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Generosity Pays Dividends
‘Generosity is paradoxical. Those who give, receive back in turn. By spending ourselves for others’ well-being, we enhance our own standing. In letting go of some of what we own, we ourselves move toward flourishing. This is not only a philosophical or religious teaching; it is a sociological fact. . . . [In] failing to care for others, we do not properly take care of ourselves.’+
In December 2014, I wrote a Blog Economists Stop teaching 'The World's Dumbest Idea'! where I highlighted some of the most hypocritical and questionable teachings of the neo-liberal economists, when they champion profit maximisation, cost minimisation and the highest return to shareholders as a necessary requirement for a ‘successful’ business.
Today, I was pleased to read an article that even Walmart has concluded that this neo-liberal prescription for ‘business success’ is false. Walmart will spend $1bn to boost the wages of half a million low-paid workers, as the largest private sector employer in the US responds to public disquiet over income inequality. According to Walmart 500,000 full-time and part-time workers at its US stores would get pay rises by April, as part of a move to ensure that its 1.4m-strong workforce is paid at least $9.00 an hour — $1.75 above the federal minimum wage. By February 2016, all its existing workers will be paid at least $10.
Given the significance of this, I wish to share some excerpts from the article with you.
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The Legacy of Economist Bernard Maris*
Bernard Maris-Photo: worldeconomicsassociation.org
I was shocked to learn that Bernard Maris had been murdered at a meeting of the editors of Charlie Hebdo in Paris on January 7th 2015. He died at his desk; killed by the fanaticism that he regularly denounced. Mario Pianta (2015)2 wrote:
in what kind of convulsion of history do Islamic extremists at war with western power manage to kill Bernard Maris, one of the voices who denounced western power?
Which ideological blindness prevents them from understanding the internal conflicts of capitalism? Obviously, for those who want to erase freedom of expression, there are no differences that matter between western ‘infidels.’ Likewise, for the new European fascism, all Muslim citizens and immigrants are potential terrorists. We must put ourselves in the shoes –that’s what tolerance is all about– of the millions of human beings, all equal in dignity, who live in inhuman conditions. Promises to improve their lives, made by the more prosperous countries, have almost always been unfulfilled. Years of neglect, exclusion, humiliation, and abandonment by the rest of the world, have fostered feelings of frustration, hostility, resentment, and radicalization that rise to the point where there seems to be no possible solution. It is then that violent reactions sometimes explode.
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Youth Mental Health Matters:
There are 1.2 Billion Youth Aged 15-24 Years in the World
"Youth and Mental Health": The shocking statistic is that 1 in 5 young people suffer from mental illness. Many more suffer from mild depression and loneliness. This is a plea to all youth workers, social/health-care workers, academics, teachers, the youth themselves, parents, schools, colleges, universities, civil societies dealing with youth, politicians, media, business community, religious and spiritual leaders, all the people of good will: Make 2015 a year where you purposefully ensure that a permanent, safe, creative space is made available for all young people to speak their heart, anxiety, worries, hopes and dreams. Let us all become a vehicle of hope and ensure young people are transformed into responsible global citizens, having overcome any disadvantages that they might have faced in the past. This is a true Common Good Vision.
A Plea to address Global Youth Depression