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Economy of Common Welfare A model of Economy for the Future
Christian Felber
the Economy of Common Welfare in Spain
Since the first 13 minute video appeared, in September-October 2011
we've received a veritable tide of support
not only from Spain but from other
from latin-american countries
we've received several hundred emails
from people, companies and organizations who are interested
to link on to the process and have it
take on here in Spain, we've already created
the first "energy fields" as well as local support groups
who are interested in implementing the model
and co-develop, from Spain.
For this reason, Ana Moreno who coordinates
all these companies and persons who are interested,
and I, just two days in Spain
for a first visit to everyone who is working
towards the Common Welfare Economy.
Yesterday we held a Conference in Zaragoza
which was announced with very little time
and even so four hundred people came
and that is very surprising
It was streammed as far as Panama and Honduras
And this is reason to rejoice and the echo
is growing on a daily basis
Today we are in Valencia which is a great pleasure
because its beautiful and there is great activity and I feel
that Valencia is going to play a great role
in the coordination of the Common Welfare Economy in Spain
The lecture will take place in Alcoy
but here in Valencia there is a lot of people who are moving on the model
and they are already thinking of a Spanish Coordinator
which will mean that all local and regional and community groups
will coordinate and perhaps develop an strategy for Spain.
There are some ideas already here
for example, which could be the next steps
for companies, for individuals and for communities.
And I will describe it in this order.
Right now there are fifty spanish companies who are interested
but numbers are volatile because they change every day
We know how many have shown interest but we still don't now
how many will own up
The next step could be that comanies get together
between ten or twenty get together to learn together.
We've got most of the basic information
which helps companies to apply the Balance of Common Welfare
which is the core of the model and in this way
they can aouto-manage and auto-regulate in these small groups
of common training
and we may find Consultants
middlemen to accompany the process
who iwll help with communication and coordination
and maybe translate anything which, at first might not be completely comprehensible
and maybe local Auditors will also join the proccess
so the translation from the "foreign" that is our aim
The target is that, in every locality the maximum growth is attained
arising from the local strength of initiative
This can be achieved by Companies and transmitted to their Confederations
and Organizations. There are several corporative social responsibility networks
which are a little innactive because concepts
and instruments available up to the moment are not working very well
and we are hoping that the Balance of Common Welfare
can become an incorruptible concept
because it fulfils certain requisites and certain demands
whic is an instrument of incorruptible corporative social responsibiliy.
As far as Companies, this is our next step
as far as private individuals, they can create enery fields and groups of local support
Everywhere and, in this grops of local support, people
as well as companies and also politicians
that is, human beings playing different roles can join their strength
to learn together, to publicize the model
to support the core of pioneer companies who apply the Balance of Common Welfare
and perphaps to pass on this idea to local politics
because the strategy is that, arising from communities the idea
will gather strength until it reaches political national level.
And this is the third pillar of a plausible strategy
that communities in towns and citues organize
democratic assemblies in which two thins are done
First in a participative and democratic process find out
which are the main fifteen fcgtors which describe quality of life
the fundamental values we share
and our basic needs which we wan to measure
on a yearly basis
to find ut if we are achieving our goals and if the political and political- economic tools
we are applying are efficient and just in the sense that they comply with our main goals
To me, this is the beginning of politics
to agree on the goals shared by the largest majority possible
Second: this would be the Convention, the Assembly of Common Welfare
find out the ten, fifteen, twenty game rules
guiding economic behaviour,
the behaviour which guides companies so
the result on economy, which should be a social sub-system
useful to society, produces the effects desired by the people.
Companies, private individuals, communities are the beginning of vital processes
whcih could contribute so a flower of the whole ecosystem
of the Common Welfare Economy may bloom.
Which is the common denominator of the responses given by the Spanish?
The common denominator is relief on knowing there is a complete model
an alternative economic order describing the totality of basic elements
of the economic order. Right now they are twenty element
secondly, thtat it is practical
which means each company can begin today, right now
there is no need of gobernment change, no need for the UE to change course
no need to abolish the World Trade Organization, even if it does but
it isn't necessary to enable each single company
to contribute
and carry out the Balance of Common Welfare, each person can contribute
and each community can become a community, a town
of Common Welfare
and is thankful that the tools ar so definite and practical
that we are ready to start, because usually
theory is beautiful but not rooted on the ground
and with the Common Welfare Economy, we've purposefully have
deeply rooted it into the earth
as visions can reach the sky.
Do you believe that the CWE can improve the increasingly alarming unemployment rate?
I'm afraid that the Common Welfare Economy will not eliminate unemployment in a year or even three,
but it offers a macro-economic perspective
that on a medium term
could reduce the unemployment problem substantially
because companies are
encouraged to contribute to help lower unemployment
Today, companies are rewarded
when they seek their sole benefit, their own advantage
no matter whatever the effects on society
In the Common Welfare Economy, a Comany's success
will be define by its contribution
made by the firm to diminish societiy's collective problems
And this perspective helps to view how this problem
can be tackled in Spain
And there are quite a few other mechanisms
which will neither have a short-term effect, such as
the end of Capital Gains,
If Capital can no longer reproduce itself on its own
it will have to invest on real output
and this will create large quantities of jobs
Third: if economic and ecological local circles are promoted
it would create quite a lot of work
in a more regional and sustainable economy
more ecological, on renewable energy
even ecological agriculture
which not only produces commodities, food resources but also
food itself. And there luies a tremendous potential
to create work but it's not going to be in one year or two
It can only be envisioned as a perspective which,
on a middle term may solve the large problem
of unemplyment in Spain.