New England/Northeast Gathering

Project Ideas
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Let’s face it. The Economy is not working well, or at all, for most of us. It does very well for a few, the wealthy who reap great rewards thru certain skills, good timing, and luck. But, for the vast majority of humanity, it is an every day struggle to provide for our wellbeing and basic needs. It should not be that way.

The purpose of the economy needs to be re-defined. Whether from a dictionary, or an economic textbook. or Wikipedia, the economy is usually described simply as (managing) the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It needs a human element, such as: “for the purpose of guaranteeing that all human beings are able to meet their basic needs and achieve wellbeing and security.”

How do we incorporate this “human element” into our understanding of what the economy should be and how it could/should operate locally, nationally, and internationally?

I know there have been efforts in the past, such as Parecon, that attempted to describe a different economy. But, the world has changed. There are many small scale efforts today, but nothing that I am aware of that puts them all together into an economic system that could impact all of humanity.

One starting point is to envision and, if possible, to promote and implement, an economy where basic needs are guaranteed to all, that everyone’s wellbeing is met. I know there are many more humane re-configurations of our local, state, and national economies in the US. (Many would also be applicable to other countries and regions of the world as well.). Can we put these all out on the table (including Parecon, of course) for consideration, evaluation, and application?

I live in New England (Maine actually) and would like to get together in person with others in New England (6 states) or the Northeast (7 states) who have ideas of how to re-define and implement an economy for all. I am willing to help organize such a gathering (in person for a weekend or longer, but with an option for those who cannot attend physically). But I cannot organize it alone; at least 3-4 or more others are necessary to help plan and carry out the event. Can you help?

The goal(s)? There could be many, but at least (1) to emphasize the “human element,” that the economy needs to be revised so that it insures that every person’s needs and wellbeing is met and guaranteed. And (2) that there are one or many ways to re-define/restructure the economy in a more humane way that can be described, promoted, and implemented.

If you can help organize such a gathering or want to discuss this more: Larry Dansinger, (207) 262-706 or larryd@myfairpoint.net.

1 Like
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Hi Larry,

I love your energy and your initiative, but I admit I was a little disappointed when I realized larryd wasn’t Larry David…

Anyway, I’m totally with you. I want to start building alternatives now, with people who are serious about doing the work. And I ask myself, how do we spread these ideas and allow them to grow into a piece of reality?

I’m open to attending a New England meetup if the agenda is to discuss specifically how a community might go about implementing Parecon or something like it. For context, I’m based in Providence, RI where there’s a sizable worker cooperative movement. There are also many anarchist or anarchist-inspired collectives like one I co-founded, PVD Things. My next project (getting started now) is a nonprofit that will prefigure a federation of neighborhoods, assisted by its own “social network” platform. My hope is that once we get the ball rolling, we can start discussing what a fair economy looks like.

Thoughts?

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I think the goal of a meetup would be to look at Parecon (a more updated version, since it is 25 years old) and other models/visions of a more egalitarian economy (one that guarantees every person’s basic needs) and how they could be implemented. Models like worker co-ops and PVD can be a good starting point. How can they be embraced on a large scale in many places? It’s clear that a lot of the public see the widening division between the wealthy and everyone else and they are pissed. What to do next is something the meetup could address.

Do you think this list of principles (attached) would be helpful also?

Larry Dansinger
larryd@myfairpoint.net or (207) 262-3706 (no text, leave message)

Basic Needs Economy Principles

  1. Every person should be guaranteed the opportunity and resources to meet their basic needs with the support of other people and social institutions, especially the economy. Being unable to meet basic needs causes insecurity, financial indebtedness, and unhappiness. It also creates inequality, feelings of shame, a lack of power over one’s life, mental anguish and stress, and physical suffering.

  2. The economy is a set of rules, guidelines, and laws that can be changed. It often is. Humans are not “just along for the ride.” Every person can choose how to participate or whether or not to do so. They can work to make changes in the rules and guidelines of the economy as it currently exists.

  3. A “Basic Needs Economy” can be created “to insure that every person is able to meet their basic needs and live a dignified life with the potential to thrive” through policies, structures, and laws. If no current economy is providing those basic needs to all, one can be envisioned, described, and implemented that will insure those needs to everyone.

  4. A Basic Needs Economy includes a series of economic rights that are equally as important as political rights. Such as the right to: adequate and nutritious food, affordable housing, universal health care, job or income, higher education, clean air/water, childcare if needed, convenient transportation, and other basic necessities.

  5. An economy should focus on the needs of the least well-off and insure that they are able to meet their basic needs, through wages for work and/or supplementary payments/entitlements.

  6. Every person who produces a benefit for themselves and others should be considered a participant in the economy. This includes not just those who work for pay but also for caregivers, parents, volunteers, and anyone who contributes to the welfare of others through providing products or services. Exceptions can be made for those with disabilities, elders, children, or others who are unable to participate actively in the economy.

  7. An economy needs to be structured so it is a win-win for all participants, not a success for some and a failure for others.

  8. Insuring basic needs through an economy should not apply just to the United States but to all countries around the world.

  9. All (full-time) jobs in the economy that contribute to social well-being should be compensated adequately (and approximately equally) through a living wage.

  10. Participants in a Basic Needs Economy would have financial security and could spend more time cultivating relationships, developing skills or passions, and achieving success in other parts of their lives.

An economy that prioritizes basic needs for everyone can unite all people in a community, a nation, a society or culture, and worldwide. It can bring together people with different beliefs, cultures, and experiences into a movement to take care of each human and each other for the mutual benefit of all.

Larry Dansinger, (207) 262-3706 (no text) or larryd@myfairpoint.net, Bangor, Maine