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Cosmo-localism

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Cosmo-localism

Created: 250326 Terça, 26 de março Tags: regenerative-economics decentralization p2p commons

What is Cosmo-localism?

Cosmo-localism (or cosmolocalism) is a socio-economic approach that combines global knowledge sharing (“cosmo”) with local production and governance (“localism”). It’s based on the principle of “design global, manufacture local” - where knowledge, designs, and ideas flow freely across global networks, while physical production happens locally using local resources, skills, and manufacturing capabilities.

Core Principles

  1. Commons-based Peer Production: Open collaboration and sharing of knowledge, designs, and resources as a commons rather than as privately owned property.

  2. Local Manufacturing: Physical production using local resources, skills, and appropriate-scale technology to meet local needs.

  3. Global Knowledge Exchange: Leveraging global networks to share innovations, solutions, and designs across communities worldwide.

  4. Distributed Infrastructure: Relying on distributed systems rather than centralized ones, enhancing resilience and reducing dependency on global supply chains.

  5. Circular Economy: Designing systems that eliminate waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems.

Applications of Cosmo-localism

Manufacturing and Production

  • Open-source hardware designs shared globally but manufactured locally
  • Digital fabrication technologies (3D printing, CNC machines)
  • Locally adapted solutions using globally shared designs

Governance and Economics

  • P2P (peer-to-peer) economic models
  • Community-owned infrastructure and resources
  • Local currencies and value exchange systems alongside global coordination

Food Systems

  • Open-source seed sharing and local agriculture
  • Knowledge exchange about sustainable farming methods
  • Locally adapted food systems using globally shared principles

Energy

  • Distributed renewable energy systems
  • Locally appropriate technologies using shared designs
  • Community-owned microgrids

Relevance to Regenerative Systems

Cosmo-localism is a key concept within regenerative economics and ReFi (Regenerative Finance) because it enables:

  1. Reduced ecological footprint: By localizing production and using appropriate technologies

  2. Increased resilience: Communities become less dependent on fragile global supply chains

  3. Democratic economic participation: People have more direct influence over the production systems that affect their lives

  4. Cultural appropriateness: Solutions can be adapted to local contexts while leveraging global knowledge

  5. Connection between digital and physical commons: Bridging the online world of shared knowledge with the physical world of local resources

Examples of Cosmo-localism in Practice

  • Open Source Ecology: Creating open-source designs for 50+ industrial machines needed to build a sustainable civilization
  • Fab Labs: Global network of local fabrication laboratories with shared knowledge and open-source designs
  • Farm Hack: Farmer-to-farmer collaborative design of agricultural tools
  • WikiHouse: Open-source building system that makes it simple to design, manufacture and assemble beautiful, high-performance homes

References

  • Kostakis, V., & Bauwens, M. (2014). Network Society and Future Scenarios for a Collaborative Economy.
  • Ramos, J. (2017). Cosmo-localization and Leadership for the Future. Journal of Futures Studies, 21(4): 65-84.
  • Giotitsas, C. (2019). Open Source Agriculture: Grassroots Technology in the Digital Era. Palgrave Pivot.
  • What is “cosmo-localism”? Why is it a game changer?