An investigation into the commons reveals the wide-ranging spectrum of definitions and applications of this concept that exist across Europe. From urban public spaces to natural ecosystems and the virtual world – the concept of the commons seems to be giving rise to new forms of organisation, collaboration, and management of resources. Yet from the numerous local initiatives, social movements and governance models associated with this term – is it possible to identify the outline of a commons-based approach that could form the basis of a broad cross-societal response to the failures of the current system?

Join us for a discussion with trail-blazing Green Mayor of Grenoble Eric Piolle, lawyer and social geographer Daniela Festa, and expert on the far-reaching social impacts of neoliberalism Christian Laval. The debate will be moderated by Oikos coordinator and author Dirk Holemans. The event is organised by the Green European Foundation with the support of Oikos think tank and Etopia.

Date: Monday November 28th

Time: 19.00-21.00

Venue: Kaaitheatre, Square Sainctelette 20, 1000 Bruxelles.

A networking buffet is foreseen from 18h00

Please register for the event, by clicking here, join the facebook group here.

Information about the speakers:

- An engineer by training, and director in a large company, Eric Piolle was elected as Green Mayor of Grenoble in March 2014, leading a coalition of Greens, citizen groups, and the Left Party.

- Daniela Festa is a lawyer, social geographer, and activist. She has a PhD degree in urban and social geography and Post-Doctoral Fellowship in social sciences (EHESS), Paris. She recently joined an European Research Council project at Sciences Po (Paris) on “inclusive properties”. Her main research themes are urban movements and projects, active citizenship and participatory democracy.

- Christian Laval is currently Professor of Sociology at the Université de Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense. His books include The New Way of the World: On Neoliberal Society (with Pierre Dardot); Jeremy Bentham, les artifices du capitalism; L’École n’est pas une entreprise: Le néo-libéralisme à l’assaut de l’enseignement public; and L’Homme économique: Essai sur les racines du néolibéralisme.

Moderator: Dirk Holemans, coordinator of the Belgian Green think-tank Oikos and a member of the board of the Green European Foundation. His most recent book is ‘Vrijheid & Zekerheid’.