WHAT ARE COMMONS
We live in a world today where it has become intuitive to think of property as something owned and controlled by individuals, corporate bodies and governments. For most of human history however, resources both natural and human made (including knowledge, cultures, and values) have been controlled and managed in ways that cannot be captured in any of the above categories.
Common properties and institutions are sometimes misunderstood as state of nature or free for all, where there is no restraint on exploitation. In practice, it is now widely understood that this is far from the case. Institutions, cultures, values and practices governing and enabling collectivities of people to utilise resources are now widely recognized in different parts of the world. Most frequently these institutions take the form of customary rules and regulations that are locally acknowledged and passed on orally. Their presence in legal statute is limited. Consequently they often get ignored in policy making and thinking about development and well being.
Institutions of commoning are widespread in managing resources in diverse social contexts (such as rural, urban), and may be found in all parts of the world. In India too cultures of commoning are well-known and play a vital part in securing the livelihoods of communities and managing the resources in a potentially sustainable way.
