Right
Relationship - Building a Whole Earth Economy
Right
Relationship - Building a Whole Earth Economy
Peter G. Browne et al
PB AUD29.95
This book is sponsored by the
Quaker Institute of the Future and reflects
the research undertaken by the Moral Economy
Project Team. As I started reading I experienced
a 'not sure about this' moment which I realised
was my judgment of group ideologies. Putting
'judgment' aside I found myself immersed in
a very grounded, thoughtful and soulful book.
The thesis of the book focuses
on five questions;
· What is the economy for?
· How does it work?
· How big is too big?
· What is a fair distribution of the
benefits and burdens?
· How should it be governed?
Underpinning the answer of each
question are a couple of definitions. For me
they set the scene with the most impactful being
'commonwealth of life'. The authors explain
they chose the word commonwealth because it
is a term, which stresses interdependence. Typically
it is used to describe a political community
rather than only the interests of individuals.
Here it extends the notions of common features,
fair sharing and interdependence to the entire
community of living beings on earth.
This introduction set me up well
for the detail to follow. I was mesmerized by
examples used to explain and demonstrate specific
points. For example they describe a project
in Western Canada, the Alberta tar sands, where
attempts are being made to alter the relationship
between substances normally found under the
earth crust to those on top. The result has
been a breakdown of the ecology, economy and
social structure of the area. A great example
of wrong relationship within the commonwealth
of life!
A great feature of the writing
is that as well as identifying issues; the authors
provide some concrete solutions. True, all solutions
offered will challenge the status quo for both
governments and corporations. But one thing
I learnt in reading this book and some subsequent
research is that the Quakers are not known for
'giving up' and take on many 'too difficult'
issues such as the abolition of slavery with
great success!
So where did I end up-certainly
with a deep respect for the work and contribution
by the Quaker organization to our world. Unexpectedly
I have a new language to use as I explore my
relationships within the commonwealth of life.
And I have great hope as I begin to 'wake up'
to the potential of living in a whole earth
economy.
Watch
a trailer for this film via the You Tube servers
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more reviews - July 2009
