Clay Shirky: Wikipedia and Seeds for Transforming Capitalism?

I just finished reading three chapters of Clay Shirky's book Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations. I think Shirky just might gives us a possible site to think about how capitalism can be altered through the Wikipedia model of doing good — just for the sake of it. No monetary remuneration. He makes a compelling argument for exactly why Wikipedia is revolutionary and human beings have the power to be the same. He goes on to explain that we are living through the most "human expressive period in history." The potential to alter life as we know it through collective action, participation and organization that in turn gathers knowledge, distribution and speed to make change. Group action.

Shirky explains that wikis are only worth their salt if people care about them, and that "a wiki is a hybrid of tool and community."Experts, professionals and amateurs alike make additions and corrections to Wikipedia out of the pure love, enjoyment and for betterment of everyone who uses it around the world. I repeat. They don't get paid to do it. Isn't that the old adage we've all heard— to do great work you have to do what you love? Somewhere in Shirky's book is a balance between working collectively, making change, doing it in a nearly effortless manner and loving it.

Protest Culture -- Ad Hoc vs Institutional, and What it Means (Event Video/Audio) Clay Shirky joined an intimate group at the Berkman Center for a deep dive discussion on one chapter of his book, Here Comes Everybody, which deals with protest culture -- ad hoc vs institutional, and what it means.

US PUBLIC SERVICE ACADEMY FEATURED ON NPR

Last year Voices of Hope Productions interviewed Dr. Chris Myers Asch about an idea of a U.S. Public Service Academy. Asch, and his colleague, Shawn Raymond, have been building support with policy-makers to establish and fund a civilian leadership university modeled after the nation's military service academies. Much like the Peace Corps, the United States Public Service Academy is dedicated to creating a corps of passionate and patriotic civilian leaders willing to devote themselves to the pursuit of academic excellence, civic engagement, and leadership through public service.

Asch says, "There's a diminished sense of public service and what we can do in this country. People don't seem to want to think big anymore. We mock federal bureaucrats and people who dedicate their lives to public service—developing a cynicism about public institutions, but we really need them. That actually inspires us. We can revolutionize the way we see this country. Why not make it happen?"

Now Sen. Hillary Clinton has put these two partners and the U.S. Public Service Academy in the spotlight. Listen to what they have to say in their interview with Melissa Brock from NPR.

Read the Voices of Hope Interview with Dr. Asch

See who else endorses the idea

PSAs PROMOTE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT

According to the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) during the last twenty-five years there has been a dramatic decrease in voter turnout among 18-24 year-olds. In addition, a 2002 report conducted by The Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement found that 57 percent of American youth aged 15-25 are completely disengaged from civic life and politics. Furthermore, adults who began volunteering as youth are twice as likely to volunteer as those who did not volunteer when they were younger, according to a 2001 report from the Independent Sector and Youth Service America.

New survey reveals that 95 percent of young adults believe that..."What goes around comes around.

The PSAs aim to encourage young adults to become involved in their communities in any way they can, including voting in local elections, volunteering in their spare time or reading the newspaper and discussing current events with friends. The television, radio, print, outdoor and Web ads humorously show audiences what happens to people when they are not civically engaged and encourage them to "get good karma."

The campaign uses humor to communicate to young adults that acting on what is important to them will protect them from having "bad karma," or negative consequences. All of the PSAs end with the tagline "Stay on the universe's good side. Volunteer. Vote. Get involved." The PSAs direct audiences to visit www.GetGoodKarma.org, a new interactive website, for tips on how to become civically engaged.