"There are no signposts at life's crossroads".

We are worried about our future, according to the new consumer climate index published by the Nuremberg-based research company GfK. No wonder. We are slipping from one crisis to the next. First the corona virus pushed the climate crisis out of the headlines, and now the war in Ukraine has in turn pushed corona into the background. We are at a crossroads right now and wish we had a signpost but as Charly Chaplin once aptly put it, there are no road signs on the way to the unknown. But one thing seems clear: If we take our future seriously, we need to change the direction of our economic system. But for this to happen, I am convinced, we must be able to let go of our fear that the necessary changes will turn us into losers:inside this system. Only then can we enter into a positive connection with this possible new economy and be ready to help shape it. To do this, I think we first need to rethink what prosperity actually means to us.

Our expectations regarding the economic outlook and the development of our income have reached a historic low, according to the GFK study in April. We are afraid for our prosperity. At the height of the Corona crisis in October 2020, a survey by the statista portal asked us what we want. According to the survey, we wish above all for less selfishness, more helpfulness and a reduction in social differences in the future. In addition, around half of the respondents expressed a wish for money and materialism to be given less importance. If that's the case, why do we measure the weal and woe of our society by things like the consumer climate?

We need a new image of prosperity
I think we are desperately clinging to an image of prosperity that links our well-being to the development of our material wealth. Probably we simply lack the belief in an alternative to finally let go of this old image. Yet most of us have long been aware of how destructive our model of life is for people and the environment. What could this new image of prosperity look like? Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. But do we just want to carry on like this, just because the new picture still seems blurry to us?
I have lived in Peru for the last three years. A large part of the people there dream of living a life like an average German. What does that actually mean? Here are two examples: We own 573 cars per 1000 inhabitants in Germany, in Peru it is 35 cars, in Ethiopia even 0.92. We own 603 computers per 1000 inhabitants in Germany, in Peru it is 61, in Ethiopia even only 6. About half of the world's population dreams of living like us. What they mean by that is more living space, having their own car, etc.. How can we blame them? For me it is clear, it needs a credible rethinking and redirection here in our country to shape a new image that does not create so much injustice today and for future generations. Only if we change credibly, there is a chance that we do not further accelerate the global crisis with every person who comes to prosperity. How can we call something WELL-being, if at the same time our well-being causes so much unwellness in people and nature as a consequence?
Some ingredients for sustainable prosperity seem clear to me. Instead of measuring material prosperity in terms of possessions, we could measure it in terms of the availability of the things we need. Couldn't it be enough for our happiness and sense of security if we can use things when we need them? In the case of books or clothing, sharing or exchanging things is already quite successful in some cases. But the possibilities of sharing are certainly far from exhausted. A second ingredient could be cooperation instead of competition. In such a mindset, we no longer feel lonely when we think about our future. We learn to trust that we are not solely responsible for our happiness. In order to walk a new, sustainable path, we need the courage to practice new patterns of action as our new "normal". Sure, we will fail sometimes, but that's okay. We also learn from it. Hardly anyone lives a perfect life. Being imperfect means being human!
With our "WIR wie Wirtschaft" project, we want to collect such good examples in the form of recipes and invite people to try out these recipes together, discuss them and keep improving them. In doing so, we want to show: We are all jointly responsible in this economy and we can change something, even if it may only be small things.
The global gap between rich and poor continues to grow. More of the same will only lead us faster to the abyss, socially, ecologically, economically. Rethinking ownership and consumption are central building blocks of a prosperity that creates the future. We can all become part of a movement that rethinks prosperity and the economy, globally, cooperatively, inclusively and fairly.
We look forward to many fellow cooks in our recipe kitchen for an economy that allows new values to grow: #Health, #Nature, #Satisfaction and #Justice ... and the #WIR that really thinks along with everyone.




____________________________________________

Author: Frank Braun, www.fairbinden.eu

Sources:

https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/1175074/umfrage/umfrage-in-deutschland-zu-den-wuenschen-fuer-die-heutige-gesellschaft-in-zukunft/
https://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/konjunktur/konsumklima-ukraine-krieg-corona-pandemie-101.html
https://www.welt-in-zahlen.de/laendervergleich.phtml?indicator=126
https://www.welt-in-zahlen.de/laendervergleich.phtml?indicator=117
https://www.forschung-und-wissen.de/nachrichten/psychologie/reduzierter-konsum-wirkt-positiv-auf-die-psyche-13373428
https://www.srf.ch/wissen/nachhaltigkeit/umweltpsychologie-warum-wir-die-klimaerwaermung-verstehen-aber-trotzdem-nichts-tun-1



Theory U - a method for sustainable change

* Will to change
* Participation in the courses u.lab 1.0 and u.lab 2.0
* Talk about it with others

* Form a working group on this in your own company
* English language skills (course in English).


