Guts · Heart · Mind

The Essence of Regional Economic Communities

Or: Regional Economic Communities — all-inclusive…

A gut-feeling

I see utopian worlds where the people live in peace and friendship, where modest and balanced partnerships – with each other and with all beings and resources of the planet – create a secure and viable future for all.

There is no money on these worlds, because an exchange of services — between apparently separate individuals — does'nt happen. Money would have no function, since everyones prime motivation is to add to the wellbeing of all. Children grow up with a deep understanding that one's own wellbeing is only possible within the context of common welfare, that these two things are inseparable. Indeed, the very thought that these may be two different categories does not even arise. An incentive to do something is not required — it is fulfilling to act in a creative and caring way.

Possession is only in terms of usage — clothes, living space, memorabilia and objects of art; ownership does not even exist as a concept. The land is possessed by all beings of the ecosphere; its most cooperative, expert and varied usage is a practice for the wellbeing of all beings, and is revered and refined to a high art.

Yeahhh — Ahhhh — that's what I want!

What the heart craves

I know that we are not separate from one another, that every part is connected to all parts. I cry bitterly in view of the fathomless suffering on our planet, because I feel it, even when it's not happening within myself. Competition, envy, mistrust, greed, repression, exploitation, war — because we feel things from the perspective of "I", and because we don't think things through to their ends. I long for a life which is totally congruent with the truth. This truth has many names — All-one, connectedness, we-feeling, SOWF, the divine, interwoven, mutuality, God — which all describe the one same fact.

I am convinced that in this infinite existence there are countless ways to live in harmony with the fact of Oneness. I'm happy for every one of them. But that, alas, is not my current situation, just my craving. This longing is like a seed, striving to grow to a great tree.

Only when the understanding of non-separation has sunk into the very core of our beings, when we know that we are in resonance with each other and sitting together in one boat — when it is common knowledge that ones own wellbeing is only possible when all are well — only then will we live together in peace, truth and love, and create paradise on this earth.

May all beings be happy and well!

When the mind serves the guts and the heart

I used to think that I, the mind, was the sole ruler in this person; nowadays I have a much more relaxed and happy time as the equal partner of guts and heart. None is better or worse, we're just different — and we must all be well for the whole person to be well. We're also very creative as a team, this is what we put together:

• Regional Economic Communities are conceived to support a continual development in the desired direction. Their initial design is attuned to current communal structures and laws, but in a way intended to effectively support our joint development to a more mature society — which is indeed their long-term goal.
• Social, ecological and economic aspects together form the core of a concept for a sustainable and long-term viable way of living and working together. Regional Economic Communities integrate growth in all these areas into daily life, so that personal maturation is not separate from the working life, but a vital part of it.
• To achieve this aim, Regional Economic Communities create bodies and procedures to specifically address these personal and interpersonal topics. They also organise events and trainings on ecological topics.
• Just as we - guts, heart and mind - have found our mutually respectful equilibrium, we also find that a fair balance and equality of female and male energies are a requirement for the long-term viability of society — independent of through whom (woman or man) they are manifested.
• Self-reflection, heedful interaction, honesty, non-violence and commitment are important qualities. We communicate openly and from the heart.
• Regional Economic Communities convert old money (fiat money) into assets which are run as sustainably as possible. As a bridge to a world of love rather than money they issue a trade currency which is covered by these assets. Since apples go bad and steel rusts, the new currency uses a regular circulation safeguard fee to make it match the goods whose exchange it facilitates. Thus neither the goods nor the money are in advantage, and speculation should stop.
• This mechanism promotes the flow of exchange of goods and services. The hoarding of money is not meaningful; the function of value preservation is fulfilled by the joint-ownership of companies and other assets. The currency collected via the circulation safeguard is not lost — it can for example be used to pay the people who run the marketplace; thus those people receive the just compensation for their work, and (can only) spend it at the marketplace.
• The "Regional" part of the concept is not a value in itself; it derives from ecological reasons (short transport paths), from economic reasons (more independence from global events), and also from social considerations: The regional aspect allows social interaction, supports cooperation and a feeling of community and responsibility.
• The quality of the time in which we live demonstrates an exceptional development of consciousness. It grows with every individual who is willing to tread the paths of personal growth and systemic evolution. May it bestow us all with more cooperative and appreciative lives — paving the way to a future which we can truly look forward to.