Ekonomia konpondu nahi?
Kafea erosten duzun hurrengoan, erosi kopa bat atzean duzun pertsonarentzat. Edo goizeko joan-etorria egiten ari zaren bitartean, hartu atzetik duzun gidariaren ordainagiria, bere bolantearen gainean jarrita eta atzerapen luzearen aurrean haserre.
Entzun duzu Gandhien aipu famatu hori aldaketa izateari buruz, ba hauek neurri onak dira hasteko, imajina dezakezun baino kolpe gehiago ematen dutenak.
Bizitzaren ikuspegi hau honako premisarekin hasten da: Zer egin nuen (edo zuk) zehazki bizirik egotea merezi izateko? Galdera hori prozesatu eta inoiz itzuli ezin duzun opari bat zelakoan aterako bazara, opari handiagoko bizitza bat hastea da bide logiko eta urrunetik elkarrekikoa. Daukazun gauzarik baliotsuena ez bada irabazi duzun ezer, zergatik izan zikorrak gauza txikiagoekin. Eskuzabaltasun handiagoko praktika hori esker on handiagoarekin has dezakezu. Eta non hobe amarekin baino hastea, baina ez gelditu hor. Familia, lagunak eta azken muga, ezezagunak, gaiak dira.
Errepasatu dezagun zer axola zaigun. Gure finantza sistema duela urte batzuk ia erori zen. Gure baliabide erkideetatik geratzen zenarekin eta zinta apur batekin han-hemenka babestu genuen sistemaren akatsak zuzentzeko. Eta orain susperraldi batekin aurkitzen gara aberatsek bakarrik senti dezaketela anemia. Modu hobe bat egon behar da.
Trukea ekonomia txar batean bizirauteko modu ona da. Komunak konpondu ditzaket; karburatzaileak garbi ditzakezu. Dantza egitea nahi?
"Oparien ekonomia" bezalako zerbaitetan funtzionatzen ikastea askoz subertsiboagoa da, ordea, eta hausnartzea merezi du.
Duela urte pare bat, hurbileko kolapso ekonomikoaren hortzetan, Blue Springs-eko (Missouri) Steamin' Bean oparien ekonomiak harrapatu zuen. Autoko leihotik kafea hartzen ari zen emakume batek beste kopa bat erostea erabaki zuen, anonimoki, bere atzetik zihoan autoan. Kateak 1.000 bezero inguru izan zituen. Hori eskuzabaltasunaren afektu birikoarengatik gertatu zen.
Garin Bledsoe Steamin' Bean jabeak 2009ko uztailaren 15ean UPI.com-eko txosten batean azaldu zuenez : "Garai gogorrak dira, baina jendeak zerbaiten parte izan nahi du, jakinda bere 5 zentimoak, bere dolarra, onura handiagoan doazela".
Oparien ekonomiari buruzko literatura aberatsa da. Gogoratzen al dituzu potlatchari buruzko antropologia klase haiek? Mundu osoko gizarte primitiboek "opariak" erabiltzen zituzten kohesioa eta konexioa sortzeko baliabide gisa, hobe lurretik bizitzeak eta beste tribu ez-lagun batzuen mehatxuak bizirauteko. Praktika hau, hainbat formatan, nahiko hedatuta zegoen eta moneta modernoaren asmakuntza baino lehenagokoa da. Historiak aurrera egin ahala, kapitalaren aro hau, gure zorroetan eta poltsikoko liburuetan daramagun gauzak, asmakizun berri itsua da. Zer moduz ari zara zuretzako? Apustu munduko gehiengo zabala bezalakoa zarela. Ez du axola zenbat eduki, inoiz ez da nahikoa.
Hona hemen zer pentsatua. "Oparitzeko" ohitura moderno horiek bizirauteko teknika hutsak al ziren? Gizaki modernoak oinarrizko dohaintza, partekatze eta elkarrekikotasun mota honetarako joera gutxiago izan dezake. Baina gauzak aztertzen onak gara eta ikerketak ematen jarraitzen du ondo sentitzen dela. Benetan ona.
Zer gertatzen da zehazki zure atzean dagoenari kafe katilu hori erosten duzunean?
Zure gorputzean gauza on batzuk gertatzen ari zara. Garunean, hain zuzen ere, azken ikerlan mediko batzuen arabera, ostikada neuronal bat eskuzabala dela identifikatu dutenen arabera. Dacher Keltnerrek, Born to Be Good -en egileak, bere lana eta arlo honetako azken ikerketak laburbiltzen ditu Greater Good aldizkariko artikulu honetan.
Baina benetan, zientziak behar al dugu hau kontatzeko? Altxatu eskua, azken aldian norbaitentzat zerbait polita egin zenuen --ohituragatik ez den zerbait, baina esperotako ordainik gabeko eskuzabaltasun ekintza benetan espontaneoa-- ondo baino hobeto sentitu bazara. Benetan aldatuta sentitu zinen, urritasun mentalitatetik zeure buruaren eta bizitzaren zentzu ugariago batera igarotzeko moduko bat bezala. Ados, hemen proiektatzen ari naiz. Baina puntua lortzen duzu.
