SPIRITUALITY, FAIR TRADE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
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08	October 2013

The Economy of Communion Project

Text 1:
"Those who receive help are not considered 'assisted' or 'beneficiaries.' Rather they are regarded as active participants in the project, all part of the same community, whol also live the culture of giving. The emphasis is not on philanthropy, but on sharing, in that each person gives and receives with equal dignity."

Response 1:
I like this idea that this project is not charity work. The poor are treated as equal participants within the project. It allows them to gain a sense of dignity and not feel as if they are helpless and need to rely on outside help. It reminded of one of the stories in the pamphlet on fair trade we read earlier, where the artisans were able to give their prophets to Hurricane Katrina victims. It allowed them to switch roles from being the ones receiving help to becoming the ones helping. Each party has something different to offer, the privileged have material things to share while the poor have intangible things to offer, such as love. The quote, "It is moving to see how many share the help they receive with others whose needs is greater, gestures which often set off a chain of solidarity," reminded me of the movie 'Pay It Forward' where a child started a good-will movement in which he helps three individuals and in turn each of those people help three others, and so on. I hope that this project is able to create a similar lasting effect.

Text 2:
Glimpses of the Market as a Place of Communion

Response 2:
This section was a bold statement to current economic practices. Most people who want to bring the 'role of love' within economics mostly must do so by functioning outside of traditional business. They form non-profits, charities, or foundations. However, the Economy of Communion is able to function within the normal economy market while still implementing the role of love. It is able to take control of the market and change it for the better, rather than having the market take control of a business with the potential of corrupting it. Instead of competition, they promote the idea of cooperation. It proves that the market is not rigid and fixed, but molded to fit different ideas and movements. This opened my eyes to the potential that the Economy of Communion, Fair Trade, and other good-will movements posses.