Call for Papers
===============

2. Oekonux-Konferenz

1.-3. November 2002

Technische Universität Berlin

Project Oekonux
---------------

Since July 1999 the Project Oekonux (http://www.oekonux.org) has dealt
with the question, whether and to what extent the principles of the
development of Free Software - valuelessness, individual
self-unfolding, collective self-organization, and global networking -
can give crucial impulses for a new society.

Day by day Free Software practices a new model of production. We think
about the question of whether this model can be transferred to other
fields of society, or, respectively, study examples where it has - in
rudimentary form - already been transferred.

On this basis utopian thoughts are discussed, including thinking about
possible forms of organization of a society, in which individual and
collective self-unfolding is the main source of societal productivity,
and thus as a perspective abolishes the current form of economy based
on wage labor, money, and exchange. In these reasonings the way of
production of Free Software is the germ form of a model of a society
based on voluntary and self-organized cooperation. An alternative view
held by some in the project is that Free Software is a text book
example of a working self-organization.

The discussions in the project are underpinned by an exact observation
of the current developments in the Free Software sector and other
fields, which try to transfer their principles. This includes critical
voices inside and outside of the project.

The Conference (http://second.oekonux-conference.org)
-----------------------------------------------------

Contributions to the conference can come from a wide spectrum, but
should make clear their relation to the principles of Free Software
laid out above.

This will be the second conference of this kind. The first one took
place in April 2001 in Dortmund and was very successful. It is
documented extensively under http://erste.oekonux-konferenz.de.
Discussions which started there in the meantime have been deepened and
of course can be continued in the second conference.

Contributions from the following fields are appreciated:

Free Software

     Experiences from projects, success stories, but also conflicts,
     contradictions (for example making money vs. self-unfolding, wage
     labor vs. Free Doing, etc.) as well as studies about the
     phenomenon of Free Software

Transfer of the principles of Free Software

     Presentation of projects or only thoughts, which transfer the
     principles of the development of Free Software to other fields of
     human life or the roots of these principles in older systems
     (science, art, ...)

Technological development

     Examples of open and cooperative development of technology, how
     does sustainable technology without domination look like and how
     can it be developed. What significance do Free Standards have?
     What may such a technological development mean for ecological
     questions?

Alternative or anti-economy

     Theoretical models of the abolition of exchange, labor, and
     money, practical experiences in projects, contradictions of
     theory and practice

Science

     Scientific researches about the changes in the world of labor
     with a perspective on the abolition of the labor society

Politics

     Thoughts from the sector of political organizations regarding
     Free Software, their principles or the relation between state and
     Free Software

Culture

     Free Music and Free Formats, experiences and projects, new
     developments in different fields of culture, Free Encyclopedias,
     ...

Subjectivity

     The new role of subjectivity, acting differently in Free
     Projects, self-organization and self-unfolding, theoretical
     reflections and practical experiences

Power, domination, and liberation

     During the last year these issues and their relation to Free
     Software have been a very controversial field in the project. Is
     there power or even domination in Free Software? How does Free
     Software relate to the concept of free cooperation? Free Software
     and patriarchy?

Free Software, globalization and value criticism

     How do the theories discussed in the project relate to the
     currently hot debated other critical theories (Empire, Krisis,
     ...). What do our discussions have to to with globalization?

How can Oekonux become practical?

     Interesting are ideas for concrete projects, which try to
     practice our ideas. Free Licenses for other fields, gratis shops,
     ...

The planned conference shall give room to bundle, collectively
re-discuss and make fruitful for all, thoughts which developed in
different places independently. Besides getting to know one other in
talks and workshops the respective current state of the discussion
shall be presented.

Speakers wanted
---------------

People interested in giving a talk or preparing a workshop please
submit a short outline of their intentions to Project Oekonux
[mailto:projekt@oekonux.de].

Deadline for outlines for a talk or a workshop is

1. September 2002

Decision about the chosen contributions is until 15. September 2002.

The conference languages are German and English. Translators are
needed!