| Michel Bauwens | |
| Birth Date: | 21 March 1958 |
| Birth Place: | Belgium |
| Occupation: | Activist, Director and Founder of the P2P Foundation |
| Website: | http://p2pfoundation.net |
Michel Bauwens (born 21 March 1958) is a Belgian theorist in the emerging field of peer-to-peer (P2P), a writer, and a conference speaker on the subject of technology, culture and business innovation. Bauwens founded the P2P Foundation, a global organization of researchers working in open collaboration in the exploration of peer production, governance, and property.[1] He has authored a number of essays, including his thesis The Political Economy of Peer Production.
Bauwens regularly lectures internationally on P2P theory, the commons and their potential for social change. His contributions to the field were detailed by George Dafermos in chapter 7 named Prophets and Advocates of Peer Production of The Handbook of Peer Production [2]
In the first semester of 2014 Bauwens was research director with the FLOK Society (Free Libre Open Knowledge) at the National Institute of Advanced Studies of Ecuador (IAEN).[3] The FLOK Society developed a first of its kind Commons Transition Plan for the Ecuadorian government. Over fifteen policy papers the plan outlines policy proposals for transitioning Ecuador to what is described as a social knowledge economy based on the creation and support of open knowledge commons. One version of the plan is available online.
In the spring of 2017, Bauwens advised the city of Ghent, a city in northern Belgium (the Flanders), with a similar Commons Transition Plan. Over 500 commons initiatives were mapped, 80 founders and leaders of such communities were interviewed, 9 thematic workshops were held to coalesce their proposals in a integrated plan.[4] [5]
He currently lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
In The Political Economy of Peer Production Bauwens regards P2P phenomena as an emerging alternative to capitalism, although he argues that "peer production is highly dependent on the market, for peer production produces use-value through mostly immaterial production, without directly providing an income for its producers."[6] However, Bauwens goes on to argue that the interdependence is mutual: the capitalist system and market economies are also dependent on P2P production, particularly on distributed networks of information processing and production. Consequently, P2P economy may be seen as extending or already existing outside the sphere of free/open source software production and other non-rival immaterial goods.
This idea is explored also in the essay Peer to Peer and Human Evolution that expands the P2P meme beyond computer technology. It argues that egalitarian networking is a new form of relationship that is emerging throughout society, and profoundly transforming the way in which society and human civilization is organised.[7] The essay argues that new forms of non-representational politics are a crucial ingredient in finding the solutions to current global challenges; as well as a new and progressive ethos representing the highest aspirations of the new generations.
Bauwens has repeatedly spoken out against identity politics, claiming it as antithetical to egalitarian participation within a post-racial community. This perspective was criticized as being a form of racial color blindness. In response, numerous contributors to the P2P Forum chose to officially distance themselves from him and his views.[9] In May 2021, Bauwens allegedly removed several signatories of the disassociation statement from the P2P Foundation wiki. Since it is a community-maintained wiki, this raised further controversy.[10] Two weeks later, Bauwens also edited the P2PF wiki article of P2P Lab (where several signatories belonged) diminishing its role. The wiki entries have been restored by other wiki editors.
Bauwens has written for Open Democracy[11] and Al Jazeera[12] and has been mentioned by the New York Times,[13] De Morgen,[14] and Living Green Magazine.[15]