The Value of Commons
This month at the Funding the Commons conference in Bangkok, there were a number of interesting and deep discussions around how we create shared value in the world. Most of it was high-level — new words and new languages for rewarding those people who create and act as custodians for our collective public goods. But, for simplicity, let’s go back to an earlier story — to Elinor Ostrom, the first woman to win a Nobel in Economics, who succinctly outlined the principles for managing strong commons.
Commons need to have clearly defined boundaries. If a resource is shared, then it needs to be clear who is allowed access to what and when. When the use of a resource is vaguely defined, there is a vagueness of attribution and upkeep, and we tend to think of it as a “free for all,” which ultimately causes degradation and depletion.
Rules should fit local circumstances. There is no fixed rule set where one size fits all for commons globally. Commons are specific and localized. They are part of the people and cultures around them, and those people tend to be the best stewards. This means that rules need to be integrated into everything else.
Inclusion in decision-making. The principle here is that the people who follow the rules need to be part of making the rules. This inclusion is deliberate; you are more likely to follow rules that you help create.
Commons must be monitored. Commons need to be monitored for fairly obvious reasons: to notice how they’re being used or misused, to take care and maintain them correctly, and to make attributions to those responsible for their upkeep. Noticing is the first step of good governance.
Sanctions should be graduated. It’s easy to abuse a commons through accidents or miscommunication. In the event this happens, harsh sanctions tend to create resentment. Commons need to be protected, that’s for sure, but sanctions that are gradual and corrective rather than extremely punitive foster a sense of cooperation and redemption.
Conflict resolution should be easily accessible. When it comes to shared resources, conflicts are sometimes inevitable. It’s not difficult to get into a disagreement with your neighbors, but having a system of rules for expressing that conflict gives everyone a safe, procedural structure to work within and find resolution. Good fences make good neighbors in a private setting, but an accessible conflict resolution process makes for fair-use commons.
Commons need the right to organize. Commons need to be legitimized and given the leeway and space to organize. This means they need recognition within any other governance structure that may supersede them locally so that they have permission to act and govern.
Commons work best when nested within larger networks. There are some commons that extend across countries and even continents. Rivers, for example, are shared resources, and what happens upstream has an impact downstream. It’s a no-brainer that we need to govern these things in concert. Networks of commons taking care of a valued global resource makes sense, especially in our highly interdependent, connected world. Arguably, the Earth is itself a commons, albeit one that is in bad shape. But we’ve got to start somewhere.
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