Transforming our Symbols or 'Gifts of Love' to 'Working for Peace' involves investigations into the nature and history of commerce and world trade. Organizations like Global Witness have worked for more than a decade to track the links between corruption, war and the selling of products internationally. How can we slowly step by step reverse these damages and create products, chains of trade, with sensitivity and sensibility to human rights, environmental concerns, and particularly conflict resolution?
This is where our journey begins:
Martin Donohoe's powerful and thorough documentation underlines the beginnings of the marketing and manipulation of products of Love and the devastating consequences. He also explores the alternatives - not only by supporting ethical business but by sharing with one another poetry and heart-felt authentic sentiments not necessarily tied to spending.
Slideshow - The environmental, health, human rights, and economic consequences of flowers, diamonds, and gold
If thou canst but thither,
There grows the flower of Peace,
The Rose that cannot wither,
Thy fortress and thy ease.
- Henry Vaughn
Roger Cohen, journalist for the International Herald Tribune and the NY Times has written a poetic essay on the greater possibilities of a Rose as a Tool for Social Change - underlining the transformative process of more conscious supply chains.
In their current Economics with Justice class at the School of Economic Justice in London - Part 3 of the course attempts to show how 'principles of truth, love and service translate into policies for governments and economic planners and practical precepts for individual households and businesses.' Economy - an ancient Greek word - originally means 'rules of the household.'
Money which had been considered the 'root of all evil' by many can take root in conscious and directed ways to represent greater rather than greedy values and our better natures rather than our worst. Lynne Twist, founder of The Hunger Project, explores this powerfully in her book the Soul of Money. Can this 'root' be guided to 'blossom' in more meaningful and profound ways? Can commerce undo its tarnished history successfully launching socially conscious entrepreneurs in conflict areas? A fellow colleague from the Hub - to inspire and support imaginative and enterprising initiatives for a better world - is working to develop Hub Gaza.
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News from the Frontline:
Videos from the 2009 Conference: The Economics of Peace - Transforming Money * Rebuilding Community * Redefining Wealth by the Praxis Peace Institute.
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If Blood Diamonds have fueled war and torture then Peace Diamonds can promote peace and conflict resolution.
If Carnations symbolize one of the most peaceful revolutions in history (Portugal Carnation Revolution) what can they accomplish for the people of Colombia who grow them?
If Cocoa/Chocolate is created upon exploitative labor from the Ivory Coast then it has the power to re-brand itself.
From Iraq First; from Northern Uganda and its burgeoning flower industry; from newly discovered mineral deposits in Afghanistan's gem industry; holds a promise of peace via economic stability - producing future social products.
This is the philosophy behind starting a creative flower brand to be functional for peace on levels from inner reflection, to community participation, to global intention.
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Other Projects - Wild, Wacky and Wonderful:
Pants to Poverty, Random Acts of Poetry, World Peace Laughter ('Flowers are the earth laughing' - poet Ralph Waldo Emerson)
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We end our journey on this page exploring love, peace and commerce with the topic of Intention - the spirit in which a product is made - and Intentional Chocolate - which did a US promotion with the Project in February 2009. The ingredient is intention.
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From a student in Boise, Idaho's VPP poem submission:
'Let go of everything you know, And let all become new.'