Commons

These keypoints are based on David Bollier’s article, “The Commons, Short and Sweet” (2011).  The commons is a social system for the long-term stewardship of resources that preserves shared values and community identity.  

While the term the commons is often read as a noun referring to things that can be shared – such as the sea, the internet, or land – it is actually much more helpful to understand the commons as a verb.

With his straw hat tightly screwed on his forehead and his pitchfork in his hand, Elyes bends down to pick up a handful of dried posidonia* strewn on the ground. "Some people say that I must be crazy to put this in my garden", he regretted while pointing out the seagrass that he himself picked up on the beach of Chebba.