The EOC after 18 years

Written by Antonella Ferrucci Thursday, 08 October 2009 14:33

The EOC after 18 years

By Alberto Ferrucci
From Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

On May 29, 2009, the EOC project reached adulthood, and with the encyclical “Caritas in veritate”, it seems like a sign that in this same year the universal Church recognized it as its own. Today, Chiara, who announced the project 18 years ago and gave it to us, admires it from heaven “already” as it should be, as one of the pearls of her charism. Now it´s our turn to bring it ahead, day by day, towards what it should be, conscious that this isn’t only for us. Since the very beginning, the EOC was thought of for all of humanity, who, now in crisis, awaits it more and more each day.

To spread the project, it´s necessary to know how to elaborate, transmit and enhance its messages with the concrete experiences of those who already apply it. Therefore, there is need of concrete experiences, theoretical and media-savvy elaboration, and the availability of the media. With this motive, we commit ourselves to always keeping the website, www.edc-online.org updated and translating the content in real time, currently done in five languages.

"Give"

Written by Chiara Lubich Thursday, 08 October 2009 14:26

“Give”

From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

Chiara Lubich

Chiara Lubich, “Four Essential Aspects of the Economy of Communion”, speech at the "Ten Years of EOC" convention, Castel Gandolfo (Rome), April 2001

Beyond the crisis with the EOC

Written by Bruni, Luigino Thursday, 08 October 2009 14:07

Beyond the crisis with the EOC

By Luigino Bruni
From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

Two-thousand eight and 2009 will be remembered as the years of the global economic crisis, a crisis that has roots in the transformation of the economic system, no longer based on real economy but always more on that of finance. What has emerged is a fragile, empty system that concentrates wealth in the hands of few and passes on the costs to the community. In the last two centuries, it is the most dramatic manifestation of a process that has lead to the substitution of personal search for private well-being to the collective search for the common good, at all costs. We believe, in fact, that the crisis underway is not so much an economic one, but is above all a cultural and moral one, regarding our lifestyle and our relationship with goods and with others. With the arrival and development of the industrial and technological society, in fact, we have progressively deceived ourselves into thinking we are capable of "immunizing" ourselves from personal relationships and the "wounds" that these inevitably cause. Instead, we aim always more at accumulating money as a means of satisfaction of needs, as a "status symbol", and as a vehicle of relationships. And then from here, we have moved on to debt pile-up, the mad dash for goods, but also to trusting our own "securities" to money. We have not realized that, in this way (by distancing ourselves from human relationships), we have become immune to happiness itself, to the fact that one can only live in the dramatic encounter with others. Above all, there is need for a cultural change. Never as in this last year has this been so evoked, necessary and awaited. 

Projects

Written by Francesco Tortorella Wednesday, 07 October 2009 17:27

Projects

By Francesco Tortorella

From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

Poverty, misery, and exclusion are concepts that do not identify one unique situation but take on different connotations in every context, in every era, and for every person. There are some instances in which suffering is due to age or illness, others to the temporary lack of income, to hardships caused by calamities, and to lack of instruction.

In some situations of poverty, it is possible to redeemed oneself – by acquiring professional formation, for example, or obtaining credit for starting one’s own business – and other situations, instead, that can be eased but never completely overcome – a permanent disability, a chronic illness, or an insufficient pension. Temporary poverty and structural poverty should be faced in different ways, with interventions that are different and adequate for each situation.

The formation of “new men and women”

Written by Benedetto Gui Wednesday, 07 October 2009 17:04

The formation of “new men and women”

By Benedetto Gui
From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

That´s why, each year, a part of the profits put in common by businesses who adhere to the project is allocated to activities which form people to the culture of giving and of communion. These activities involve those in need, young students, families, workers, entrepreneurs, etc: people of every culture and social stratus, throughout the world, who are in various ways participants of the EOC experience. It is an investment that reinforces the culture of gratuitousness and of reciprocity. It ensures that many needy people, even in the future, will be able to find support in a community that is alive, one that lives the economy of communion.

Collaboration with AMU

Written by Leo Andringa Wednesday, 07 October 2009 15:34

Collaboration with AMU

By Leo Andringa
From  "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

The collaboration between the EOC and AMU, begun a decade ago, is always closer, more operative and fruitful. And since 2006, it has been significantly reinforced.  

What is AMU?
The Action for a United World Non-Profit Association (AMU in its Italian acronym) was founded in 1986 with the goal of promoting cooperation projects in developing countries and spread the culture of dialogue and unity between peoples everywhere. Inspired by the value of universal fraternity, on which the experience of the Focolare Movement is founded, AMU commits itself to bringing about sustainable activities that set the stage for effective development. Whether in dealing with the local social, cultural or economic realities, the association works together with the populations involved in a spirit of dialogue and reciprocal listening. Until now, the interventions begun in various countries of Latin America, Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe regard professional formation, agricultural and artisan development, the cure and prevention of diseases, basic education, support to basic necessities (housing, food, healthcare) and other social development and formational activities.

Synthesis of the 2009 EOC data

Written by Leo Andringa Wednesday, 07 October 2009 15:16

Synthesis of the 2009 EOC data

By Leo Andringa
From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

In this section, we present a global synthesis of the 2009 EOC project data. The following sections, instead, will distinctly illustrate the data relative to the profits put in communion by the businesses and those relative to the personal contributions made by members of the Focolare Movement.

The data of incoming funds are based on the those received during the period of October 2007 - September 2008. The data regarding outgoing funds refers to those used in the period of October 2008 - September 2009.

 

Destination of the EOC Businesses´ Profits

Written by Leo Andringa Wednesday, 07 October 2009 11:58

Destination of the EOC Businesses´ Profits

From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

In this section, we present a synthesis of the data related to the profits put in common by the businesses that adhere to the EOC, allocated to the typical project aims in 2009.

The destination of personal contributions

Written by Leo Andringa Wednesday, 07 October 2009 10:00

The destination of personal contributions

From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September  2009

After having analyzed the profits put in communion by EOC business, we examine the use of personal contributions, by members of the Focolare Movement or others who are close to the EOC project, to support those in difficult situations throughout the world. For us, this second source of resources for the EOC project is coessential, as it underlines with concrete facts that the Economy of Communion is more than (although including) a communion of profits between businesses or a project of entrepreneurs. This spontaneous and personal communion of goods gives visibility to that all-bearing element of the whole project: “we´re poor, but many”, which calls each person, whether entrepreneur or needy, to live a lifestyle open to sharing and to Providence.

The EOC and open challenges

Written by Bruni, Luigino Wednesday, 07 October 2009 09:02

The EOC and open challenges

By Luigino Bruni
From "Economia di Comunione - una cultura nuova"  n.29 - September 2009

This second EOC report arises above all from the need for reciprocity and communion with all the project’s actors: with entrepreneurs who generously and trustingly give their profits each year; with the many people who, with the shared profits, make the EOC projects possible; with Amu and its private and institutional representatives; and with all who ask the EOC to be always more accountable for the communion that is lived and promoted.

We know that we´re still far from a report that expresses the entire reality of the EOC, which is always more articulated and complex in the various regions of the world. Both the 2008 and 2009 report provide data related mostly to the profits received and how they were used, as well as the projects we’re supporting. Starting next year, we would like to add a second, co-essential element to the report, because it would be valid to publish data related to the businesses. Almost a year ago now, we launched a “new census”  of the EOC businesses in order to have updated information to publish.