Events
Webinar: Starting a Business in the Spirit of the Economy of Communion
Thinking about starting a business that can be a Force for Good in this world?
Join other aspiring entrepreneurs on February 13th, 2021 as they compare notes and learn from entrepreneurs of the Economy of Communion (EoC) movement. The program will include practical experiences on how to start a business and root it on a strong foundation, the pitfalls to avoid and live Q&A.
Click here to register for this free zoom gathering.
Video: Economy of Communion Business Network Growing in New York
The Economy of Communion in North America held its first of a series of bi-monthly meetings in 2021 on January 16.
Paul Catipon, President of Netpro Communication, an innovative and rapidly growing full-service IT consulting firm based in New York City, shared how the inclusive business practices inspired by the Economy of Communion (EoC) are put in practice by a growing number of businesses and people in the city.
Catipon says: “Instead of running the EoC principles by myself, can we involve other companies?” He then explained the network of relationships formed and the various initiatives that became the answer to that question.
The meeting agenda also included a reflection on the meaning of ‘poverty’ in the EoC, a few experiences from current and former entrepreneurs, as well as introductions to ‘The Economy of Francesco‘ and ‘The Hearth of a Human Family’, of which the EoC is a contributing partner.
Online Economy of Francesco Event to Kick-Off on Nov. 19, 2020
The Economy of Francesco, the international event with young economists, change makers and entrepreneurs encouraged by Pope Francis, that the Economy of Communion is supporting, will be held online from 19 to 21 November 2020, with live streaming with the young participants and speakers. The “virtual” participation of Pope Francis has also been confirmed.
The innovative, participatory and global program, includes group workshops, plenary sessions involving keynote speakers, the places and spirituality of St. Francis, silence and meditation, artistic performances and interviews.
Today the Economy of Francesco is a movement of young people with faces, personalities and ideas, which is present and growing around the world in order to change the current economy and give a soul to the economy of tomorrow. Today, more than ever, the world needs the creativity and love of young people, who as craftsmen of the future, are creating the Economy of Francesco, weaving between the “already” and “not yet”.
For more information and to follow the event online. visit www.francescoeconomy.org
Monthly EOC Calls Starting Feb 5, 2020
Come Join the EoC North America Hearth!
We are delighted that a number of you were a part of the Economy of Communion gathering Jan. 17-18, 2020 in San Antonio, Texas.
This year we’ll be encouraging you to take concrete steps in communion to live out Chiara Lubich’s charism.
We will be hosting monthly calls to give you a chance to experience the unity we have in Christ, to reflect on your vocational experience since the conference, and discern the Holy Spirit’s guidance for your work going forward.
Our first meeting will be Wed, Feb. 5, 10am, EST. CLICK HERE TO RSVP
We will begin with an overview of the last session of the San Antonio EoC conference, “Supporting an Economy of Communion: Steps toward an Economy that Works for All,” which was facilitated by Catholic University of America Dean Andrew Abela.
In our webinar, we’ll focus on questions such as:
- How do EOC members and businesses function differently from other employees or businesses in some business domains like Marketing, Leading and Selling?
- What do EoC businesses or practitioners do to transform the gravitational center of their companies from bottom-line/profit to relationship/unity?
- How can we help you create a community of EOC workers and business owners in your city?
In addition, we will confirm future webinar topics that will be of greatest interest to EoC members.
FUTURE DATES: The following dates and times are set tentatively:
- Wed., March 4, 10am, EST.
- Wed., April 1, 10am, EST.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Email Jon Hokama at eocassoc@gmail.com
EoC to co-host a conversation with Jeffrey Sachs on the “Economy of Francesco”
Please join the International Humanistic Management Association and Economy of Communion Association for a conversation with Jeffrey Sachs, University Professor and Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, on how we can all contribute to humanizing our economy.
Date: Thursday, Feb 13, 2020
Time: 12:00 pm – 1:00pm (EDT)
Location: Web conferencing. Details will be sent before the event once your RSVP is received
RSVP here
Transforming Business Practice series as hosted by IHMA as a Executive Development format. It is co-sponsored by Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business.
