I was at the Bioneers Chicago on Saturday, November 3 doing a workshop on “Welcome to the Gift Economy” – it was a critique of our current financial system and the institutions that teach it and about giftedness and P2P reciprocity. We CREATED our very own Gift Economy on the spot! Here is the deck:
Check out CivicLab’s call for ideas and collaboration at Neighborland, a tool for sharing ideas and sparking civic collaboration.
CivicLab’s first hack meeting is being generously hosted by Pumping Station: One on Thursday Oct 18th, 7:00PM – 9:00PM.
Snacks, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages provided!
How can open source technology, design, and data accelerate social change and community improvement efforts? From Open 311′s city tracking system and the Grassroots Mapping of environmental impacts, to pedal powered electricity and LED banners at protests; design and technology have proven to be robust change agents.
CivicLab is entering the field with an initiative called “Hacks for Activists” (H4A). H4A seeks to build tools that solve common problems plaguing community organizers. We’re looking for activists, designers, coders, open hardware enthusiasts, and anyone with the slightest interest in technology for social change.
Here’s a few ideas we’re currently exploring but new projects are most welcome:
For more information and notifications about future meetings, you can contact bsugar [at] skilfullycurled.org, or visit our web site at http://www.civiclab.us.
Please sign up on our Eventbrite so we can get an idea of how many to expect: http://hacksforactivists.eventbrite.com
The unique WBEZ public affairs interview program, The Barber Shop Show, interviewed Tom as part of a special show looking at the impacts and politics of the Olympics. Listen to the program:
bss87.mp3 on Vocalo.org 89.5
I was on the soapbox (again), this time at the Newberry Library’s annual Bughouse Square Debates in Washington Square Park. Prepared for hecklers, I inveighed against the privatizing crooks and back-room deals that have ripped us off and threaten to do worse. But the crowd warmed to my reminders of the Monroe Street Parking Garage, Skyway Bridge and Parking Meter rip-offs and really appreciated my blasting of Mayor Emanuel’s Infrastructure Trust. Listen to the speech (9 minutes):
The August issue of “Chicago Magazine” has a feature on how to make Chicago even better. They selected six Big Ideas. Mine was #5. It’s about establishing a public bank for Illinois.
“THE RATIONALE: A state bank could help Illinois reduce its budget deficit and make more credit available, thereby boosting the economy.
THE PROPONENT: Tom Tresser, cofounder of Illinois Citizens for Public Banking and a former teacher who coorganized the opposition to the 2016 Olympics
HE SAYS: “Illinois has more red ink than any state but California. It owes $34 billion in principal on its bonds; pension debt stands at $76 billion, the highest in the nation; and it pays a ton in bond interest and fees, not just because it has a poor credit rating but also because it also uses big out-of-state banks and investment firms to do the deals.
“Contrast that with North Dakota. Since the economic downturn began in 2008, North Dakota has had a budget surplus every year. It has no state debt, excellent credit, and the country’s lowest unemployment rate [3 percent]. While student loans in Illinois carry interest of 8 to 12 percent, in North Dakota it’s 4 percent.” Read the full story.
The 2012 Creative Chicago Expo is this Friday and Saturday at The Chicago Cultural Center. I will be conducting a round table discussion on how the creative community might organize for power. The discussions will be held in Preston Bradley Hall (on the second floor of the Cultural Center) near the Chicago Artists Resource table. Anyone is welcome to attend and join the conversation. My session will be on Saturday, March 24 at 11am.
Stand Up For Creativity 2012: Time To Advocate for Power & Resources – how to get serious resources for the arts and artists in Chicago and the U.S.
I’ll be in St. Louis on March 16 and 17 as part of the Occupy The Midwest Regional Conference. Join me and thousands of activists, concerned citizens and Occupiers under the Gateway Arch. I’ll be presenting on the No Games Chicago campaign and also “Community Organizing 101.” You can see the presentations at my teaching web site.
CounterSpin Radio, a project of FAIR, interviewed me about my experience with the No Games Chicago campaign (10 minutes). This was sparked by a recent front page article in The New York Times about forced evictions in Rio as part of the prep for the 2016 Olympics.
Murem Sharpe, the CEO and founder of the online audio service Evoca, interviewed Tom online. Tom has been using Evoca for online recording and archiving speeches for a number of years. This is the audio file, 21 minutes.