I was asked to rapidly write down „what comes to my mind“; a description of the commons in 30 seconds.
Here’s my try. And I open the „competition“ 🙂 Alternative proposals or suggestions to polish up this one are welcome
„The commons are realms/situations in which people share and reproduce what – in principle – is available to all. The commons are flourishing when people share in such a way, that resources don’t diminish and creativity unfolds. The commons is about the decisions we make on how to use land and water, knowledge and seeds, the biodiversity and the atmosphere to reproduce our livelyhoods. The commons work for people when people work in common.“
The commons are realms/situations in which people share and reproduce what - in principle - is available to all. The commons are florishing when people share in such a way, that resources don't diminish and creativity unfolds. The commons is about the decisions we make on how to use land and water, knowledge and seeds, the biodiversity and the atmosphere to reproduce our livelyhoods. The commons work for people when people work in common.
CommonsBlog 
Dear Silke! I would consider that not the commons will flourish (sorry, but not: florish. See the women’s magazine http://www.toflourish.com/) but maybe the people being pampered by the commons. Providentially the commons also deliver to people who don’t share. They exist beyond human ethics. If the commons would depend on human decisions they’d be having a hard time, don’t they? 🙂 Your Alexander
Dear Alexander,
right, it’s „flourish“, thanks!
But I stick to my version, since I consider the commons a special kind of social relationships, thus, this kind of relationsship will „flourish“ (gedeihen).
Natural resources (which are common pool resources) exist beyond human ethics, but a commons is more than a resource.
Best
Silke