Topic for this Conversation: “Towards The Economy of Francesco”- Pope Francis and the vision of an inclusive economy.
Please join Jeffrey Sachs for a conversation about Pope Francis’ initiative to change the economy to be in service of life.
The conversation, facilitated by Elizabeth Garlow (Coordinator of Economy of Communion, North America), and Michael Pirson (Fordham University, Director of the Center for Humanistic Management), author of Humanistic Management (Cambridge, 2017), will explore what we can do to move towards a more enlightened and enlivening form of economic practice.
The Economy of Francesco initiative:
The Economy of Francesco is an international meeting between young scholars and activists in the field of Economics, convened by Pope Francis.
Registrations are open for the 2020 Meeting of the Economy of Communion
The next meeting of the North American Association of the Economy of Communion (EoC) will be held in San Antonio, TX on January 17-18, 2020, as part of a wider event titled ‘A Hearth for the Human Family‘, to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the founder of the EoC and of the Focolare Movement Chiara Lubich.
From its humble origins in Trent, Italy during World War II to the Focolare Movement’s current extension throughout the globe, people who live a spirituality of unity aim to create a warm and open spaces of mutual care, concern and acceptance across every form of social, economic, cultural, ethnic, religious and political difference.
To celebrate the centenary of the birth of Focolare founder Chiara Lubich, this interactive event delves into how a spirituality of unity might help us to build community in the midst of cultural and political polarization.
View the Agenda and Register
Pope Francis Invites Young Economists and Entrepreneurs to Assisi to Propose a Pact for a New Economy
From 26 to 28 March 2020 the city of Assisi will host The Economy of Francis, an international event aimed at young economists, entrepreneurs, and change-makers engaged in thinking and practicing a different type of economy. The invitation to participate comes directly from Pope Francis, through a letter in which he invites young economists and entrepreneurs from all over the world of all backgrounds and beliefs to the City of St Francis, which is a symbol of humanism and fraternity. The goal of the meeting is to initiate a process of global change to build a more just, inclusive and sustainable economy that does not leave people behind. The event is organized by a committee composed of the Diocese of Assisi, the Assisi City Council, the Seraphic Institute of Assisi and the Economy of Communion.
The most complex problems in today’s world, from safeguarding the environment to justice for the poor, need a courageous commitment to rethinking the economic paradigms of our time. In the Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, the Holy Father recalled that everything is intimately connected and that the Earth is our “common home”. He launched an appeal to defend it and all of humanity that inhabits the Earth. He warned us against the careless exploitation of resources and short-sighted policies that look to immediate success without prospects for the long-term. Inspired by the example of St Francis, it is therefore necessary to rebuild a new integral ecology, one that is inseparable from the concept of the common good, which must be implemented through choices based on solidarity and the “preferential option for the poor” starting “from solving the structural problems of the world economy.”
«Pope Francis’ invitation to young economists and entrepreneurs is an event that marks a historic step forward because it brings together two of the Pope’s key themes and passions: his priority for the youth and his pursuit of a new type of economy. In his name, we are inviting young economists and entrepreneurs who are more sensitive to the spirit of Francis’ Oikonomia, to share with them the best of today’s economic thought and practices around the world. The word Oikonomia brings together many realities: the Greek root recalls household management but it also refers to the care of our common home, the OIKOS. We also consider it in reference to Oikonomia as understood by the Fathers of the Church: a theological category of universal salvation. Assisi is an essential part of the event because it is a city that points to a different type of economy. Various venues in Assisi will host parts of the program, which will be built around the three pillars of Francis’ Oikonomia: the youth, the environment and the poor», says Prof. Luigino Bruni, Scientific Director of the Committee.
For Pope Francis, the event represents the consolidation of a “pact to change the current economy and give a soul to the economy of tomorrow”. It intends to give hope for the rights of future generations, for welcoming life, for social equity, for the dignity of workers and the preservation of our planet. From 26 to 28 March 2020, The Economy of Francis will consist of workshops, artistic events, seminars and plenary sessions with renowned economists and experts in sustainable development and the humanities, who will reflect and work together with the youth.
