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Reclaiming the Commons

For the Common Good

Commoning was a way of life for most of our ancestors. In Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good, author Heather Menzies journeys to her roots in the Scottish Highlands, where her family lived in direct relation with the land since before recorded time.

Beginning with an intimate account of unearthing the heritage of the commons and the real tragedy of its loss, Menzies offers a detailed description of the self-organizing, self-governing and self-informing principles of this nearly forgotten way of life, including its spiritual practices and traditions. She then identifies pivotal commons practices that could be usefully revived today. A final ‘manifesto’ section pulls these facets together into a unified vision for reclaiming the commons, drawing a number of current popular initiatives into the commons and commoning frame – such as local food security, permaculture and the Occupy Movement.

An engaging memoir of personal and political discovery, Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good combines moving reflections on our common heritage with a contemporary call to action, individually and collectively, locally and globally. Readers will be inspired by the book’s vision of reviving the commons ethos of empathy and mutual respect, and energized by her practical suggestions for connecting people and place for the common good.

 Reviews and Honours

 

Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good is an admirable, even noble, vision, and expresses very eloquently what will have to be done if humanity is to escape the current race towards disaster.

There’s more than a little irony in the fact that it is the indigenous people all over the world who are at the forefront of the struggle to rescue us from the fate that the most technologically advanced societies are creating, day by day. There’s not much time, and it’s a huge task.

I hope that this book has the impact it deserves.

Noam Chomsky

Globalization of the corporate mandate — maximize growth and profit — has been incredibly destructive of the social and ecological fabric that are the keys to sustainability.

When the great Crash, ecologic or economic, comes, Heather Menzies’ brilliant critique, Reclaiming the Commons for the Common Good, provides an understanding of why it came about and a path towards a truly sustainable way for humanity to live on the planet.

David Suzuki