A Place of Gathering

Ben Franklin got a lot done in his time, and much of it was done through community collaboration. One of the ways that he was able to develop so many local programs, like the library system that he invented, was through the mechanism of a Philadelphia club he established in 1727 called the “Junto”.

“I should have mentioned before, that, in the autumn of the preceding year, I had formed most of my ingenious acquaintance into a club of mutual improvement, which we called the Junto; we met on Friday evenings. The rules that I drew up required that every member, in his turn, should produce one or more queries on any point of Morals, Politics, or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss’d by the company; and once in three months produce and read an essay of his own writing, on any subject he pleased. Our debates were to be under the direction of a president, and to be conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth, without fondness for dispute or desire of victory; and to prevent warmth, all expressions of positive opinions, or direct contradiction, were after some time made contraband, and prohibited under small pecuniary penalties.” - Ben Franklin, Autobiography - Chapter 7, Establishment of a political and philosophical Club

The Junto consisted of businessmen, craftsmen and landowners who were active in the local community and who gathered under the auspices of “mutual improvement”. Everyone shared their specialties, tips on bettering their businesses, daily experiences; basically the group grew together and helped develop the community from the inside out. It was from this core group that the revered American Philosophical Society grew.

Dave Carroll ( @aquarius ), Assistant Professor of Media Design at The New School, Venessa Miemis ( @vanessamiemis ), New School associate and author at the blog Emergent By Design, and Bernd Nurnberger ( @cocreatr ), are a few of the folks putting together a platform that brings a digital spin to this idea. Aptly named Junto, the platform they are developing allows creatives, academics and business leaders to engage each other online through voice, video, text and file sharing, under the same notion of “mutual improvement” that Franklin had in 1727.

Junto as a platform supports global collaboration, and through the very process of development it shows the power collaboration to bring ideas forward. With more focus on what we can accomplish together, and less focus on ideas of competition that keep us apart, we can move the world into a more sustainable age. Franklin’s effect on the global stage was significant when all he had was pen, paper, and the good sense to share information and collaboration with his peers, imagine what is possible when this is aided by advanced communications.

What kind of collaboration is possible within your own community?

Are you missing out on potential partnerships that would bring new life to your town?