Generation of the New Economy GNE

Oikos in Greek means household or home.

Nomos in Greek means the law, especially governing human behavior.

Another way of interpreting the meaning of economics is the human behavior governing the home or household.

In modern terms economics has become defined in neoliberal terms as the body of knowledge that understands the way the production and consumption of goods are distributed by people.

As a child I played the board game 'monopoly'. The endgame is the accumulation of wealth until one player dominates the game. The winner takes it all.

Capitalism as modern neoliberalism is also known is possibly reaching its endgame. It is also reaching ecological and social limits.

All of which spell social and ecological harm and collapse. The winner maybe taking it all too the bank, but the social and ecological losers are being mortally harmed.

This means homelessness, poverty, joblessness, illness, water issues, climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution. In short a sick society and a sick planet.

Those wishing to find an alternative economics to capitalism and the neoliberal political agenda are exploring movements within new economics, that is, something wonderful in my backyard SWIMBY. Or as Charles Eisenstein puts it ‘the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible’.

There are many groups, movements and activities within new economics. These include; the commons, cooperatives, social enterprise, community interest companies, sacred economics, the gift economy and many more …

My inquiry is how can the other than human be listened to and included in new economics? Where is the heart space in new economics? What impact can mindfulness and contemplation play in new economics? What are the stories emerging that tell the tale of new economics as it happens? In economics how can we value the qualities of life as well as the quantities?

In other words how can I reclaim economics and make it relevant and inclusive to the time I am living in?