Movement toward a life in harmony with nature and each other. https://underatree.africa
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our entire site! I’m so happy to hear that it inspired you. This means a lot to us! Ghana is a beautiful country, but a lot of people there are also struggling because of the living conditions our global society has afforded them.
I wholeheartedly agree with your theory! The trauma is insane and it runs so deep. How do we communicate the need for this to people and enable them to be a part of the solution? I’m also passionate about talking to people about the need to understand our own minds, so we don’t become slaves to our instincts. I think that’s another key component.
When I said PoW done right, I was referring to the small fraction of blockchains that allow CPU mining to make the barrier to entry as low as possible. That is still far more inclusive than many PoS chains. But I totally get your point and it is a valid one.
The debate about proof-of-work (PoW) vs. proof-of-stake (PoS) is a complicated one. Whilst I cannot argue against the environmental damage done by PoW, it is simultaneously (when done right) a far more fair and inclusive way of reaching consensus than PoS. I think we have to keep looking for better solutions. As far as tax evasion is concerned, perhaps we should instead ask ourselves if that would be quite as much of a concern if people felt like they were truly getting value for their tax money 🤔
I like the concept of the DAO, but I’m far from convinced by current implementations. I try to think in concepts more than in how things are currently implemented. It frees me from getting bogged down by the current limitations when plotting my course. Not that we should ignore the shortcomings mind you, but things can easily get overly academic and whilst we discuss the best solution, the powers-that-be will continue full steam ahead toward the abyss
Open source is the way to go. I’m still concerned with the amount of corporate influence though and the lack of transparency. I will certainly be stressing the importance of openness and collective ownership when communicating to the general public.
And let me just add that I agree with what you say in your linked post about open source AI models as an enabler for democracy. There are a lot of things to consider of course, but it aligns well with my own positive take on the future of coexisting with AI. Still the leaves the problem of how we effectively counter the corporatocracy that seems to be steering all of us toward a very dystopian future, but that is another headache altogether
The mainstream crypto space with all its scams has also lost all meaning to me, but I do still feel like meaningful innovation is taking place on the fringes. From the perspective of a lot of Africans though (and I’m the only non-African member of our little movement) crypto is a very useful tool for hedging against inflation and avoiding centralized overreach. And yes, the downside of that is certainly that these technologies can also be used to nefarious ends, but so can hammers and the global fiat currency system 🤷🏻♂️
I agree with you regarding AI, and I think that these days people tend to perceived AI as synonymous with LLMs, which is of course not the case. There are countless dangers to be very aware of, but AI is here to stay and “opting out” is simply not an option. Being mindful about the role it plays in your life, now that’s a totally different story.
There are numerous issues with all of these technologies, and currently hyped AI technologies such as LLMs are completely distorting any meaningful debate.
DAOs are an interesting concept, but I have yet to see a current implementation which works in a way that would encourage me to use it for anything meaningful. Doesn’t mean the concept is not worthy of further study and development though.
Anyways, thank you so much for your input! It means a lot!
Thank you! 🙏
I am myself quite skeptical of those technologies to be honest, and I don’t necessarily mean revolutionize in a good way. I worded my post specifically that way to spark debate, and it has worked 😃
I will certainly be taking a closer look at the links you provided. Thank you for sharing!
I largely agree, but I also think that each of those technologies are merely tools, and what truly matters is the ideals in the service of which we deploy any tools we build. The path our global society is currently on leads straight to dystopia, and I don’t want to live there either.
Views on tech
Hi all!
I’m new here. I represent a little movement out of Africa, but I am myself Scandinavian.
Currently I’m working on a video exploring the role of technology in shaping a radically different society aligned much more broadly with solarpunk ideas. I’m specifically interested in how blockchain, DAOs and AI could potentially revolutionize the future of consensus making, but I’m also acutely aware that this is a polarizing issue. What are your views on this?
Introduction
Hi all!
We’re a fledgling movement with a handful of members in Africa and then me who is currently in Sweden. We have some plans for various projects in Africa that align well with the overall ideas of the solarpunk movement. I’m here hoping to make new friends and learn about what everybody else is doing. I believe that change is possible on a global scale, and that the hegemony of the mainstream, greed fueled, centralized status quo can be challenged most effectively by a global movement of decentralized, grassroots communities working together.