Many people are engaged in commons-based alternative practices as part of the struggle for ecological, social and cultural transition within their communities. In these fields, the commons approach offers a new vocabulary for collective action and social justice. It opens up ways of reshaping processes for governance of resources by communities themselves. Commons-based practices respect values of sharing and cooperation, equity and diversity, transparency and sustainability.

In November 2016, a group of 150 commoners from all over Europe gathered in Brussels to lay the foundations for a united and strong European commons movement. The European Commons Assembly was born.

The European Commons Assembly is an ongoing process that facilitates pluralistic debate regarding the strategy and agenda for a united political vision. Its goal is threefold: 1) support the decentralised activities of commoners and their engagement in concrete, collaborative and bottom-up actions 2) give a voice to and increase the visibility of the commons movement 3) channel the needs and demands of socially and ecologically sustainable initiatives to the political arena.

These videos give a peek into the Assembly and its members, who explore how to bring the advent of creative institutions and political alternatives from the local to the European level and articulate joint demands for urgent issues, including food, energy and the city:

The idea of commons is growing in our collective imaginary, but remains underrepresented in concrete terms. It is time to jointly act to reinvigorate local, national, and European politics on the basis of these values!