unMonastery - sharing my concerns about the project

[immaginoteca]

As some of you may have noticed, after a first period in which I was deeply participating in the project, my involvement and energy about the unMonastery went down, especially after LOTE3.

In the last weeks, I had very enriching and fruitful exchanges with [Ben] via email and private calls about my concerns regarding the unMonastery.

I think it is important to share these concerns with the community and that’s why I am writing this post.

In Matera I had an annoying feeling : everyone around me was telling how good it was to be there and how great what we achieved was.

What we’ve done so far for the building of unMonastery and what we’ve done at Lote3 is great but I still personally feel disappointed: actually, I have bigger expectations for unMonastery and I had bigger expectation for the event when I came to Lote.

I believe in unMonastery as an alternative to traditional approaches as it is designed from the beginning.

I consider unMonastery as one of my professional project and I expect the best results from it.

At LOTE3 I realised there was a lot of problems related to the project and during the days I was there, I think we spent time talking about us, our dreams about the project, our expectations but not enough about how to solve those problems to make unMonastery a good project.

Here a few points describing my main concerns.

Please please please add your comments : I really need your feedbacks.

• Lack of a clear economic model

During my Italy tour before unMonastery, almost everyone I met asked me how this community-based project was going to run without money and I had no answer. I don’t believe in unMonastery if there is not a solid economic model. 

 

OK, we have a bunch of people that are going to stay there for 4 months, but what’s going on after that?

Also, who are the unMonks?

What kind of professional are we expecting to be there?

In my application for unMonastery residency I asked to the question “Do you think there’s anything else we should have asked you in this form?” as it follows : 

 

"Yes, i would have added the following question: 

Why do you want to work for free?

Why are you volunteering? 

How do you usually make a living to pay your bills? 

Why are you able to come to Matera for a month or more? 

Are you unemployed, rich or simply a nomad worker?

I think these are very important questions and they are related to the very idea of the unMonastery.

unMonastery is building a space and a community of volunteers but it is located in a capitalism-based society. 

How can we make this relation sustainable? 

This is a very important point and it should be highlighted."

• Less people (and energy) than expected

Am I right If I say the we expected a lot more people than actually came at LOTE3 ? If I take pasta party as an example, we were expecting more than 100 and I think we had 50/60.

 

Didn't you feel like something was missing, like if you expected a big thing and you just had a medium one?

Why do you think I felt like that?

Did anyone felt the same ?

 

• Communication problems and transparency

Working often in volunteers-based projects, I tend to insist (here and here) about the big importance of clear informations about the management of money and the roles of everyone, which also includes knowing who is getting paid and who is volunteering. Today, it is still not clear to me how much money do we have to build the unMonastery and who is getting paid for that.

 

This question is related the idea of open-bank management recently arised.

• Co-Design misunderstandings

At first, I joined unMonastery as the logical continuity of my previous co-design process dreamhamar.

Dreamhamar was a well funded project with a clear structure and decision-making process run by a team of designers (me with a network around Ecosistema Urbano agency) and a city council as a client. 

I wanted to see what we could achieve with the same approach (open-ended collaborative process) almost without money and with a completely decentralised structure.

I think that a big part of the energy we put in the co-design phase had poor results and ended up in abortive proposals, like the parametric design approach and the unMonk kit. Basically, we were talking about things we simply couldn’t do without time = money = energy.

As co-design facilitator of the process, I feel partly responsible for that.

• Lack of real and strong connections with the local community

This is one of the main point of the project since the beginning : unMonastery is about working for a community and we can't do that if the local community is not there. 

It was a serious problem to have only few people from Matera attending the Lote, tourism Office didn’t even know about the project, citizens I spoke with didn’t understand the project.

Let me say again that the main purpose of this post is to share these blurry thoughts and feelings to better understand them. 

Do I need to mention that I tried to write this post in the most constructive way I could ?

[pacheca]

If the scope and limits would be cleared?..

Hi Francesco,

I do share most of your “blurry thoughts and feelings”.

