Christian Felber – författare

This updated, revised, expanded edition of Christian Felber’s Change Everything revisits his groundbreaking model of the Economy for the Common Good after years of refinement. Since its first launch in 2010, the initiative based on this revolutionary blueprint has grown to a broad international movement driven by thousands of people, companies, communities and organizations – who jointly offer a broad range of tools for policy makers all over who struggle with the polycrisis. In addition to copious new real-world examples and a foreword by Dirk Philipsen, this completely rewritten edition includes additional chapters on ethical world trade, social security, and tax justice, as well as a large number of figures, boxes, and tables that Felber has developed for his international appearances and workshops over the past fifteen years. Most importantly, the proposal for a “sovereign democracy” opens a pathway to overcome the current crisis of liberal and representative democracies, building on a new level of citizen participation and co-determination.

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, but few would consider it a social good. Instead, our views on trade have polarized between two extremes: ‘free trade’ ideologues who regard trade as an end in itself, and ‘protectionists’ who view it as a destructive force to be contained. But there is another way to trade – one with the interests of people, not profit, at its heart.In this visionary work Christian Felber, founder of the Economy for the Common Good movement, offers a dazzling new paradigm for the global trading order. Confronting the ‘free trade religion’ which has reigned since Adam Smith, Felber champions an alternative approach in which trade serves the wider interests of society, incorporating the key issues of our time: human rights, climate change, and the growing divide richer and poorer countries. He proposes the groundbreaking idea of an ‘Ethical Trade Zone’, founded on a principled approach to tariffs and trade policies, and built with international cooperation on trade, taxation and labour.Penetrating and passionate, Christian Felber shows how this brave new economic world can be built democratically from the grassroots up, and how trading for good can be made a reality.

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, but few would consider it a social good. Instead, our views on trade have polarized between two extremes: ‘free trade’ ideologues who regard trade as an end in itself, and ‘protectionists’ who view it as a destructive force to be contained. But there is another way to trade – one with the interests of people, not profit, at its heart.In this visionary work Christian Felber, founder of the Economy for the Common Good movement, offers a dazzling new paradigm for the global trading order. Confronting the ‘free trade religion’ which has reigned since Adam Smith, Felber champions an alternative approach in which trade serves the wider interests of society, incorporating the key issues of our time: human rights, climate change, and the growing divide richer and poorer countries. He proposes the groundbreaking idea of an ‘Ethical Trade Zone’, founded on a principled approach to tariffs and trade policies, and built with international cooperation on trade, taxation and labour.Penetrating and passionate, Christian Felber shows how this brave new economic world can be built democratically from the grassroots up, and how trading for good can be made a reality.

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, but few would consider it a social good. Instead, our views on trade have polarized between two extremes: 'free trade' ideologues who regard trade as an end in itself, and 'protectionists' who view it as a destructive force to be contained. But there is another way to trade – one with the interests of people, not profit, at its heart.In this visionary work Christian Felber, founder of the Economy for the Common Good movement, offers a dazzling new paradigm for the global trading order. Confronting the 'free trade religion' which has reigned since Adam Smith, Felber champions an alternative approach in which trade serves the wider interests of society, incorporating the key issues of our time: human rights, climate change, and the growing divide richer and poorer countries. He proposes the groundbreaking idea of an 'Ethical Trade Zone', founded on a principled approach to tariffs and trade policies, and built with international cooperation on trade, taxation and labour.Penetrating and passionate, Christian Felber shows how this brave new economic world can be built democratically from the grassroots up, and how trading for good can be made a reality.

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, but few would consider it a social good. Instead, our views on trade have polarized between two extremes: 'free trade' ideologues who regard trade as an end in itself, and 'protectionists' who view it as a destructive force to be contained. But there is another way to trade – one with the interests of people, not profit, at its heart.In this visionary work Christian Felber, founder of the Economy for the Common Good movement, offers a dazzling new paradigm for the global trading order. Confronting the 'free trade religion' which has reigned since Adam Smith, Felber champions an alternative approach in which trade serves the wider interests of society, incorporating the key issues of our time: human rights, climate change, and the growing divide richer and poorer countries. He proposes the groundbreaking idea of an 'Ethical Trade Zone', founded on a principled approach to tariffs and trade policies, and built with international cooperation on trade, taxation and labour.Penetrating and passionate, Christian Felber shows how this brave new economic world can be built democratically from the grassroots up, and how trading for good can be made a reality.

