An Introduction to Strategies towards advancing the common wealth of Cascadia

Prepared by the Cascadia Commons team

Cascadia Commons' Mission

This benevolent society, called "Cascadia Commons," formed and established upon a plan of mutual assurance, has for its object the raising of a Fund by means of joint contributions of its Members, for the mutual relief of each other, our families, friends, neighbors, or other relations.     

As a benevolent society, we provide a means to collectively purchase and receive bulk rates on life-benefit services, such as healthcare, life insurance, and other mutual assurance and investment programs.  Our organization embraces bioregional theories on the care and restoration of the local environment.  Additionally, we seek to define and preserve local culture, history and ceremony, and promote the activities of local charities.

Cascadia Commons abides by the Bioteam philosophy whereby its members compose a team structure that mimics life's most successful living systems, thereby developing strategies that promote the general welfare of the Cascadian Bioregion, its diverse inhabitants, and the Earth that sustains us all.  

Purpose/Goals

Establish a benevolent society U.S. IRS (501(c) 8) and provide Cascadian residents a means to collectively purchase insurance, such as healthcare, life insurance and other mutual assurance programs.  Additionally, Cascadia Commons will operate a lodge system with a goal of operating at least one chapter in every watershed in the bioregion.  Each chapter will be networked with charitable activities including those offered by Land Trusts, Community Land Trusts, and Watershed Councils.  Additionally, Cascadia Commons will seek tax-exempt status in Canada.

Encourage inclusive co-ownership (one person = one share) of the Cascadia Commons Social Networking Service (SNS) website.  Develop the website with Drupal modules and public API's that serve the mission of Cascadia Commons.  Additionally, pre-distribute any revenues earned from collectively owned properties.  

Promote the Community Way program, thereby establishing a Local Exchange Trading System (LETS) for all of Cascadia and local chapters.   

Promote the "Deep Ecology" philosophy where the world is defined as a network of phenomena fundamentally interconnected and interdependent, thus recognizing the intrinsic value of all living beings.  Cascadia Commons will accomplish this by adhering to Bioteam principles and logistics. 

Advancing Community 3.0

Introducing Cascadia the virtual world.

Cascadia Commons seeks to establish a membership-owned Social Networking Service (SNS) website dedicated to building communities of people vested in promoting of the general welfare of the Cascadian Bioregion.  Membership of Cascadia Commons SNS website will consist of businesses, non-profits, and individuals whom support Cascadia Commons' purpose and goals and are actively seeking a more efficient means to network.  

Unlike most SNS websites, the Cascadia Commons site will focus on group functionality, allowing members to essentially create their own customizable social networks, blogs, and bulletin boards.  The site will operate the Econix aggregator, which is a multifaceted and decentralized system of practices dedicated to a local sustainability.

New users will be directed to groups representing Cascadian eco-regions, watersheds, towns and cities; however, they are also encouraged to join other affinity groups present on the SNS website.  Each group site will provide functionalities that promote grassroots organizing and LETS exchanges.   

Purchasing membership to the site permits participation in the company's growth, potentially earning members dividends from website advertising and online marketplace fees.  Users of the Cascadia Commons SNS website are provided free services such as email, instant messaging, blog, bulletin boards, and unique branding.  Additionally, Cascadia Commons will provide public API's including Bright Neighbor™, a resilience technology allowing users to trade and share items more efficiently, VivatyBETA, a web based 3D virtual community, and Swarm Tribes™, a two-way email, SMS, and web communication technology that provides a more efficient means for grassroots organizing. 

Support Local Economy via Community Way and Local Exchange Trading System (LETS) 

Cascadia Commons encourages its local chapters to participate in Community Way, a LETS program that more efficiently encourages barter and local economic development in our communities.  Cascadia Commons in partnership with the Open Money Development Group (OMDP), MLP, provides the Community Way program thereby establishing a LETS program for all localities and special interests.  The program is designed to improve the local multiplier, thereby encouraging businesses and consumers to shop local and provide charities an unprecedented fundraising opportunity. 

Businesses begin the process by donating a general use credit, or a promise to exchange later, i.e. a coupon to local charities.  Charities can either spend their credits at participating businesses or sell them to supporters at par with the U.S. dollar (1:1 ratio).  Supporters then redeem the credits at the participating business for a discount on their purchase.  However, this program is different from a coupon catalogue because the credits never expire.  After businesses receive credits from their customers, they can re-spend the credits at other participating businesses, or re-donate them to local charities. 

By participating in Community Way, Cascadia Commons essentially offers free membership.  Businesses donate credits to Cascadia Commons, and when members buy membership, the payment is exchanged with credits.  In other words, all fees for life-benefit services and fees for online advertising and marketplace use are exchanged with a Cascadian or local chapter script redeemable at any participating business.  Community Way, thereby significantly reduces the cost of healthcare, life insurance, and other mutual assurance programs and investments.  The program also provides Cascadia Commons an unprecedented means to fund watershed restoration and environmental cleanup programs.   

A Friendly society Creating an Equitable Future 

Revenues from the Cascadia Commons social networking website and Community Way will not go into the hands of stockholders.  Instead, the revenue will go to a general fund enabling members to participate in a bioregional benevolent society.

Benevolent societies are one of the oldest types of financial services, and offer members a wide range of affordable savings, investments, insurances, pensions and specialist annuities.  These institutions were developed from a simple premise that if a community contributed to a mutual fund, in time, benefits would be received.  Benevolent societies, or Friendly societies were first developed and remain well established in Europe.  In the United States and Canada, Benevolent societies are known as Fraternities that offer life-benefit services.  

Cascadia Commons plans to use the Benevolent society model to breed a new form of mutualism in the 21st century.  Historically Benevolent societies have shown success providing affordable housing, economic development dollars to communities, discounted pharmaceuticals, unemployment benefits, etc.  Therefore, Cascadia Commons will offer similar services to its members, and fund this endeavor with dollars earned from Community Way and the membership-owned Social Networking Service website. 

An Alliance of Trusts Preserving the Future

Land trusts protect land through purchase and donation, and easements restrict the land use, thus maintaining farms, forests, and wilderness for future generations.  Community Land Trusts (CLT) are democratically controlled non-profit corporations intended to acquire land for affordable housing.  CLT's enable communities control over land use, promote co-ownership and absentee ownership, affordable housing to low income residents and future residents, and strengthen community life.  Watershed councils are locally organized, voluntary, non-regulatory groups established to improve the conditions of watersheds in a locality.  

The greatest challenge to a successful land trust and watershed council depends on qualified staff and volunteers with the right skill set and a committed board of trustees.  Additionally, if the public is unaware of the trust's or council's existence, then proper personnel and funding is difficult to find.  However, Cascadia Commons, through the Social Networking Service website, will provide land trusts and watershed councils affordable marketing, as well as funds generated from website advertising, online purchases, and the Community Way LETS program.  The Cascadia Commons alliance with local Land Trusts engenders a never before seen ability to preserve resources in North America.

Conclusion

Cascadia Commons has for its purpose a plan for the mutual assurance its members and the Cascadian Bioregion.  If we band together and become informed of our bioregion, we can collectively lead ourselves towards the re-inhabitation and resilience of our communities, neighborhoods, towns, cities, Cascadia, North America and Earth.

Cascadia Commons has proposals for organizations interested in the Social Networking Service website and Community Way.  Additionally, we are seeking members to build our first lodge.  Any documents, including articles of incorporation and bylaws, and a business plan can be made available by contacting the Cascadia Commons team at cascadia.info@gmail.com, or at 503-701-8750.