Commons: Towards a New Narrative on Development Policies and Practices?

Narratives feed into development policies. They are the outcome of complex interactions between political and economic contexts as well as scientific findings and practices. Narratives are a way to build converging discourses, to rally actors and give meaning. As early as the 2000s, a discourse emerged around Global Public Goods in parallel to the one on Sustainable development. Upon facing increasingly alarming planetary challenges, we believe that commons, both as institutional processes and as a philosophy, are vectors for change. This article looks at the intellectual and operational potential provided by commons on development policies. What do commons refer to? To what extent do they invite development actors to take a step aside and renew their policies, strategies and practices?