Building Social Wealth by Building Better Hometowns

We talk a lot in our Caring Economy work about the relationship between a thriving "Household Sector" and fiscal prosperity...

Thanks to Conversation Leader Adam Chefitz from Miami, Florida for sharing this news item about a local contest that reminds us that a thriving "Community Sector" is also critical element of social wealth - and also a key element of economic prosperity.

This Miami contest calling for ideas for making better public spaces "...is based on a growing number of studies that show a close relationship between fiscal prosperity and cities whose residents feel a warm affinity for their hometowns. That’s in part because cities that people are proud to live in also tend to attract and retain the skilled, talented workers who drive economic growth."

Turns out that the key elements in creating better public spaces include keeping things beautiful, walkable, playable, encouraging relationship and connection, and staying human scale... Go figure.  Caring equates to prosperity at every level!

Adam has more than a passing interest in this contest - he's entering it!:  'I'm working with Catalyst Miami to propose a non-profit cafe that serves as a hub for local activists and artists modeled after "busboys and poets" cafe in DC." 

Way to take action Adam!

Sweden's economy through a different lens

Caring Social Programs + Fiscally Conservative Policy + Free Market Economy = Economic Success (?)

So says C. Fred Bergsten, senior fellow and director emeritus at the Peterson Institute for International Economics.

This interesting Washington Post opinion piece "The Swedish Model for Economic Recovery" passed along by Kim Otis, Campaign Director, might prove quite useful to those of you who are talking with more conservative folks about evidence of economically successful caring societies.

Essentially, this discussion of Sweden's economic recovery stresses that it is the combination of social welfare programs and fiscally conservative policies that have enabled Sweden's economy to thrive.

It is so nice to hear from a economically grounded source the argument that caring social programs and well-administered free-market economies are not an either/or proposition, but rather can be a both/and proposition - leading to great success and prosperity!

See what you think...

Raising Minimum Wage Helps Women

Thanks to Caring Economy Campaign Director Kim Otis for sending on this great info graphic from the Economic Policy Institute that busts established myths about who works at minimum wage jobs.

Raising the minimum wage is a caring economics policy!  It supports the women who support their families.

See the full news story.

New Documentary Makes Economic Case for Early Care

Many thanks to Conversation Leader Cherri Pruitt for sharing this information about an exciting forthcoming documentary series "The Raising of America."

You'll see that the whole first episode "Are We Crazy About our Kids?" - viewable online - makes the economic case for investments in early childhood education - offering some wonderful fresh examples that you will find really useful as you share the keys to a Caring Economy with others.

http://www.newsreel.org/video/ARE-WE-CRAZY-ABOUT-OUR-KIDS

One specific example from the video:   Quebec's child poverty rates went from the worst to the best in Canada after they introduced universal early care and preschool (from birth to age five) available to all parents at a cost of $7 a day, along with paid parental leave and other family supports....

Doesn't get clearer than that for those seeking evidence of economic return on caring policies, does it?

Thanks Cherri!

Tooting CELP's Horn on the Radio!

Leadership Program Featured on August 28 Cathy Bennett Radio Show!   

Tune into "Caring Economy Leadership Program, Small but Far Reaching" featuring a lively interview with CELP Program Director Sara Saltee and Facilitator and co-developer Dr. Susan Carter - learn about the history of the program, the big ideas we teach, and the exciting results we've achieved!

Cathy was so excited by what she heard in this interview that she has now enrolled in CELP to become a certified conversation leader!  She'll be participating in our October Weekend Intensive.  

Welcome Cathy!   and thank you so much for the opportunity to talk about this work.

- Sara

CPS Seeks Development Assistant

The Center for Partnership Studies (CPS), founded by Dr. Riane Eisler, is seeking a development volunteer to provide fundraising support to the leadership of CPS.

Read the announcement.

This is an extraordinary opportunity for a committed individual to join us as our new development volunteer, with the future potential for this to become a contract position.

