Common Wealth: The #1 Idea That Can Change the World

Time magazine's March issue listed the idea of "common wealth" as the number one idea that is changing the world.

Here is a key passage of their write up on common wealth:

"That's why the idea that has the greatest potential to change the world is simply this: by overcoming cynicism, ending our misguided view of the world as an enduring struggle of "us" vs. "them" and instead seeking global solutions, we actually have the power to save the world for all, today and in the future. Whether we end up fighting one another or whether we work together to confront common threats—our fate, our common wealth, is in our hands."

And get this, it's written by Jeffrey Sachs, AN ECONOMIST! I can hardly believe it.

If the significance of this fails to register, just consider that economics is referred to as the dismal science and studies the allocation - and they do not traditionally mean sharing - of scarce resources.

And that the for the last few decades or so, those economists espousing unchecked competition as the path to freedom and prosperity - the free market camp - have ruled the discipline. This camp includes Sachs who is famous for helping developing countries move toward competitive, free-market economies.

And that it was these free marketers who provided the intellectual underpinning of the conservative movement, whose success has lead to the systematic plundering of the American people's common wealth for over 20 years through an indiscriminate and extreme level of privatization and deregulation (I should know, I helped as an employee of a trade association in DC) and may yet bankrupt the US Government through war.

So for an economist, and a famous free marketer like Sachs, to see common wealth as the idea that has greatest potential to change the world, and for him to write something as visionary, and just plain damn hopeful as the above, is nothing short of a miracle. Nothing dismal about it.

In any case, I'm all for a free market with the infrastructure to share my stuff with whomever I want and so that others can do the same. And that allows me to allocate my resources - without mediation - to the projects that I think will do the most for the common good. Call it a free market. Call it common wealth. I don't care. In the end, it's common sense.

Carrot Mob: Activist Flash Mob Experiment This Saturday

My friend Kim Connector clued me in on this activist flash mob experiment. This is social creativity at it's best! Y'all should check it out. I might, but if I don't I'm going to invite Brent, the instigator, to the league to share the results of his brilliant idea.

Here's the e-mail Kim forwarded me from Carrotmob:

Carrotmob organizes consumers to make purchases, rewarding companies who make environmentally friendly choices. This is our first campaign ever.

On Saturday, March 29th at 1pm, everyone is going to showing up at K & D Market, on 16th St at Guerrero in San Francisco. We're going to try to buy everything they have. Everything. You've got a liquor cabinet...you might as well stock it up on Saturday.

You eat peanut butter, so stock up. Why? Because after a thrilling bidding war, Carrotmob has negotiated with this store that we will be tracking all the purchases, and then calculating the total revenue we bring to the store while we are there. They have committed to spending 22% (more than any competing store) of the revenue we bring in on energy-efficiency improvements to their store in order to fight global warming.

It's an easy way to solve a difficult challenge. It's a small campaign, but a big chance for a big idea. Snoop around the website and you'll begin to see the potential for a much-needed paradigm shift in terms of whose voices (hint: ours) should be defining the values and priorities of our economy (for more info about why this is needed, see the front-page news).

It's going to be hilarious. The afterparty is at Dolores Park. An amazing band (Blue Turtle Seduction) and an amazing rapper will be performing for the Carrotmob crew.

Everything you need to know is here.

I'm sending this email to people I know all over place because I need you to forward it to YOUR friends in SF, and because there's more that you can help with here.

Thank you,

Brent

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http://www.carrotmob.org
http://www.brentschulkin.com

March Meeting Announcements

Gayle Roberts lead a great discussion about fund raising that explored our relationship to money and how to connect to donors through their passions. Big thanks to Gayle, Kim Connector who hosted the meeting in her home and served some very tasty roasted potatoes, and to all who participated.
A few ideas from the discussion stood out:

• That fund raising is a great opportunity for transformation for the fund raiser and those who want to realize their dreams by supporting a cause
• When you truly connect to a donor through their passions and how you canhelp them make a dream come true, there's no need to be shy about asking for money or other help
• That giving is good for your health, and that you enlarge your soul and better connect to others by increasing your generosity
• That giving and getting are connected, that you make room for receiving when you give
• The learning how to give and receive are equally important to creating a culture of generosity. Reward those that give by accepting their gift fully
• That to be an effective fund raiser, all the rules that apply to building personal relationships apply to donor relations
  

We were also happy to see a great turn out of nonprofit folks from the below organizations, which I encourage you to check out and get involved in, especially if they're aligned with your passions:

• Hyphen Magazine
• Independent Arts & Media
• Forest Ethics
• 924 Gilman
• SF Women's Film Festival (4/9 to 4/13)
• Network of Bay Area Worker's Cooperatives
• Groundspark
  

NEXT MEETING
Our next meeting is Thursday April 17th. Seth Lepore, a voice teacher, will facilitate a discussion about how to increase the quality of connection to yourself and others through voice and may lead some voice exercises too. Learn more about Seth here.

