Breakthrough development for the Earth Commons!

Humankind is entering the era of its intentional evolution. We find a measure of that in the nascent legal framework for decisions about protecting its common assets, e.g.: the sky, the land, the oceans, indigenous culture and knowledge, technology, arts, universities, etc. (A more detailed list of types and examples of commons is here.) A well-known example of such legal framework is the Creative Commons.

We can pass that threshold of our intentional evolution in the next 4-5 years. The first sign of that possibility is the Global Commons Trust, conceptualized by James B. Quilligan and launched publicly this week.

In a commons-based society we shall still have private and public (state-owned) goods but unlike those goods, "common goods involve:
- peer participation, inclusion and cooperation
- "equal access, free and fair standards, and transparency"
- "social creativity and innovation, mutual benefit and long-term sustainability."
Quoted from: Why are common goods unique?

Those qualities will be foundational to a sustainable civilization, the institutional framework of which will include an emergent player, the commons trusts. " A commons trust is a legal entity responsible for protecting a shared asset that is inherited from past generations, or is presently being created, on behalf of current and future generations. Because it is common property -- held in trust and not owned by anyone -- the commons are insulated from any claims by private individuals, business, government or other trusts. More on commons trusts, here.
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Quilligan, a master of macro-economic thinking, is very clear on the economic conditions of sustaining the commons, outlined on the page about Commons Rent. There are many radical yet feasible models of economic and social transformation presented at the site of the Global Commons Trust, which will frame and feed the planetary conversation about the transition to a sustainable society in the months and years to come. In fact, engaging with them is so appealing that I had to discipline myself to keep this review short and post it as soon as I can, rather than writing a longish essay-response.

Being a politically, legally, and economically sound project, the Global Commons Trust doesn't forget about the role of consciousness: "Although common goods still represent an evolutionary challenge to the economic and political status quo, humanity has begun to think differently about its commons. We are reorienting our perception of the world and developing new ways of understanding resources, interrelationships, governing structures, values and standards. This is creating a new consciousness around our commons."

Those of us, who are action-oriented evolutionaries, will also find something very valuable on the site: a roadmap and a call for the formation of a Commons Action Group. I hope to meet you there.