I guess I didn’t had so great expectations about Lote3 meeting, and that my prespective on unmonastery has been from start a bit like: looking from the outside and see how it goes…

(as I only arrived to this community in August,  the “unmonastery dice” were already rolling for quite some time).

For instance, things like the name “unMonastery”.

(Though I do understand the idea explained on Sam’s interview to Ben)

For Materanis, I have the feeling that “unMonks” coming from the “unMonastery”,

will much probably be looked at kind like aliens comming from the outter space, if you know what I mean.

This is just a first (small?) detail on the image we “as outsiders global representatives” might be transmiting to the common Materani.

I also identify with your concerns and questions about management of money,

the roles of everyone (who is getting paid and who is volunteering)

and the lack of a clear economic model.

This topics seem very central for present or future Edgeryders projects:

to bridge the Edge with the main stream capital economic flow reality,

there has to be transparency and it has to be clear.

Why some tasks are paid and others aren’t?

(small example: LOTE3, was a Edgeryders meeting on Matera with the intension of promoting the unMonastery. I imagine because of this fact, if I understood right, Matera2019 paid some goods, printing the flyers and also two ladies were paid to clean the neighbor building…

Ok, why this specific tasks? Why not including effords made by edgeryders to bring local people to Lote3, or graphic design, or cleaning the main building, or any other kind of task? I mean, was it just because someone offered to do them? what about If some one had volunteered their services? Or offered some goods?.. how would the money be spent then? Now imagine this with bigger questions and matters…?

(does this make any sense to anyone else?) 

It does seem there is something missing… lack of detail / structure of the budget?..

This fact ends up bringing possible unfair or undesiered situations.

(Alberto mentioned this and this, relating to the importance and need of having a clear budget,

I agree and believe any project has this need… - though on that case was relating Chefare application.)

Relating the - Lack of real and strong connections with the local community - you’ve mentioned…

As Noemi once said: “The hardest part of a community is getting members to participate. not join, participate.” 

Imagine local people who did not choose even to join?.. How to motivate people to participate? 

I believe this is a greater challenge… How is this thing done?

Is it important to addressed and discuss this questions?

Let me say that in spite of that,

I still believe this project is valuable and important as a first approach to these topics.

Question: If the scope and limits of this opportunity would be cleared, could it help to bring some prespective?..

Answering to questions like:

What are the expectations for the project unMonastery?

What’s expected to be achieved within this 4 months?

Are there any defined goals?

How will it be measured?

What has to happen, so to enable in the end to be said:

It succeded in these didn’t suceed in that?

What can nevertheless be done with the actual context?

What is doable and expectable for you and for the unMonastery project in general?

(and hope I’m not being unfair to all of the work that has already been volunteered and done on this project!)

[nadia]

Didn’t know anything about cleaning being paid for?

small example: LOTE3, was a Edgeryders meeting on Matera with the intension of promoting the unMonastery. I imagine because of this fact, if I understood right, Matera2019 paid some goods, printing the flyers and also two ladies were paid to clean the neighbor building…Ok, why this specific tasks? Why not including effords made by edgeryders to bring local people to Lote3, or graphic design, or cleaning the main building, or any other kind of task? I mean, was it just because someone offered to do them? what about If some one had volunteered their services? Or offered some goods?.. how would the money be spent then? Now imagine this with bigger questions and matters…?

People in the administration sometimes choose to do things with their own internal stuff and budgets which comes as a surprise or even pose an imposition because they are not planned well enough in advance. Sometimes it is things they feel need to be done e.g. paint walls white because they are aesthetes and feel it is important that the place is presentable. Whether or not we mind or wish for them.

E.g. that they were at all printing flyers, I have no idea what budget that came from but it certainly wasn’t from the unMonastery budget :) Same with cleaning. I didn’t hear anything about a budget for cleaning. If really was paid, it was not from the unMonastery budget. There are many things that are outside our influence and this is a part of the package of dealing with, well, people

[pacheca]

Though…

Ok understood,  your point, Nadia.

(and that it didn’t came from the unMonastery budget.)

Thank you for your answer.