Theory U, developed by Otto Scharmer at the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Boston), is based on the insight that the effectiveness of actions is most strongly influenced by the inner attitude of the person acting and the orientation towards the future. Making this inner knowledge specifically accessible and "future-ready" is the content of a free training series (u.lab 1.0 and u.lab 2.0) currently offered annually and free of charge by MIT. In the training, one develops a new view of one's company and possible change potentials along a U-shaped transformation process, the result of which leads to concrete options for action.

The Theory U is ...
...a framework that describes a process of change that can be personal, organizational, community, or global. 
...a mindset that operates from a deeper awareness of "the whole."
...a movement that is networked worldwide and works towards a fairer future "for all".  

Here are some questions that Theory U invites us to consider:
1. do I take my counterpart's point of view into account when I create my own vision of an ideal future?
Do I take the other actors in my ecosystem seriously or do I negate their position?
3. will the way I am currently working actively promote the change I want to see?

I have already gone through the training twice. It is not without effort, but it is worth it in any case. It's best if you can get others in your company excited about it and then form topic-oriented working groups together. Forming groups is part of the process anyway.

Links
https://theory-u.de (a good summary in german language)
https://www.ottoscharmer.com/theoryu
https://www.edx.org/course/ulab-leading-from-the-emerging-future (Platform to enroll for the course)

Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Fair and organic in the coffee kitchen

* The courage to think differently
* Contact with a supplier for organic fair trade coffee
*
Approval of the management, if necessary
* Good communication in the workforce


Almost every company has a coffee kitchen. Often, the coffee is even free. That's great! But if it's not organic fair trade coffee, the people in the fields and nature pay the price. That's why I started an initiative at my company back then to switch coffee, and it worked. There were two major hurdles to overcome:

1. there were prejudices
The coffee would not taste or that the Fairtrade coffee was not suitable for the industrial coffee machines.
But organic fair trade coffee is now available for all types of machines, and it's delicious, too! The issue of taste can be quickly resolved with a coffee tasting. It is important to take the colleagues along and not to decide over their heads.

2. the price
Of course, organic fair coffee is more expensive. If the employer pays for it, this should be agreed upon. The employees may even be willing to pay a small premium for the coffee, but it should actually also be in the interest of the employer not to serve products that harm people and/or nature.
It is a small symbolic act with which employers can send a positive signal to the workforce. Sometimes, though, companies need just the one person to kick it off. Is that you?

And don't forget to write us your experiences to kontakt@wir-tschaft.jetzt. We are happy to receive additions to the recipe or even new recipes.

Have fun cooking!

We are very curious about the experience with this recipe.

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This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Planning and designing events sustainably

* Event guide
* Good will
* in case of doubt competent advice

* Good marketing
* Openness for new things


Your events are your business card. Surely there are also events for employees or customers in your company. Whether it is a sales meeting or a trade fair presence, you can show your employees as well as your customers the flag and plan and implement an event that leaves no negative traces.

The ingredients are very simple. Take the Event guide of the Federal Environment Agency and distribute the tasks from A for waste management to W for water with the clear requirement to consider ecological and social aspects. True to the motto "Do good and talk about it“ then add a pinch of "Good communication" and the menu is ready that will not only be well received by your guests.

Ideally, you should store the guide together with your own experience so that what you have learned is not lost again.

And don't forget to write us your experiences to kontakt@wir-tschaft.jetzt. We are happy to receive additions to the recipe or even new recipes.

Have fun cooking!

We are very curious about the experience with this recipe.

Try this recipe right now.
Anyone who has tried or modified the recipe, feel free to comment!





This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Procurement with vision

* Desire for durable products
* Courage
* Persuasiveness
* thorough research + expertise


When it comes to procurement, cost is usually the most important criterion when selecting suppliers and products, in addition to the required quality. How often have I heard: "I like the idea, but unfortunately we don't have the budget for this sustainable alternative."

How about slightly varying your decision-making formula for your next purchase? A small change in perspective when calculating costs can immediately add much more sustainability to the shopping cart:
Instead of the purchase price of a product, let's take the life cycle costs (i.e. the costs over the entire expected life of a product) as the basis for the cost comparison. In this case, sustainable products are often the cheaper alternative, since they generally require less electricity, fewer consumables, etc. Suggest this to your:r responsible buyer:in or, if you are responsible yourself: Switch the cost consideration and compare the costs in this way.

Tip: Argumentatively, you can refer, for example, to this Article of the Federal Environment Agency which explains the procedure well and also links to a variety of tools that can help you work out such a comparison.

In this way, you can often resolve the supposed conflict of goals between profitability and sustainability and can afford sustainability without lengthy discussions about persuasion.

We are very curious about the experience with this recipe.

