Gsa2015 community economy english

Community Economy CULTURE: The diversity of the group is very important to us. Thus we invite you to bring some sort of cultural expression from where you come from to share with the group - Musical instruments you play, food or snacks you would like to offer, traditional clothing, accessories, etc.

The strategy we created to accommodate these contributions and to help with fund-raising is a shop where the products brought by the warriors can be sold. The vendors earn 100% of what is sold (Elos doesn’t charge commission or tax.)

ECONOMY FOR ELOS In our community, we believe that money is an energy in the service of better world and we are in a time of reconceptualize our relationship with him. From the beliefs and values that guide us, we can use it to make our greatest aspirations. It is our responsibility to decide in which direction we want to put this energy.

We value an economic system based on solidarity and abundance.

And they are in our beliefs, principles and relationships that create values to build the best world we dream.

GSA Our laboratory is to learn together what living in community.

We count on you to make it work!

THE SHOP: The “Lojinha” or shop is a space where everyone can display and sell their products to other participants. It is an opportunity to show items from where you’re from, promoting cultural exchange, and also helping you earn money. What do you think?

The products are sold within the accommodations of the program, to other warriors, staff, visitors, and to the general public at the open events.

Our first experience in 2011 was a success! In 2012 and 2014, we repeated the initiative and it was even more SPEC-TA-CU-LAR!! We

had many products from Africa, India, Latin America and many happy vendors and buyers.

We can’t guarantee your products will be sold, but we can give a few tips concerning which products tend to be most popular: Traditional expressions of your country or region: music, clothing or accessories Something that is only found in your region Handicrafts, handmade products Products made with local resources Products made by a local artist.

OTHER TIPS: Don’t bring anything that will spoil Don’t bring heavy things Don’t bring anything that is fragile and may break along the way.

Here, we offer a few examples of products that you can bring and that, in our experience, have been successful to sell to the public: -Handicrafts -Fabric and Cloth with regional patterns, dyed with natural dyes, hand-painted or stamped.

-Scarves and sarongs -Musical Instruments -Decoration for the home, wooden utensils -Necklaces, bracelets, rings and other accessories -Clothing -Bags -draws and pictures

Procedures If you are interested in bringing products, the first step is to research what to bring. If you have any questions, contact us. We will be happy to help.

1.

After buying or making the products you will bring, determine a price for them, even if it’s just for reference;

2.

Make a list of all the products you are bringing, including the amounts. It will be great if you manage to send us the list before your arrival;

3.

When you arrive, look for Laura Benites or Fernando Conte, who is the person responsible for the Shop. Take the products you want to sell together with a list of the items and prices. The shop will be open on July 12th with the products that are delivered before July 7th. The sooner you drop off your products, the better!

4.

Due to the difference in value of currencies from all over the world, we tend to suggest prices based on your profit you hope to make, on the warriors’ purchasing capacity and on the retail prices in Brazil. It is important that our team validate or suggest new prices for your product. But don’t worry: the final sale price requires your approval;

5.

At the end of the program or when all your products have been sold, whichever happens first, you will meet with Laura Benites, who will present you an overview of the sales and will give you the value earned. We will return all the products which were not sold.

We are sure that the Shop will be a success and we are counting on you to help make this happen!

DOUBTS: Send email for Fernando@institutoelos.org