Though, the Budget still seems to lack detailing.

I mean, it seems like a rough first approach.

Maybe this feeling comes from my experience with architecture.

Cost estimation budget, has a much bigger detailing level, just before the construction stage. This means that the Project - drawn and written documents, detailing and explaining how to materialize the idea - have porpotional detail definition.

In this case… there is the principle of not defining to much so to letting things happen freely, taking it’s own course. (I understand this point… but there might exist some limitations…(?)

Am not sure how it would work in this kind of budget.

But there are somethings that could be thought of and more detailed?

The thing is, if the budget doesn’t have detail, the project probably has the same level of development. Understanding, what actions we need to achieve a certain goal.

For instance, let’s say that there would be a goal, like developing some kind of record/ conclusion on the end of the 4 months period (different types: written, video, graphical, edited interviews (?) etc…) that had the aim of getting some closure about this prototype experiment.

Helping us understand, the original idea of the need for a physical space to work and address topics that matters to the community.Defining and understanding this goal clearly, could then be translated on the unMonastery Cost estimate, on a topic of the budget. Detailing and describing what this task included and how much it would cost, let’s say to contract Sam to make a video and/or other records that might be thought of.

(just an example…)

[nadia]

something like …

https://giveit100.com/ ?

[pacheca]

What??

Don’t understand.

what do you mean?

[nadia]

Bootstrapping, realistic expectations & building sustainability

Francesco hi,

I have tried to respond to your points below where I feel I have some input

At LOTE3 I realised there was a lot of problems related to the project and during the days I was there, I think we spent time talking about us, our dreams about the project, our expectations but not enough about how to solve those problems to make unMonastery a good project.

One of the key reasons as to why it is important to keep as much of the communication as possible in writing is to ensure important information, points easily missed etc are picked up and made visible on the platform. Did you raise these points in the unMonastery sessions and or include them/the ensuing discussion in the documentation on the platform? 

• Lack of a clear economic model

During my Italy tour before unMonastery, almost everyone I met asked me how this community-based project was going to run without money and I had no answer. I don’t believe in unMonastery if there is not a solid economic model. 

 

OK, we have a bunch of people that are going to stay there for 4 months, but what’s going on after that?

.....

Why are you able to come to Matera for a month or more? 

Are you unemployed, rich or simply a nomad worker?

I think these are very important questions and they are related to the very idea of the unMonastery.

unMonastery is building a space and a community of volunteers but it is located in a capitalism-based society. 

How can we make this relation sustainable? 

This is a very important point and it should be highlighted."

I think this is a valid point. As far as I am concerned it is up to the people who are selected for the residency program, to develop this with peers in the local community. Or for people in the local community to develop if they see a value in the initiative continuing. The unMonastery, as you know, is a prototype. Many hours of volunteer work have gone into making it at all possible for the residents to be there. So it is up to you to make the most of it. And contribute towards the opportunity being extended to others by putting some thought into sustainability now you know you will be there for the four months. As all prototypes, there is always a chance it will fail. If no economic model is devised by the end of the experience. At edgeryders we decided we believed in the community members who wanted to try to give it a go, and rallied to help them make it happen. Whatever happens from now on is up to you.

• Less people (and energy) than expected

Am I right If I say the we expected a lot more people than actually came at LOTE3 ? If I take pasta party as an example, we were expecting more than 100 and I think we had 50/60.

 

Didn't you feel like something was missing, like if you expected a big thing and you just had a medium one?

Why do you think I felt like that?

Did anyone felt the same ?

 

No I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that there were so many people considering the location, work involved in participating and no budget to cover anyone’s time or expenses. Or even do PR for it.I was expecting much fewer, and less diversity amongst participants. We had budgeted 50-70 people. 

 

• Communication problems and transparency

Working often in volunteers-based projects, I tend to insist (here and here) about the big importance of clear informations about the management of money and the roles of everyone, which also includes knowing who is getting paid and who is volunteering. Today, it is still not clear to me how much money do we have to build the unMonastery and who is getting paid for that.

