Peter Minuit and the Gift Economy
<p>Something that cannot be sold cannot be commodified. It is like that with commons. If ever they are commodified, they cease to be commons. Commons are inclusive rather than exclusive. Ownership is wide, not narrow. The goal is not to obtain a private yield or profit, but preservation of social and ecological capital. In the case of gifts, it is the preservation of relationships. With commons, it is land. Any notion of return on capital is antithetical. And just as they are received — as a shared inheritance — so there arises the duty to pass the commons on to future generations in at least the same condition as received although, in many indigenous practices, improvement by each generation is the norm.</p>
<p><a href="https://cooldesign.medium.com/peter-minuit-and-the-gift-economy-ee9bc63459cf"><strong>Learn More</strong></a></p>