Summary

"How can we build an economy of abundance, that seeks to create the condition of abundance when all people, regardless of their background, now and in the future, are enabled to thrive ² and numerous animal and plants species can likewise thrive?I present here a strategy that seeks to literally make place for abundance. Countless initiatives that promote abundance already exist, but they seem hopelessly small in comparison to ´the economyµ which pushes us toward ever-increasing resource consumption, competition,and conflict. It is therefore essential that numerous abundance-supporting ventures be networked in order to gain strength. One of the most important ways to build networks is to focus on places where they are already strong and have potential to grow. ´Place' in this context refers not just to some area that can be defined on a map or marked on the ground, but to a place with cultural significance, where people have a sense of identity and of home connected with that place, and where people continue to work together and with the natural environment in order to enhance its desired qualities. ´Making placeµ thus refers to enhancing these qualities of place, as opposed to allowing them to become ´non-placesµ (in the words of the anthropologist Marc Augé), that appear bland and indistinguishable from similar numerous other non-places. Every place in which abundance is built will therefore have its own unique features, and its own unique historical growth path.To convert a dream into a reality requires a visionary image to inspire us, which is detailed enough to give a sense of practicability, yet also sufficiently flexible in order to accommodate the contributions of diverse people, and to unforeseen contingencies. The following proposal should be read in this light, keeping in mind that the path will be created by walking it, and there will be a lot of experimentation, leading to the rejection of some of the ideas presented here in favor of better ideas. Creating abundance is not about creating a vision and then implementing it, but of bringing together many people·s visions, and periodically revisioning together in order to prevent ourselves from getting caught in a rut, and to keep our project alive."

Making Place for Abundance

Summary

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