"Oparien ekonomia" goiburu zabal baten barruan egon daitezkeen jarduerak ikertzen aritu naiz. CharityFocus.org-i buruzko liburu baten zerbitzura dago, azken hamarkadan irabazi-asmorik gabeko oparien ekonomia proiektuen inkubagailu moduko gisa balio izan duena.
Atzean dagoenari kafea erostea edo besteei ateak irekitzea bezalako itxuraz hutsalak diren jarduerei buruzko oinarrizko egietako bat da ez direla batere hutsalak. Mundua hobera aldatzea zeure buruarekin hasten dela dioen proposamena erosten baduzu, eskuzabaltasun ekintza txiki hauek, asmo osoz egiten direnean, nahiko indartsua egiten dute. Zure mundua "ni" orientaziotik "gu" orientazio batera aldatzen dute. Norberaren zentzu handitu eta konektatu horrek dena alda dezake benetan, pentsatzeko modutik hasi eta jarduteko moduraino.
Ikuspegi honekin aurkitu nuen lehenengo aldia CharityFocus.org-i buruzko artikulu txiki bat idaztean izan zen The Christian Science Monitor- entzat, egunkari horretako San Frantziskoko bulego-burua nintzenean. Eta gogoan dut kanpai-jotzea bezain argi, eskuzabaltasuna ez zela kanpoko arazoren bat konpontzeari buruzko onarpen goiztiarra. Niri buruzkoa zen. Barne-aldaketa bat sortzeari buruz, beste pentsamendu-oinarri bat ezartzeari buruz.
Lewis Hydek The Gift izeneko liburua idatzi zuen 1983an. Bikaina eta guztiz erresistentea da laburpenari. Baina sormen-arteen balioari buruzko galderetan sakontzen du, eta nolabaiteko galdera existentziala aztertzen du artistek nola uztar ditzaketen euren "dohaina" merkatu ekonomiaren merkantilizazio-joerekin. Liburua benetan balioaren, elkarrekikotasunaren eta kultura zaharretako "opari-ekonomien" arteko loturen eta deskonexioen inguruko gogoeta bat da. Hemen aipatzen da opari-ekonomiaren nozioa ez dela kapitalismoaren alternatiba ezkertiarra. Kontua da ziurrenik guztiok gaituta gaudela, bai fisiologikoki eta bai sozialki, lankidetza eta lankidetza bilatzera sehaskatik hilobiraino funtzionatzen duen hezkuntza-sistema eta gizarte-testuinguru bat izan arren munduaren batura zeroko ikuspegia guregan txertatzeko. Baliabideak mugatuak dira, bizitza laburra da, lortu ahal duzuna, eta gehiegizko apur bat baduzu, idatzi txeke bat zure gogoko ongintzarako.
Nire liburuaren ikerketan, literalki, egunero dozenaka testigantza irakurtzen ditut eskuzabaltasun ekintza txikienean poztasun sentsazio handia aurkitu duten pertsonengandik. Eta gehiengo batek «aurrera ordaintzea» erabakitzen du nolabait. Eta, beraz, ekintza hauek ez dira inoiz bakarrik. Barrutik oihartzun egiten dute eta kanpotik errepikatzen dute.
Beraz, erosi kafe kopa hori atzean duzun pertsonarentzat. Primeran sentituko zara. Zientzia duzu atzean. Baina ez duzu baieztapen hori beharko. Gehien nabarituko duzun gauza barruan gertatzen dena da.
Eta ez ezazu huts egin, ekonomia, zuk ezagutu duzun bezala ez da inoiz berdina izango.
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I completely get the point Paul is making. I also get the contrarian's points. It seems to me that most of contrarians are using the "logic" to counter Paul's argument. Paul's point can't be debated with only logical arguments alone. His points are more about being good, altruistic, spiritual and completely different from Market Based Economy. I think, there are pointers all around us - the market based economy, the self sufficient society isn't making us happier as individuals and prosperous as society. Reasons are that we are gone too far away from valuing happiness, satisfaction, friendships, goodwill as much as we value the money and hoarding what we may not need.
I had a similar feeling few years ago, and started working on an idea -- it's called "Goodsq", "Good Square", "Good to the power 2" -- call it what easy for you. My goal when I started with was to make people think more meaningfully about their relations. My realization has been humble and a bit saddening - people are more selfish and would do anything when they are made guilty, greedy and when they want to brag. My experiment is still on and I am determined. Please check this out at - www.goodsq.com.
[Hide Full Comment]Paul:
I like to think that I have a healthy contempt for
political correctness; I do not overly romanticize communities that enjoy long,
traditional social systems; and I am largely skeptical of the way the
epithet "wisdom" is so facilely applied to ancient cultures. But
I'd have to choke a little hard to apply the phrase
"primitive societies" to the Coast Salish, Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Gitxsan, and
Tsimshian First Nations who practice the potlatch. Quite aside the pejorative aspect of
the description, it obscures the fact that the potlatch remains a vibrant,
contemporary practice. While the
potlatch was banned in Canada between 1855 and 1951 – and for a similar period
within the United States, I believe – it did not disappear and retains a social
and economic relevance in those First Nations communities for whom it is
customary.
