The Art of Commoning: What does it mean to think like a commoner?

This fall, University of the Streets Café is excited to be hosting three public conversations about the commons. This series is organized in collaboration with the Art of Hosting Montreal, organizers of the Art of Commoning, November 6 to 8, 2014.

Part 3 of 3

The Art of Commoning: What does it mean to think like a commoner?

In our age of predatory markets and make-believe democracy, our troubled political institutions have lost sight of real people and practical realities. But, if you look to the edges, ordinary people are reinventing governance and provisioning on their own terms. The commons is arising as a serious, practical alternative to the corrupt Market/State. The beauty of commons is that we can build them ourselves, right now. In this public conversation we will explore the bigger challenge: Can we learn to identify the commons that already exist around us? What must we shift in our worldview so that we may learn to think like a commoner?

Guest:

David Bollier has been exploring the commons as an author, policy strategist, international activist and blogger since the late 1990s. He has written and edited twelve books (sometimes with collaborators), including six on commons-related themes. Check out his blog!

Moderator:

Elizabeth Hunt is rooted at percolab, a Montreal-based social enterprise that accompanies organizations to step into their emerging future with courage, care, and consciousness. Elizabeth is dedicated to upheaving traditional notions of “expertise” and to creating spaces where all of our experience, knowledge, and ways of knowing are put front and centre.