Palliative Commons

Enjoying our last moments.

What if 2022 is the year when scientists will tell us the 3 degree warming will be faster and more dramatic than first anticipated. What if they tell us humans have about 100 more years to live on this planet?

The above imaginary statement could open up for a dialogue about Palliative Commons, an idea of shared societal care on our deathbeds. What would we all wish for? What would be our most honest needs? What would we do?

By dramatically and quite radically giving Palliative Commons a deep thought and research we could learn a great deal about ourselves and our surroundings. By designing common spaces that meet our last wishes we would most likely create beautiful scenes and spaces for care and kindness. How would we look at consumption, family, our homes and education? How would we work and how would we spend our time and money? How would we balance our mental states and philosophical questions about life and its meaning?

Many people that are faced with the fact of just having a short time to live change how they see themselves, their lives and their needs. There is an almost enlightened process happening when we truly get to know that our time is limited. What would happen for a full society to feel that way?

The Palliative Commons might turn out to be the best things we’ve created in society for a long time. They might turn out to radically change our mindsets to the point that we actually start living with the planet, and not of the planet. The Palliative Commons might forcefully and sincerely transition us and the planet to the point that we unconsciously stopped the heat increase and in the end survived after all.