Oregon Commons

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= The Oregon Commons, a project “working to inspire appreciation, stewardship and advocacy” for all that Oregonians share.

URL = http://theoregoncommons.org/

"Oregon Commons hosts workshops to help people explore the diversity of their local commons, and partners with Portland State University on a capstone class, Reclaiming the Commons, which engages students in service learning projects." [1]


Interview

Paula Manley is interviewed by Jessica Conrad:

"What led to the creation of Oregon Commons?

The Oregon Commons project emerged a few years ago over dinner conversations among friends who felt overwhelmed by the primacy of the economy and the marketplace in everyday life. To change the system we believed it would be fundamental to take control of our own way of seeing the world; and the commons provided a lens for recognizing the gifts of nature and civilization that we share across generations. We got a big boost with the publication of All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons, including the opportunity to work with the On the Commons crew to host a big local event in Portland, the Commons Convergence, which brought together activists involved in many different aspects of commons work—from place-making to conservation to supporting family farmers.


Oregon Commons hosts workshops, correct?

Yes, our initial work has involved hosting public workshops to engage people in exploring the diversity of our commons—or, more specifically, to help people name different commons, think about what the commons mean to their lives, neighborhoods, and communities, and to consider their roles in stewarding the commons.

We also partner on workshops with neighborhood groups and other organizations that are already organized around a mission. It’s a process for discovering whether the commons framework can open up a new way of thinking or provide a foundation for their work.

For example, we recently worked with residents of a low-income building and a local nonprofit that hosts a community room within the building. The room is basically a gathering place for people to interact or use a computer or grab a cup of coffee. We organized a workshop during which we encouraged residents to think about the commons from their vantage point. What do they share in the building? What do they share in the neighborhood? How would they like to be more connected with the larger community outside of their building? How might that be accomplished?


What a great example, Paula. It’s important to talk about the commons with people from diverse economic backgrounds.

Yes, I agree, but then the question becomes finding the appropriate point of entry. When we were given the opportunity to work in the low-income building, we had to think carefully about how to start the conversation. How would we engage people who might not already be thinking about “the commons”? It was our first experiment in a subsidized housing situation. But you did hit the nail on the head: We’ve been thinking a lot about class diversity in our commons workshops.


What other strategies do you use at Oregon Commons to make more people aware of the importance of the commons?

When we work with neighborhood associations, it’s natural to introduce the language of the commons. On a very fundamental level, these associations are already engaged in commons work: Their work is to make better neighborhoods, often by creating shared spaces that didn’t exist before or improvements that contribute to livability. It’s easy to connect the dots between the commons and their work, and you can see the light bulbs go off when people start to recognize their work as commoning.

We’ve also been inspired by partnering with student teams from the Reclaiming the Commons class at Portland State. This year one team developed and tested a lesson plan with third graders about clean water, one wrote a children’s book about saving a neighborhood park, and another developed a wonderful video about a local tool lending library. These students are from diverse backgrounds and disciplines. Through their capstone class they study the commons and take action in service of the commons—and then they graduate and take that experience with them out into the world." (http://www.onthecommons.org/oregon-community-builder-brings-commons-life)