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#7 Precautionary Principle and #8 Diggers/Zapatistas
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#7 Precautionary Principle
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I'm Jan Edwards and this is the Tapestry of the Commons.
A stitch in time saves nine. Look before you leap. Measure
twice, cut once.
All cultures have such sayings, because they reflect an important
truth. Its better to be safe than sorry.
Lately, local governments have been taking this advice to heart. The Precautionary Principle is a process which invites citizens to participate with local government to examine all the options before a decision is made. The Principle requires only that the pros and cons be weighed, that the dangers be discovered and discussed, before a new path is charted. This idea has long been used in Europe, and now a few places in the US have adopted it.
Citizens and governments use the principle to do health assessments and real cost accounting. This often tips the scales in favor of more environmentally friendly solutions. Cities and counties are using this process to find safer cleaning products for their schools, and more energy efficient light bulbs for city buildings. But it can also be used for zoning and land use, the banning of pesticide spraying, to encourage drought tolerant landscaping, to strengthen the fire department, or to decide how to spend tax dollars. In Mendocino County, California where I live, its being used to assess the runoff into our rivers.
The basic idea of the Precautionary Principle is that we prevent
problems rather than clean them up afterward. Its Common Sense
for the Commons.
The Tapestry of the Commons is made possible by the Alliance for
Democracy.
To learn more about the Commons and the Precautionary Principle
visit our website at www.TapestryoftheCommons.org
I'm Jan Edwards
More Information on the Precautionary Principle
#8 Diggers/Zapatistas
In 1649, a group of poor men gathered on St. George's Hill in Surrey, England, and began to dig. I'm Jan Edwards and this is the Tapestry of the Commons.
These activist peasants became known as the Diggers. They planted carrots, parsnips and beans as a way to reclaim the Common land. The Commons had been granted in the Magna Carta for the use of all. And for centuries the peasants had farmed , grazed their animals and gathered wood from the Commons.
But the Lords enclosed the Commons. They fenced it off for their private pleasure and profit, and left the peasants to starve. "Stop cutting down our Common woods and trees for your private use," the diggers said. They were beaten by landowners and their houses were burned. They were charged with trespassing and arrested. By the end of the year, the Diggers were forced from St George's Hill. Many of the landless peasants came to the American colonies to find a better life.
Today, corporations are the lords. And they are enclosing the world's Commons. Corporations, governments and trade organizations are out to fence off, or "privatize", all the profit-making parts of the Commons.
And there are new Diggers as well. Here's one example: To be allowed to join NAFTA, the Mexican government was required to take away the traditional land of the peasants. The land was privatized. This led to the Zapatista uprising.
The indigenous people know the value of what they are losing, and they have banded together to fight back. Will we?
The Tapestry of the Commons is made possible by the Alliance
for Democracy.
To learn more about the Commons and the Enclosure Movement visit
our website at www.TapestryoftheCommons.org
I'm Jan Edwards
More Information on the Diggers, Enclosure and Zapatistas