Circle of concentration
as initiated in Athens (Jan-April 2017)



The 'circle of concentration' is a praxis of self-education developed by and for an informal network of activists, academics and artists.

Summary:

We hold 1 meeting per week between the end of February and April 2017. Each meeting is conceived as a class (minimum 2 hours). The fellows of this informal circle engage in a formalised process of learning with each other. For this, every week at least 1 fellow prepares and offers education for the group. 

The learning subjects revolve around (the convergence of) education, self-organisation, technology and art. This self-organised education can be practice-based or theoretical. Our attention will be bi-focal: we focus on the learned content and on the method of teaching and learning. 

(*) Additionally an anthropologist with the clear focus on self-organised groups shall engage in participatory research: learning with the group, while analysing the dynamics from his perspective, and consequently teaching the group.

Send a message to our mailinglist circle@lists.criticalclouds.be if you would like to organise a class or contribute otherwise.

Overview:

Circle 1: 
The peer-to-peer society and value in the commons economy. 
By Michel Bauwens  

Circle 2: 
Introduction to OpenKi (Platform for Open Education). 
By Panayotis Antoniadis  

Circle 3: 
Microclasses. Each participant contributed to the circle with a 15 minutes class. 
by: collective 

Circle 4: 
follow-up circle on the micro-class (suspended)  

Circle 5: 
P2P Ethnography as a method. 
By Penny travlou  

Circle 6: 
Flatpack democracy and liquid democracy tools. 
By Rogier De Langhe and Sarah Van Liefferinge  

Circle 7: 
Rituals and myth in the cooperative era. 
By Valeria Koudoumogiannaki  

Circle 8: 
Lessons form the 'Centre Universitaire Expérimental de Vincennes'.
By Ilias Marmaras  

Cirlce 9: 
Deriving a pattern language from the circles.
By James Lewis

Circle 10: 
An auto-ethnography about this cycle of circles. 
By Alexandros Papageorgiou


Next circular meetings:

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• There is no new circle scheduled. Get in contact with sue@criticalclouds.be if you wish to set up one.

Previous circle meetings details:

• Week 0: Saturday 25/02
• Inaugural circle meeting with Michel Bauwens (P2P society)
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• We have a dinner meeting / round-tabel / class on Saturday 25/02 at 19h00 
• Please fill in this doodle if you are interested to join: https://doodle.com/poll/d8wyaww6t4x9fnah
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• Reply to the mailinglist message if you have suggestions for a place or a more specific theme.
• circle@lists.criticalclouds.be
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• Who: Michel Bauwens 
• Topic: P2P Foundation and P2P society  
• When: Saturday 25/02 (19h00)  
• Where: Mavromichali 55, Athens  
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• Food will be provided, but you can bring a drink if you want.
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• Week 1: Tuesday 28/02
• Introduction to OpenKi (Platform for Open Education)  
• by Panayotis Antoniadis
• Please fill in this [https://doodle.com/poll/f2ca37hfrv55sss6|Doodle] -> Date confirmed: Tue 28/02 (16h-19h) (was wrong communicated in the mailing - it's Tue 28/02!)
• Place: KOLLA, Eschilou 36, Psirri, Athens. See https://openki.net/event/vK5ncfuZXqNCRxDrh/openki
• Please register at the course page: https://openki.net/course/DHeAbvMWu2FJW243d/openki
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• This will be an experimental workshop on a parallel learning activity. We will choose 3-4 fairly diverse topics (one of them being the openki platform and/or DIY networking) and attempt to teach them during the same session trying to identify common themes or " core ideas" that are present across all different topics. The assumption is that the process of finding similarities and differences will help understand better the individual topics themselves. There is no guarantee though that you will learn anything at the end, but for sure we will have fun :-)
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• Please type below your name and a possible topic that you would be interested to teach through this experimental format:
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• Panos: http://openki.net , DIY networking (how to set-up a local network with a Raspberry Pi)
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• Week 2: Thursday 09/03
• This meeting is conceived as a series of micro-classes. 
• Attendants can join by preparing an instructional moment 
• (presentation, lecture, exercise, instruction,..) on a subject of choice. 
• Each micro-class should be around 10 minutes long.
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• You are expected to prepare the 'full cycle' of the class: 
• announcement, content, educational resources, documentation of the event.
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• Date: Thursday March 9
• Time: 16h00-19h00
• Place: KOLLA, Eschilou 36, Psirri, Athens
• Questions: contact sue@criticalclouds.be or reply to this mailinglist with suggestions
• Register: add your contributionhttp://pad.constantvzw.org/public_pad/microclasses
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• You can also add your thing as an event to openKi:https://openki.net/event/QS67GsgcMfWPnqLeJ
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• Add the micro-class you plan to give here:
• http://pad.constantvzw.org/public_pad/microclasses
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• Week 3: Friday 17/03 (12h)
• Follow-up circle meeting on the micro-classes
• RSVP here: https://framadate.org/A2mKW9z3mWs1TE7z
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• Digging deeper into 'pattern language' etc.
• Alexandros: "As far as the topic is concerned, 'pattern language' could be the red thread, sure, or we could still keep it open for each one to propose their own class or discussion. I was thinking to bring up a discussion related more to Maria Athina's and Mathieu's classes. Everything is interrelated anyway, we could even explore that, how different methods can combine and to which purposes."
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• Place: Mavromichaili 55
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• Week 3: Sunday 19/03 (16h-19h)
• 'P2P ethnography as a method' by Penny Travlou 
• RSVP here: https://framadate.org/52v9XyDtLyZHwCLU
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• This is an experimental workshop where participants will collaboratively create tools for translating p2p ethnography. 
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• The group of participants will draw a map of individual networks and then try to merge them together mapping a greater constallation of networks that will operate as nodes. 
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• We will discuss self-reflexivity, positionality and movement within the ethnographic process and formulate an explanatory text on p2p ethnography as well as design a toolbox (in beta) for data analysis. 
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• For initial reading on p2p ethnography, participants can have look at: https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/P2P_Ethnography
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• The workshop will specifically focus on the concrete reality of networks in Athens. 
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• Place: Mavromichali 55
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• Additional: Dinner presentation on 'flatpack democracy' (20h-22h)
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• After the workshop with Penny there is a roundtable dinner discussion scheduled with a team from Ghent (BE) about 'flatpack democracy'. 
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• Rogier De Langhe and Sarah Van Liefferinge will present their approach and vision on creating independent politics facilitated by liquid democracy tools. http://www.flatpackdemocracy.co.uk/

