Who's Counting?

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Who's Counting? Bullfrog Films Presents Who's Counting? Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies and Global Economics a Study, Discussion, Resource and Action Guide Prepared by the "Who's Counting?" Project This booklet was prepared on March 10, 1997 by the “Who’s Counting?” Project (WCP) c/o Lebensold, 7575 Sunkist Dr. Oakland CA 94605 (510) 638-1325, (510) 527-3452 FAX (510) 254-3304 [email protected] Website: Search under <Who’s Counting> Permission is granted for any reproduction and further distribution of this booklet without profit, as long as this notice is included. Contact WCP for current versions of our literature and more information on nationwide activities. Contents The Who's Counting Project (WCP) 1 Things you can do 3 Who's Counting Study Circles 7 A viewer/WCP partnership 9 Guide to Home Showings 12 Request for feedback 18 Resources of interest to viewers 19 Measuring what we really value: Quality of Life Indicators 22 Dear Friend, This booklet which comes with the Who’s Counting? movie is the culmination of a long labor of love. We developed these materials over a six month period starting in August 1996, with the intention of helping the movie Who’s Counting? help those who watch it come together and have meaningful conversations about the topics it raises. The experience of watching the movie, and watching it again, and continuing to talk about it, keeps generating new perspectives and insights which we want very much to incorporate in our materials. The booklet you are now reading is not “the last word”. Within the next several months we expect to create a revised version of this booklet, which will better reflect the values and perspectives that have inspired us. One thing that has become clear to us is that the way we work together in our group is as important as the work itself. In the next version of the materials we would like to tell more of the story of our group, and of how we do things, in a way that can inspire others, and help empower them to live in line with their deepest values. We recognize the sacredness of dialogue, the power of telling stories and speaking from the heart and the beauty of working together and maintaining personal connections through the most demanding of tasks. Stay tuned! Contact us if you are interested in this new version of our materials. We currently predict that it will be ready sometime in May or June 1997, but you are welcome to contact us before and we will keep your name and send it to you when it’s ready. The "Who’s Counting?" Project March 1997 1 The "Who's Counting?" Project We started as a small group of friends who were very moved by watching a video of “Who’s Counting?” We ended up talking about it together for a whole after- noon, and decided we had to do something about it. So when our chance came, we were ready. On August 12, 1996, “Who’s Counting?: Marilyn Waring on Sex, Lies, and Global Economics” premiered at a regular movie theater in Berkeley, California to a surprisingly large audience for a Monday—about 600 people saw it that one day! The reason there were so many people at the theater on the 12th is the film’s enormous power to galvanize viewers to promote further showings. And the effects did not stop there—new volunteers came forward to collect names from the audiences at the film; people signed up to show it in their homes, or to help in other ways. Within days of the showing, our group of volunteers had formed The “Who’s Count- ing?” Project. At the group’s first business meeting, excitement ran very high about the film’s enormous potential to connect with people’s real concerns in these uncertain times. Many suggestions about follow up actions were made at this first meeting of WCP, such as putting to- gether a discussion guide for film viewers, suggestions for further reading and also study group materials. Since then we have had a very enthusiastic response to our program. For example, in October 1996, nearly 500 people pledged $100 to KPFA, a local listener-sponsored radio station, for the video and our materials. Our goal is to promote the film as a tool for bringing people together to explore and create life-affirming eco- nomic alternatives. We believe that “Who’s Counting?” can serve as a powerful catalyst for people to begin taking their economic future into their own hands. 2 Building a Network Together You can be an active part of our network by becom- ing: • a local contact person • a local network organizer • a national “Who’s Counting ?” Project task force member (web site creation, media relations, out- reach, database, contacts with current network) We Need Donations! The “Who’s Counting?” Project is entirely run by volunteers and is financed by funds we collect ourselves. Contributions to WCP for phone, copying, Web site, etc. are welcome. Tax deductible gifts ($50 minimum) may be made out to LEAP, with a memo line reading “for WCP.” Please mail to address listed below. The "Who's Counting?" Project was founded by Tom Atlee, Carol Brouillet, Irene Hurd, Lois Jones, Miki Kashtan, Etta Lebensold, Ken Lebensold, Shirley McGrath, Karen Mercer, and Susan Strong. Advice and consultation from Marilyn Waring and Terre Nash. The “Who’s Counting?” Project (WCP) c/o Lois Jones, 1525 Ada St., Berkeley, CA 94703; e-mail: [email protected]; Phone (510) 527-3452 or Ken Lebensold; Phone (510) 638-1325; email: [email protected] or FAX (510) 254-3304 Susan Strong 3 THINGS YOU CAN DO A Guide for Viewers of “Who’s Counting?” A) SPREAD THE WORD! This is a grassroots activity built of people like you getting their friends and associates axcited about this film, and then everyone talking about what this means for their lives and communities. So you could: • Buy the film. You can get 40% off if you get together with friends and buy 10 at one time. • Show it in your home. Then get people talking about it. For suggestions, see pages 12-17 of this booklet, "Guide to Home Showings of Who's Counting?" • Buy a few copies of the film (perhaps with some friends) and lend them out to other friends for them to show to THEIR friends. • Get the film shown in your church or library or in some other group or institution you’re involved with. Have people talk about it afterwards. • Tell everyone you think might be interested, and give them a flier about the film. Send e-mail messages or let- ters to your personal mailing list. • Give the film as a gift. • Write reviews, letters or op ed pieces for publications in your town or field of interest, to tell readers about the film. • Ask your local public or university library to lend you a copy. Get friends to ask for it, too. Many libraries will buy copies of a video to lend—even if only one or two people request it. • Introduce students and professors to the film, encourag- ing them to use it in their classrooms. Relevant subjects include economics, social studies, sociology, political science, environmental studies, women’s studies, gov- ernment, development, current affairs, social change. • Ask a local PBS or cable TV station when they plan to broadcast this video. Get friends to ask. (Contact the Who’s 4 Counting? Project if you’d like to be part of a national campaign to get the video broadcast on public TV.) B) CHANGE THINGS! • CREATE A LIFE THAT MAKES MORE SENSE, a life that affirms your aliveness and your relationship with the world around you—a life that isn’t so dependent on money. Simplify your life. Find ways to ground yourself in your own spiritual center, in your own deep sense of what’s important. Do more meaningful, enjoyable things that involve little or no money. Volunteer. Take creative risks on behalf of the world and your own aliveness. Read books, subscribe to journals and join organizations designed to help you increase your personal freedom from money. Get together with others to learn together and to support each other in creating lives that make more sense. • WRITE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. Share with them what you already know and feel about GDP as measures of economic health. Use what you know from the film and from your own life. As Marilyn Waring makes clear, you don’t have to be an expert to take action. You just have to stay connected to what supports your own aliveness and the health of your family, friends, community and nature. What you want to communicate to your representatives is that you know that the way things are being done now simply doesn’t make sense—and is, in fact, quite danger- ous. Write to legislators, executives and politicians—at the national, state and local levels. If everyone who reads this paragraph wrote only one letter like this, it would have a profound impact, because lots of people are seeing this film. If we all wrote several letters, we’d become a rising flood of public opinion that few representatives could ignore. Don’t wait until you learn more. Rather, tell your rep- resentative what you know and think right now and, if you are planning on learning more, tell them that, too. You can read our fact sheet on alternative indicators (see 5 page 22) and some of the items on our bibliography (see page 19).
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