Convergence of Commoners Retreat

The session on Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy explored strategies for responding to the complexities of climate and social crises, guided by Jem Bendell’s framework of the Four Rs: Resilience, Reconciliation, Restoration, and Relinquishment. Despite critiques of Bendell’s work as overly pessimistic, the discussion highlighted how these principles could be applied to digital commons and networks of care to foster sustainable and inclusive practices.

Resilience focuses on preserving what is most valued during times of disruption. In digital environments, this involves integrating emotional sustainability, participatory practices, and networks of care. Mapping key values, tools, and practices for digital commons is essential, with examples like Decidim Barcelona and platform cooperatives illustrating how emotional depth and collaboration can contribute to sustainability. Central to this idea is the question of how digital commons can embody affect and care to create inclusive and enduring spaces.

Reconciliation addresses the need to repair divides in the face of shared challenges. This involves addressing power imbalances, respecting diverse perspectives, and bridging gaps between digital and grassroots movements. Examples such as feminist data principles and data commons cooperatives demonstrate how reconciliation can create more inclusive and intersectional commons, emphasizing the importance of equitable collaboration and acknowledging diverse viewpoints.

Restoration emphasizes reconnecting with traditional and grassroots practices to inspire democratic engagement in digital commons. By revitalizing non-Western epistemologies and community-based knowledge, restoration focuses on identifying and contextualizing practices that align with modern digital frameworks. Examples include open-source low-tech developments and local knowledge systems like the katiakatanga license, showing the value of integrating historical and community-driven approaches into contemporary spaces.

Relinquishment involves letting go of practices and systems that worsen existing crises, such as corporate social media and surveillance capitalism. This principle encourages reducing reliance on harmful technologies to mitigate their impact.

The discussion also considered adding a fifth R, Remx, emphasizing innovation, creation, and reimagining systems by remixing existing materials and relationships.

Tatiana Fraser’s metaphor of "scaling deep," focusing on relational depth rather than expansion, added a nuanced perspective to these principles.

The conversation concluded by addressing gaps in the Deep Adaptation framework, such as the need for greater outward solidarity across diverse global contexts. Participants called for building connections that acknowledge the differentiated experiences of communities worldwide and leveraging digital tools to strengthen these solidarities.