Giving

Money doesn't grow on trees, so someone's got to give

Moving to a more equal system of property ownership is likely to require some financial involvement on a goodwill basis. Setting aside the mystery of why people give their money away to anything, we have to ask...

... is it fair or reasonable to attempt to build an alternative system that requires some form of philanthropy to create?

It's not only fair and reasonable, it's necessary.

We're dealing with fundamentals.

  1. There's an issue with the distribution of wealth, especially capital tied up in property.
  2. Rebalancing requires shifting the existing wealth.
  3. We can't simply create wealth out of nowhere and bring everyone up level. 

If you're not convinced, just take a step back to think about how we got here. In particular, consider the role of property speculation and mortgage interest in shifting the wealth of future and distant people to those with capital.

For an interesting twenty minutes on broken economic systems, watch this video.

A Good Home supports the Rhythms of life

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Communities are made of people. And thriving communities have people with rhythms of Stillness, Reflection, Connection, and Giving.

Stillness

Irrespective of any religious or non-religious attitudes, meditative practices are beneficial for everyone.

A quiet space in our homes, or neighbourhood public spaces encourages us to practice.

Reflection

Increasing self-awareness through personal reflection is arguably the key to creating a diverse community by deconstructing our inherent biases, prejudices and negative habits and patterns of thought.

Proximity buys time that we can spend being, rather than doing.

Connection

Food is an anchor for fostering connection with each other.

Our kitchen tables, breakfast bars, bump spaces and front-yard BBQs bring us together.

Giving

Giving is good for us. For all of us. Maimonides postulated a hierarchy of charity. He theorised that the highest level of giving is where the gift ultimately enables the recipient to become self-sufficient, no longer in need of charity.

Hospitality is a simple gift that requires nothing of the recipient other than their presence, and can be given regardless of the financial position of the giver. Indeed, some of the most significant spaces of hospitality can be found in the homes of those with the lease significant wealth.