The Economics of Peace and Sustainability

By Georgia Kelly  

Fourteen years ago, when Praxis Peace Institute was born in Dubrovnik, Croatia, from a conference held there, we posed the following inquiry: How could we achieve cultures of peace from where we were? Why did mankind seem incapable of learning the lessons of history but adept at waging the same wars over and over again? Why, with all the peace organizations, the United Nations, and spiritual groups working for peace, did the outer world not change?

What were we not seeing?

That initial inquiry began a journey with no end in sight, and many conferences and workshops have continued the quest. The Economics of Sustainability Conference (this Oct. 6-9 in SF) is both an accounting of “what is” and an exploration of what is possible. We must acknowledge the problems inherent in our economic system, which are perpetuating dependence on fossil fuels, avoiding serious investment in renewable energy, and turning a blind eye to social and economic injustices.

It is obvious that many corporate leaders, and political representatives who do their bidding, are resistant to the changes needed at this time. But the resistance to systemic change runs deeper than corporations and complicit political operatives. Aspirations of great wealth and power and a “we-can-have-it-all” attitude are part of our cultural mythos. These aspirations, which depend on endless growth, are embedded in the very core of our economic system. They are at odds with environmental sustainability, economic and social justice, and peace.

When profit is valued above people and consumerism is touted as patriotic, we must question such values. In fact, we must learn to question so much of what serves as “reality” and consensus thinking, because this drone-like sound track is the background noise defining the default mode of our culture.

Five hundred billion dollars is spent annually on advertising in the United States. These masters of influence determine many of our decisions, whether it is through obvious sales pitches, political maneuvering, or product placement in films or TV shows. The latter, through lifestyle scenarios, seem to have an even greater impact on our choices in that we often subconsciously project ourselves into these scenarios.

In search of economic models that support peace and environmental sustainability, I discovered the Mondragón Cooperatives in the Basque region of Spain. The Mondragon Cooperatives comprise the largest consortium of worker-owned businesses in the world and the values inherent in their system have nurtured an unusual community of caring citizens who understand the concept of “enough.”

In 2008, Praxis Peace Institute began organizing what has become an annual week-long, seminar/tour at the Mondragón Cooperatives. One of the first things everyone notices after being in Mondragón for a couple of days is the absence of poverty in the region. Though the Basque region of Spain was once the most impoverished area of the country, today it is considered (by the Wall Street Journal, no less) as the most prosperous region in the entire European Union! Cooperatives, or worker-owned businesses, are common throughout the Basque region and the values incorporated in their lifestyles and ethics, have had a significant impact on their culture. Before our group leaves Mondragon, there is another “aha” moment. The absence of poverty seems directly proportional to the absence of great wealth.

One of the most striking lessons to take from Mondragon is that achieving a sustainable and peaceful culture means transforming our operating values. It means relationships are more important than goods, people are more important than profit, and certainly the health of nature and people are more important than wealth based on the exploitation of both.

While it is important to understand the systemic difficulties we are up against in mitigating the climate crisis today, a vision of the possible is critical and is one of the main reasons for convening The Economics of Sustainability Conference. Learning about models for renewable energy that could power 85% of the entire planet within 16 years, can be a strong motivator. But, what is technologically possible is currently not possible in our culture, with our economic system, and in our political climate. These are where the changes must be made if we are to mitigate the severity of the climate crisis that is already upon us.

Over the years, and as a result of Praxis Peace Institute’s many conferences and programs, I no longer think of peace as a goal. Peace is a result. It doesn’t happen in a vacuum because we have meditated or created the United Nations. Peace cannot emerge separate from culture, from economics, from politics, from social justice, or from the way we interact with each other on a daily basis.

Peace is a result of right living, responsible stewardship of the planet, caring for our fellow creatures, and creating political and economic systems that support these values.

Georgia Kelly is the founder and executive director of Praxis Peace Institute. She has produced several multi-day conferences in Europe and California. She also leads groups for a week-long seminar at the Mondragón Cooperatives in Spain every year. Georgia creates educational programing for Praxis as well as leading workshops in Conflict Resolution. She is editor and co-author of Uncivil Liberties: Deconstructing Libertarianism, a critique of libertarian ideas and laissez-faire capitalism. She writes a blog on Huffington Post and enjoyed a previous career as a harpist, composer, and recording artist.