This book advocates a holistic reform of the current monetary and financial system dealing with the issues of money creation, central banks, loans, stock markets, tax justice, pension security and the international monetary system - “Bretton Woods II”. Its innovative approach presents several alternatives for each cornerstone, in addition to introducing a participatory democratic process whereby sovereign citizens can themselves determine the rules governing the new financial and monetary system. With “democratic money conventions” in each municipality, where the elements of this new money system are discussed and decided on in a participatory manner, and a federal money covenant which then elaborates a template for a referendum about the future “money constitution”, a true “sovereign” could progressively convert money from a financial weapon into a democratic tool.The envisaged democratic monetary system, by providing equal opportunities for every member of society toparticipate in the development of the “new rules of the game”, turns money progressively into a public good which increases the freedom for all. The new system furthermore drives the enhancement of constitutional and relational values such as human dignity, solidarity, justice, sustainability, or democracy. Money should serve life and should serve the common good. The “Bank for the Common Good” Project, which was initiated in Austria by the author Christian Felber, represents a practical example of his proposals.

This book advocates a holistic reform of the current monetary and financial system dealing with the issues of money creation, central banks, loans, stock markets, tax justice, pension security and the international monetary system - “Bretton Woods II”. Its innovative approach presents several alternatives for each cornerstone, in addition to introducing a participatory democratic process whereby sovereign citizens can themselves determine the rules governing the new financial and monetary system. With “democratic money conventions” in each municipality, where the elements of this new money system are discussed and decided on in a participatory manner, and a federal money covenant which then elaborates a template for a referendum about the future “money constitution”, a true “sovereign” could progressively convert money from a financial weapon into a democratic tool.

The envisaged democratic monetary system, by providing equal opportunities for every member of society toparticipate in the development of the “new rules of the game”, turns money progressively into a public good which increases the freedom for all.

The new system furthermore drives the enhancement of constitutional and relational values such as human dignity, solidarity, justice, sustainability, or democracy. Money should serve life and should serve the common good. The “Bank for the Common Good” Project, which was initiated in Austria by the author Christian Felber, represents a practical example of his proposals.

This book advocates a holistic reform of the current monetary and financial system dealing with the issues of money creation, central banks, loans, stock markets, tax justice, pension security and the international monetary system - “Bretton Woods II”. Its innovative approach presents several alternatives for each cornerstone, in addition to introducing a participatory democratic process whereby sovereign citizens can themselves determine the rules governing the new financial and monetary system. With “democratic money conventions” in each municipality, where the elements of this new money system are discussed and decided on in a participatory manner, and a federal money covenant which then elaborates a template for a referendum about the future “money constitution”, a true “sovereign” could progressively convert money from a financial weapon into a democratic tool.The envisaged democratic monetary system, by providing equal opportunities for every member of society toparticipate in the development of the “new rules of the game”, turns money progressively into a public good which increases the freedom for all. The new system furthermore drives the enhancement of constitutional and relational values such as human dignity, solidarity, justice, sustainability, or democracy. Money should serve life and should serve the common good. The “Bank for the Common Good” Project, which was initiated in Austria by the author Christian Felber, represents a practical example of his proposals.

Der Sinn für das Gemeinwohl ist neu zu entfachen. Er ist der Jagd nach Profit und persönlichem Vorteil auf Kosten der Natur und der Gesellschaft entgegenzusetzen. Nur mit einem Sinn für die Vorfahrt von Ökologie, Sozialität und Solidarität gibt es ein wirkliches Überleben des Lebens.Christian Felber ist einer der führenden Köpfe der Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie, Mitbegründer von Attac Österreich und der Bank für Gemeinwohl. In diesem persönlichen Buch zeigt er, aus welchen spirituellen Wurzeln sein Gemeinwohldenken und -handeln entspringt. Und wie sich eine spirituelle Orientierung in einem wirtschaftlichen Denken und Handeln konkretisiert, dem es um Gemeinschaftswerte geht.

Spätestens seit der Corona-Pandemie ist klar: Unsere Grundrechte lassen sich viel leichter außer Kraft setzen, als wir es lange Zeit für möglich gehalten hätten. Wie genau konnte dies geschehen? Sind doch unsere Grundrechte ein wichtiger Anker unserer Demokratie; sie schützen uns vor Übergriffen des Staates und sichern gleichzeitig öffentliche Leistungen wie Bildung und Gesundheit. Deshalb wurden sie im Laufe der letzten 250 Jahre Schritt für Schritt proklamiert und in nationales und internationales Recht integriert. Immer mehr Hürden wurden errichtet, um ihre Einschränkung zu erschweren - wie sich aber zeigt, nicht in ausreichendem Maße. Der mit der Gemeinwohl-Ökonomie bekannt gewordene Publizist Christian Felber analysiert die Geschehnisse während der Corona-Zeit, um einen Ansatz zu entwickeln, mit dem das zukünftige Beschneiden der Grundrechte in Krisensituationen vermieden und das Gemeinwohl gewahrt werden kann. Mit einem Vorwort des Mediziners und Public-Health-Experten Martin Sprenger.