Keeping the spirit of community alive across the Great Lakes has its challenges. But it's always rejuvenating to talk with Charter Supporters on why they are a commoner. On July 16th, folks from several shores met through on-line video and talked about how the Great Lakes Commons Charter is alive in their lives, projects, and passions.
Asking, Committing and Belonging: the making of a Great Lakes Commons
For the past few years, a dedicated team at GLC has been busy. How do we co-create a Great Lakes Commons with so many obstacles? As you can see by the Background section of our website, there’s a long story of failure we are trying to shift. As a small initiative with BIG goals (to protect the Great Lakes as a shared and sacred commons) what kind of work makes this shift possible?
Surrounding Water With Cycles and Perspectives: Charter Bearer Ben Weaver
On a bicycle it is impossible to be numbed by convenience. You have to look around. You embrace what comes. You ride it out, ride through it. Ironically, this is also the same path water follows. Not ironic, water was my riding partner for 15 days this summer as I pedaled my bicycle around Lake Superior. Water does not stop to complain and proliferate. It takes the shape of what it passes over, expresses it, and carries on.
From Available to Accessible: how a water commons can shift the process
Water takings have been occurring for over 100 years, with the first bottling permit established in 1912. In recent decades a surge in demand has allowed for an expansion in commercial water extractions throughout Canada – specifically centered in Southern Ontario and British Columbia.
Alongside this surge, the amount of water taken daily has also increased to a staggering rate at multiple plants; i.e. in 2011 Nestle applied for a permit to take 3.6 million litres per day for bottling purposes. This is nearly the size of 1.5 olympic-sized swimming pools of water being extracted everyday.
Surrounding Water: a commons journey around Lake Superior
Water Gifts Walk: giving back to the source
Summer is here and what more is there to do than thank the waters in our lives and bodies. June 6th marked the 100in1Day festival in Toronto where locals left their individual turfs to co-create over 100 'urban interventions' to re-make the city into a home. One day everyday could be like 100in1Day.
A Commons Charter In Your Pocket: small is beautiful
Common or Commons: looking at how we look at water
What is water? A seemingly simple question but the impacts that flow from your answer shape our delicate relationship with this blue earth.
The “common” ways of looking at water are all around us. Bottled water commercials, conservation campaigns, government plans, purification technologies, recreational dreams, and scientific discoveries all talk about water as a commodity, a resource, a playground, and a chemical bond known as H2O.
Becoming Great Ancestors: a workshop in progress
Toronto has been developing a Great Lakes Commons workshop that introduces how GLC is different from many other water protection organizations.
Called 'Becoming Great Ancestors', the 90-minute workshop offers 8 different ways we can relate to water. 4 of these are called "common ways" and 4 are called "commons ways". See the slight difference. You can see and download a copy of the workshop outline and materials if you'd like to host a similar workshop in your community.
Not A Commodity, But a Commons
A New Website, A New Invitation
We are happy to share our new website with clearer organization and new photos (with a winter theme). We have more updates to make and welcome your suggestions -- and photos. We'll be updating the photos every season so start sending in best spring photos. We would also like images (photos, paintings, carvings, etc) that help illustrate our transformative approach:
Ann Brummitt
Ann Brummitt is Co-Director of Milwaukee Water Commons and part of the GLC leadership team. Prior to this she directed the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition. She has swum in Lakes Michigan and Superior. Three to go.
Meet Our New Co-ordinator
Bronwyn Clement is one of GLC's newest members. She grew up on Toronto Island where Lake Ontario was the heart of community life. She is passionate about strengthening connections between water and a range of social and environmental justice work. She recently returned to Toronto from Maine, where living on the coast gave her a deeper understanding of how communities connect to and are sustained by their waters. She has tipped her toes in every great lake. See all of the GLC team's bios and faces on our new Who We Are page.
What is a 'Commons' and how is this transformative?
A commons names everything that belongs to all of us and that we must share, care for, and pass on to future generations undiminished. Water is one of the most essential commons we have — water belongs to all of us and is owned by no one. It is a living eco-system unto itself on which the biodiversity of the watershed depends. And like any commons, if it is to thrive, it needs people who step up to act as stewards and protectors.
How does this initiative connect with the sovereign rights of First Nations?
One of the most important truths to remember is that Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (North America) were here occupying the lands, implementing their laws, and governing themselves prior to contact with the settlers, and were never conquered by the settlers or their imported governments. This is important to remember because, according to International Law, if the Indigenous Peoples were conquered then all of the laws of the settlers’ imported governments would apply to the new lands.
What books, videos, and curriculum advance this initiative?
Alexa Bradley
Alexa Bradley works with Milwaukee Water Commons and is part of the Great Lakes Commons leadership team. She has worked as an organizer, facilitator and popular educator for many years, always with the goal of bringing the possible to life in the real. She loves all things commons and all things Great Lakes.
Julie Ristau
Julie Ristau has an extensive background in leadership development, community organizing, publishing and agriculture. Julie is the Co-Director of On the Commons, the parent organization of Great Lakes Commons. She has been involved in GLC since its inception and is on the coordinating team.
Paul Baines
Paul Baines is GLC's Outreach and Education coordinator. Paul leaped into the GLC work after reading ‘Our Great Lakes Commons: a peoples plan to protect the Great Lakes forever’ and then founded the Great Lakes Commons Map in 2012 to crowdsource people’s worry and wisdom for water health through data, discussion and story. He comes to this water reconciliation work with a background in critical pedagogy, democratic media, and environmental and cultural studies. Paul is home in the Lake Ontario watershed and in the summer of 2016 toured the Great Lakes for 5 months connecting people, issues, and perspectives.
Commons Water Artist Profile: Melanie Ariens
Melanie Ariens is an environmental advocate and volunteer community coordinator with diverse interests, skills and a willingness to learn just about anything to achieve a set goal. She received her degree in painting, drawing and printmaking from UWM in 1992 and worked there as the print shop assistant. She was formerly represented by La Galleria Del Conte (now closed) and participated in many group and juried shows.