Gavin Browning was hired by The New Press — an independent, non-profit public-interest book publisher — to promote recent titles related to the concept of the Commons. He wrote and produced the short film, The Commons. It was directed by Laura Hanna, with art and animation by Dana Schechter and Molly Schwartz. The film was presented by The Nation, which wrote:
“In a just world, the idea of wealth — be it money derived from the work of human hands, or the resources and natural splendor of the planet itself — and the knowledge handed down through generations belongs to all of us. But in our decidedly unjust and imperfect world, our collective wealth is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few. There is a better way — the notion of the commons — common land, resources, knowledge — is a common-sense way to share our natural, cultural, intellectual riches.
“Inspiration from the film came from four provocative books:
—Unjust Desserts: How the Rich Are Taking Our Common Inheritance and Why We Should Take it Back, by Gar Alperovitz and Lew Daly
—Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water, by Maude Barlow
—Viral Spiral: How the Commoners Built a Digital Republic of Their Own, by David Bollier
—The Magna Carta Manifesto: Liberties and Commons for All, by Peter Linebaugh
“In cyberspace, the ‘viral spiral’ is a way ideas and innovations grow and be shared with ever-larger numbers of people. That spiral path could be the way the ideas of the commons can help shape a more just society.”
–The Nation, January 15, 2009
