Giving my voice to the commons: A short speech to 60 in the House of Commons, London, UK

Yesterday was the second in the James Quilligan seminar series, organized in London by a joint effort from the School of Commoning, and the Christian Council for Monetary Justice, and took place in the Portcullis House. As I headed to the event with the School of Commoning founders, George Por and Anna Betz, they asked me if I might say something briefly at the event, as to bring more feeling to the series and not just ideas. I happily agreed and set my mind to work thinking what I might say. I wrote the following and spoke following quite closely it's words. 

My experience of most people my age is that they've lost their curiosity. Stopped asking 'why are things the way they are?' let alone 'could things be different?' It felt hard when I was younger, but at this point in my life, I feel so grateful to have grown up in a family that asks why. A lot of why questions for me arise out of what feels like common sense. The classic questions like 'why do all these cars only have 1 person in them, when they all get stuck in a traffic jam that way?'  

What about sensibility as a commons?  

As a young person who asks a lot of questions, it seems to me the commons of sensibility has been depleted as much as the precious metals. The reason I'm here in London is because as I asked more and more fundamental questions about the root of our issues, the fewer and fewer people had sensible answers. I had to travel halfway around the world to meet people who were talking common sense! I've never traveled Europe before, let alone on my own, and at times it's been quite scary, but I've come to see that reconnecting with the commons will take a lot of bravery on all our parts.  

The conversation that is happening here and in the next ten days is possibly the brightest light for the future of this planet that I know of.
Thankyou. 

An excerpt from an email to my father about metamorphosis

"...Amazing things happening in the dialogue here, concerning transformation of our economic and political systems to ones that actually benefit and replenish the commons (natural, cultural, spiritual) rather than deplete them. An infinitely more advanced conversation than is going on anywhere in North American politics. The major thing concerns ceasing to claim ownership over those things, so that they can be managed rather through trusteeships and we can consider ourselves stewards of the earth, rather than owners who will do with 'our property' as we please. Much of what's being said requires us to expand our sense of self to include others, so that we remember that what is good for them, is also good for us, so not only is it virtuous to give to others, but in a way, a kind of enlightened self-interest as well.

Today I made a connection between 'common sense' and the commons, and considered sensibility as a commons (that has also been depleted). Your age old question of a hotel visitor, who uses as much water and leaves the window wide open with air conditioning on, just because they don't have to pay more, 'it's not their problem', but it feels like common sense to not do that. I thought to myself, it's not like the ideas being tossed around are out of this world brilliant, they feel like common sense, and yet I think as it is all unfolding hardly anyone can believe the dialogue is actually taking place, because as few as 5 years ago or less, it would have seemed absurd. There was only 1 MP there today, who convened this James Quilligan seminar in the House of Commons, but I feel that much more confident in the transformation of things, knowing that he's in parliament, and working towards common sense change. 

I just wanted to give you a sense of what I'm really doing here, and here to talk about :) Exciting stuff, for those of us interested in restoring sanity to this ol' world, eh chap! ..."