Try this recipe right now.
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This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Bahncard 100 instead of company car

* Courage
* Profession with entitlement to a company car
* Desire for environmentally friendly mobility
* Persuasiveness
* Good preparation


You are entitled to a company car in your company but you want to go new ways and set an example for the WE in WIRtschaft? Then this recipe might be just right for you. Perhaps there is already an agreement in your company that a Bahncard 100 can be ordered as an alternative to the company car. If not, break the ice and make the request to make a new alternative to the company car possible here.

You have a lot of good arguments on your side: It's always better for the company in terms of costs, and it's better for the eco-balance, too. Of course, it is important to weigh up the needs for which the company car is required. A sales employee in a rural area will probably not be able to choose this alternative, but company cars are often provided to executives as part of their compensation. Here, the Bahncard 100 can be a real alternative.

At the time, I prepared well and presented the cost advantages and the environmental benefits based on the expected mileage. I had all the arguments on my side, and it's hard for a company to say no at that point.

Here is another interesting article on this that also explains the tax aspects of this alternative.

We are very curious about the experience with this recipe.

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This recipe is from
Frank Brown

You are the boss here: help shape product development

* Desire for co-determination in product development.
* Desire for fair prices
* Willingness to pay a little more for a product if it corresponds to one's own values.
* Fill out product questionnaire online or/and purchase products.



Participate in the "You're the boss here!" initiative online or/and buy products.
In order to make the process of creating a product new, fairer and more transparent, the consumers themselves decide what is important in food and how it should be produced. The idea is that a community designs its own products, has them produced according to its wishes and markets them at a fair price.
In this way, consumers decide for themselves what is important to them. A product is selected jointly via an online questionnaire, expectations and preferences can be made known, as well as relevant product features (origin, production process, remuneration for farmers, quality, animal welfare, type of packaging...). The sales price can also be determined by the product characteristics. Democratically, all answers are evaluated and summarized: This is how the ideal product is created. In parallel, farmers, manufacturers and retailers are selected as partners so that the product can find its way onto supermarket shelves. Once marketing is underway, compliance with the defined product characteristics is monitored. The aim is to jointly develop valuable, fair and sustainable products for everyone and to guarantee fair compensation for farmers.
"Join in, have a say, because you're the boss here!". Quoted from: https://dubisthierderchef.de

For advanced
Help make "your" supermarket a little fairer and address letter template to store management.
https://dubisthierderchef.de/store-finder

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This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Making good visible

* You are looking for or know a great address for the WIR-tschaften
* Map of Tomorrow: https://kartevonmorgen.org
* 10 minutes time


Do you also know this? You need e.g. a nice gift for a:n friend:in and actually you would like to give already something, which harms neither humans nor environment. Often I just did not know in a hurry where I could find something like that. I was convinced that there is (almost) always an eco-fair alternative. But sometimes I simply didn't have the time to do a lot of research to find out what was available. Talking to friends, I quickly realized that it wasn't just me. So I started to collect addresses and to share them with others, first alone, then together with everyone who wanted to help, for the Nuremberg region. This is how the Bluepingu Regionallotse came into being (regionallotse.de) with meanwhile more than 1600 addresses for a good life in Franconia. Since a few years there is this directory of "good things" but not only for the Nuremberg region, but actually worldwide. It is called Map of Tomorrow (link see above). No matter if I am looking for something or if I find something new myself, meanwhile I have made it a habit to look there first to see what I can find in this map. For example, when my son moved to Hamburg for his studies and I was looking for an organic-fair breakfast café. Everyone can help here and enter their tips. The opening hours have changed? No problem, you can change that too. I think that's really great, because it's often still small, often unknown companies that better exemplify the WE in business. If we all make sure that such companies, associations or educational projects are easier to find, then many more people will certainly use these effective alternatives.
Surely you also know such a place...

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This recipe is from
Frank Brown

Give things I no longer use a new life

* Things you no longer need or use
* Time for a small inventory
* Ideas who could use the things


How nice could it be to throw off ballast and still give joy?
I don't know if you feel the same way, but we keep accumulating things that are actually still good, but we don't use them anymore. Whether it's a game we've played enough of, clothes we've outgrown, or things we've simply lost interest in. It would be much too good to throw away, and so we always accumulate something. In the meantime, we take inventory in the family every half a year, so as not to give the ballast time to get stuck in the basement. After a little research, we quickly found places that are happy about functioning or usable things of all kinds. I'm sure there are places like this near you. We drop off clothes at a nice thrift store nearby, anything related to living at the thrift store, as well as our kids' sports equipment and toys. The gift store is also happy about new things in the assortment. By the way, the thrift store is also a great place to stock up on everything you need for life at a reasonable price. Some of the things there are barely used. It's liberating every time we make room like that again and at the same time know that the things can continue to be useful elsewhere. And if you then add your places that continue to share used things to the map of tomorrow (see recipe "Making good things visible"), then you have connected two good things and helped to make the preparation of this recipe easier for others.

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This recipe is from
Frank Brown