What Is The Commons?
A commons is a resource owned and managed by a group of people. In essence, the word ‘commons’ refers to three things: a resource, a community, and a set of rules. Commons have been present in many indigenous communities throughout history.
Fundamentally, the commons are probably the most ancestral relationship to property known to humankind. Commons Development
The term ‘Commons’ comes from Roman law: res communis: the thing which belongs to everyone. res nullius: that which belongs to no one.
Among the Wampanoag, rights to use the same plot of land could overlap, so that one family might hold the right to fish in a stream and another might hold the right to farm the banks of that stream. Usage rights could be passed down from mothers to daughters, but the land itself could not be possessed.
Public ownership does not necessarily mean that it is a commons if it is not managed by a dedicated community. For example, government agencies or public parks are owned by the state, and governed by rules set externally to the community that uses them.
Examples of Commons
Types of Commons
Natural commons: forests, fisheries, or groundwater resources. Infrastructure commons: urban commons, health commons. Knowledge commons: language, digital commons.
Known Commons
- Laxton (UK): common lands are cultivated cooperatively
- Switzerland: locals manage Alpine forests
- Nepal: management of natural irrigation systems
- Wikipedia: communal knowledge management