Still your basic point is a
good one: potlatching is a superb example of a gift economy practice.
Yvonne Wilson of Kwakwaka'wakw First Nations has written an interesting
explanatory comment on potlatching in the context of a discussion on the gift
economy, here.
MBJ
[Hide Full Comment]As we were taught in High School Driver's Ed, back in the olden days, :-), Courtesy is contagious!! Get the fever!!!!
My exhusband gave me many gifts, his love for 25 years, two fantastic children and a horse that changed the course of both our lives, the result of which is I am daily able to gift my new energy, soulfulness and conscious living to my family and friends, the process of divorce has enabled me to gift a mortgage repayment for a friend in trouble, rent for a girl friend beginning to live alone and to fly a beloved horse, Oscar, to Australia for a friend who had been supported by his love whilst undergoing cancer treatment and upon recovery had moved to Oz and missed Oscars love so much it was wonderful getting a picture of their reunion at 4 am in Perth. I have in return been supported by so many people each time I have need something, from a contact to help me with information processing or gathering to some one willing to listen on the phone at 3 am when the journey looks black and hopeless. Small or large paying forward in terms of financial or spiritual connects and transforms us.
[Hide Full Comment]I strongly disagree with your 2nd paragraph. Compassion and kindness and help in anyway is an expression of your vunerability in this day and age. If you do what you say the receiver will exploit you again and again.
My philosophy is to help anyone who is physically challenged.
In this country there are not too many opportunities for them.
And by the way for a driver ranting at the long slow lines a SMILE does wonders !
I do agree that when we are in a full-blown gift economy, money will be unnecessary. However, in the meantime, while we are bridging the gap, most gifts will cost someone financially.
Progressivepam’s definition of “gift” in her reply below
(…giving something without expectation of return (either in money or demands or
manipulation) shines light on a dilemma I often experience. I find myself
reluctant to use “Smile Cards” because I feel like I’m asking people to do
something in response to my act of kindness - i.e. pay it forward. That does
seem like a dilemma: we want to freely give a gift, yet we also want to raise
awareness around the concept by describing and demonstrating how it works.
Promoting an idea, however good, sort of implies that you’d like people to
embrace the idea.
Maybe the resolution simply lies in the spirit with which you deliver
the card. If you can maintain a playful, non-attached attitude, then it’s most
likely to succeed.
Does anyone else experience this?
I ran to the store for some additional ingredients for a dinner party, but left my purse at home. Darn, I'd have to go all the way back and I was running out of time. I asked the checker to hold onto my groceries, when the man next to me (big, black, comfortable, cheerful) said he would cover the almost $10. I was surprised, and thanked him, but said no. He insisted, saying "You never know what life has in mind for you." I understood him to mean God, so of course I accepted. I thanked him with gratitude, and gifted him the good feeling associated with unconditional giving.
a new yoga studio just opened in my town, Asheville, NC. It is totally free. beautiful space, all teachers teach as a gift, everyone is welcome. and it's taking over the yoga scene! the classes are always full, the teachers are blossoming when they are free to teach as a gift and not worry about being the best so the classes will fill up. And people are being exposed to yoga!. The community of folks who practice here volunteer their time to make the studio happen in every way. A new parking lot was needed and in under three weeks the community raised 12,000 dollars to make it happen. Its' an amazing place. Asheville Community Yoga.
In between rains I go out and plant a few saplings. In this weather they have a good chance of surviving and thriving. Is this an act of kindness or what? I don't know.
Yesterday I presented a few saplings as a birth day gift. Is this part of the gift economy? I don't know.
I have been doing things like these all my life.
This is a great article and I love the message behind it: "Give unconditionally". I can relate to this because of what I am currently facing with my country, Egypt. There are various plans similar to this that focus on simply giving without expecting. I also deeply believe that if such an economy existed, money itself wouldn't find its place in life but rather at heart. Growth, contribution, and even significance would become ego-less since the attachment to "getting back something" would perish. The reason many people find it difficult to believe such an economy would exist is because we're conditioned to think that the ultimate superior to money is a bank; never the people. If we thought beyond physically and corporate entities in such cases, the world's currency would be a smile.
One of the opportunities I believe we are changed when we can do something for someone else and they not find out about it. Another way is to be in gratitude. Both seem to change me internally and therefore I respond to others differently.
There's such a special feeling that goes along with giving or receiving a gift that just purely given. It feels like, well, love.
I think this article misrepresents the gift economy - or at the very least, it presents a mixed money/gift economy with a very heavy stress on the "money" parts. In the pure gift economy, you are supposed to make what you gift, or add value to previously received gifts and pass them on. Money does not work this way at all.