As the electoral ****storm rages around us, we feel we should keep bringing you evidence of rude health in the way that people think, and act, about policy. You'll probably leave the polling booth in June thinking, "all the policies I didn't have a chance to vote for, missing from my particular party's manifesto..."

So let's keep in touch with the tens of thousands of organisations, thinkers and enterprises who are exploring alternatives and "adjacent possibles".

A great example this morning is this post from the Real Economy Lab, run by Jules Peck. It's a dizzying list of initiatives and perspectives around the idea of what a better economics could be.

Save this one to your bookmarks or desktop, and then retrieve the next time you despair at another party-political chancellor (or their shadows) stuck in their tramlines of economic possibility.

The list is below:

Open Data and Information Technology [transparency + accountability]

Ongoing effort to enable high level cooperation with a shared taxonomy for the Social Solidarity Economy between several leading organizations and networks
Data4SDGs connecting large data sets and analytical tools to support attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Open mapping tools and linked data platform Transformap
Global expansion and evolution of Creative Commons
Spread of advanced complementary currency tools and networks

Collaborative Inquiry, Research, Theoretical Development [innovation + adaptation]

Proliferation of open research projects on commons and peer production
Next System Project extensive in depth new economy proposals series
Flurry of interest in translating the cooperative model to digital platform tech environments, under the “platform coop” banner
Communities of practice around reinventing organizations, and distributed autonomous organizing via blockchain
New global circular economy programmes of Ellen MacArthur Foundation
New metrics for well-being – Happy Planet Index and Global Value Exchange

Networking, Convening, Community Building [collaboration + coordination]

2nd annual CommonBound conference of the New Economy Coalition
Inaugural NESI Forum (in development) neweconomyforum.org
New Economy Organisers Network (NEON) growth
SOCAP16 Social Capital Markets annual conference
Resourcing a just transition – EDGE Funders Alliance annual conference

Education, Capacity Building, Knowledge Sharing [awareness + education]

Schumacher college continue to grow an uniquely broad catalog of holistic learning opportunities for appropriate economics, celebrating a 25th anniversary last year
Forum For The Future are just launching an innovative School for System Change
The Permaculture Research Institute fostering a global community of practice around radically sustainable lifestyle and landscape design
Successful programs in Transition Design, Transition Research and higher education
Cooperative University offering comprehensive training in cooperativism
New collaborative intensives Good Work Institute and Synergia Institute

Grassroots Networks and Movements [commons + interdependence]

Climate Justice Alliance inter-community organizing and transition strategy
Global perspective on the evolution of Transition Network
Continued international growth of Economy for the Common Good
Fab Cities initiative linking hundreds of projects and hubs for local industry and open source hardware innovation
Coming to recognize, understand, and enhance Degrowth as a movement

Political Actions and Platforms/Parties/Coalitions [democratisation + decentralisation]

First meeting of the EU Commons Assembly with representatives from many countries and organizations
Rise of economic reform oriented political parties in Iceland, Catalonia, Rojava, elsewhere
Accelerating regenerative development paradigms for communities and regions
Coalition building for progressive urban leadership via Compact of Mayors
Finland among several countries trialling Universal Basic Income experiments

Financial Game Changers, Business Models and Funding [renewal and restoration]

Spread of impact investing trends, resources, and coalition building
Finance Innovation Lab pilot system change incubator program
B Corporation movement – over 2000 now certified in 50 countries
Reporting 3.0 global platform for open collaboration on public accountability measures
Novel approaches and support for systemically aware philanthropy
Working World peer network for cooperative lending
Proliferation of digital ‘crypto’ economic infrastructure

Media platforms and influencers [cultural vitality + celebration]

Broad viewership of online journalistic portals Shareable and Resilience
Growth of newer conduits Evonomics and STIR magazine
Crowdsourced P2P Foundation knowledge base
Ecovillage network New Story Hub
Beautiful Solutions compendium at This Changes Everything

* * *

Anything missing? The Real Economy Lab are looking for your recommendations here.

Tired of the old economic model? You're *so* not alone

Tired of the old economic model? You're so not alone