The Earth Spring
Written by Kade Morton
- Submit stories set during Ereshtar, the Earth Spring
- Submit Ereshtaran artwork
- Engage with the theme in ways we haven't even thought of yet!
- https://www.pinterest.com.au/moretonkate/mozfest/
- Email tendaitirivanhu at aol dot com to contribute
Ereshtar is a thought experiment around decentralisation. The idea came about as a culmination of Mozretreat 2019. Over the course of the retreat there was a great deal of discussion around artificial intelligence since better machine decision making a big focus of Mozilla's for the coming years. In thinking of our space the idea of being enlighted around all the different things that involve AI was likened to taking a red pill in The Matrix, and weaving in further ideas about society and the world today this awakening was translated as grass roots activism rebelling against centralised authority and springtime. So was created Ereshtar, the Earth Spring, a time that is upon humanity when the old ways of Winter fall way and we come into our freedom and power, like flowers in spring time.
The word Ereshtar was formed from the names Ereshkigal, the Sumerian goddess of the underworld and Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of fertility. Ereshtar symbolises the change from darkness to a time plenty.
The four seasons, Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer have a deeper significance than you may realise. Humanity was created in the Summer, a time remembered as naught but myths and legends. The seasons quickly moved to Autumn as nomadic hunter gatherers settled down, centralised themselves, formed government and set about their petty conflicts. As these times moved to industrialisation the seasons moved to Winter. Humanity spread and conquered, millions dying in the process.
But now, Winter has broken. Times are changing and the seasons are shifting. All around the world, events like the Arab Spring show that people are disaffected with their creation, government. Faith in government, and indeed all forms of centralised authority are at an all time low, with no sign of improvement. Hung parliaments are now the norm in democracies the world over. But people feel the change, the shift in power beneath their feet and yearn for a connection to community, to family and to one another, rather than chains to arbitrary forces that entrench differences and inequality.
There was a great excitement over blockchain as decentralised technology, but why treat the green shoot as the be all and end all when the mighty oak is yet to rise? As people come to realise the profound meaning of decentralisation in all its forms, the scales fall from people’s eyes. Suddenly they see what has always been there, lying before them and waiting to be reclaimed. The Winter has broken, the ice is melting, and its water feeds crops of unimaginable change. Welcome to the Ereshtar, the Earth Spring.
Here are the bones of a world building document, licensed under Creative Commons, that people can use.
The space description from the MozFest Website:
Let your eyes be opened by the abundance of new growth in the Decentralisation Space!
The power of grassroots collaboration has fueled innovation and inspiration in social interactions and political organisations around the world. The past year has seen green shoots of possibility grow in our communities and our online environments due to the immense opportunity contained within decentralised approaches to power and authority.
By empowering people to change technologies, policies, and societies, we take control away from centralised authorities and monopolies. Through decentralisation, we give power back to the people and communities to ensure that the internet and machine decision making processes are controlled by those they affect rather than being governed by the few.
Come share, make, and collaborate with us to unearth new opportunities for decentralised growth in both the digital and physical world.
Ereshtar, the Earth Spring is licensed under Creative Commons Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike 4.0 and its use under this license is encouraged. We want people in the decentralisation zone to engage with this theme, and connect with the overall concept of decentralisation in a way they maybe haven't before. We encourage people to use this document to write stories set during Ereshtar, create artwork that represents Ereshtar, and dive into this theme in ways we have never even thought of yet. We will display as much of it as we can in the zone during MozFest itself. Send your submissions to me at tendaitirivanhu at aol dot com.