Join

A Commons in Oakland, California

From Latin omni-, "all, every, the whole, of every kind,"

Omni Commons is comprised of several Bay Area collectives with a shared political vision—one that, at its most basic level, privileges a more equitable commoning of resources and meeting of human needs over private interests or corporate profit.

We invite you to join us in establishing a hub: a safe productive place to pool resources for the collective use and stewardship of the greater community. A space that fosters an ethic of radical collaboration across disciplines and between individuals, creating a living model for future radical spaces. By collectivizing, we are able to consolidate expenses for the purpose of amplifying one another’s goals. Omni is far greater than the sum of its parts.

Omni is making manifest a different way of being together. This is not a project that aims to realize the impossible. Rather, Omni represents a complete perspectival shift, one that allows us to model a way of living outside of the mandates of private interests and corporate profit. It is a reclamation of the Commons. We are creating a space where resources are mutually cared for, cultivated and shared. For more info: http://www.omnicommons.org/

Get involved!

There are many ways to 'join' the Omni Commons:

• Attend a class, meeting, workshop or event - check the calendar for a list of upcoming events.
• Come to a working group meeting and help us support this crazy project!
• Most of our member collectives have open membership, check the calendar for their respective upcoming meetings and open houses.

Delegates meeting and joining as a collective

Delegate meetings are open for anyone to come and witness. If you would like to formally join the Omni Collective as a member-group, we have created this short sheet to facilitate the procedure:

• Please read about our vision / governing principles to determine if your collective is willing and able to collaborate within the structure and culture we have co-created so far.
• Attend a weekly Omni Meeting 7–9pm Thursdays at 4799 Shattuck Ave in the basement.
• Present your collective to the group. This should include *IN WRITING* answers to the questions in the proposal guidelines below.
  • We seek an understanding of what you do, points of synergy with the Omni Commons, some thoughts as to how we can help one another (i.e. what can you provide to the community? what do you need?), as well as what relationship you seek to have with the greater community.
• After your presentation, the Delegates will take the information to their respective groups for a week of deliberation. We will make a decision at the next Delegates meeting, in a closed vote.

If approved, the following:

• Choose a delegate to represent your collective in Omni Delegate meetings
• ATTEND Omni general meetings and participate in/contribute to the ongoing evolution of the project!

Potential member group proposal guidelines

In preparing a membership proposal for your group to join Omni, please make sure to include the following points. You can answer using these questions directly or incorporate them into a format that suits your style.

1. Mission statement

• What do you do? What happens in the world because you exist? (1-3 sentences)

2. Origin and group history

• How did you start? What have you done? (1-3 sentences)

3. Participation in the Omni

• Why are you interested in becoming a member? How does your group intend to use the space? What are your needs? (less than 5 sentences)

4. Group finances and paying rent

• Omni Commons currently pays about $15,000 per month. We take our finances seriously for all member collectives.
• What does your group do to support itself financially? What is your best plan for contributing your potential share of rent to the Omni?
  • Please include relevant financial statements, especially documentation of sufficient income (e.g. balance sheet, bank statement, profit & loss statement). (less than 5 sentences)

5. Dedicated space

• If your group would like some dedicated space at the Omni, what square footage and what features are you looking for? Which specific rooms do you feel might be suitable? (1-3 sentences)
  • Prepare to present ALL possible, desirable spaces with some sort of drawing or physical in-person markings (like painter's tape).
  • Please also create a "pros and cons" list for EACH possible space.

6. Other contributions to the Omni

• This question should inspire some imagination. We are exploring ideas to pay rent and purchase the building in the long-term. The basic plan is for each group paying a share of rent. Potential plans include groups sharing profit from their activities, producing Omni events, and booking other events. What is the best-case scenario for using the Omni space to further support your group? (less than 5 sentences)

7. Additional

• Is there any other information that you think would be useful for us to know about your group? (as many sentences as you like)

what we're looking for

This section needs expansion

• What kind of groups?
  • Donation-based
  • Volunteer-led
  • Non-profit
  • Worker Owned
  • Offer value to the public for free or sliding scale

• What core values do groups share?
  • Standing in solidarity with all oppressed people
  • Cultures of consent, against rape, violence & exploitation
  • The survival & thrival of our communities and neighborhoods
  • Striving for social, economic & environmental justice
  • Maintaining an active, publicly accessible commons
  • Fostering radical discourse and education
  • Removing barriers to technical innovation and scientific inquiry by providing needed equipment and space for individual and group learning.
  • Providing a venue for innovative cultural production