We hope to see you then to continue our experiment in creating a social life that manifests fun, meaningful work, intellectual stimulation, health, and happiness. The social world is ours to create. This is not only an opportunity for fun, but a power we're given we can exercise daily.

Please see the member announcements below, and feel free to reach out to get or give help. There are lots of wonderful needs and gifts listed. Helping others is like eating organic food - it's good for you.

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Name:Jeremy Strickland
Passion:Healing Arts
Needs:Connecting w/ people looking for "bodywork" / healing arts.
Gifts:human touch

Name:kim connector
Passion:people, art, music, fashion, parties
Needs:connect with new people
Gifts:social "skilz", fashion consulting, social networking, great listener

Name:Jesse Townley
Passion: Music, egalitarianism, Art, Sustainability of Art/Creative efforts
Needs: sustaining alternative/underground art/music/culture
Gifts:music, organization, budgets, work flows, political action/networking (esp. Berkeley)

Name:Scarlett Shepard
Passion:SF Women's Film Festival (April 9-13), human rights, music, creative arts/film, youth service projects, creative consultant, cheerleader
Needs:Need help with grantwriting to help generate more money for professional development for underserved women filmmakers
Gifts:To get people to realize their full potential in the arts, if you ever need help with getting a film or creative project off the ground, you have an idea and need to know what to do next.

Name: Kasper Koczab
Passion: working towards creating local economies that don't neccessairly depend on cash. Worker coops and farming are also two things I get a bit happy about.
Needs: A free or very cheap office space for the Network of Bay Area Worker Cooperatives staff person.
Gifts: Great at strategizing around PR and events for progressive grass-roots organizations and other cool projects.

Name: Hung Chang
Passion: music and arts
Needs: fundraising and sponsorship strategy
Gifts: legal

Name: Melissa Yang
Passion: community building
Needs: fundraising and sponsorship strategy
Gifts: strategic planning / data analysis

Name: Mary Fuller
Passion: art, music, gardening, bikes, sustainable urban planning, working with awesome people. And food.
Needs: A job at the intersection of my passion and gifts
Gifts: Fundraising, communications, strategic planning, 50-50 right-brain/left-brain split particularly good for working in small organizations.

Name:Maritza Schafer
Passion: Changing western culture
Needs: Someone knowledgeable about webite content management systems
Gifts: Communications and marketing, especially for nonprofits. Reiki Sessions

Name: JoAnn Saccato
Passion:Creating a food co-op that brings the producers and consumers together in Lake County to help create sustainable living patterns and foster a sense of community. Completing my Masters program for the project.
Needs:Funding and guidance for co-op and funding for Masters
Gifts: communication, community organizing, public speaking, vipassana meditation

Name: Dennis "Dmenace" Gallegos
Passion:People! Meaning I really enjoy connecting with people. Understanding that everyone wants the same thing. To be loved and appreciated. I specialize in helping people who are challenged with disabilities, mental and physical.
Needs: Help changing the way I look at money. Not being afraid of it. Learning to be smart about it. Someone to help me step off the cliff to fullfill my goals.
Gifts: Able to inspire and motivate people. Ability to understand why people are the way they are and accept that. Public speaking and a vast knowledge of the health care systems in the United States.

Name: Ray Tobey
Passion: Changing our expectations and model of leadership from Machiavelli to Gandhi and Martin Luther King
Needs: PHP expertise
Gifts: C++, html & technology knowledge, and if you'd like to serve in a local elected office, I can arrange that!

Name: Neal Gorenflo
Passion: bringing people together
Needs: any ideas about improving communications skills
Gifts: car pooling to and from abundance league

Abundance League Chapters

There are Abundance League chapters in San Francisco (founded in 2005) Harbin Hot Springs (2007) and Denver (2008). If you'd like to attend a meeting, please contact the following folks:

San Francisco, California - Neal Gorenflo (gorenflo at gmail dot com) or check this blog for meeting announcements. We usually hold meetings third Thursdays. Meeting announcements are posted the week prior.

Harbin Hot Springs, California - Russell Gonzaga (events at harbin dot org) or check their site.

Denver, Colorado - Taj Moore, e-mail tajomoore at gmail dot com or check their site.

If you'd like to start a chapter, just hold a meeting each month following the format in this post and contact me (Neal, see above) to let me know you've started holding meetings. I'll list your chapter on this site. And feel free to contact me for more information about starting your own chapter. I highly recommend holding meetings. It's fun and an amazing learning experience.

You're Invited: Abundance League Thurs. 3/20 @ 6pm

This month Gayle Roberts will be facilitating a discussion about fund raising. Gayle is a fund raising consultant whose approach is truly inspiring. Gayle is going to focus the discussion on how to develop the right mindset for fund raising plus some fund raising ideas you can use right away. Her talk will be tailored for those new to fund raising, who are money shy, help run a small nonprofit, or need some good grassroots fund raising ideas. Her message is simple and totally aligned with The Abundance League - that the world is filled with generous people who want to make a difference, that anyone who wants to do healing work can find people who will support them, and that all you need to get started today is right around you. You can learn more about her inspiring philosophy here.

