Dear f/w friends
I'm thinking of sending the following to 'The Friend' - a UK Quaker journal.
In view of the f/w skills base, I'm wondering if any-one here has any
comments (the final action plan has been a little updated).
Many thanks,
Hugs,
john
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STARTS
It seems, that, our lives, as Friends, is to continuously seek: to find
balance between human be-ing and human do-ing.
In the state of be-ing we try to discern the will of God and, then, in our
do-ing, our challenge is to elevate those leadings to practice.
Accordingly, my heart is raised to the heavens by the consideration that
Friends are giving to the world of work and of business ('The Friend'
letters' pages Friday 21st January 2000 and articles referred thereto.)
In terms of both values and outcomes, it is clear that the present ways of
the world - our busy-ness - fail to achieve the will of God.
Not only has the 'care of the household' - the 'oikonimos' of our age, our
economics - far from 'right ordering' , but, equally, 'way forward' has,
also, been unclear.
Now, while few of us have the courage - or, even, the luxury - of doing all
that Jesus asked of us - to 'Give up all and follow me' - we can, at least,
create an economic context in which our working lives - our do-ing-ness -
can be more in tune with our be-ing-ness.
Historical teachers can help - Jesus was clear about his concerns over our
right use of money and work, as evidenced by Sayings 64 and 95 in The Gospel
of Thomas - and, by quiet waiting upon God, we can add to their in-sights.
In brief, by being open to new light, we can walk more closely with God.
As a contribution to achieving this end, I list, at the end of this essay, a
set of seven acts, that, at present, I sense will serve to convert our
economics from one struggling in conflict, to one flourishing in
co-operation.
Our shared history helps immensely in this regard.
The experiences of Friends' lives, along with our Quaker Testimonies, give
us the values on which to see, not only the terrors of the present, but,
also, 'way forward'.
Friends' Peace Testimony is, self evidently, not served by the present
economics - market economics has all to do with 'fighting for market share'
- while Honesty, Truth and Integrity are all compromised in the, present,
uni-axial drive for money to make its 'maximum return in the minimum time.'
This leads us, then, to our Testimony to Equality.
The three types of human relationship, upon which the present economics
revolves, are, all, both functionally and spiritually unequal, and their
actions serve to create the financial inequalities that tear all societies
apart (in this respect ,I do commend Richard Wilkinson's important book
'Unhealthy Societies'. )
Thus, the landlord / tenant relationship, the shareholder / worker
relationship (mediated through the manager / managed relationship) and the
money-lender / money-borrower relationship, together, constitute the
mechanisms by which conflict arise - war, workplace bullying, family
breakdown, child exploitation, suicide.
Thus, if we can convert the present system of do-ing - our economic lives of
work - from control by the drives of conflict to the values of co-operation,
we will be stepping closer to what God asks of us.
This action set is based on the creation of relationships of greater parity,
both in esteem and outcomes for *all* people - in the particular of
guaranteeing fair financial income for all - along with the mechanisms for
our responsible stewardship of the planet.
I hope that Friends will receive this work with my love and, if they can do
so, give it their Meetings' loving consideration.
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The Co-operative Way - A Plan of Action
o Convert competitive activities into worker co-operative partnerships and
remodel monopoly activities as stakeholder co-operatives, each having
responsible stewardship of appropriate land and knowledge resources,
(see points two and five for the funding mechanism for this);
o Redistribute 'added-value' from these co-operatives, through
nationally-collected, corporate taxation, distributed into local,
democratically-controlled Community Banks, thus making money available for
wealth creation and community development,
(and the conversions referred to above);
o Maximise necessary service provision (health, education, libraries,
transport (?) etc) on a free-at-the-point-of-use basis, retaining
(initially?) money as a mechanism for access to discretionary purchases.
o Introduce guaranteed income maxima and minima for all, and, so, abolish
personal taxation;
o Abolish money-lending for profit, operating banking and financial
services as a Public Service, 'National Wealth Service',
(see point two above);
o Reintroduce international exchange controls as necessary;
o Make capital grants (not loans) to developing countries.
In brief, transforming money and work - from masters to servants - provides
the way of converting planet-trashing economics into locally-controlled,
sustainable, ethical co-operatives, each operating according to the 'Seven
Co-operative Principles' of The International Co-operative Alliance, so that
all work inter-dependently, to deliver sustainable, 'responsible
stewardship' of the planet - for the long-lived well-being of all.
( - and the greater glory of God ! )
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Post-script:
If Friends would like a book list to help their considerations along, I can
supply one, to which, I am sure, others can add.
More succinctly, the 'Worship and Ministry: Two Thoughts for The New Year'
from Toronto Monthly Meeting's January 2000 News-letter, are from our
Friends William Charles Braithwaite ('Quaker Faith and Practice' 23.05,
Britain Yearly Meeting of The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), 1995)
and Margaret Fell (QF+P, 19.61).
Both are strongly relevant leadings from the heart !
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John Courtneidge 13 North Road Hertford SG14 1LN
( Member of Hertford and Hitchin Monthly Meeting )
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 01992 501854
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ENDS
