Rather than adding additional bottom lines ad absurdam, maybe maybe we need a new economics, one whose theorems are based on collaboration, public goods, ethics, and the limits of the natural world? See the New Economics Insitute:
The urgency of shaping a new economy—one that is fair and sustainable, that functions within ecological limits, and takes into account people and cultures throughout the world—has never been more clear
Parts of it are already known and under way, from Wendell Berry to Amory Lovins, from community supported agriculture to Slow Money and Transition Towns. What is needed now is some entity to bring these various organizations and individuals together, to frame a common story, to tell it in multiple voices, to strategize the steps towards implementation, and to take collective action to achieve the transition.
http://thebiggerpicture2009.org/
Posted by: twitter.com/ddenizen | October 06, 2009 at 12:32 PM
Gerry, this is very promising for you and your network. It seems that you have begun to connect with the progressive funder/foundation world. It has been a very long time coming.
Posted by: Phil Cubeta | October 06, 2009 at 03:32 PM
I hope so. It could be a real catalyst for reformation, for putting philanthropy on the kind of solid foundation of relationship that we have dreamed of for so long. You have been with it even longer, it would not be possible without the work that you and others have done to prepare the ground.
Posted by: twitter.com/ddenizen | October 07, 2009 at 09:05 AM
I have done little enough recently to connect these two worlds. But as you mention Schumacher it becomes clear that these two worlds are now beginning to conneect. If only that had been true at Omidyar.net in a more meaningful way, as far as grants went. You know, Albert Rusega, a frequent commenter at WB, and blogger at White Courtesy Telephone is now the head of Greater New Orleans Foundation? Little by little the worlds may connect, but the cultures are still worlds apart. Schumacher is more in tune, I think, with the p2p spirit of things.
Posted by: Phil Cubeta | October 07, 2009 at 02:58 PM
Jean Russell in her work with Tracy Gary as well as her ongoing nonprofit engagement and work with Valdis Krebs is another sign that the web is slowly being woven to connect networks with money to networks with grassoots energy around community, alternative currencies, open source, open space, and so on. Chris Corrigan is also connected to a progressive network of funders in Canada around Endswell, Carol Newell, and Joel Solomon. They are pals with Tracy.
Posted by: Phil Cubeta | October 07, 2009 at 03:01 PM
Hopefully through this convening and others they will bring more progressive funders into the fold. It is certainly true that a shot of really strategic funding could turn around the economy. The wealthy really could spend enough on building common assets, and just plain providing a compliment to any Keynsian government stimulus. They could think of it as protecting their investment.
Vanguards like Tracy, Schumacher and their networks could lead a global call for the haves to spend on economic development. Local development through local currencies could certainly be part of these programs too.
Posted by: twitter.com/ddenizen | October 07, 2009 at 05:35 PM
If not for GiftHub, there never would have been a place to blog and comment about these things. We don't know what bystanders may have been influenced by these conversations while standing on the sidelines. Synchronistic principles are in operation, causality is up in the air.
Posted by: twitter.com/ddenizen | October 07, 2009 at 05:39 PM
Art as play. Goofing around is sometimes the most serious work we do.
Posted by: Phil Cubeta | October 08, 2009 at 12:02 AM
LIfe as a work of art. Art and learning as the work and play of life. We need play to learn, to be human.
Posted by: twitter.com/ddenizen | October 08, 2009 at 07:56 PM
Play together, dance together, how tribes are formed.
Posted by: Phil Cubeta | October 09, 2009 at 08:16 PM