A new mentality for local economic development: the REconomy Project

The main emergency we have today to deal with is the creation of jobs and new business opportunities at local level. Bureaucracy, inefficiency in public institutions, offices and agencies, corruption in politics are blocking any concrete possibility to recover local economies. An ineffcient national political class, so sensitive to corruption, is constantly diverting huge economic resources which could be used to fuel local economies through appropriate investments. A promotion and a sustainable use of local resources (in environmental, cultural, agrofood terms) could be a first concrete step to create new opportunities and conditions for a sound local development. On the contrary nothing is happening: we are living in a condition of absolute inertia.

Local communities should create virtuous local networks based on a new colalborative mentality: today, on the contrary, our communities are insipred by competition, conflicts, particularism. We cannot wait for some help from above which will never arrive: neither Europe nor the central State have any real interest in improving local well-being. They are focused on banks, finance, directorates, offices, special agencies, etc. Local communities and common people have no political relevance... Banks always come first...

We have to built a local economy going beyond, spreads, bonds, futures, derivates, share options, etc. But we must change our way of thinking. Too many people still believe that the only way to gain personal benefits is damagin the others and the entire context where the live or work. Too many people cannot understand that it is possible to create personal wealth also increasing the community and others' wealth through collaboration and reciprocal support. Competition, mistrust and conflict always imply high economic and social costs expecially for individuals, families and communities. Competition, mistrust and conflict is a good business for companies, managers and politicians.

Without this small but critical change it won't be possible to design and create a decent life for ourselves and our communities. We will remain victims of banks, managers, "professors", corrupt politicians.


I've found this interesting website: the REconomy Project. It contains many interesting ideas and suggestions. But what can we do here? How can we translate a good idea into a concrete project? How can we move this immobile context?