 

Your first comment about the budget was posted on August 14, and the Budget was posted on August 31 (as soon as it was made available by the local administration seed funding it). As far as I know the people who are being paid are clearly named in the document (coordinator is Ben). I do not understand what you mean Francesco, can you be more specific? This is important, so I would really like to understand what you are referring to.

 

This question is related the idea of open-bank management recently arised.

 

I had missed Elf's post, too much going on just before Christmas slump. I do not see any reason why this couldn't happen. It is up to the person proposing it to take responsibility for setting up the means to do so if they feel strongly enough about it. From the Page on Edgeryders Budget and Finances:

 

" We believe in using, and contributing to, open source software to be able to practice open accounting and management, while maintaining a professional, secure and robust management of the community's resources and relationships. 

 

We are open therefore to discussing alternatives for these processes as long as the proposal maintains or improves all the service levels available with this configuration without increasing the amount of additional administrative work required.

 

If you have suggestions for how to do this, and are willing to help make it happen please email our CFO Arthur Doohan: arthur@edgeryders.eu "

 

• Lack of real and strong connections with the local community

This is one of the main point of the project since the beginning : unMonastery is about working for a community and we can't do that if the local community is not there. 

It was a serious problem to have only few people from Matera attending the Lote, tourism Office didn’t even know about the project, citizens I spoke with didn’t understand the project.

This is always going to be the case, new initiatives will always take time and effort to establish themselves. Or they will fail… I remember sitting through a presentation by a bunch of kids from Matera who very obviously put in a lot of effort to present themselves to the rest of the participants, in a foreign language they feel uncomfortable in. Not to mention all the volunteers in the Matera2019 community( Ida, Guiseppe etc) who put up a lot of effort to get others involved, offered free or heavily discounted accomodations to participants etc. As well as a bunch of people who dropped by out of curiousity, including some of the fusine squat next door. For me the event was a starting point of a real relationship which has continued.

This was never going to be a smooth ride. Ben, myself etc never promised it was going to be smooth and polished, actually it was clear this was going to be quite a challenge and at times very frustrating. On top of the grittyness of doing somethingnew add differences in language, culture, expectation etc. The big thing that has been achieved so far, is to be given an opportunity to try. It can still fail, but nothing new and interesting doesn’t involve risks. My two cents…

[alberto]

The trap of “not clear enough”

[immaginoteca], thank you for vouching your doubts. I can see plenty of problems with the unMonastery implementation – [Ben] will tell you that I, like you, have vouched frustration and concern many times. Again like you, I did this out of constructive concern for the project. That said, my concerns are going in a different direction from yours. Why? Three reasons.

1. Low expectations. I agree with [Nadia]: nobody promised a smooth ride, ever. Phrases like "we have no solutions, but we are committed" and "are you ready to be challenged?" (the latter on the residency application form itself) are all over the place. We made plenty of mistakes: for example, we overestimated the number of applications, and had to reopen the call. We will make more. In fact, the unMonastery may well be unfeasible and economically unsustainable. We don't know: that's why we are doing a prototype. I work on it because I choose to take a leap of faith in the part of the Edgeryders community that dreamed up the unMonastery back at LOTE1. 
2. You can always criticize anything on the basis that is not clear enough. Try it: it is a very powerful rhetorical weapon. It always works, because it is loaded with circular reasoning, and so is not disprovable. If I say you are not being clear, there is no way you can escape. You can very well say that you are being clear by some standards, but my critique is about you not being clear to me – and I am the only judge of what is clear to me and what is not. So, I can torpedo any argument by saying it's not clear (and in fact this is a common tactics in power games in larger, bureaucratic organizations). There are tens of pages on the unMonastery and Edgeryders websites, from [Marc]'s solar panel instructables to my own musings on St Benedict's Rule. We published the budget online. We have tried to explain it to everyone and their horse, including journalists from HuffPost, Wired, CheFuturo, the Guardian, Corriere and others I don't even remember now. We have run two open workshops in Matera before LOTE3. [Sam Muirhead] has done two videos. A dozen edgeryders from all over the continent have translated one of them in ten languages. What does it take to be clear? This thing is new and difficult to understand. I don't think anyone can fix that, except by running with it, seeing where it goes and looking at it with disenchantment and a clean heart.
3. Who does the work calls the shots. It also applies to being clear: if you think this could be made better, make a suggestion, or better still... make it better! I – and [Ben], I am sure – will be glad to help as much as I can.

