eco-commons articles
Check out these articles written by our eco-commons contributors.
Becoming Indigenous to Place at Gabriola Commons (by Heather Menzies)
Guest Article by Heather Menzies
Being a commons and becoming “indigenous to place” requires more than just ‘build it and they’ll come.’ It requires clearing space in the community’s imagination to revive commons ways of being, which date back to pre-modern, pre-colonial, even pre-feudal times. The commons’ heritage predates the invention of private property … geared to sharing the land and sharing responsibility to sustain it.
Gift Economy
How might my abundance contribute to my neighbour’s well-being? How might my neighbour’s talents contribute to my well-being. How might we translate this kind of coinage systemically? Surely with our advanced communication systems where funds are redistributed at lightning speed, we can figure out how to redistribute abundance?
Lessons from the Social Gospel that support 21st century Eco-commoning
The social gospel emerged in the early 20th century as a response to the abuses of capitalism and the need to understand how the church, and state, could be part of building God’s Kin(g)dom on earth. A hundred years later, we continue this struggle but with the added need to ensure the earth’s wellbeing as well. This article details some of the social gospel’s influence back then so that we might be inspired to carry it on now.
Reclaiming a down-to-earth way-of-life
At a more grass-roots level, some of us have found the old idea of the commons to have relevance in the 21st century. The idea of being commoners and engaged in commoning gives fresh expression to a way-of-life that is down-to-earth, practical, cooperative, participatory, local and yet with global understanding.
Reclaiming the Commons for the 21st Century
This pre-modern concept of the commons – people working and sharing together – has new relevance in the 21st century. We have come to articulate this life choice as seeking a common GOOD. Join us in exploring what this means.