We hope you will join us on the 20th. It will be a great discussion with your help. And as always, please come prepared to tell us about your passions, discuss your needs, and share your gifts so that we can support each other in leading inspired lives.

MEETING
What: The Abundance League
When: Thursday, March 20th, 6:00pm
Where: 448 14th Street @ Guerrero, San Francisco, call 415.867.0429 if you have trouble finding the meeting. Big thanks to Kim Nielsen, of Twice Baked catering, for hosting the meeting this month!

AGENDA
6:00 - 6:30 - Mingle
6:30 - 7:15 - Member announcements (your passions, needs and gifts)
7:15 - 7:30 - Break, nosh, mingle, exchange support
7:30 - 8:30 - Presentation & discussion
8:30 - 10:00 Nosh, mingle, exchange support, clean up

Learn more about our meetings here.

BRING
-Yourself, friends!
-Healthy stuff for the potluck.
-Shares: books, CDs, DVDs or anything that you'd like to loan or gift at the meeting.

February Member Announcements

Chun Yu hosted a great discussion about her experiences growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution and her transformation from a world class scientist to award winning poet.

There are many lessons from the discussion, though one resonates with the values of league members - pursue your passion regardless of the obstacles, no matter how improbable your success. And involve others in your dream.

Chun made the transition from the arcane world of laboratory science to the equally arcane world of street poets and publishing. She did whatever it took to make it happen, including leaving her country and mastering a second language by years of regular reading and writing. While Chun did not let othersdefine her, she did find collaborators to help her realize her dreams.

Chun is an Abundance League exemplar, and we thank her, and everyone who attended, for sharing their life and work. Learn more about Chun here: http://www.chunyu.org

Our next meeting is Thursday March 20th. Fund raising expert Gayle Roberts will be hosting a discussion about grassroots fund raising strategies and how to connect to donors by linking their dreams with your organizations' work. Learn more about Gayle here: http://www.gayleroberts.com

We hope to see you then to continue our experiment in creating a social reality that manifests fun, meaningful work, intellectual stimulation, health, and happiness. The social world is ours to create. It's not only an opportunity for fun, but a power we're given that we must honor by exercising it wisely.

Please see the member announcements below, and feel free to reach out to get or give help. There are lots of wonderful needs and gifts listed.

--

MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Name: Neal Gorenflo
Passion: getting people together and encouraging them to help each other
Needs: need a new space to hold League meetings! Please contact me if you have or know of a space
Gifts: book recommendations on society and culture

Name: Pearl Lee
Passion: connect with people from different background & culture
Needs: C++/Java projects, friends, weight-loss programme, English
Gifts: love to help others to organize things, just email me!

Name: Doris
Passion: people and urban spaces, social network analysis
Needs: take some furniture, a big table, new work desk, speakers, going on a trip across the US, need places to stay
Gifts: come to New York, I'll show you around.

Name: Russell
Passion: Writing and working with passionate people.
Needs: a laptop computer! And presenters for Harbin Abundance League
Gifts: Resource for arts community, Asian/Islamic research and information. Writing/editing.

Name: JoAnn Saccato
Passion: Co-creating the Lake County Community Cooperative through self-organizing
Needs: Treasurer, feasibility study, fellowship grant for masters project
Gifts: communication, writing, Reiki Master/Teacher, local connection in Lake County

Name: Shaun Brady
Passion: Green Construction Development/Infill, Green-Tech Industries, Waste-Conversion, Recycling Biz Ideas, Community Bldg Projects
Needs: Mentors, Coaches, Advisors, Networking Groups (Green Tech)
Gifts: Sports/Trips Enthusiast, Catering Service Lover-I'll Volunteer

Name: Jenn Cho
Passion: Art, movies, animations, computer modeling, computer graphics
Needs: creative and conscious-minded friends who can bounce off ideas/inspiration with me
Gifts: graphical design, photoshop stuff

Name: Colleen Schell
Passion: Bringing story driven independent film to the masses. Taking boys living on the streets and connecting them with basketball scholarships at high school prep school.
Needs: funding for the business, CEO for the business, funding for the boys
Gifts: My community connections – advertiaing

Name:Seth Lepore
Passion: Teaching people how to authentically and intuitively access their true voice through body, energy and spatial awareness. Multi-disciplinary art projects involving music, theater, dance and visual art. Localized economies.
Needs: Help with website design. Leads to spaces in the bay area for performance/installation projects.
Gifts: Sustainable investing, connections to seemingly unrelated but yet integrated concepts and subjects.

Name: Ray Tobey
Passion: Changing our model of leadership from Machiavelli to Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
Needs: Volunteers for a special election campaign. On April 8, my friend Barry Hermanson is on the ballot for U.S. Congress in SF and San Mateo. He's trying to reduce the overwhelming military slice in our national budget pie. See http://www.barryhermanson.org.
Gifts: If you want an elected office in local government, school board, city council, etc, I can arrange that! I can also offer advice on html, C++ and other technologies.
Web: www.bionictoad.com