Our common good: A documentary on citizen collectives

What role can citizen collectives play in solving the problems of our time? From energy collectives and care cooperatives to nurseries ran by parents – can these collectives offer solutions to problems that are not or only partially addressed by the government and the private sector?

These questions are discussed by Tine de Moor, Professor of Social Enterprise and Institutions for Collective Action at the Erasmus University Rotterdam, in the vpro backlight documentary ‘Our Common Good’. Since 2005, the number of citizen collectives in the Netherlands, also referred to as commons, has grown enormously. In a citizen collective, citizens take the initiative for joint management in situations where the government or the market fails to do so. Professor Tine de Moor conducted research on the emergence, functioning and evolution of institutions for collective action, in the past and in present times. She highlights that one of the important messages that commons have taught us is to experience once again what solidarity among citizens actually means.

The documentary can be watched here.