Bretton Woods Monetary Institute & Festival
“The aim of the Bretton Woods Conference was the creation of a dynamic world community
in which the peoples of every nation will be able to realize their potentialities in peace.”
Henry Morgenthau, Chairman 1944 Bretton Woods Conference & United States Secretary of the Treasury.
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OUR FORTUNES
The Funding of the Inauguration
~ D e s t i n e d * D o n o r s ~
(See the memo to Destined Donors that follows at the bottom of this page.)
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Dear Friends,
Who would question that the foregoing aim — “the peoples of every nation will be able to realize their potentialities in peace” — is an extraordinary one?
If we take a moment to pause and reflect……..
Who would question that the realization of such an aim will require, in turn, extra-ordinary efforts on the part of those concerned, those who strive for its fulfillment?
If these questions are clear, how might the extra-ordinary efforts spoken of relate to funds, the funding of such an Inauguration, our fortunes?
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The Inauguration of “The Bretton Woods Monetary Institute & Festival” is first and foremost a labor of love, redemptive love. As such, it is our intent that cost is not a barrier for anyone’s participation, particularly for a gathering that seeks, as we do, to introduce new and more enlightened ways of working with money. To pour a new and fine “wine” into an old and beleaguered “vessel” amounts, we suggest, to “business as usual” and, thereby, undermines such a striving. Simply expressed, the Inaugurators of the Bretton Woods Monetary Institute and Festival trust that we can do better on this vital score.
Toward that end, at least two commitments are, we suggest, required of the participants in the Inauguration:
1) The good will that stands behind the realization that “our” money is part and parcel of the common wealth, on the one hand;
2) The spirit of enterprise, self-reliance, on the other.
In the former case, we invite those able to contribute toward the costs outlined in the following to do so, as generously as your fortunes allow. For expenses we have, and no one is on salary.
In the latter case, we invite those who need support to make a concerted effort to reach out first to friends and colleagues in your circles who: i) recognize both the goals and the significance of the Inauguration; ii) recognize the value you can bring to it; iii) are able, willing, and would be glad to lend you a hand. If such supporters are not attending the Inauguration in person, ideally they would be taking part in a Companion Inauguration in their community, city, state or nation.
If such an effort falls short of your financial need, we invite you to add your name to the following profiles, along with: a picture, title of your work, a summary of that work, and a word about how you look forward to contributing to the Inauguration, along with any web sites or related links that fill in the picture. Send this information to the coordinator.
That said, the following offers a fuller picture of what inspires this aspect of our work. Your thoughts are most welcome.
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Can you imagine that if money, the “Almighty Dollar,” is to serve us — as opposed to we serve it — if our fortunes are to serve the aims of peace, prosperity, and plentitude, the fostering of LIFE itself, can you imagine that — Like unto Like — “our” money itself must be “vitalized,” so to speak? It must bear the very aspiration for life through those to whom the Common Wealth is entrusted.
Make sense, common sense?
Committed to achieving this goal, walking such talk, the funding of the Inauguration of “The Bretton Woods Monetary Institute & Festival” is being borne on the mounting wave of Spiritually Responsible Investing.
The ground swell for this rising wave is what has come to be referred to as Socially Responsible Investing. This innovation in investing arose in the 1960’s and has grown from “scratch” into a trillion dollar industry. This approach to investing has also been spoken of as “sustainable,” “green,” “ethical” or “socially conscious” investing.
Grateful for that ground swell, Spiritually Responsible Investing aspires to carry Socially Responsible Investing, such fortunes on to their next and, we propose, inevitable step. If, that is, we are to have a future worth envisioning for our children, grandchildren, and for the generations to come: All Our Relations.
Spiritually Responsible Investing endeavors to achieve this aim for a reason.
While Socially Responsible Investing has made a major contribution to our fortunes, fellow humanity and to the earth itself, concern grows that our world is nevertheless going to “hell in a hand basket.”
If this is the case, might that fact also be for a reason?
Might something be still missing in our understanding of, and relationship to, money as investors?
Something essential?
All of life that is, indeed, alive, all that is living, lively, vital… grows and develops. Such development leads, in turn, to change… unfolding… progress — if rightly accompanied and guided.
Might that which may be missing in our current approach to money, our investing, be the step beyond that which is “social,” including socially conscious, socially acceptable, socially approved?
Spiritually Responsible Investing arises out of what would be a higher, or, if you will, more spirited understanding of what money actually is — in, note, a healthy society, a rightly ordered social order.
Our Common Wealth, “Life-Blood”?
