gift economy
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7th event of Better Future Better Myanmar 2015 Free Seminar Series
“GIFT ECONOMY”28th June, 2015 (Sunday), 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
UMFCCI, Yangon
MYANMAR
High incidence of donating money
Rose to 91% from 85%
Number of people who give money rather than actual dollar amount
GIFT ECONOMY
Relationships
Not transactions for profit or personal material gain
Contrast to barter or commercial economies
GIFT ECONOMY
More ancient than money economy
Money - concentrated and abstract form of gift
Connect with each other - transcends fee-for-service
More powerful than anything money can buy
Surplus
Shelter
Survival (Food, Clothing)
GREED
Capitalism = Surplus TAKEN
GIFT
Gift Economy = Surplus GIVEN
COMMUNITY
Woven from gifts
Poor people have stronger communities than rich people
Rich people
Financially independent
Don't depend on anyone for anything
Pay someone to do it
COMMUNITY
Former times
People depended for necessities and pleasures on people they knew personally
If you alienated local merchant or doctor, no replacement
Quality of life much higher
MONETIZED SOCIETY
Superficiality of most social gatherings
Unconscious knowledge "I don't need you"
Do not draw on gifts of people present
RECLAIM GIFT CULTURE
Build true community
Shift of human consciousness
Reunion with nature, earth, each other
“We don't charge for anything, nor do we advertise anything.
The project is sustained by anonymous friends who donate what they can,
not as a payment for what they have received,
but as a pay-it-forward act for someone they don't know ...
someone like you."
IMAGINE
Walking into corner grocery
Filling basket with what you need
Leaving behind what you can financially
Walking away with no formal exchange
Economic relationship works better than formal market economy
Impossible?
KARMA KITCHEN
No prices on menu
Check reads $0.00
Person who was there before you pays for your meal
When you leave, you pay for the next person
KARMA KITCHEN
"You get what you pay for.
And if you never try paying for it,
you might even get more."
PANERA BREAD
Three gift-economy “Panera Cares Cafes” in St. Louis, Detroit, and Portland, USA
“Trust people - they’ll surprise you.”
HELPOTHERS.ORG
Dedicated to small acts of kindness
Paying for stranger's meals at restaurants
“Smile Cards" - ideas for nice things to do
GIFT ECONOMY
Wealth circulates
Gravitate toward greatest need
People know gifts come back to them
In new form
“Circle of the gift"
GIFT CIRCLE
Less we use money
Less time we need to earn it
More time to contribute to gift economy
Virtuous circle
GIFT CIRCLE
10-20 participants
Everyone sits in circle
Takes turns saying one or two needs they have
GIFT CIRCLE
“Ride to airport next week"
“Someone to help remove fence"
“Ladder to clean gutter"
“Bike"
“Office furniture for community center"
GIFT CIRCLE
As each person shares
Others break in to offer to meet need
Or suggestions of how to meet it
GIFT CIRCLE
Go around circle again
Each person stating something he or she would like to give
"Graphic design skills"
“Use of my power tools"
“Contacts in local government to get things done"
Anything: time, skills, material things; gift of something outright, or gift of use of something (borrowing)
GIFT CIRCLE
As each person shares
Anyone can speak up and say, "I'd like that" or "I know someone who could use one of those"
GIFT CIRCLE
Someone write everything down
Name and phone number of someone who wants to give or receive something to/from you
Send notes out next day to everyone via email, or on web page, blog, etc.
Essential to follow up
GIFT CIRCLE
Do third round
People express gratitude for things received since last meeting
Extremely important
GIFT CIRCLE
Witnessing of others' generosity inspires generosity in those who witness it
Confirms giving to each other
Gifts recognized, recognized, appreciated, and reciprocated
GIFT ECONOMY
Reduce dependence on traditional market
Reduce production of waste – sharing without loss of quality of life
GIFT ECONOMY
Age of humanity
From mother-child relationship to earth
To co-creative partnership - giving and receiving find balance
TRANSITION TO GIFTS
Things created for love and beauty
Connect more deeply to people
Interdependent not independent
GIFT ECONOMY
Common wealth - preserve or reclaim
Richness in soil, water, cultures planet
Another kind of common wealth – reservoir of gratitude
GIFT ECONOMY
New kind of civilization
Need each others' gifts
Need each others' generosity
We need each other!
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