The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies May Transform Economies by Josh Harkinson




“A living economy sustains community life, economic viability, and the natural environment . . . . We have to change our concept about how we measure value in things, and get people to be willing to pay more for something that’s well made, made locally, and that they would have for a long time . . . . Banding together, they attempt to construct an alternative to corporate globalization by building local and, if their plans work out, international networks of self-sufficient economic communities . . . . We want to invest in goods and services, rather than bads and disservices . . . . We are looking at businesses that are moving toward a restoration economy . . . . You can’t buy everything locally, so what we are envisioning is a global economy that is comprised of this intricate network of small-to-small relationships around the world . . . . Business is about relationships. Money is simply a tool.”

. . . the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), the first national network of small, sustainable companies dedicated to buying and selling products locally. The organization supports merchants who are deeply committed to their communities and who define success more holistically than the managers of investor-owned corporations.

“In a living economy, investors seek a ‘living return’ — one partially paid by the benefits of living in healthy, vibrant communities and participating [in civic affairs],” Wicks says. “By addressing the deeper needs of their employees and community, business owners can grow their companies in new ways, providing more fulfilling jobs, healthier communities, and greater economic security for their bioregions.”

A living economy sustains community life, economic viability, and the natural environment. “We have to change our concept about how we measure value in things, and get people to be willing to pay more for something that?fs well made, made locally, and that they would have for a long time,” Wicks says.

BALLE members join local “affiliates” (a term intended to emphasize how BALLE — which is pronounced “bah-lee” — is a bottom-up kind of organization) and pledge to purchase as many locally made items as possible — everything from energy to personal clothing. Banding together, they attempt to construct an alternative to corporate globalization by building local and, if their plans work out, international networks of self-sufficient economic communities. “This is a new way to operate,” Wicks says. “It’s about stepping outside your business and working collectively and cooperatively with others to rebuild entire local economies.”

“Where Gandhi fought British tyranny,” Wicks says, “we’re now fighting corporate tyranny — and we’re using the same strategies.”

By effectively ignoring global corporations, the BALLE strategy represents a break from more traditional efforts to reform them, choosing to focus instead on the benefits of local businesses and their interconnections.

“It’s a model for activism, in some ways,” says Bellingham’s Long. “It’s about thinking about what’s in it for everybody. It’s about not pointing fingers, but going about business the way it should be done and caring about each other.”

BALLE is structured around “building blocks,” each essentially a citizens’ task force dedicated to one of twenty basic industries — for example, sustainable energy, independent media, locally designed and manufactured clothing, neighborhood tourism, reuse and recycling, green building, independent retailers, local arts and culture, and holistic healthcare. Volunteers form building blocks to strengthen bonds between restaurants and local farmers; to build intelligent local transportation solutions; and to green up the local construction industry. “A key to success is tapping into the energy and passion of people in your community,” Wicks says. “That’s where the building blocks have made a big impact.”

“We want to invest in goods and services, rather than bads and disservices,” says fund director Andrew Anderson. “We are looking at businesses that are moving toward a restoration economy.”

“You can’t buy everything locally,” Wicks says, “so what we are envisioning is a global economy that is comprised of this intricate network of small-to-small relationships around the world.”

Wicks summarized the consciousness a local living economy creates. “When I eat the food from my restaurant,” she said, “I think about the local farmers in Pennsylvania I buy my produce from. I think about the goat herder and the sheep. When I drink the coffee from my cafe, I think about the Indians in Chiapas, Mexico, who grew the beans. Business is about relationships. Money is simply a tool.”

Read the full article at Orion Magazine

 

Keywords : community, self-reliance, self-governance, self-organization, relocalization, community entrepreneurship, restoration economy, interdependence, business, money
(use search box to list entries with one of these keywords)

About this entry

You’re currently reading “The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies May Transform Economies by Josh Harkinson,” an entry on Nooventures

Published::
3.20.07 / 4am
Category:
Democratic Democracy, Ecosocionomics, Life's Necessities, Means, Paths, Ends, Spirituality
Tags: