What Can Indigenous Peoples Teach Us?
This group will not be meeting in the September 2023 term. For the May 2023 term the synopsis was as follows:
The Monday 4pm Advanced Economics Group will consider what Indigenous Peoples can teach us. Taking examples from around the world and through time, the focus will be on their sense of property in their relationships with nature and each other. It will not be on history or recent injustices, unless to support the main focus. The hope is to retain humility, seek guidance, and avoid sentimentality.
“There is much to be learnt from indigenous peoples as we seek to find solutions to the challenges of combatting climate change and managing resources in a sustainable way” - UN Secretary-General
Productivity - according to one definition, the capacity to produce. Open any newspaper nowadays and there will be a piece on the subject and usually related to economic productivity and its impact. If we could increase it all will be well, or at least we would be better off. Well, would it? If it improved would we all be better off? In an effort better to understand the subject you are invited to join us in an exploration of what it is and whether it is all it is cracked up to be.
The evolution of Corporations.
Corporations are a dominant part of the current economic landscape. They are widely viewed as far too powerful and guilty of using this power for their own ends. However, for most of history, they were not seen as amoral entities, but as public institutions designed to promote the societies that created them. A recent book ‘For Profit; A History of Corporations’ shows how they have evolved since Roman times, using selected examples. We shall consider this evolution and the issues it raises today for Economics with Justice. New participants welcome.
Global influencing
Most topics discussed by the “Global Influencers” are decided by world events ,the interests of members of the group and consensus. Next term I anticipate that we will include work on Inflation, encompassing consideration of the responses by our colleagues to the first draft of our paper " Inflation and Well Being ", further research ,and expanding and refining the paper.
Also anticipated is further work on housing and the "housing crisis", and identifying who to approach, how, and the potential pitfalls when we try and bring about change through Influence .There is also an ambition to produce a guide for success in influencing and education.
Applying Natural Law today
In response to the fast-changing economic environment in which we find ourselves, we will consider current events in relation to Natural Laws.
Circles of Compassion
New members are welcome to this established group which is seeking to enlarge our vision of the economy towards a complete picture of how humans live together in society. This was described by an ancient stoic philosopher as ‘Circles of Compassion’, examples being family, village, networks of friends and relations.
The questions to be addressed in the September term are: How does the food chain work in the global economy and in the local economy? Is there a connecting idea which could be used to Make local fresh food more affordable than global junk food?
We are all embedded in communities; global networks of friends as well as neighbourhood relationships. We will follow a case study of a global entrepreneur and the ups and downs of business life. This will bring in the essential roles of money in its various forms and in making and breaking relationships.