permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/Law_for_the_Commons

The *Law for the Commons Wiki* is a first attempt to survey the more
significant realms of commons-based legal innovation today. Besides
providing a rough inventory of dozens of projects and theaters of legal
engagement, this wiki seeks to treat these very disparate bodies of law and
legal activism as a single field of inquiry, *Law for the Commons*. If we
are serious about catalyzing systemic change, we need to develop a coherent
vision for the role that state law must play, however imperfectly, and
develop legal and policy mechanisms that work.

Historically, most commons have not needed nor sought formal protections of
law. This has changed dramatically over the past 30-40 years, however, as
global commerce, technology and conventional law have relentlessly
expanded, superimposing the logic and values of markets on nearly every
corner of the nature and social life.

This wiki contains resources on the history of *commons-based law* and
*emerging
legal innovations that seek to empower commoners and protect commons*.
Historically, commons have had a problematic relationship with conventional
law, which generally reflects the mindset and priorities of the sovereign
(monarch, nation-state, corporation) and not the lived experiences and
practices of commoners. Still, in grappling with political, economic and
legal realities, commoners often find ways to secure control over their
common wealth, livelihoods and modes of commoning. Often, their solutions
entail makeshift working arrangements with conventional law.

Such a struggle is one factor that led to the *Magna Carta
<http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/Magna_Carta>* and * Charter of the
Forest <http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/The_Charter_of_the_Forest>*
in the early thirteenth century. *It is also what is spurring many
commoners today to invent creative new types of law – formal, social,
technological – to protect their shared interests, assets and social
relationships.* This wiki is intended as an introduction to key documents
in the history of Law for the Commons, and as a survey of some of the more
notable initiatives to invent contemporary forms of commons law in a
variety of contexts and locations. Find out more...
<http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/Introduction_to_the_Law_for_the_Commons_Wiki>
------------------------------
Who's Behind the Law for the Commons Wiki?

*David Bollier <http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/David_Bollier>* [1]
<http://www.bollier.org> of the Commons Strategies Group
<http://commonsstrategies.org/> prepared the initial curation of documents
(August 15, 2015), identifying key clusters of commons-law activity and
relevant literature and websites. The listings below derive from that
initial compilation, and were augmented and placed on this wiki by *Michel
Bauwens*, founder of the P2P Foundation and co-founder of the Commons
Strategies Group, in collaboration with *Stacco Troncoso* of the P2P
Foundation and the Commons Media Collective.

*This project is itself a commons, open to all contributions, and intended
for the benefit of all who need it. If you'd like to add your feedback and
help build this wiki, please read on
<http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/How_to_Contribute_to_the_Law_for_the_Commons_Wiki>.*
Other Commons Resources

*The Law for the Commons Wiki* is a workspace and repository for
Commons-related legal regimes, case studies and innovations. Related online
resources include:

   - *Commons Transition Home Page <http://commonstransition.org/>*
   Contains a general overview on Commons Transition Strategies, articles,
   videos and a blog. It is the landing page for the Commons Transition
   Platform.
   - * Commons Transition Stories <http://commonstransition.org/stories/>*
   Browse through our selection of featured essays, interviews and texts on
   Commons Transition projects and related initiatives.
   - * The Commons Transition Wiki
   <http://wiki.commonstransition.org/wiki/Main_Page>* is our searchable
   database for policy papers and proposals related to Commons Transition.
   (The Common Law Wiki is contained within the Commons Transition Wiki)
   - *The P2P Foundation Wiki <http://p2pfoundation.net/Main_Page>* is the
   world's largest online resource for P2P and Commons oriented knowledge. The
   P2P Foundation is an international organization focused on studying,
   researching, documenting and promoting peer-to-peer practices.
   - *The P2P Foundation Blog <http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/>* Updated
   daily, curated content reflecting the state of the P2P/Commons Movement