With Friederike Habermann (Commons Institution) (Project Room) (in German)

Should the person cutting onions get the most soup because they had a harder time than the one who only peeled potatoes? And does Peter, who only plays guitar, even deserve soup? And does Karin have to pay for her soup if she only comes to spoon some soup?
Using this example from a shared apartment, Friederike Habermann tried to explain the principle of the commons. She explained that exchanging and sharing — not trading — are part of being human. The difference is that in the past, goods were exchanged or shared not based on their abstract market value or price, but because of a direct human need. For example, children don’t try to trade a banana for two or three apples to maximize the number of apples they get, which could then be exchanged for a variety of other products. Markets, on the other hand, create artificial scarcity and thereby promote social or economic inequality. At this point, it became clear what connections exist between our current trade system and its negative consequences, such as structural exploitation and injustice.
As an alternative to the current economic system, Friederike Habermann proposes the revival of the commons (often translated as “Allmende” or “common goods”) or commoning. According to the principle of the commons, goods are shared. Everyone contributes individually to the community and, in return, receives all that they need.
Earlier examples include communal lands managed by everyone. Commons stand in contrast to private property.
Important examples are Wikipedia or open-source software, but also community and housing projects where most goods are not privately owned and work is not performed as paid employment or a service for remuneration.
The participants were able to gain important insights into our current economic system through the input and get to know alternative concepts. By presenting everyday relevant examples of existing initiatives, motivation and knowledge were sparked to use these alternatives and thus encourage changes in behavior.