Text 1: Chief among the, causes of Freedom is devotion, the intentness of the soul on its own nature. Or devotion may be called intentness on the reality of the Self
Response 1: I interpreted this text as expressing the importance of practicing good habits. Ultimately what will bring you closer to your actual self and your highest self is living in ways that will bring about wisdom. Through the practices of freedom, passion, restfulness, and self control one will be able to find their devotion of their true self true self. There true self is this concept of wisdom, which will form as a guide for your own life. Respecting the teacher and trusting your faith are an important aspect of finding your own wisdom. All of these are help find the "reality of self".
Text 2: "Sprinkle me with thy nectar voice that brings the joy of eternal bliss, pure and cooling, falling on me as from a cup, like the joy of inspiration; for I am burnt by the hot, scorching flames of the world's fire."
Response 2: This part of the text is one of my favorite lines. I think this is because it is something that I can relate to. I interpreted this as someone yearning for good, positive vibes. There is so much that is bad in the world, so much bad news. Sometimes people need to be "showered" with something good in order to be inspired. The reoccurring themes of violence and injustice sometimes play a large factor into our own self. In order to reach our full potential sometimes we need to be exposed, or enlightened to the good in the world.
1. Running out of resources- we need to deal with it. 200,000 people a day are moving into cities to work factory jobs. Their health and the environment are at risk. The government supports these corporations because they are the ones making the money and improving the economy.
2. Our value is measured by how much we consumer. We are constantly being told to buy and shop more, even though we really don't need products. We are spending more money, but our happiness is not improving. Corporations make us purchase more and items and throw out perfectly good materials because they are looking to make higher profits.
Reactions:
1. In a couple of my classes this year I have been studying the problem of the lack of resources and our overindulgence. Firstly it frightened me because it was something that up until this year I was blissfully unaware of the threat. Within the next 20 years the demand for water will surpass the supply of it. This is an issue that is going to need to be dealt with immediately, and also something that so many people are unaware of. As the demand goes up and supply goes down we are allowing this natural resource to be held as this incredibly powerful weapon. By promoting the use of water in ways that aren't necessary we are taking away the natural use of water for so many individuals in countries with insufficient governments.
2. I never realized this until now, but it seems like the Government is constantly encouraging us consumers to buy more to keep the cash flow up. This does make sense, but by doing so they encourage corporations to take advantage of consumers. Corporation are constantly screwing consumers over for their advantage. Its a scary thought how selfish these groups are. Not only are we spending unnecessary money on unnecessary products, but we are taking advantage of workers rights in other countries. The worst part is that we look to materials to validate ourselves and we allow them to.
Text 1: "All of our projects are totally self-sustainable and replicable and generate good operating margins. Many private sector investors are motivated by these revenues. Our projects have been proven to drastically cut Medicare and Medicaid costs."
Response: What I think is so interesting about the mission created by Mia is that it is beneficial for more than one parties. A lot of times companies will focus on pleasing only one group, for instance the seniors, or just the government. This is a business model that should be looked at more often and used to try and create new outlets. The company creates a balance between providing optimal care for the elder generation as well as cutting high government costs. This is an issue that it very relevant for our generation so finding solutions is crucial.
Text #2: "I often wonder if we live in a just society, with the number of eople who are systematically disadvantaged, including the poor, the seniors, and the disabled; and given these injustices what kind of change is required today?
Response: I like this part of the text because it shows that he realized that there were problems in our society. Everyday people are living at a disadvantage and due to his experiences he realizes that something needed to be done. He took it upon himself to make a change. He saw an injustice and from there created a way to solve a problem. I thought this was inspiring and intriguing because it proves that we can all make a difference through businesses. As students we can take what we have learned at Fordham and use it to better the lives of people. It is so easy to turn a blind eye to all that is wrong in the world, but by creating a solution we can better ourselves as well as many members of society.
1. The managers who work in these business environments handle daily operations much different. If an employee makes a mistake or there is a problem with production the manager uses the word of God to help him solve the problem. Instead of firing the employee or finding a new way to export goods the manager decided "to love each neighbor in a real way". He took the time to learn about the problem and then worked from there.
2. The economy of Communion is looked at as a reciprocity as appose to hierarchy. Those who can give give what they can. Little contributions by many people make a big difference on a lot of people. It is not only about giving money, but about sharing experiences and relationships with God.
Responses:
1. The approach used by these managers have benefitted them in many different ways. In many modern businesses employees are given strikes which limit the amount of mistakes they are permitted to make before getting fired. These business structures encourage managers to look at their employs with love and respect as they would anyone else. They view humans as human beings and not just integral parts of businesses. BY doing so many businesses have thrived. This shows that relationships between managers and employees definitely has an impact on how the business does.
2. I think that an important aspect of the Economy of Communion is the relationships that they have with each other. The experiences that they have and the relationships they form are what keeps them involved in such an institution. These people seem to really believe and wish the best for each other. They help out others with all they can and because of this they feel the grace of God. If you can not contribute anything they share their relationships and presence which is also an integral part of the experience.
