Completing "Life, Money & Illusion"
Mike Nickerson
Some of you will have received our snail mail
update on the "Life, Money & Illusion" book, and
Question of Direction campaign.
For those who have not read the letter, this note
describes that work.
"Life, Money & Illusion"
Economics is about mutual provision. Whether
we work for money, barter, duty or love, all efforts that
humans exchange are the means by which we take care
of each other. This reassuring perspective of economics
is often lost in the shadow of the competitive model now
in command. "Life, Money & Illusion" looks at the roots
of mutual provision, how it has evolved into a global
system, some of the problems that result from present
practices and numerous ways in which the system can
be modified to secure well-being for present and future
generations. The book goes on to suggest how we might
bring about the necessary changes.
A "Question of Direction"
Just when did we decide, as a society, that our
purpose is to perpetually expand production and
consumption? Even if such a decision had been made
legitimately, it is overdue for review. The Question of
Direction campaign aims to press a question about
society's goals into the democratic forum. Should
public policy, and our tax money, be used to encourage
the multiplication of monetary exchange, or should they
be used to establish a sustainable balance between
humans and the natural world?
There is a summary of "Life, Money & Illusion" at:
http://www.SustainWellBeing.net/LMI/lmisummary.html
and more detail about the Question of Direction at:
http://www.SustainWellBeing.net/Question/Question.shtml
If you are interested in facilitating the completion
of "Life, Money & Illusion" and the launch of the
Question of Direction campaign, several ways you can
help are described at: http://www.SustainWellBeing.net/assist.html
They include ordering advance copies of the book,
and/or subscribing to a long distance telephone provider
that donates part of its profits to the Sustainability
Project (and gives you a charitable receipt). As well,
direct, one time, and monthly charitable donations are
options for moving this project forward.
------------------------------
Around four o'clock on August 14th I tucked the
373 page manuscript of "Life, Money and Illusion" under
my arm and began walking from a free parking area into
downtown Ottawa. By the time I reached the offices of
the International Development Research Center (IDRC),
which provided seed money to help me get started on the
book, the power was out. The maintenance folks at
IDRC had yet to discover that it wasn't just their
building that was without power. All of northeastern
North America was blacked out.
This delivery marked completion of the first edited
draft of the book. There is a great deal more work yet to
be done, but the form and content are established.
There are repetitions to eliminate, points to clarify,
language to refine, and a chapter yet to write that will
outline two scenarios for the future. One scenario
describes where my research indicates society will go if
we pursue perpetual material expansion to its natural
conclusion. The other envisages what life will be like if
we tip the balance and begin applying our collective
ingenuity toward a sustainable future.
Without the generosity of those who have, and
continue to, donate to this project, there would be far
more work yet to do. Please help me to complete "Life,
Money & Illusion" and launch the Question of Direction
campaign.
Thanks in hopeful anticipation.
Yours, Mike Nickerson
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"There is only one power available to citizens
which does not require great wealth or the use of violence.
It is the power of collective persuasion.
It works on the subtle levels of thought and conversation
and it works directly through democracy."
http://www.SustainWellBeing.net
Sustainability Project / 7th Generation Initiative
P.O. Box 374, Merrickville, Ontario
K0G 1N0
(613) 259-9988
e-mail: sus...@web.ca
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