Re-grow the Giving Economy

Re-Grow the Giving Economy
Generosity and gratitude feed our spirits - and mutual aid and obligation strengthen community. Hard times can bring better times if we use our lack of jobs and money as an opportunity to invest our time and creativity building networks of caring and mutual support. We also become less  reliant on the uncaring money economy.

Instead of the vicious cycle where we don’t have time to give gifts from the heart because we have to work to pay for things that we used to offer as gifts from the heart.

(NOTE: in the Mar 2015 card deck this card was called "Restore the Giving Economy")

EARLIER VERSION OF MAIN TEXT: GDP grows when we convert things we used to do for each other as part of the social give-and-take (like child care, entertainment, health care,) into things we pay for. As times get harder the giving and sharing economy is growing again because people have more time and creativity than money and so have both more need and capacity for interdependence and mutual aid. This rebuilds our social fabric and community.

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Synergies
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Idea Family
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Detailed Description

 * A lot of our “economic growth” in the form of GDP has come from converting things we used to do for each other as part of our social give-and-take, into things we pay for: child care, elder care, health care, entertainment, the list goes on and on. It’s a vicious cycle: people don’t have time to give gifts from the heart because they have to work to pay for things that people used to offer as gifts from the heart. This trend is turning around as times get harder: the gifting and sharing economy is growing again, because people have more time and creativity than money - and thus have both the need and capacity for interdependence and mutual aid - and this rebuilds our social fabric and community.

Data and Statistics

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Resources and References

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Examples and Experiments

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