You can register and reserve your spot at this historical event at www.francescoeconomy.org.
Join Us for the 2018 Meeting of the Economy of Communion
The North American Association of the Economy of Communion and the Business, Faith, and the Common Good Institute of Creighton University invite you to attend the 2018 gathering of the Economy of Communion, that will be held at Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska, on Oct. 5-6, 2018.
In today’s world, globalization presents to us significant challenges such as poverty, inequality, unemployment, and forced migration… All these situations make us question if this is the world we want, if the economy can change for the better.
The Economy of Communion project (EOC) offers a new perspective facing these challenges: a new business culture where free enterprises become the cradle of a culture of giving, that fosters fraternity, social bonds, sustainability, and communion, rather than individualism and profit as an end in itself.
You can learn more about the event and register at the following link.
The deadline to register is September 30th, 2018.
Register Now
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 2018 EOC Annual Meeting
We are happy to let you know that this year’s North American Meeting of the Economy of Communion (EoC) will be held at Creighton University in Omaha Nebraska, on Oct. 5-6, 2018.
We are continuing to alternate the location of our meetings between the little city of Mariapolis Luminosa and Universities supporting or desiring to learn more about the EoC. Last year’s meeting and summer school was held at Mariapolis Luminosa, so it was the turn of another university this year.
The choice fell on Creighton University, where one of our members, Prof. Andy Gustafson, teaches business ethics. We will have the opportunity to meet many new friends there, incl. some of his fellow professors, students and local entrepreneurs, as well as learn more about Andy’s local EoC business called Communion Properties.
More details regarding the agenda will be shared soon. Stay tuned.
EOC Featured at the 2017 World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum
On Tuesday, April 18, 2017, we had the opportunity to present the Economy of Communion project (EoC) at the World Bank Civil Society Policy Forum in Washington DC.
This was the first time that the EoC was featured at an event from the World Bank, a financial institution that is part of the United Nations systems and whose mission is to help reduce poverty.
51 people attended the session representing various NGOs from all over the world, World Bank employees, The International Monetary Fund, and the Bretton Woods Project. The session had the title “Impact Investment as a Tool for Social Development”. Nick Sanna represented the EoC. The other panelists included Marc Jourdan, the moderator, and Jenna Giandoni, a research fellow from an NGO named the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development that was founded by former president Fernandez of the Dominican Republic. Dr. Muthukumara Mani, a lead environmental economist at the World Bank, also spoke.
New Humanity of the Focolare Movement was a sponsor along with the Global Foundation, the International Federation of Business and Professional Women and the Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund (VGIF). Joe Klock, the coordinator of New Humanity, Inc. in the US, is quite active in promoting the EoC at the UN and deserves all the credit for assuring our participation in the event.
The audience responded well to all the presentations that were followed by a very active Q&A session. Some asked questions on impact development and Nick fielded several questions on the EoC. At the end of the meeting, several persons came forward and asked Nick for follow-on meetings in DC. One attendee asked to get involved and will try to attend the upcoming EoC Summer School. The next day, Joe Klock’s contacts from the UN in New York told him that they enjoyed the EoC presentation very much, especially noting the concrete examples that were given.
Joe also attended a session for faith-based organizations chaired by the leader of the World Bank’s Global Engagement faith initiative, Adam Taylor with about 25 attendees. Apparently, the World Bank is starting to engage civil society and faith-based organizations to look for insights into what delivers results in leading people out of extreme poverty. They see these organizations as a vehicle for communicating with people at the grassroots level. Joe plans to continue participate in those meetings and promote the EoC and other New Humanity projects as models of socio-economic development.
The Civil Society Policy Forum have become integral part of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring and Annual Meetings that bring together 10,000 from all over the world.
Learn more about the Economy of Communion by attending the EoC Summer School (June 20-23) and Annual Meeting (June 23-25). You can get more information and register here.
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