4/14 The Commons, Theory of Private Property and the Land Trust Model

Dear class, due to unforeseen circumstances, class will be cancelled tomorrow, Tues. April 12th. 

For Thursday the 14th, please read these two short papers 

and watch the film clip below

1. Peter Barnes, "A Brief History of How We Lost the Commons"

2. Bob Swan and Susan Witt, "Land: Challenge and Opportunity"

“Soil is ours. Water is ours. Ours are these forests. Our forefathers raised them. It’s we who must protect them.” A song from the Chipko Movement in India

Terra nullius (/ˈtɛrə nʌˈlaɪ.əs/, plural terrae nullius) is a Latin expression deriving from Roman law meaning "nobody's land",^[1] which is used in international law to describe territory which has never been subject to the sovereignty of any state, or over which any prior sovereign has expressly or implicitly relinquished sovereignty.

The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable earth. These resources are held in common, not owned privately.