Actual Text 1. There was a study done that had students go door to door in Israel asking for monetary donations. The group was split into thirds and each group was given a different incentive. The first group was sat down and told about how important the different causes are. The second group was told they would receive a 1% commission. The last group was told that they would get a 10% commission. The results founded demonstrated that those who did not receive a monetary commission collected the most money.
2. The article touched upon the difference between what money can't buy (like friendship and honor) and what money shouldn't be able to buy, but it can (organs, and apologies.)
Responses 1. I think that it is pretty impressive that those who did not receive commission were the ones who collected the most money. At first I was a little surprised because I originally thought that those individuals who were being paid would have the most incentive to collect donations. The fact that these individuals regard doing charity as a higher incentive than money is pretty cool. This may not be the case for all individuals, but it definitely highlights the fact that not everyone's number one incentive is always money. People do have "moral convictions" that sometimes are placed higher about monetary prizes.
2. Purchasing organs on the black market is something that is very controversial. Whether or not some is able to purchase organs from someone else is an issue that involves the value of a human life. It raises the issue of how much money is our life worth. I think that the author was correct when saying this is something that is actually up for purchase, but should not be. As humans we should not be able to take away vital organs just for a monetary reward. I also thought it was interesting how it mentions the fairness objection. This suggests that sometimes people have no other choice than to sell an organ.
Text: The author of this article brings up surprising facts that really capitalize on the amount of resources and money that is overspent on this earth. The article states that if we divide the total amount of gross world profit ($65 trillion) by the total population (6.8 billion) we will reach a number that represents the amount of money that each human is entitled to on this earth. The number comes out to be $9,000 per year. He also goes father to state that this is when we are using 30% over what the earth produces, and if we continue to do that it will never grow. With the threat of using all of the earths production and the fact that the earths population is hypothesized to grow Ulansey suggests that a hum being is entitled to about $6,000 per year.
Response: I am having a hard time processing the information that was provided in the article. It is so easy to read something like this and agree with the author, while looking at our lifestyles and shaking our head. I think that many people in our demographic (young adult, educated, Americans) have grown up with the idea that they money we work hard to obtain is ours. Personally I have worked hard long hours at establishments that did not appreciate my labor just so I could have enough money to spend at school. It is hard to look at my labor and now think that the money that I worked hard for was somehow an injustice. Unfortunately we live at a time and in a place where following "the Arithmetic of Compassion" is impossible to live by. There were facts that were brought up that are horrifying. For one I know that my family spends more money on the healthcare of our pets (dog, cat, turtle) than 1.4 billion people who live bellow the poverty line.
Text 2: Fair Trade Booklet
"Fair Trade is a very attractive concept, across the political spectrum. People like the idea of helping people, not with the opportunity to work hard and decently." -Daniel Salcedo
Response: I like this quote because it demonstrates how fair trade can be a very successful movement. After reading through the booklet it is evident that the trend has helped many people change their lives. It stated that the U.S. alone has spent $2 billion on fair trade in 2008, most of that being coffee. I think the more knowledge that people have about fair trade the more people will chose to spend. I also think that coffee is one of the leading products people purchase through fair trade is because it is a smaller price. The difference between a fair trade cup of coffee is probably only a couple dollars more. This is a change that people are willing to incorporate into their lives.
1. One of the first portions of the text that stood out to me was the statement, "Fair trade is not about charity. It is a holistic approach to trade and development that aims to alter the ways in which commerce is conducted, so that trade can empower the poorest of the poor." The Fair Trade Federation is not establish to give money to the producers that they don't deserve. The FTF is established to make sure that markets are run efficiently and more important fairly. The FTF makes sure that the wages of the workers are fair, their work place in safe, and that they are the ones profiting for their hard work. They also educate consumers and work to form a harmony between the two different ends of the spectrum. They also work to try and maintain environmental sustainability so that the land is protected in the process of production. My response: I thought this passage really put a lot in prospective for me. It is not that I thought that by purchasing a product from fair trade was an act of charity, but it helps clarify where my money would actually be going. the FTF works so that the money we spend on goods is allocated correctly. It is important and crucial for the livelihood of the working people to get the money they deserve. It is socially responsible to make purchases through companies that practice fair trade because we know that the money isn't "skimmed" through the process of production.
2. Another section of the text that stood out to me was the passage: "When we support the P.OOr we are not only supporting the poor, we are glorifying God;when we reject the poor, we are not only rejecting the poor, we are rejecting God. (Gal, 5:14). We learn here that God has a mission for us to help out those human beings who have less than us. It is our duty to support them and when we do that we are living out the word of God. It is when we reject the poor that we choose to reject God. My Response: I think that this passage was an interesting way to reflect on fair trade. It made me think about how purchasing from companies that abuse workers and hand out unfair wages we are supporting evil. As human beings we should have the social responsibility to support the right care of human beings. By taking a stand and educating individuals about the importance of fair trade we are living out the word of God.
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