Easy ways that you can help grow the commons movement
We’ve put out requests for help before – in blog articles, at public events and via word of mouth. And they worked. In Stroud, we now have a core group of 10 people and three sector groups – housing commons, land common and leisure commons, with 8-10 people each. Read more
I was interviewed about the commons by the ‘Voice of Islam’ radio station
I was invited to be interviewed about the commons and mutual credit for a show on the radio station ‘Voice of Islam’ called ‘Beyond Capitalism: Mutual Economics’. Read more
Festival of Commoning, Stroud, Gloucs, Sep 13-15, 2024
A Festival of Commoning in the UK: Stroud, Gloucestershire, September 13/14/15 2024. The time is right for a Festival of the Commons. Read more
Bath presentation: introducing the commons
We were invited to give a presentation at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution on Jan 9th. Here’s the transcript and slides. Read more
Is the corporate digital takeover of big cities ‘progress’?
In Brett Scott’s blog post, The War on Informality, he talks about his impressions of London after some time away, how it’s becoming more and more difficult to escape surveillance capitalism, and how it’s seeping into every area of Londoners’ lives. Read more
Explaining the commons economy
The word ‘commons’ can mean different things to different people. We’ve been working with specialists to help build the commons economy, so we’d like to concisely describe what we mean, and how you can join us. Read more
Helping commons groups form and grow in Stroud and other towns (and countries)
Commons ideas have gone down well in Stroud and we have thriving groups in various sectors. We’ve been approached by formative groups in several towns in the UK and in other countries. Read more
You can help develop non-corporate digital tools to support collaboration between community groups
Are you sick of having to always use corporate software, that uses your data to track your activities, to try to sell you things, and who knows what else? Read more
Restanza and the cultural commons
We’d like to see the commons economy grow to allow people (especially young people) to stay in their communities, rather than having to move to big cities to work in the corporate sector and pay extortionate rents. Here, Paul Jennings (who we’re liaising with about the commons in Llandeilo) talks about the concept of ‘Restanza’… Continue reading Restanza and the cultural commons Read more
Free online: 2024 revised and expanded edition of ‘The End of Money’
I read the first edition of this book around 12 years ago. It changed my life and put me on the path to where I am now – trying to build the commons economy. New 2024 edition, free online. Read more
‘Bear ye one another’s burdens’: friendly societies for social welfare
Every neighbourhood had a friendly society. At their height, just before WW1 9 million people were members of friendly societies in the UK! Read more
How to build an energy commons
This is a draft outline of a design for an energy commons in any town – an energy sector owned by communities, providing affordable, locally-generated, renewable energy. Read more
Decentralising power: the why, what, how and who of growing the commons economy
Why we need to replace capitalism with a commons economy; who will do it and how. Read more
‘Climbing commons’: community-owned climbing centres
We’re following the exploits of Stroud Commons, in trying to build a commons economy for the town, and helping groups to launch in other towns. As well as a core group, there are now groups forming for various sectors of the economy, including housing, energy, land/food/water, community spaces – and now, climbing! Read more
New commons group and public event: Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
Llandeilo commons: invitation to join a formative group and public event in West Wales. Read more
How to bring the water industry into community ownership: Julian Jones of Water21, Part 2
part 2 of an interview (see video below for more details – well worth it!) with Julian Jones, a water engineer and distinguished fellow of the Schumacher Institute, who has worked and provided consultancy for water companies, NGOs, the Environment Agency, universities and governments. Read more
Taking the water industry off the water companies: Julian Jones of Water21, Part 1
Part 1 of an interview with Julian Jones, a water engineer and distinguished fellow of the Schumacher Institute, about building a water commons for Stroud. Read more
More on the money problem: it doesn’t have to be ‘scarce’
Following on from a recent post by Tom Greco, on the essential nature of money, Dil Green of Lowimpact.org and Mutual Credit Services here talks about its apparent scarcity, how that negatively affects our communities and our well-being, and how it could be different – based on mutual credit and the commons economy. Read more
Stroud Commons 5: forming a ‘commoners’ group for each sector of the economy
This is the latest in a series of articles documenting our group’s attempts to build the commons economy in Stroud, in a way that can be implemented in other towns, and connected together to build the foundations of a new, commons economy. It covers what we’ve done so far, and how people can get involved. Read more
Building back differently: peasant economics and heritage craft
If a fair share of the planet is a couple of ‘useful’ global hectares per individual, the planet could sustain about 10 billion people living primitively. Read more