C. RELATIONAL ECONOMY
Indigenous peoples worldwide understood economies as human relations. Economy from the Greek is derived from 'oikos' = 'home' + 'namein' = 'manage' = 'manus' = 'hand' meaning 'care and nurture'. This meaning is derived from the human tradition of extended multi-home living with privacy but as well the economies of scale / critical-numbers to interact sustainably and to build inter-personal relations, recognition and accounting for diverse contributions and talents. When imperial 'exogenous' (Latin = 'other-generated') displaced peoples attacked indigenous peoples they broke 3-dimensional full-cycle sustainable people centered economy to replace these with 2-D linear thing centered economy.
PARTICIPATION CYCLE
Starting with our present economy, we function as 1. Founders (organisation & resources), 2. Workers (labour & expertise), 3. Suppliers (goods & services) & 4. Consumers (patronage & resources) in a cycle of interaction. Presently this consumption driven cycle is at a dead-end, serving no one in any sustainable sense. However when each of these stakeholders group together, recognise other stake-holders and structure systems of accounting and ownership where the gifts of each may be invested and communicate as the creators which we are, then we can rebuild our system of essential services.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY
When we group our individual 'economy' (Greek 'ekos' = 'home & family' + 'namein' = 'management' = 'giving a hand' = 'care and nurture') beyond the individual or nuclear family to community, we develop critical mass of specialised effort and consumption through economies-of-scale, which are able to generate and serve our intimate interests.
ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ECONOMY ABCDE
Acknowledgement to the Asset Based Community Development ABCD Institute. Listen to part 1 of Jody (John) Kretzmann http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50WFPX0IvzM The attached graphic 'Spending Money Locally' shows how individual moneys and energies can be multiplied in intentional local economies from person and business to employ everyone, greatly reducing transport, and creating apprenticeship-mentor opportunities. What is shown here within the proximity of a small neighbourhood can as well be accomplished within apartment buildings. In the tradition of worldwide Longhouse (apartment-like) and Pueblo (townhouse-like) communities, we advocate web-based Community Investment & Exchange Systems within multi-home domestic buildings. Domestic economies then become incubators and generators for building, community and other commerce, industry and business in the neighbourhood, city, region, province, nation and other scales.
Tara Mather an intern during 2008 researched with us the implementation of a Relational Economy program among residents of`:
1. Jardins LaSalle Heights by which residents form and join Consumer Associations (Buying Clubs) at local LaSalle supermarkets and restaurants by which they invest their patronage, skills and resources into the food system. This summer we collected the signed support of 100 families. We discovered that 100 families per large supermarket chain store (1,000,000$ of food and household product buying) have the buying power to dictate participation.
Communities Working Towards Sustainable Food Systems, Three case studies of community developments in Montreal, Quebec
This report describes as well cross Montreal projects by:
2. Montreal Urban Community Sustainment MUCS Zero Food Waste, MUCS Dining Co-op, Free-School, Permaculture Guild of Montreal, Local Resources, Montreal Melon,
3. Action-Commautaire, Collective Gardens, Reclaiming Spaces, Community Gardens, Composting
The SDC is a Canadian non-profit dedicated to the promotion of Ecological Design, which includes Environmental (with our world), Elemental (integrating 1)Air, 2) Water, 3) Earth states of gaseous, liquid and solid matter, 4) Energy in solar, fire etc and Life both vegetable and animal, Ergonomic design with the human body, 'Economic' from the Greek = 'care and nurture of the home and family'. Our programs are designed to support each other in livelihood (food, shelter, clothing, warmth and health) during the process of making a living. Supporting people and processes are key to reaching our goals together.
Contact: Douglas Jack douglasf.jack@gmail.com