On the Commons' new book, All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons, will brighten the hopes of everyone on your gift list who cares about equity, the environment, democracy, communities and the world we leave for future generations. This book will inspire them to see the world in a new way.
A gathering of stories, cartoons, photos, lists, manifestos, personality profiles, success stories, essays and investigative reports, it presents a broad-ranging portrait of what the commons is and how it can guide us to create a better world. Contributors include Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Nobel-prize winner Elinor Ostrom, Winona LaDuke, Robert Reich and DJ Spooky.
The commons is what we share together. From parks and clean water to scientific knowledge and the Internet, some things are no one’s private property. They exist for everyone’s benefit, and must be protected for future generations. A movement is emerging today to create a commons-based society.
What is On The Commons?
On the Commons is a citizens’ network that highlights the importance of the commons in our lives, and promotes innovative commons-based solutions to create a brighter future.
“My family taught us that the best way to protect your own freedom is to watch everybody else's back. That's the essence of community.”—Bode Miller, Olympic skier
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HSBC, one of the world’s largest banks, takes direct aim at the commons: in an ad published in the Economist. “In the future, the food chain and the supply chain will merge,” trumpets the headline over this image of a fish. “In tomorrow’s global economy, every resource will be counted.”
They look forward to the day when in the whole world is commodified— down to the last fish in the sea. That means the end of the commons. Everything is someone’s private property, valued solely by the price it can fetch in the marketplace. That sends a shiver down our spines.
Thanks to Harriet Barlow for spotting this. — Jay Walljasper