Economy for Life! Part Two

Welcome to issue 19 of Pari Perspectives: Part Two of a two-issue series called Economy for Life!

Inspired by the philosophy and values of the Pari Center, Part Two of ‘Economy for Life!’ opens up space for diverse visions, cultures, and questions former, current, and future economies.

Mary Pearson, in Harnessing the Collective Enterprise of the Workplace, explores how organizations and businesses can create opportunities for people to experience transcendent meaning in life. Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Secretary General of The Club of Rome, examines how we can liberate the economy from entrenched colonial viewpoints. Richard Ott, in Where We Are, How We Got Here, and What We Can Potentially Do About It, investigates how we arrived at such a destructive economic system. Colin Tudge, in Renaissance: An Agenda for All Humanity for the Next Million Years, advocates for a return to earlier, more sustainable ways of thinking. Karen Janssen shares insights from her practice-based research on how collaboration can lead to a regenerative economy. Olga Mink and I explore the question of who truly owns the economy through our artistic participatory action research. Shinta Oosterwaal and Ewelina Schraven experiment in Tree, Tree, What Do You See? with engaging in dialogue with nature. What insights does nature offer about the economy? Oddkin (Natela Lemondzhava & Márton Kabai) illustrate in We Voice Our World Through Our Breath how our voices or lack thereof can influence the development, of a new economy. I present my experiences, questions, and insights into the work of the Jatiwangi Art Factory, an artist collective that demonstrates how grassroots efforts can foster a new economy. Rutendo Ngara discusses how ancient knowledge can help us create a new world.

In all these stories, as with Pari Center, art, science, and the sacred intersect. Sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes deeply intertwined, sometimes as a deliberate choice, and sometimes as an almost accidental convergence of circumstances. Each encounter expands our thinking space, leading to new ideas, examples, and practices for change.