Howard Rheingold video of talk on cooperation studies

Bill Thompson explains that there are attempts to replace Microsoft Office with web-based word processing and spreadsheets, collaborative working tools for distributed organisations and, of course, a vast range of mapping and route finding services (BBC, 2006).

Even a small increase in our understanding of the dynamics of cooperation and collective action could have enormous payoffs in regard to international relations and conflict-resolution, the evolution of economic institutions, and the future of democratic governance and civil society. The Cooperation Project, a collaboration between the Institute for the Future and Howard Rheingold, proposes to catalyze an interdisciplinary study of cooperation and collective action. We do this by compiling and synthesizing current knowledge, mapping the outlines of the emerging field, convening meetings of the best minds in relevant disciplines, and encouraging ongoing discourse, research, and practice.