The Commons: communal management of public resources - an untapped way of doing things

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Miss Eagle has long had a strong interest in The Commons.  

The latest edition of Guernica carries a significant article 

on the subject by David Bollier 

which was original published in On The Commons.

The Commons is an ancient concept

but it can be made new again - in many different ways.

Some quotes from Bollier:

A commons arises whenever a given community decides that it wishes to manage a resource in a collective manner, with special regard for equitable access, use and sustainability. 

It is a social form that has long lived in the shadows of our market culture, and now is on the rise.

In the end, any commons movement will depend upon how badly people really want to 

• reclaim our common wealth, 
• re-connect with each other as human beings, and 
• devise new political and legal structures for achieving this vision. 

My guess? The energy and desire are there, but diffuse. 

The vision is gaining currency. 

An inventory of commons-based solutions to problems 

ranging from global warming to social alienation is growing. 

Diverse types of commoners are starting to discover each other. 

What’s needed is a surge of new leadership and resources 

to take the commons to its next, more interesting stage of development.