"It is time to draw a distinction between those goods that can be managed by the market
and those that belong to the community”

They hang the man and flog the woman
That steal the goose from off the common,
But let the greater villan loose
That steals the common from the goose.

- English folk poem, circ 1764

 

The Commons Institute

 

The Commons Institute was established in recognition that the concept of the commons is currently under threat in our society. Despite being the source of benefit to most communities around the world, including ours, we are seeing the enclosure of the commons. This includes the disappearance of public space and the privatisation of resources such as water that were once considered a human right.

 

Explaining the Commons

 

The commons were traditionally defined as the elements of the environment - forests, atmosphere, fisheries or grazing land - that we all share. These are the tangible and intangible aspects of the environment that no-one owns but everybody enjoys.

 

But there are other conceptions of the commons. Today, the commons need to be understood within the cultural sphere as well. The commons within this sphere include literature, music, performing arts, visual arts, design, film, video, television, radio, community arts and sites of heritage. The commons can also include ‘public goods’ such as public space, public education, health and the infrastructure that allows our society to function (such as electricity or water delivery systems). There also exists the ‘life commons’ – the human genome that makes us a unique species. Though a central government may ‘manage’ these, realistically we have inherited them and any governing body only holds them in trust for the public as well as future generations.

 

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The global ‘Reclaiming the Commons’ movement

 

Naomi Klein (2000: 311) describes the battle over “street culture” as one that has emerged between corporations attempting to commodify it – both physically (through billboards) and culturally (through the cooption of local cultures by the advertising industry) – and “anti-corporate activists” aiming to reverse this commodification as part of a global campaign to ‘reclaim the commons’. We see examples of protests organised by groups such as Reclaim the Streets (RTS) that work to reverse this commodification. This reaction is part of a global campaign to ‘reclaim the commons’. The Commons Institute is part of the global movement.

 

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What are we doing?

 

The Commons Institute was established with three broad objectives:

1. To provide public education and training on the benefits of the commons;

 

2. Conduct research and publish reports on the commons; and

 

3. To investigate the feasibility of establishing a publicly accessible commons register – a place that we as a society can register ‘commons’ – much like private property and patents are registered.

At this point, the aim is to promote the concept of the commons while at the same time linking with other groups to both protect and reclaim the commons.

 

Establishing a ‘commons register’ is a longer-term goal. While patents and intellectual property rights can be easily registered, the ability to register ‘commons’ proves more difficult. A viable process for registering ‘commons’ is currently being investigated.

 

 

How can you get involved?

 

TCI is a community-based organisation that was only established recently. We need your help to begin our work. At this point, we have no tax-deductible status, and simply run on the work of a few volunteers. Any donations will be greatly appreciated.

 

Depending on your time you might decide to share your skills and expertise. TCI volunteers are the essence of activist and campaigning activities, providing limitless energy and ideas. Your skills are welcome as there is a wide range of needs and activities you can help with: from campaigning and research work to computer, database maintenance and administration.

 

Click here to contact us about your further involvement.

You can join the Commons Institute and/or make a donation on our Membership page.

 

Note: All references used can be found at the Resources page.