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What we hold in common

by on February 18th, 2011

From All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons, by Jay Walljasper, these introductory words:

What, Really, Is the Commons? What we own together, and how we cooperate to make things happen…

Welcome to the Commons. The terms may be unfamiliar, but the idea has been around for centuries. The commons is a new use of an old world, meaning “what we share”–and it offers fresh hope for a saner, safer, more enjoyable future.

The commons refers to a wealth of valuable assets that belong to everyone. These range from clean air to wildlife preserves; from the judicial system to the Internet. Some are bestowed on us by nature; others are the product of cooperative human creativity. Certain elements of the commons are entirely new–think Wikipedia. Others are centuries old–like colorful words and phrases from all the world’s languages.

Anyone can use the commons, so long as there is enough left for everyone else. This is why finite commons, such as natural resources, must be sustainably and equitably managed. But many other forms of the commons can be freely tapped…

And from a bit further along in the book, this list:

Where to Find the Commons

* Air & water; *The Internet; *Parks, libraries, streets & sidewalks; *Our DNA; *Blood banks, soup kitchens, twelve-step groups, museums, nonprofit organiziations; *Dance steps & fashion trends; *Social Security, the National Weather Service, police protection & other essential services; *Fishing & hunting; *The airwaves (radio, television, cell phone); * Christmas, Halloween, Passover, Ramadan, Mardi Gras & all holiday traditions; *Poker, hopscotch & soccer; *Biodiversity; *Taxpayer-funded medical & scientific research; *Wikipedia; *Robin Hood, Athena & the Little Mermaid; *Sushi, pizza, tamales & family recipes; *The jump shot, kimonos, bookkeeping systems & the Heimlich maneuver; *Public education, public transportation & other public services; *Open-source software; *Jokes, fairy tales, slang & anecdotees; *The oceans, Antarctica & outer space…

All That We Share contains essays from some of our country’s leading writers, thinkers and community activitists. It was published last year by The New Press.

More from this book–about how we can and do help build a commons–in coming blog entries.

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2 Comments on “What we hold in common”

  1. Alan says:
    February 20, 2011 at 11:24 pm

    A favorite blog post of a pal’s linking back to my comment on the Canadian Supreme Court of Canada’s 2002 ruling on the meaning of life – as illustrated by a mouse in an experiment: http://www.actsofvolition.com/archive/2002/december/beyondjustice

  2. Ellen Rocco says:
    February 21, 2011 at 12:18 pm

    Oh, I love this, Alan. Indeed, is DNA part of the commons or will a pharmaceutical company patent strands of the very matter from which we’re made? And, if a mouse can be patented, can each of us be patented as well?

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