger?

Franz:

• How can cities be motivated so spurr the development of marginal rural areas instead of sucking them to death?

Franz

• How can we (as inhabitants of a village) bring our differences into "chaordic" (Chaos creating order) forms, reinforcing each other instead of bringing each other down, e.g. by social control?

Table of Contents Knowledge based economy, IT and the villages    The strength of the village    Embedding the Conference in an international network    The Gestalt of the village as theme of the Workshop    Knowledge based economy, IT and the villages    The strength of the village    Embedding the Conference in an international network    The Gestalt of the village as theme of the Workshop

Proposal (Waclaw): Meeting should be combined with a workshop " marginal rural areas in the face of knowledge based economy"

Second Proposal (Franz): This workshop could be follow-up to the three international Global Village Symposia. We had similar subjects, now we can focus on marginal rural areas.

Knowledge based economy, IT and the villages

Waclaw: when we speak about possibilities of village development resulting from knowledge based economies (KBE), then ICT are very important parameter, but we should see him in connection with other elements influencing on situation of village in new economy. Speaking about ICT we narrow a little to this, what is a tool. I think, that on rural areas, especially these marginal, basic problem is incompetence of adaptation to new economies. Main hindrance is not here incompetence of using ICT. Prior is little set of idea: for life and for business fitting to new times. When we know where we go, we know also what can be useful. When we enter on path of development we know already, that such tools, as ICT will be necessary.

Franz: The problem is that "new economy" is quite a vague term which can mean almost opposite things: the centralisation and monopolisation of knowledge and the turnig of knowledge to tradeable commodity - or the approach on open sharing and common grounds. Newer findings support the view that commodification of knowledge sharply disrupt the process of knowledge creation and this is only good in urban, taylorist workflow settings, which are totally opposed to the style and the mode of work in disperse rural communities. Therefore, talking about marginal rural areas in face of knowledge based economy, we are automatically drawn to the central question of *how* this knowledge economy works. Is it supporting and spurring creativity by giving free access to a shared repository of cultural patterns, or is it demanding the submission to intellectual property rights of patternholders? In the latter case, marginal rural areas will be more subject to disadvantageous and marginalizing tendencies. That is, in fact, the current path of development. But there is a big counteracting stream: It is amazing how fast Brazil, China, Argentina, Peru and many other countries ("villages" of the world) are picking up on the open source movement! They know they can change the path.

• The best way of adaption is to actively change the circumstances**.
  

Waclaw: Village will not extort access to knowledge with appeals, with requests, with rules. The way to KBE is trough being a partner, a player and not to be a beggar. It is possible to enter KBE even from position of village. Village which is creating their own new products does not have to do this alone, so far it's even not prepared to do this alone. It should do it with partners from world of knowledge, in cooperation with universities, research centers etc. The main point will be however the theme, the idea: for changings, for researching, for conversations. Less, but still very important point will be communication tools. Village then will come into being in new economy, when it will offer new products and among them new ideas, new solutions. Of course this does not means a break with tradition, because something new can be certain version of something old (tradition) or other combination of existing elements.

The strength of the village

Franz: I agree with you that we must "know where we go" in rural areas. The subject cannot be ICT alone, but they are just a part of the vision or the image of a future village that can be attractive and worth of living. The village as a living environment is competing with the city, where most young people go after they have a chance to get a taste of. So the challenge is to make village life as attractive as the city. The village has to embrace this competition and bring its strengths to full bloom. If this is not done intentionally and with clear strategic vision, marginal rural areas will continue to fall behind. But the crisis is always the mother of awareness and possibility to act.

Waclaw: It is necessary to discover these strengths together with village inhabitants. It is possible by using such methods like: learning by doing, action learning, participatory action research, advocacy planning, community search conferences, asset based community development, appreciative inquiry, building communities from the inside out, community empowerment. Sierakowo inhabitants suddenly convince, that they will be able to build wooden houses, to serve guests, 13 years old Daniel is proud with one's own knowledge about the region and of old agricultural machines. village inhabitants take participation, as guides, in LARP on the basis of J. R. R. Tolkien prose.

