Enabling a Global Climate Commons Pathway - 2013
= ECC2013 side event
Topic
“Enabling a global climate commons pathway - through an emerging loose international federation of commons”
Date and Venue
Wednesday May 22nd: 14.00 to 16.00
Conference Room 2, Schumannstr 8, in the Heinrich Boell Foundation building
Description
Justin Kenrick and Brian Davey:
The aim of this event is very practical: to start a process exploring how to set up a support network, or meta framework for a global commons system,focusing on the example of a global climate commons regime built by community action. We would seek to create a global climate commons pathway through protecting, networking and legislating in support of local commons systems.
A longer paper of our ideas is attached but what we are proposing, in brief, is a process that enables a convergence between communities, groups and commoners who are focused on being effective on the ground, who have an eye on the need for a global commons system that expresses rather than overrides their autonomy, and who understand [or wish to understand] how to combine (a) the use of international human rights legislation and international pressure, and (b) on the ground flashpoints, struggles and causes, to create a pincer movement through to (c) mobilising society-wide constituencies for key legislative, economic and political changes. We suggest that this needs to be grounded in establishing dialogues between communities in the Global North and South (not through conferences but through exchange visits between community members) to explore the experiences of (and possibilities for) community land ownership, responsible and equitable natural resource management and the management of carbon in soils and forests, and to use these exchanges and the media and networks generated to combine (a) international pressure, and (b) grounded struggles and examples as well as to achieve (c) society-wide change to act as examples to other societies to follow suit.
Up for discussion in this context would be:
- Moving towards a *loose international federation of commons* — some standing (extra-institutional) body that can provisionally coordinate commoners, act as an information clearinghouse, and provide strategic leadership.
- Working out what is an appropriate involvement for digital commoners and digital technology.
- Using the process to show the types of commons based alternatives that exist for provisioning and governance, and identifying the existing bodies of law that can be leveraged by commoners.
More Information
RSVP to: @ Brian Davey <[email protected]> and Justin Kenrick <[email protected]>