[b:1l04wwdu][size=150:1l04wwdu]CDS – A Dynamic Community at the Edge of Tomorrow[/size:1l04wwdu][/b:1l04wwdu]
The [b:1l04wwdu][i:1l04wwdu]Citizens' Alliance for Rights and Equality ( CARE)[/i:1l04wwdu] [/b:1l04wwdu]is a very different type of political organization from any other political parties –not only in our virtual community, but also in Real Life. We strongly believe that "[b:1l04wwdu]politics[/b:1l04wwdu]" -or the manner in which a city, or community, governs itself, is only relevant to the daily lives of its citizens if it is structured around the notions of active participation and community involvement. In the 21st Century, the "[b:1l04wwdu]res publica[/b:1l04wwdu]", that is, those matters affecting the public – us all, can no longer be limited to the basic role of traditional parties in the public sphere: mobilizing at election time to ask members of the electorate for their votes, then disappearing behind the high walls of parliaments and assemblies to pass laws and regulations which most often have little, if anything to do with the daily needs, concerns, and aspirations of those who entrusted them with a mandate to govern.
If we are to live in a fair and sustainable word (be it virtual or real) based on the fundamental values of democracy, prosperity, and diversity, we must all make the effort to do away with old divisions between government –those public officials who govern, and the governed –those individuals who live their private lives and let others make decisions in their name. This old style of politics has utterly failed – it has failed its citizens, it has failed its communities, and most importantly it has failed the environment –the world we all inhabit and on which we depend for our very survival. The challenges of our times, the issues and problems we face – in both real and virtual worlds – demand not simply that we give new answers, but that we learn how to ask different questions and look at ourselves and our surroundings in a entirely other light, from many different perspectives. [b:1l04wwdu]We must leave behind the old notion of politics as the way in which the decisions of those who govern impacts upon those who are governed, and re-imagine it as an ongoing, continuing process of governance of all citizens, by all citizens, for all citizens[/b:1l04wwdu].
This old phrase has acquired a fresh, new meaning in a globalised era defined by new technologies, new ways of communicating, interacting, organizing, problem-solving. The very existence of our virtual community shows the extraordinary potential of modern tools to instill a new life –renewed vitality, dynamism and relevance- in great ideals which somehow have become remote from us, the citizens, resulting in so much disillusionment with traditional politics, so much apathy and disinterest in the established political process, such a retreat of individuals into their private lives and the abandonment of the vital public sphere to "the politicians": those who make it their profession to keep getting re-elected again and again and again in some public office or another and keep passing laws and making decisions in our name.
This type of politics -and the politicians who espouse it and make a living out of it- have utterly failed. [b:1l04wwdu]We all, as citizens, must understand that those "basics" may have worked "way back in the past" -but are now largely irrelevant to the modern needs, challenges, aspirations of a world which has changed and evolved beyond recognition in the past few decades[/b:1l04wwdu]. Our virtual community must innovate, create, re-imagine a new type of politics –across the public / private divide, across the government / governed divide, across the Second Life / Real World divide- founded upon [b:1l04wwdu]a new idealism based in concrete results, a new commitment founded on active citizen participation, a new type of political organization whose mission is that of being constantly and organically involved in the daily life of the community it is a part of.[/b:1l04wwdu] Such a new dynamic, proactive vision of governance –of the manner in which we all, as responsible citizens, take charge of our own destinies and play an ongoing and active part in making those decisions which will shape our lives and those of future generations, is what CARE is struggling to help bring about – and in so doing, [b:1l04wwdu]transform the CDS into a unique, creative, innovative, dynamic community at the leading edge of tomorrow[/b:1l04wwdu].
This is the great, exciting, challenging vision we, at [b:1l04wwdu]CARE[/b:1l04wwdu], want to share with you – and in pursuit of which we ask not only for your vote, now, or once every six months, but more importantly, for your active and enthusiastic participation in those projects and activities taking place in the long periods of time between the moments when the voting booths are open for you to cast your votes. [b:1l04wwdu]Only with your support – with active citizen participation in a new, open, accountable, democratic and effective process of governance, can our vision of CDS as a Dynamic Community at the Edge of Tomorrow ever become reality[/b:1l04wwdu].
All this sounds great in theory –but how do we go about translating our vision in actual practice – in the life our virtual community located in a Second Life whose existence is more and more intertwined with the real world we actually live in? We at [b:1l04wwdu]CARE[/b:1l04wwdu] will focus on four key areas of activity relevant to each and every one of us:
[size=150:1l04wwdu][b:1l04wwdu]Commerce
Arts
Relaxation
Education[/b:1l04wwdu][/size:1l04wwdu]
[b:1l04wwdu]Commerce: [/b:1l04wwdu] Our sims are architecturally unique – the result of the skills and hard work of our builders. But our shops stand virtually empty, our roads are virtually deserted, we get very few visitors when compared with the exponential growth second Life has experienced over the past year. This does not need to be so –in fact, a lot can be achieved if we all act together in a coordinated and decisive manner. The prime example of this is what CARE members achieved in Colonia Nova with the recent opening of the Emporium Romanum Fashion Centre. Three separate lots were purchased at a prime location in the city and a local builder was hired to construct a beautiful roman basilica complete with a skylounge and suspended gardens. Then six high-quality fashion designers were approached and persuaded to become partners in this project by displaying their unique fashions in the Emporium Romani. Over three days, July 6 to 8, 2007, the Grand Opening of the ER was held with three first class live music performers and a fashion show. Close to 200 individuals attended these events – most of them avies new to CDS, who came here to see Colonia Nova, have a good time, and shop. We intend to draw on this experience and ensure that all our sims will not just be made up of beautiful, but empty structures –rather that we will generate business and commerce, attract builders, designers, creators, and other people with skills and make sure we become an active, dynamic community with a thriving commercial sector, constantly attracting new visitors, tourists, clients – and, of course, new citizens.
