Dear Courageous Commoners
Welcome to our newsletter! As we embark on this exciting journey, and slowly get ourselves organised as a community, we want to share with you how the Commons Hub Brussels came to life, who we are, what we're up to, and what we dream of. Plus, we've got some opportunities for you to get involved and help shape the future of this space in the heart of Brussels.
🌱 How We Got Started
The Commons Hub Brussels was born out of a shared vision: to create a space where people could come together to work on projects that contribute to the common good, by becoming a common good itself. We started as a small group of passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds—activists, social entrepreneurs, artists, and community organizers—who recognized the need for a collaborative space in Brussels dedicated to fostering initiatives that serve the public interest. What began as informal meetings and brainstorming sessions has now grown into us, taking this very serious, and jumping into a project that feels larger than life :-). We are motivated, and we build for the future of cities.
👥 About us
The Commons Hub is envisioned as a space where we elevate and actively engage with the pressing questions of our time. As our world rapidly changes, a paradigm shift is necessary on multiple fronts. Is private ownership truly the best path forward? How can we equitably share essential resources, like spaces for collaboration and community gatherings? And how can citizens, collectives and initiatives with limited budgets find a place to call home? How can we become financially sustainable and be accessible at the same time? How do we unite local and global?
These are complex questions, often with more unknowns than answers. At the Commons Hub, we aim to explore these themes by revisiting the commons and commoning as a pracitce, and by regenerating our local economy and environment. We are part of a broader ecosystem of builders, thinkers, creators, facilitators, active citizens, educators, and artists who dare to ask: what new possibilities can we create together? What else is possible? Our space will be a vibrant hub of experimentation, dialogue, and reflection—a place buzzing with creativity, yet offering the stillness and focus needed for deep work.
In building the Commons Hub Brussels, we are committed to moving from:
Privatized spaces to shared spaces: Our space will be a shared resource, a common. How can we collectively steward and manage it? How can everyone contribute and take ownership of this shared responsibility?
Transactional interactions to conscious relationships and communities: How do we nurture meaningful relationships and foster a community of mutual care within this space and with Brussels and its global and local citizens?
Monoculture spaces to hybrid spaces: How can we create a welcoming environment for professional, for citizen driven, and for informal community activities while building a strong connection with the surrounding neighborhood?
The Commons Hub Brussels is where we will explore these questions together, creating a space that is as much about community and creativity as it is about sustainability and shared stewardship.
🌍 What We Are Doing
The Commons Hub Brussels is more than just a physical space; it’s a hub for action and innovation. Here is what we offer:
Co-working area and meeting spaces on the first floor: A cooperative workspace where people can work on projects. All members contribute with a monthly financial contribution and one shift, a contribution with time. Our goal is to grow to collective ownership of the space and build a cooperative.
A home for citizen initiatives and projects in Brussels: with open arms we welcome local and global communities and citizen initiatives that are working on regenerative projects, whether that is related to healing mind and body, how we relate to others, or how we organise our society, economies and democracies and care for the planet.
Public Events: Hosting events that bring together different sectors of the community to discuss and act on key issues facing Brussels. Here is a throwback of our first event! 🔥👇🏾
Event and meeting spaces for nonprofit, institutions and companies that are looking for a space that is super easily accessible. Next to the Central Station, and in the heart of the city.
Elinor Ostrom Conference Room
🚀 Where We Want to Grow
Our journey has just begun, and we have big dreams for the future. We aim to expand our reach by:
Growing our community and building local and global networks: strengthening connections with other citizen initiatives in Brussels and beyond.
Creating a cooperative and growing towards collective ownership of the building
Increasing Our Impact: Launching more projects, events and workshops that directly address the needs of our community.
We are committed to making the Commons Hub Brussels a cornerstone of the community, a place where ideas are nurtured, and actions are taken to create lasting change.
🙌 How You Can Get Involved
We can’t do this alone—your involvement is crucial! Here’s how you can help us grow:
🍀Join the community by becoming a member, either a supportive member or a coworker. Register here or book a visit. Members contribute with time and money, in order to make the space as accessible as possible. The more time you contribute to the project, the less you pay for using the space. Our governance model is inspired by sociocracy, we are laying the first foundations for working groups and circles.
🍀Join the community by becoming a partner. Are you a collective, are you part of an initiative that has regular meetups or is in need of meeting space? Reach out to us to know more about our partnerships. hello@commonshub.brussels
🍀Join the community by becoming an investor. Contribute financially and invest in the Commons Hub. This initial fundraising will help us furnish the place, pay for the fire insurance and other admin costs, buy some coffee and tea essentials and give us a head start.
Thank you for being a part of this journey. Together, we can create a thriving, resilient, and inclusive Brussels.
Stay tuned for more updates, and we look forward to seeing you at the Commons Hub soon!
With gratitude,
The Commons Hub Brussels Team
