(149) Christian Felber is a writer, university lecturer, initiator of the „Economy for the Common Good“ and the „Cooperative for the Common Good“, Austria.

(500) Christian Felber is a writer, university lecturer and contemporary dancer in Vienna. He is the initiator of the “Economy for the Common Good“ and the “Cooperative for the Common Good“. Several bestsellers include “Change everything. Creating an Economy for the Common Good“ and “Money. The new rules of the game“, which was awarded the getAbstract International Book Award 2014. The “Economy for the Common Good” received the ZEIT-Wissen Award in 2017 and made it 2021 to the SPIEGEL bestseller list.

SHAPING THE WORLD WE LIVE IN
The current ecological, social and economic crisis requires a bold and strong vision and people who actively participate in developing a sustainable future. In that sense, the Economy for the Common Good movement understands itself as an initiator and inspirational force for far-reaching change.

CORE IDEAS
The Economy for the Common Good is a comprehensive and coherent economic model which provides an alternative to both major historic narratives “capitalism” and “communism”.

• The contradictions between the goals in Western democratic constitutions and actual economic behaviour are addressed and resolved by a change in the legal rules for economic activities. Incentives will be created for the adherence to constitutional values.
• Economic success is currently measured using monetary indicators like the Gross Domestic Product and financial balance sheets. Success is not measured in terms of human needs, quality of life, and fulfilment of fundamental values but the accumulation of money. A “Common Good Product” and “Common Good Balance Sheet” will fundamentally rectify this distorted thinking and practice.
• One-sided economic thinking is replaced by a holistic and interdisciplinary approach, whose proposals are based on scientific and empirical research: game theory, neurobiology, social psychology, philosophy etc.
• It is an open and evolutionary approach promoting learning from experience and open to integrating elements from other similar and related approaches like solidarity economy, economic democracy, degrowth, blue economy, care economy, gift economy, and others.

A CONCRETE, PARTICIPATORY PROCESS STARTING TODAY
The initiative, which is jointly supported by NGOs, politicians, private individuals and companies, began in October 2010. Since then, it has grown unexpectedly fast. More than 1600 companies officially support the initiative and almost 200 have implemented the „Common Good Balance Sheet“. In over 100 local support groups, the Economy for the Common Good (ECG) is becoming an international, grassroots movement. It is a growing, dynamic movement with global resonance. We see it as an open space, striving for networking and cooperation with other social movements. Everyone is invited to become part of this movement and help create an Economy for the Common Good.

For more texts about books and topics please feel free to contact birte@christian-felber.at.