[b:1l04wwdu]Arts:[/b:1l04wwdu] Second Life artistic expression is unique and makes our experience here truly worthwhile. CARE members have again worked hard with other members of the community to bring the arts to the CDS. MoCA Curator Delia Lake took the lead in revitalizing our museum, bringing in new artists and setting up paintings and sculptures shows in Neufreistadt, all of which were well attended and received publicity in various SL media such as newspapers and news videos. Michel Manen assisted local lawyer and businesswoman Rose Springvale in setting up an artist retreat, source.artificielle, designed to provide young artists with a space where they can work and show their creations; as well as in organizing 3 well-attended art shows featuring SL painters. We shall use these models to make it easier for such events to be organized and take place, and ensure that the arts will play a more important and sustained role in our community. We also plan to set up a CDS library and meeting place in cooperation with non-CDS organizations specializing in setting up such facilities, so as to provide people interested in literature and poetry a place they can meet, read, and discuss books, novels, poems. With the introduction of voice facilities, such events will become quite attractive for a lot of CDS and SL residents.
[b:1l04wwdu]Recreation: [/b:1l04wwdu] Having fun is a critical part of the SL experience. Only here can people across the world meet in the same virtual space, dance to the rhythms of the same music and listen to the same live streamed concert. CARE members, working together with the private sector, have helped in bringing to CDS its very first Skylounge – a spacious area on the top floor of the Emporium Romani Fashion Centre, including our community’s only dance floor and suspended gardens, where people can meet, shop, dance, and listen to live music. A dedicated stream was acquired, a DJ was hired to play regularly in CN and three live music concerts and a fashion show were held, attended by close to 200 avies. CARE will support and encourage all those who want to hold and organize such events by means of financial support, covenant adaptation and, most importantly, by allowing direct TP facilities to the specific places where such events are organized, thus allowing for easy access of our facilities to all those who are not familiar with our sims.
[b:1l04wwdu]Education: [/b:1l04wwdu] Learning and Education is what Second Life is all about. From the moment we open an account and log in, we start learning. Eventually, our growing skills enable us to create, teach, help and share with others. But Second Life allows us to do much more than learning the tools of this platform – it allows us to interact with the Real World and make a difference. SL is fast becoming a more and more functional and necessary tool of communication, interaction, meeting and organization for real life causes and projects. We, in the CDS, are ideally situated to push these opportunities to their limits and lead the way strengthening the ties between the virtual and real worlds. CARE member Delia Lake demonstrates this approach every day with her Center for Water Studies on Better World Island, and more recently with her involvement in the Live Earth concerts which truly crossed the virtual/ real divide. CARE Member Michel Manen build an Auditorium complex in CN, equipped with chat projection, power point and live voice streaming capacities, where he held a number of meetings and conferences, including the “Theory and Practice of Democracy in Virtual Worlds†lecture given by real life SL expert David Orban, attended by over 40 individuals, and the shareholders’ meeting of the largest Second Life Stock Exchange, the World Stock Exchange, attended by 80 individuals. Both events were covered by the media and made the front page of the Second Life News Network, among others. Currently, Michel is assisting the SL Esperanto Society to hold its next plenary meeting the CRAEDO Auditorium, in Colonia Nova. Another CARE member, Draxtor Despres, is a prolific SL TV journalist whose videos are watched by thousands of viewers and who regularly reports and the cultural artistic and political events taking place in our community. CARE will take advantage of the facilities already available in our community, and of the skills, knowledge and experience of our citizens to develop and enhance the educational experiences of our community, and increase the ties between the CDS and Real World organizations. Only by adopting such a proactive, visionary approach to the possibilities and opportunities offered by Second Life will CDS truly become A Dynamic Community at the Edge of Tomorrow.
By getting involved and acting in these fields, together with all of you, we intend to help bring about the vision of governance we have talked about above. In other words, we do not plan to just sit behind closed doors and pass laws- but to get actively involved in the community so as to help accomplish these goals -and [b:1l04wwdu]make our community a great place to live in and a model of a new system of governance in both the virtual and real worlds[/b:1l04wwdu]. Please visit our website at [b:1l04wwdu][url:1l04wwdu]http://www.care-cds.com[/url:1l04wwdu][/b:1l04wwdu] to read more about [b:1l04wwdu]CARE[/b:1l04wwdu], our vision, achievements, policies and proposals in these and other areas of governance and to find out [b:1l04wwdu]how you can get actively involved and help transform CDS in a Dynamic Community at the Edge of Tomorrow[/b:1l04wwdu].
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[u:1l04wwdu]NOTE:[/u:1l04wwdu] Our website is being currently updated. If you see sections or inormation missing, please be patient until tomorrow, 10 July 2007, when the update will be complete. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Michel Manen
CARE Co-Chairperson