S/he will have the opportunity to work with closely with leaders in the women’s movement, public policy, philanthropy, human rights and nonviolence, and others in coordination with an outstanding CPS team of volunteers, staff, and consultants.

The location is flexible – Washington, DC or California, Bay Area is ideal but not required.

Diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please send a cover letter and resume to: Kimberly Otis, Director of the Caring Economy Campaign.

Sangita and the Elephant

Hi Everyone,

Our wonderful Conversation Leader, Sangita Iyer of Cohort W2 recently published this piece on Rescuing an Elephant in the Wilds of India in the Huffington Post.

This is a really entertaining and account of being witness to a tremendous act of inter-species caring.  As someone with a life-long deep connection to elephants, I thank you for sharing this article, Sangita!

What an adventure!

Israel Replacing GDP with New Indicators of Economic Health

Hi Everyone,

According to this article passed on by Molly Freeman, the Israeli government has committed to 

formulating "a new series of indicators to gauge the quality of life in Israel and the country’s economic situation, instead of relying solely on gross domestic product ‏(GDP‏) figures."

Huzzah! 

(You'll see that you need to register for the site to see the full text of the article - but here are some excerpts for you...)

"...Among the things to be measured are civil and government involvement, employment and the balance between work and leisure, infrastructure and housing, education, personal security, health, personal and societal welfare, and the environmental situation."

“One of the fundamental problems in using GDP as the basis for measuring human progress is the fact that it includes many factors that have a negative influence on society and the environment,” the report stated. “For example, investment in prisons, policing and security, or investment in industrial production that pollutes, contribute to the growth in GDP. There is also importance to measuring investments whose goals are to advance and preserve the quality of life and in measuring activities to strengthen social cohesion,” the report added.  GDP also does not relate to questions of the distribution of wealth and income between individuals, and does not include many activities of households and their contribution to general welfare, said the report.

And, the article goes on:  "Israel is following many other countries who are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, who, in recent years, have adopted a list of measures that complement GDP.  Israel is already involved in the process of adopting new social indexes, as it was the country chosen by the OECD to undertake pioneering research into evaluating the quality of life, based on 11 different indexes determined by the OECD."

Thanks for sharing this amazing news!  We'll have to take a closer look at how many of the indexes are measuring the work of care in households and communities.

Finland's Secrets to Success (Again)

Thanks to Kim Otis, CEC Director, for sharing this really nice in-depth look at the Finnish model of a caring eocnomy from The Atlantic magazine:

The Secret to Finland's Success With Schools, Moms, Kids—and Everything

In addition to describing the huge benefits of the Finnish system for human well-being...which never fails to make me want to pack my bags... this article also takes a good critical look at the differences between the Finnish and American contexts - and offers an assessment of how we might still borrow from the Finns despite the huge structural and cultural differences between our countries.

And, here's an interesting graph from the article, showing the international differences in taxes as a share of GDP:

And, while we're on the subject - here's one more Finland article, by a Finnish Mom - which ends with this powerful line:

"It’s not always a question of resources, but how a country chooses to use them." 

Amazing how it always comes back to values and choices, doesn't it?

- Sara

Caring Activism: Change Strategies that Model Culture Shift

Hi Conversation Leaders!

Thanks to Maura Conlon-McIvor, CELP alum and now CELP faculty who couldn't help noticing that the title of this article in YES! Magazine sounded oddly familiar.

A Caring Economy Requires Building Bridges—Not Burning Them

The article is a lovely profile of the social activism strategies being employed by Ai-jen Poo, the founder and director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, a membership organization of housekeepers, nannies, and home health assistants, most of whom are undocumented immigrant women.

I think many of you will be interested in this description of how tactics rooted in love, caring, and connection - rather than opposition - are the right and most effective strategies for creating change for a caring economy.

Thanks Maura!

Enjoy!