MANIFESTO. noun./ˌmanəˈfestō/

A written statement to publicly declare your intentions, motives, or beliefs.

From the Latin manifestus — to manifest, to clearly reveal, to make real.

 

United Commerce* Manifesto

Creating a friendlier future for commerce and living

Beginning with Books

 

 

“The future of our economy lies with the impatient. The linchpins and the artists and the scientists who will refuse to wait to be hired and will take things into their own hands, building their own value, producing outputs others will gladly pay for.

—Seth Godin, “Stop Stealing Dreams” manifesto

 

Micro Manifesto

Commerce is in our hands. Together we created our economy. Together we will re-create our commerce to serve us efficiently and safely.

 

“…a shift of mind from seeing parts to seeing wholes, from seeing people as helpless reactors to seeing them as active participants in shaping their reality, from reacting to the present to creating the future”

—Peter Singe, “The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization”

 

 

We Believe

 

• Our world is changing and we can change it for the better.

• Every human being deserves an equal opportunity for self-expression.

• We all deserve a commerce system that serves us all equally and rewards us for our contribution.

• Transparency leads to trust. Trust leads to peace of mind.

• In Truth, our good is intimately connected to the common good.

• The civilization we create should serve us, and we it.

• Technology should serve us, not exploit us.

• Commerce is in our hands. Together we create our economy.

• Now is the time. We have delayed long enough.

• Life is on our side.

• Together we are creating a friendlier future.

 

Our Affirmation

 

We desire to do only that which is good and constructive, life-giving and life-expressing. We all exist in limitless possibilities and infinite Good is right where we are. There are new opportunities for self-expression and for abundant life and love and happiness. This we expect and this we accept.

 

Fulfilling Our Mission

 

Our mission is to simplify commerce and modern living to make safe and fair trade a reality worldwide.

 

As social entrepreneurs, we put people and planet above profits.

 

We are building our system functionality to serve you. Your involvement is instrumental in the creation process.

 

We are asking you to join us to make equal opportunity and safe and fair trade a reality. Our organized commerce model will embody these seven objectives:

 

1. Align individual self-interest with the common good

2. Serve and protect everyone fairly

3. Facilitate and reward participation on multiple levels

4. Be transparent and democratic

5. Collect and organize reliable data into usable information

6. Support collaboration and healthy competition

7. Simplify and enrich living

 

The model can and will be applied to almost any product or service, but initial focus will be narrower while functionality is developed and the system is vetted through user input and experience.

 

Our Promises

 

• We promise all we do is and will be to serve one and all equally and fairly.

• We promise to provide transparent and democratic oversight to our members.

• Members will control the profits earned and earn distributed profits.

 

Fulfilling our promises

 

It is not only our intention to fulfill our promises, it is established in law. We plan to use a modern version of an ancient organizational structure, called a Multi-stakeholder or Solidarity Cooperative. Members own and share in the profits of a cooperative; one member one vote. Our multi-stakeholder cooperative will have several memberships: individual (& family), business, employee and community. A ‘community member’ joins with the coop in a variety of ways—as vendors, in-kind contributors and financial backers/investors. They have the least representation on the Board of Directors of any of the member groups.

 

Service Description

 

We are a buying filter with automated organization. The model core is: tell us what you want and we’ll filter out everything that doesn’t qualify. The buyer gets the value they expect, and the seller gets a fair price for their work. Think of it as a quality control filter for discovering, buying, selling, and organizing.

 

Why will this work? 

 

The Occupy Movement galvanized people worldwide around the idea of an “unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future.” (occupywallst.org/about) We come together in an allied spirit of direct action to make fair and safe commerce a reality. Our system will align the self-interests of buyer and seller in each and every transaction, and moving from isolation to transparency makes it safe for all of us. Do you recognize the benefits of participating and sharing our mission with others to help us grow exponentially?

 

Why should I participate? 

 

We all want to be part of positive change, something bigger than ourselves without sacrificing our self-interest. We are here to filter out the hype and noise, reduce stress and connect you to what you want, both as a buyer and a seller. We are here to allow you to focus on your passions instead of marketing, accounting and research draining your time and energy. We are here to help organize your life and make you more efficient so you can take time to be, and grow, and enjoy what you do. Participating early in our holistic system offers you a great opportunity to shape our future course and start reaping the benefits.

 

How will we deliver these objectives? 

 

The technology exists to organize your data to serve you, not sell you. Our intent is to refine a system to collect reliable direct data and convert it into “verified quality” to dramatically simplify your decision making. We will connect you with the people, goods and services you choose to enrich your life. We view revenue as necessary to continue to serve you better, not as a source of wealth and power. When we earn revenue on what you provide, it is a small percentage rather than a fixed expense or monthly charge. Profits will be regulated by you, our community, as part of a democratic and transparent cooperative design.

 

Together we will be the change—All for One, and One for All.

 

*United Commerce is a working title, and not a final entity name.