Building a Culture of Peace

Earthdance Community Economy

Hi All!

We would like to begin a discussion with you about how - as a community of people, non-profit organizations, and businesses - we can create shared financial sustainability, through cooperative actions, and build a vehicle that helps us better support our families and communities, in alignment with the peace-building work of initiatives like Earthdance and the many other amazing projects we're all connected to.

In our view, this is about community economic development, part of the greater work of community building. We want to find more ways to prosper together, and have more reasons to connect with each other.

We approach this work as positive commerce or conscious commerce, the idea of "doing well by doing good", a renewed paradigm that calls for positive and compassionate intention and action to be integrated into our economics. This includes maintaining the highest ethical standards of conduct; adhering to rigorous environmental and social sustainability in our business practices, products, and services; and asks us to commit significant time and resources to socially responsible efforts aimed at solving basic human problems like hunger, poverty, war, and disease. For me this is the definition of peace-building, the outer work that follows the inner dedication we forge through self-reflection and meditation, and in group alignments like the Prayer for Peace.

One way this can happen is through a type of global micro-economic marketplace model that allows us to work together year-round, mutually supporting causes, promoting each other's events, music and video projects, buying and selling products and services from each other, sharing business opportunities, and together making all of our offerings available to a wider community beyond ED. It is already happening informally, maybe its time to take it to the next level.

So let's start a conversation. We hope you'll add any of your thoughts, feelings and visions to the mix.

peace & gratitude,
Reavis
EarthDance Global

PS Feel free to add me as a "friend" here in the Earthdance network or to approach me directly.

Tags: business, commerce, community, development, economics, finance, money, trade

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Reavis Daniel Moore on December 10, 2008 at 4:51am: For an enlightening view on the subject of our relationship to money, money, money... check out the work of Earthdance adviser and supporter Spencer Sherman: www.curemoneymadness.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dakini on December 12, 2008 at 11:37am: Hi Reavis

Respect to you for all of your hard work and dedication over the years, your work has ensured that Earthdance and the energy it holds has been a part of our consciousness and lives all over the globe.

I'd like to offer my services and support from Australia, to assist in this micro-economic model you are proposing. It's a great solution for the time being, until the entire current financial system is removed ;) Currently, money equals debt, and is an unsustainable system & way of being for humanity. I look forward to returning to a resource based economy and hold hope for positive change in the not too distant future in the world of economics & banking. For a quick video explaining how money works, and why money equals debt, see http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9050474362583451279
Please do keep me in the loop with your developments and plans.

Blessings and lush sonics

Becca Dakini
www.resonant-temple.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Reavis Daniel Moore on December 13, 2008 at 12:25am: Hey Dakini! Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. And thanks for sharing your spot on perspective on the whole freaky money/banking phenom. I did some quick research on resource based economies, fascinating ideas, thanks for that new info. For sure there has to be a better way. Looking at your profile and website, and seeing all the work that you do and contribute is an inspiration. And matching you and your offerings with others in our net is exactly the kind of thing that can begin to create mutual financial support. Maybe a digital barter system could be interesting? I'm looking forward to meeting and working with you. reavis

Please everyone check out Dakini's profile here www.earthdancenetwork.com/profile/Dakini and her website www.resonant-temple.com; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Reavis Daniel Moore on December 15, 2008 at 2:27am: Here's a great example of what we're talking about. Gustavo and Swirlspace, hemp fashionistas (and designer of the Earthdance logos!!) www.SwirlSpace.com and Urban Alliance for Sustainability (UAS) www.uas.coop just produced a first annual holiday market in San Francisco www.EcoHolidaySF.com. Check out their take on positive community commerce...

SHOPPING HAPPENS
We all know that shopping happens. You shop, I shop, we all shop for somebody at this time of the year. We shudder at the sight of the hordes clenching toxic sweatshoppy bundles from corporate big box stores. Smaller, unique, green and local businesses usually get drowned out in the frenzied cha-chinging of the season. Until now. Bring your friends and share quality time with us, celebrate our local commonalities, and help nurture the local Green economy. Make a personal connection with local designers and entrepreneurs who are making a positive shift towards sustainable commerce... We add that special San Francisco flavor to your shopping by making it an experience you won't soon forget. Spontaneous revelry may erupt upstairs 'n downstairs due to the strolling Clowns, Elves, Magicians, Jugglers, and YOU. Thats right, put on your funnest holiday outfit and become part of the joyous scenery.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ryan on December 30, 2008 at 2:21pm: I didn't make it to EcoHolidaySF, but I found this video:; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Reavis Daniel Moore on December 30, 2008 at 4:18pm: Excellent Ryan, thanks! This is really inspiring.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Gina Frances Booth on August 23, 2009 at 5:50am: This is a virtual account for trading community, you may already know it. www.ces.org.za

Cheers Gina; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sobey Wing on August 30, 2009 at 7:28pm: How can we unite all the fashion designers who make eco-fashions for festival culture? I think this is something that Earthdance International could greatly assist.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Reavis Daniel Moore on September 2, 2009 at 11:26am: For sure Sobey. Seems like a natural. How would you approach a project like this, first steps?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Sobey Wing on December 29, 2009 at 7:51pm: Constructing guilds is something that's been under discussion by another group I am a part of called The Communiversity which is in the beginning phases of formation. Guilds become repositories of knowledge as well as a body that can set standards or tone of the direction an art movement for instance moves towards.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Reavis Daniel Moore on September 2, 2009 at 11:25am: Thanks Gina. CES is interesting. I didn't know about this. Can you give everyone the headlines on the way it works?; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Florence Cattin on October 26, 2009 at 7:00pm: Strange ... just wrote a long descript, what happened? Will write again, but not right now ... Does that happen a lot?; ▶ Reply to This