On the Commons (formerly Tomales Bay Institute) is a network of citizens and organizations exploring new ways to achieve social justice, environmental harmony and democratic participation at all levels of society.
Networks
Here is a list of key networks that TNI works with.
Our Water Commons seeks to transform societal decision making for water stewardship towards participatory, democratic, community-centered systems that value equity and sustainability as a strategy. Our work is based on a set of ten water commons principles. History: Our Water Commons is a collaborative program of On the Commons, an organization formed in 2001 to advance commons-based solutions that will help achieve environmental restoration, social justice, global cooperation and a brighter future for all. The Our Water Commons initiative was born out of a three day working meeting held in May 2008 with leaders from the Council on Canadians, the Blue Planet Project, Vermont Law school, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), Tarun Bharat Sangh (TBS), Food and Water Watch, Grassroots International, On the Commons, the Centre for Human Rights and Law (India), and the Red Vida (Latin America’s largest water justice network.
The “Our World is not for Sale” (OWINFS) network is a loose grouping of organizations, activists and social movements worldwide fighting the current model of corporate globalization embodied in global trading system. OWINFS is committed to a sustainable, socially just, democratic and accountable multilateral trading system.
Since 2005, TNI has been instrumental in catalysing and supporting the Reclaiming Public Water network, which has grown to include 220 organisations in 71 countries. This is an open, multi-sectoral network that enables activists, trade unionists and academics to work together with water utility managers and engineers to promote democratic, public models for providing water as the best means of ensuring safe, affordable access to water for all. TNI functions as the facilitating hub of the network.
Mexican Action Network on Free Trade (RMALC)
La Red VIDA (Vigilancia Interamericana para la Defensa y Derecho al Agua – Inter-American Network for the Defense of the Right to Water) is a network against water privatisation and for public accountable water in the Americas with which TNI works closely.
The FAL network is a meeting space and joint discussion with the World Social Forum from which local authorities involved in the protest movement against neo-liberal logic promote an agenda based on peace, social inclusion, participatory democracy, inter-city solidarity, the defense and promotion of public utilities, the right to the city and a sustainable environment, and respect for fundamental human rights (education, health, housing and access to water) guarenteeing full citizenship rights, especially for immigrants.
The S2B network was formed in the aftermath of the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 1999 Seattle Ministerial to challenge the corporate-driven agenda of the European Union and other European governments for continued global trade and investment liberalisation. It has also developed as a response to the increasing need for European coordination among civil society organisations. TNI is part of the coordination committee.
The Sustainable Energy and Economy Network (SEEN) based in the US works in partnership with citizens groups nationally and globally on environment, human rights and development issues with a focus on energy, climate change, environmental justice, gender equity, and economic issues, particularly as these play out in North-South relations.
Timberwatch Coalition is a network which works to ensure that timber plantations are not established on land where food, other crops, and livestock (indigenous or otherwise) could be farmed to the greater benefit of both local communities and South Africa as a whole.
The remunicipalisation tracker showcases cities, regions and countries that have rolled back privatisation and embarked on securing public water for all that need it.
Waterjustice.org is an open space to connect people from around the world dedicated to effective, democratic and equitable water solutions, including community activists, NGO campaigners, academic researchers, trade unionists and water utility managers. The success of the website will depend primarily on the active participation of these diverse groups.
The World Forum for Alternatives is an international network aimed at supporting the international convergence of social movements and other actors of the Civil Society from below. It creates spaces for reflection and coordination, providing social movements and ONGs, with tools for information and analysis on the globalization of resistances, and contributing to broadcast information about the existing international struggles.
The World Rainforest Movement is an international network of citizens' groups of North and South involved in efforts to defend the world's rainforests.
