KEY CONCEPTS AND IDEAS

A Cooperative: An "autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-controlled enterprise" (International Cooperative Alliance, ICA). Each member has equal voting rights and democratic power within the organization. Examples: housing cooperatives, food co-ops.

The Commons: A wide variety of self-organized social activities and arrangementsthat enable communities to manage shared resources for collective benefit in fair, inclusive, sustainable, and accountable ways (Ostrom, 1990). Examples: community forests, Free and Open Source Software, digital archives, peer-produced cultural works.

Commoning: The ongoing processes that aid the creation, governance, and sustainability of the commons and allow for their collective use are known as commoning. The commons are not given but are continuously produced through the constitute social practices and relations i.e. commoning (Linebaugh, 2009). 

The seven principles adopted by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) are:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership: Cooperatives are open to all who can use their services and accept membership responsibilities, without discrimination.

2. Democratic Member Control: Members participate equally in governance; one member, one vote.

3. Member Economic Participation: Members contribute equitably to the cooperative's capital, which is democratically controlled and used for collective benefit.

4. Autonomy and Independence: Cooperatives are self-governing and independent from external authorities.

5. Education, Training, and Information: Cooperatives invest in educating members, elected representatives, managers, and the broader public about cooperative principles and benefits.

6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Cooperatives strengthen the broader movement by working together across local, national, and global levels.

7. Concern for Community: Cooperatives work toward the sustainable development of their communities beyond the interests of members alone.

In addition, The ICA promulgates the accompanying ‘values’ of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity.

Elinor Ostrom identified eight principles that characterize long-enduring, self-governing commons (Ostrom, 1990): 

1. Clearly Defined Boundaries: Clear boundaries for access and restriction must exist to include entitled parties and exclude unentitled ones, preventing disputes and ensuring a shared understanding of resource use.

2. Congruence Between Rules and Local Conditions: Management rules must be adapted to local contexts for seamless integration with the community's existing practices and needs.

3. Collective-Choice Arrangements: Operational rules can be modified by participating individuals, ensuring decision-making reflects the diverse perspectives and needs within the community.

4. Monitoring: Monitors are accountable either to other users of the commons or are users themselves, promoting transparency and shared responsibility for resource stewardship.

5. Graduated Sanctions: Low-cost mechanisms should be preferred for initial violations, encouraging a fair and proportional response that maintains social cohesion.

6. Conflict-Resolution Mechanisms: Long-term commons must incorporate informal mechanisms for amendment and conflict resolution among participants.

7. Minimal Recognition of Rights to Organize: Enduring commons should be minimally acknowledged as legitimate by external bodies (e.g., governments) in their capacity to devise their own institutions.

8. Nested Enterprises: Commons must be integrated within multiple levels of government, promoting coordination from higher governance structures while maintaining local autonomy.