Matthew Howard

Why do you feel driven to take part?

I see the sometimes disconnected default of modern nuclear living as one of the key blockers to creating a more harmonious world. We are so used to outsourcing our mutual support to the state, and yet governments are drifting to the right, overseeing ever growing inequality year on year - I believe we need to start acting as individuals and groups to redress inequity and disconnection at the grass root level.

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Money, profit even more so, is often seen as an enemy in this game - but I don’t think we should feel scared by it - just like we are stronger when we combine our collective voice in political or environmental campaigning - we are stronger when we can better coordinate communal wealth building. It’s not the existence of profit in the economy which is the problem - it’s how it is shared and distributed. It is true that lack can drive stagnation - so rather than avoid gain, we need to align gains with ethical priorities. By baking in opportunities for everyone to benefit from shared assets from the start, we open to the door to resilient, sustainable, fairer, communities.

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What skills do you bring?

My core skills are in scale-up - whether that be chemical technology or political campaigning: how do we start with something that ‘at-least-sort-of works’ and make it both broader and more successful at the same time. Mostly, I learn-by-doing and encourage this amongst volunteers or paid teams, while paying close attention to risk and therefore safety in all it guises.

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To do this, I have built teams of 20+; established ways of working; defined core templates and guides which are repeatable, and struck a balance between detail and simplicity.

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Through building teams I have a close relationship with self and other awareness, understanding where interpersonal clashes are likely to arise, and facilitating the confidence to deal with conflict in an open, direct and corageous way.

On a technical front: at one end I have built data systems which streamline campaigning; chemical simulation models which predict system behaviour; and development of proposals for major commercial scale-up; while at the other end, I also still enjoy picking up tools: pipes, big or small for work or home, e.g. having done all plumbing for our ‘Homing Pigeon’ community; creating and inventing novel wooden or metal structures; and of course ensuring there’s always a good hand-made-sauna & hot tub nearby

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What is your main interest?

I see how the physical built environment limits our choices of how to live - where instead it could help facilitate better ways of being. I am committed to finding inspirational, inventive, and sometimes just slightly mad ways of rekindling ancient habits of living in ‘our village’. I think direct modification and transformation of the built environment - especially through adapting already amazing structures - is the best and most inspirational way to do this.

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