My concerns are: (a) the interface with public institutions (the Region and the City, shareholders in Comitato Matera 2019) is very, very gritty. We knew that before. But it is: gritty, and slow, and frustrating to deal with. And (b) some ideas and great work might be lost – including your own work, which I admire. I personally insisted with [antonioelettrico] that everything furniture should be cheap and lightweight, made with the idea to be discarded or recycled into something better by unMonasterians themselves (including, hopefully, you): this has been the compromise we pursued between flexibility and prepping the building so that it is ready for people to live in two weeks – and the prepping has to be done by non-unMonasterians, because the unMonasterians have not arrived yet.

One final word: Edgeryders LBG is not getting paid for this. We have a memorandum of understanding with Comitato Matera 2019 which states explicitly that our partnership does not constitute commercial exchange, and no money changes hands. The residency money is passed entirely on to the unMonasterians; the renovation money is entirely spent on the renovation. We would normally charge for all of this project management work, mobilizing the community, putting word out on social media etc.; but in this case we have decided to make an investment in what we think is a strong concept, and even more in a group of people from the community that we trust. 

[bembo_davies]

point zero

My little bit in this discussion is about the beginning.  I choose to pretend that the unMo hasn’t yet started.

Yes, buildings have been selected – NB  has there been followup on the desire for those additional gathering rooms to facilitate community interactions?

Yes, we held a LOTE – which may have drained as much momentum as it created.

It wasn’t specifically designed to serve the needs of the unMo – we made do with the time on location, but in fact were way too many people facing way too many questions to dig in with any depth.

The interventions in the psychic space being carried out by Electricco and co include removing a bathtub.  This may or may not be wise, or in good taste --but it is likely that we shall be grateful to be able to make warm food and to sleep on something soft.  It is probably likely that we will have lots of other practical questions to keep us warm, so it seems unavoidable to accept the choices that are made by our hosts.  Yes there is a potential collision here, but I think they abandoned the idea of closed one use solutions.  Hopefully there is still lots to do.

What interests me most about beginning at zero is that we must include all our frustrations in this equation.  To get everything cleared up before we arrive is not as valuable as to meet each other with exactly those key questions that you immagicateca raise.  If the first thing we must do is march to the city president’s office to satisfy someone’s need for transparancy then this is a vital dynamic of our community.  It is this research into how a community (the little one) meets and deals with its structural and cultural challenges that is the core of the prototype development.

(Rita Pach has once again put her finger on something valuable re documenting the process – I think this becomes a central part of my work.)

Yes, four months is inherently frustrating — we will just be starting to recognise the patterns when the stream gets diverted somewhere else.  It may therefore seem valuable to hit the ground running.  I suggest that on the contrary our willingness to arrive empty-handed will help flavour the project positively.  As you point out, on all the documentation has been focussed upon what we want to do.  In reality we must start with who we are…  and what we eat…

Looking forward…

Bembo

[ben]

Where to begin?

Firstly, I recognise the need and acknowledge the constructive motivations for making this post - I don’t think it’s ever easy to be the person to put their hand up and make these remarks, despite them being very useful for gaining perspective.

But unfortuately my thoughts will have to wait until tomorrow, since today has been very long and difficult day, and this is an important conversation that I’d like to respond to with a clear mind. I’ve read through everything that has been said so far and it seems this is a thread which is necessary and that will reanimate many of reasons why this has meaning for each of us.

I’d like to make one remark before I retreat to sleep, rather than allowing this to spiral into subjective polemics, could we aim to give examples in our comments of ways we might respond to the points made with actionable solutions - so that we can use this has a productive resource for the work ahead.