The jury´s motivation
T.R.O.Y:s entry "The New World Disorder - a global network of direct democracy and community currency" has been chosen for the first prize by a clear majority of the eminent jury. The jury finds that the winning contribution addresses important issues belonging to utopian thinking; visions of a better, future world; insights into what is causing problems today; implicit, or explicit, critique on prevailing systems; and last but not least, a location within the realm of possibility. Bo Södersten, the juror who did not choose T.R.O.Y as one of his nominees, writes: "utopian schemes… can not be completely unrealistic. Utopian schemes will have to -- if not having a firm base in reality -- at least not go completely against reality, known facts and prevailing scientific views." Jury member Rebecka Lettevall writes "It is hard to define Utopia, and that is just the way it should be, as utopia means 'no-place'. Utopias may function as critique of the prevailing society, as a literary genre or as a well of future dreams."
The jury expresses appreciation of T.R.O.Y:s vision of numerous net-works and alliances running the society, connected and functioning through direct democracy. Jury member Edward Soja especially mentions the attention T.R.O.Y has given the importance of regional organizations and alliances: "…notions of federation or confederation, and of participatory democracy, are given new twists in the creation of a Global Alliance that not only brings together thousands of grassroots community organizations and networks, but also works through the mediating agency of regional alliances." The jury notes that T.R.O.Y. shows a clear understanding of existing net-societies and grassroot organizations, a scene which already encompasses visions alike the ones found in T.R.O.Y:s text. He generously refers to various web sites to emphasize the existence of people in this world already on the move towards a possible new world disorder.
T.R.O.Y:s discussion of globalization and economic restructuring, identi-fying two kinds of globalization, elite and grassroot, is also mentioned by the jury. Edward Soja writes: "I was very impressed by the discussion of globalization and economic restructuring, especially the use of existing grassroots movements to lead the way to a utopian future. The entire entry is marked by a sophisticated understanding of present world conditions…"
The jury reflects upon the events leading up to "the Great Fall" described in "The New World Disorder". This event is sketched in the text, it is described as unforeseen but also inevitable. SOC notes that T.R.O.Y., in a few sentences, succeeds in communicating his idea of a future scenario and makes it clear that "the Great Fall" is perhaps not any more far from reality than other great events that have already occurred.
Soc. Stockholm and the jury congratulates TROY for his well-deserved prize and conclude with quotations from two of the jury members. Ed-ward Soja says about T.R.O.Y´s proposal: "What is included and how it is presented combine to produce a most thoughtful and enriching 'journey', in the sense of the authors early observations that utopianism is more a journey than a final destination, a way to move through, rather than a point to move to." And finally Sverker Sörlin describes "The New World Disorder": "Here is a vision of how life could be in the future. It is clear, it is rich, complex and argued with care and sincerity."
Compiled by Annika Drougge and Karin Willén, SOC.Stockholm
