Prof. Dr. Silja Graupe

Neoliberal Indoctrination in Economics

Do text books of economics in standardized university education use elements of indoctrination? That is the question Silja Graupe, vice president of Cusanus University and professor for Economics and Philosophy investigated. Her findings are alarming. Prof. Graupe analyzed textbooks that are used around the world, translated into over 40 languages with millions of copies sold. […]

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Hidden Architectures

How Something Worthless Reigns the World

Currencies constitute a means of exchange. When we think of a currency today we usually think of money. However, anything that is used for exchange could be a currency. Just think of the war time in Europe, when cigarettes or coffee were used. Currencies serve as symbols. They symbolize value. Today there is a trend […]

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Beyond Capitalism and Communism

Economy for the Good of All Beings

“All economic activity caters to the common welfare.” This phrase sounds like a utopian ideal. Too good to be true. Yet this is article 151 of the Bavarian constitution which legally took effect in 1946 (and is now obsolete in large parts due to the German Constitution). But there are economic alternatives. Last weekend some […]

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OuishareFest 2017

Sharing Economy – Sharing Future

Can you imagine a place where exchanging business cards, using compost toilets, pitching start-ups, doing meditation and covering face and hair with colorful glitter in preparation for a wild dance don’t contradict but complement each other? That is OuiShareFest! The Meditating Eco Manager Geek What really astonished me about OuiShareFest was this: eco folks, business […]

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Menstrual Education by Eco Femme

Hybrid Business Model: How to Finance Your Own Non-Profit Work

Eco Femme is a social enterprise for female hygiene products. The hybrid business model combines both for-profit interests and non-profit social work: With the commercial gains from selling re-usable cloth pads the all-female team based in the intentional township of Auroville, South-India, finances their non-profit activities in education and research. When I met Jessamijn Miedema , […]

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36 Change-Makers, 5 Weeks, 1 Utopian Township Concentrated into a 20-minutes Video

Ecovillage Design Education Video: 5 Weeks in 20 Minutes

36 participants from across the globe – 5 intensive weeks – 1 intentional township striving for human unity. Serena Aurora managed to fit this wealth of information and emotion into a 20 minutes video. Enjoy watching.     The Ecovillage Design Education course is recognized by the UNESCO and provides students of all ages with knowledge and practical […]

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World-Views - Ancient & Contemporary

World-Views – Ancient & Contemporary

In World-View Week of the Ecovillage Design Education Course in Auroville, India we explored the dynamics of internal and external influences on the way we see and perceive the world. We also visited an Ashram and the local village Nadukuppan to study different world views and life situations. Other topics included Ayurveda as a holistic […]

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from MORE to BETTER

Economic Dimensions of Tomorrow’s World

Economy week came with a full load of deep insights and amazing aha-moments about old and new economic paradigms.  We got an overview of the history of production from manufacturers to mass production, different schools of thought like John M. Keynes and Milton Friedman and the current distribution of wealth. We dismantled the concepts of money […]

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One Day in the Nieklitz Summer Camp

One Day in the Nieklitz Summer Camp

In August, the project “Wir bauen Zukunft” in Northern German Nieklitz invited for a summer work camp. For two weeks, volunteers helped in the 10 hectares biotope, planting, tidying, constructing, repairing… The camp was organized in an open space format. In the morning, after a hearty breakfast in the outdoor kitchen and dining area, the […]

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Nairobi Entrepreneurs Camp

Video: Nairobi Social Entrepreneurs Camp

The Nairobi Entrepreneurs Camp (NEC) supported young social entrepreneurs in Kenya. Experts from Kenya, Germany, and France trained participants to gain new skills in both forward-looking ideas of decision making and team work as well as traditional business skills. The NEC took place from October 7-9, 2016. Watch the video for impressions from facilitators and […]

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Collaboration at the Impact Hub Nairobi

Collaboration for Social Businesses

Next year, the first Kenyan Impact Hub, a co-working and encounter space for social businesses will open in Nairobi. Tonight, the co-founders invited anybody who is interested in joining the Hub community to find out about expectations and needs. Around 40 national and international people attended. A feeling of community, collaboration and mutual trust started […]

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Path in Nieklitz

Video interview with Ceylan, co-founder of “Wir bauen Zukunft” in Nieklitz

Ceylan Rohrbeck, co-founder of “Wir bauen Zukunft” (we build future) gives insights into this new project in Northern-Germany. The group will not only construct sustainable buildings but use the former biotope as a place for co-working, co-living and as an educational center. In German. (English subtitle will follow)

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