At last, a blog for Coalition of The Willing! I thought it was time to create a central place where everyone's work in progress can be shown. Thanks to all the collaborators for allowing me to show their developing work. This blog is mainly for the purpose of connecting the collaborators, showing work as it progresses and announcing any developments. The blog isn't meant to be the public face of the film. The film's website is currently being developed. So finally, just to say that Coalition Of The Willing is already shaping up into a wonderfully rich and diverse piece of work, an enormous thank you to everyone involved.

Saturday 12 September 2009

Tim Rayner


I met Tim in Sydney in the Summer (Or Winter if you're in the southern hemisphere) of 2008. My wife (Then girlfriend) attended his evening course at Sydney University entitled 'Philosophy For Change'. After she'd raved about the course and the tutor for 6 months I thought it was time to get in touch.

Tim and I immediately hit it off. We both realised we wanted to say something about the state of the world and our seemingly inevitable decline into climate catastrophe, but we weren't sure quite what. Through many brainstorming sessions in the bars of Sydney and later after my return to London, over Skype, we hatched a plan. In a nutshell, Tim gradually filtered my 'angry man' rantings on the state of things, added his knowledge on swarms and the possibility of open source and web 2.0 collaboration, and formulated the proactive and optimistic polemic which is 'Coalition Of The Willing'. It took me a while to get my head round his polemic, after all its easier to criticise and point fingers then it is to stick your neck out and make a proactive suggestion. I must admit, i still feel 'exposed' by the argument that Tim formulated and that we are all 'animating' to. I fear criticism, people saying 'you must be joking, web 2.0 saving the world...come on!' But I deal with these fears by reminding myself that what we propose in the film is not the final solution, rather it is a suggestion, it is iterative. My brother-in-law is an engineer with an engineer's mind. When i told him i was thinking of buying a Honda Prius he couldn't wait to tell me what a complete environmental aberration the Prius battery is. But my point to him was the same, namely that the Prius is not the final solution, it is an iteration, a step along the way.

I am proud to have been working with Tim. As first writer he has created an argument I am happy to stand behind. Tim has just completed his manuscript for Philosophy For Change, is working on a new book, continues to teach in Sydney and lives much closer to the waves than I do. Take a look at his blog: http://philosophyforchange.wordpress.com/
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