[ With our genius as Americans for making a buck on anything and everything that we can get our hands onto, including not only our “Mother Earth” Herself, but the means to acquire Her, we can turn money itself into a commodity to be speculated with in our money markets, driving it up one moment and down the next. That said, such speculations make as much sense as they would if we were to gamble with our own “life-blood.” The result has come to be referred to in financial circles as “making a killing.” ]
In his essay, “Nominalist and Realist,” Emerson speaks to this little recognized “qualitative” side of the coin, money itself:
“Money, which represents the prose of life, and which is hardly spoken of in parlors without an apology, is, in its effects and laws, as beautiful as roses.”
Intent on doing all that we are able to achieve the aim of the Inauguration — win/win… win — we look forward to walking the talk right into the Mount Washington Hotel at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, the aspiring United States of America.
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“The aim of the [1944] Bretton Woods Conference…”
Considerable thought has been further given to what we can erect upon such a Foundation Stone, where, that is, the funding of the Inauguration of “The Bretton Woods Monetary Institute & Festival” naturally leads… how our fortunes can duly multiply.
We look forward to such a multiplication, to the extra-ordinary efforts required to lift the Spirits and fortunes of our fellow citizens in the North Country of New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine, to turn the “North Country” into a kingdom, the “Northern Kingdom.”
Working together, We the People look forward to offering a model for economic and cultural renewal, a Renaissance, Re-Birth, not only here in Northern New England but in arising sister-cities, sister-communities near and far.
The following memo to the Inaugurators of “The Bretton Woods Monetary Institute & Festival” speaks to how we are endeavoring to do just that, beginning with funding the Inauguration. As such, the memo offers a glimpse of our fortunes.
Simply expressed, we are committed to ensuring that we are not pouring what we believe to be a new and fine “wine” — glimpsed in the accompanying links — into an old, leaky and beleaguered vessel. Rather, our goal is to fashion a new vessel, inspired by the “promise” inscribed on our dollar bill itself: “In God We Trust,” that Power greater than — and yet no less a part of — our very self.
That vessel, chalice is fashioned in the hearts of those whom we speak of as “destined donors,” those addressed in the memo that follows.
Such donors are invited not only to “invest,” as noted, in the Inauguration but to join their fellow citizens near and far in contributing (a one dollar bill), as stakeholders in the Indigenous People’s World Sister- and Brotherhood, committed to the Principle of “One Dish One Spoon.”
We invite those so moved to offer up, entrust your otherwise “Federal Reserve Note,” debt-dollar, to that Power of redemption that, as expressed, is greater than— and yet no less as part of — our very Self.
For, we are in this world together. Are we not? As fellow members of the human race, the human family, are we not called to be our brothers’ and sisters’ “keepers”?
Might that be what Henry Morgenthau, chairman of the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference himself sought to give voice to:
“The aim of the Bretton Woods Conference was the creation of a dynamic world community
in which the peoples of every nation will be able to realize their potentialities in peace.”
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MEMO
Sub: Funding of the Inauguration
“Destined Donors”
To cover our expenses to the Mount Washington Hotel and to lend a helping hand to friends, whose fortunes do not readily allow them to take part in such a gathering, we invite those whom the Inauguration may concern to both consider yourselves and to make a list of at least 1, 2 or 3 other people you know to whom you can envision forwarding the link to this page. We refer, as noted, to those who — at the very least — would be glad to know of the Inauguration, heartened to hear of such labors.
That said, may it be clear that we are not speaking of what is referred to as the conventional “ask” or “sell.” Rather, as expressed, we extend this invitation to those who:
1) Are generous of heart;
2) Could afford a minimum of (one dollar) as a stakeholder in this World Fellowship, Sisterhood and Brotherhood from sea to shining SeaS;
3) Beyond that, the invitation is extended to those who would be interested in seeing how they might lend a further hand by contributing toward the Inauguration’s expenses.
4) Who realize that “their” money is not theirs in any but the most narrow, legalistic and acquisitive sense of the word;
5) As such who may be interested in/destined to play the historic role of funding the Inauguration by helping to mount the wave of Spiritually Responsible Investing. As noted, this rising wave is, we believe, destined to surmount the wave of Socially Responsible Investing – if, as expressed, we are to have a future worth envisioning for our children, grandchildren, and for the generations to come: All Our Relations;
6) To repeat and emphasize, we refer to “destined donors,” who, at the very least, would be glad to hear about our work as well as to be invited to lend a hand.
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Photo Gallery from 2015 Betton Woods Convocation (if password required, enter concordium)