Franz:: I agree with you that there is strenth in the village that can be unleashed:

• -landscape, existing co-operation with nature, a lot of free resources which can be considered real wealth.
• solidarity of people: the fewer the people, the more the individual counts, but there is also a widespread feeling for spiritual union.
• potential of expression of individual and common values, the absence of an anonymous form of social control (while many villages still exert a more personal and depressing social control)

Waclaw: Let us have a look on odds, such danger always existing. Unequal relations of knowledge are therefore a critical factor that perpetuates class or elite domination. Inequalities abound - in access to information, in the production and definition of legitimate knowledge, in the domination of expertise over common knowledge in decision making. Underlying all of these elements of the power of expertise is the expert's lack of any accountability to the ordinary people affected by his or her knowledge. The ideology of the knowledge society is a potent one, with profound consequences for participatory democracy: A knowledge system that "subordinates knowledge of ordinary people also subordinates common people" Gaventa, J. (1988). "Participatory research in North America." Convergence, 24 (2-3):19-28. We don't prevent such subordination through appeals and laws, but trough activity.

Embedding the Conference in an international network

Franz: I also advocate a broader perspective, and why I think the "wire" to Jeff Buderer" who has an equal scope is so precious. Jeff is a long - term inhabitant of Arcosanti] and works with the oneVillage Foundation. He has proposed to link the Polish event to the upcoming Paradox Conference in Arcosanti. I think he has the same "broadband view", that the village must use its strategic strengths to become a liveworthy place in the eyes of the young people.

The Gestalt of the village as theme of the Workshop

Franz: So what would be the subject of a Global Village Symposium or workshop?

here are my main suggestions.

• The ideas about the future of the village. How will this place look like in 50 years? Will it be another extension of the city, or will it be deserted? Or if not, what else will it be?

We try to show in Malechowo, how country school can be a center of knowledge creation and place for development of different intelligence. We began from trainings of juggling, we taught to juggle 30 kids, and later they taught to juggle 400 schoolboys. Then we added to juggling also other technics and plays connected with brain training and creativity development. From 8 to 15 February we organize workshop of creativity enlarging plays. Our aim is preparation of 40 coaches of creativity enlarging plays (CEP), which will take participation at CEP festival organization (May 2004). Together with festival will be seminar about brain gym. This is also knowledge, our products for KBE. Next step will be creation CEP center: services, research, development

Other example: village Zarszyn , south of Poland. There is 500 years old tradition of common pastures. Today, when agriculture dies and in Zarszyn there are only few cows, falls also common pasture, falls, because they're loosing basic, original function. What we can do with common pastures in KBE, how to use them, how to make a profit on this basis? Already not through pasturing of cows and mowing hays. Now we can make profits by showing and researching an idea of common pastures from different points of view: economic, ethnographical, literary, social, ecological, geographical...

Franz:

• What ideas and village dreams are there in the brains of visionaries, futurists, that they want to share with us?

Franz:

• How can information economy help us come closer to that future?

http://www.viitindia

Franz:

? what type of economic relations, what tools, which services, which products do we need (and are they out there??) and what can we ourselves contribute and deliver? What new professions, processes and so on are there "inside"and "outside" the information sphere?

Waclaw: How to use ICT in creative manner, to enlarging rural areas competitive abilities on the market? Shoemaker seeking in Internet for information about tradesman of leather is still shoemaker. Their main product are boots, not knowledge and information. Which one has to be a shoemaker in KBE, which one has to be a farmer in KBE? Differences are colossal, not in a tool but in a vision and of mission of shoemaker, farmer etc. We need rethinking, changing a model. Shoemaker equipped in ICT tools an possibilities still fights with competition of great shoe producers and mostly loses. What about their odds: shoemaker as artist, teacher, educator, therapist, and? With him such shoemaker should cooperate, which one knowledge they should conquer? Knowledge about tradesmen of leather and market, sale through Internet? This is not enough. How such shoemaker, smith, farmer can cooperate with university, with artists? What they can do to grow stronger?

Franz:

• How can cities be motivated so spurr the development of marginal rural areas instead of sucking them to death?

Franz

• How can we (as inhabitants of a village) bring our differences into "chaordic" (Chaos creating order) forms, reinforcing each other instead of bringing each other down, e.g. by social control?