• Week 4: Sunday 26/03 - 15h00-17h30
• Rituals and myths in a cooperative era
• by Valeria Koudoumogiannaki
• Place: Stournari 17 
• https://openki.net/course/BjwjEkwsc6MvTfMp6/rituals-and-myths-for-the-cooperative-era-with-valeria-koudoumogiannaki
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• Valeria is a psychologist and shaman and involved in cooperativism in  Athens. She will offer an overview of the meaning of rituals and myths,  based on shamanism, psychology and anthropology. 
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• Our circles have been conceived not only as a mere organizational tool,  but also as a ritual form. It's the goal of this class to relate 'the  ritual' to contemporary cooperative practices. 
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• The ritual and spiritual have been addressed briefly in previous  classes: in the micro-class on the 'ginga' of capoeira by Alexandros  Papageorgiou, as well as it was present more implicitly in both the  presentations by Michel Bauwens and Penny Travlou. 
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• This class will offer both a structured introduction, a group discussion and an experiential session.
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• If others like to add something to this, please get in touch.
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• Week 5: Friday 28/03 - 18h00 Circle with Ilias Marmaras
• Place: Kolla, Eschilou 36 (https://openki.net/event/52CnhfiCsKcXPsasC/circle-with-ilias-marmaras)
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• Ilias tells us about the radical and experimental university (Centre Universitaire Expérimental de Vincennes) which was set up in the aftermath of the student revolt of '68 in Paris, where Ilias Marmaras was a student. Most likely our discussion will expand to art & technology as well.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris_8_University#Tumultuous_years
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• Intensive  Reflexive ‘Circle of concentration’ 1: Monday April 3rd, Mavromichali 55
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• A reflexive circle about the circles. Looking for patterns and languages found within the circular process. Led by James Lewis
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• Only at the end of this initial series of educational meetings (end of March) we will try to define what the intensive circle of concentration (the several days meeting in April) will be exactly.
• The duration can vary (from 4 to 10 days, between 3-16 April). The week could be held at Twixtlab ( https://twixtlab.wordpress.com/)

• Intensive  Reflexive circle 2: 
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• A reflexive circle about the circles: Constructing a message for future circles. by Alexandros Papageorgiou
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• Based on the previous reflexive circle on pattern language we will try  to construct a guideline for circles organised in the future. Not a  manual, not a manifesto,.. but an encouraging and supportive message  based on our experience. Tapping into the introduction Penny Travlou brought us with P2P Etnography.  
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• If you have any ideas for this, have you go here:
• http://pad.constantvzw.org/public_pad/TOG9AEyPJt
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• Saturday April 8. Stournari 17
• 16h-18h30 

Preparatory meeting for ‘circle of concentration’
20 Feb 2017 - Mavromihali 55, Athens

Fellows:

That were present on Febr 20:
Panos, Penny, James, Luisa, Alexandros, Bram

That couldn't be there:
Maria Athina, Katalin, Angelica, Paky, Erwin, Clara, Jerry, Sebastien

That should be invited or reminded:
Daphne, Dimitris, Maria, James, Navine, Lauren, Matthieu


Overall project description:

http://www.ooooo.be/etherhtml/e2h.php?link=pad.constantvzw.org/p/athene&STYLE&BTN&customcss=//www.criticalclouds.be/50505/50505.css