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Nicole Foss’s interview on Kim Hill’s on Saturday 1 April opened up so many possibilities for remedying the dysfunctional world we currently inhabit, that I made a point of going to her Wellington talk and workshop on Wed 4 April.
She did not disappoint the packed meeting. Her economic analysis was far ranging, supported by graphs, to show the repetition of financial meltdowns at approximately 100 year intervals, long enough for the hard lessons learnt to have faded from living memory, so that costly mistakes are repeated. The signs point clearly to the dangers of ‘business as usual’ for most of the world and the uselessness of governments’ and banks’ efforts to extricate themselves from the mess.
Her message was clear: the only efficacious means for us will come from the grassroots, with small groupings of around 100-150 individuals networking together on a personal basis, and building on that. Could our parish communities or our prayer and justice groups be a starting point here?
Already supportive and sustainable groupings are springing up all over the world – transition towns, local farmers’ markets, communal gardens, time banks – such collectives can be supportive and reduce our dependence on a failing money economy.
On a personal level, her advice was equally forthright – live within your means, no hire purchase, keep assets liquid, eliminate your mortgage, grow or raise as much of your own food as possible – rabbits, anyone?
If we think this is an impossible scenario, look at Zimbabwe and Greece -and learn! When currency is devalued, wages and services cut, prices must escalate so that value falls – how are the unprepared to cope?
While we have a government focussed solely on economic growth, willing to sell our land, our assets, our mineral wealth overseas to ‘balance the books’ we will go down. ’All is connected’ and our only hope is people power, based on solidarity and justice for everyone.
As Christians, we need look no further than Acts 2: 42-47 for a model in the description of the early Christian community, and remember what was said of them ‘See how these Christians love one another’.
Tricia Kane, the writer of this opinion piece, is a retired librarian and a grandmother.
Related Posts:
- Automatic Earth Website
- Interview and bio
- Audio – Making Sense of economic crisis in an age of peak oil
News category: Analysis and Comment.
