Plural commons: translation as a relational practice

The widespread use of the English term commons, rooted in British history, often obscures the diverse ways in which collective life, stewardship, and organising are practiced across different cultures. This paper asks how such distinct experiences can be translated and connected without collapsing their differences. Building on the work of the Urban Commons Research Collective, we argue that translation—while always imperfect—is crucial for forging solidarities across contexts. Drawing on feminist decolonial thought, we introduce relational translation as a practice that both connects and carefully situates experiences of the commons within their specific histories and struggles. Central to this approach is the use of equivocation as a methodological tool: one that engages with misalignments between terms as openings for dialogue, rather than obstacles. By tracing key vocabularies of commoning across diverse contexts, the paper develops a plural understanding of the commons and proposes a tentative framework for connecting different practices without reducing their plurality.