Synergia Project

Abstract

The Synergia Project is a new initiative whose purpose is to promote online learning technology to support the diffusion of co-operative knowledge (both formal and tacit) and practice to meet the challenges of building a sustainable, equitable, and socially just future. A key aim of the project is to bridge the international co-operative movement with the emerging movement for a new commons and the global movement for sustainability. Housed at the Athabasca University (AU) and supported by the participation of British Columbia-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance (BALTA) in Canada, Co-operatives UK, Schumacher College, and the P2P Foundation, the project commenced in December 2013 with a dialogue process that engages key innovators and experts from the co-op, new commons and sustainability fields to participate in the design and content of an online learning platform using MOOC technology. The project is funded by the AU Research Fund. The completion of the program design and the confirmation of the MOOC content comprise Stage 1 of the project. Stage 2 entails the completion of the MOOC “curriculum” and the launch of the Synergia MOOC with links to concrete development opportunities on the ground. The project is being co-ordinated by Mike Gismondi at the Centre for Social Science at AU. John Restakis, Research Associate with Co-operatives UK and Research Investigator with the FLOK Project, is Lead Researcher for the Project and Pat Conaty, Research Associate with Co-operatives UK, is the Research Lead for the UK.