GiftAndThePropertyOfMovement

ISSUE: If one of the essential properties of a gift is that it must keep moving, what does this mean or how do we relate to this?

CONVENER(S): SusanKerr

PARTICIPANTS: CliffAdams TedErnst DougGermann MichaelYacavone ChrisCorrigan TracyGary AKMA (from lunch: JillPerkins Bliss Phil JonHusband)

SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION, KEY POINTS, CONCLUSIONS, ACTIONS: From the book, The Gift: Imagination and the Erotic Life of Property comes the premise that the only essential is that a gift must move. There are other forms of property that stand still, that mark a boundary or resist movement, but the gift keeps going. (Lewis Hyde, p.4)

Cliff told the story of his software wiki design that he gave to all. It has been used widely, spread globally and been translated into other languages. For a short time, Cliff thought about what he received in return but came to accept it as a gift and felt good about how it has changed and grown beyond even what he created and gave. It was brought up that one benefit of that software as a gift is that it cannot be stolen; it's approperties as a free gift renders it free from stealing.

Chris' wife's thought for giving is that it creates a society and community that is nolurishing for all. Even in exchange involving money if we can let go of the "hooks" (the stories around money in our history and in our head) there can be nourishment.

Tracy told the story of working with wealthy women, how in talking with them how the feeling of isolation came up within the five minutes of the conversation beginning. She talked about how one of the benefits of philanthropy is that it teaches empathy, an antidote to to narcissim and isolation. When we reach out, it opens our hearts, empathy and pocketbooks. She mentioned the author, Geneviere Vaughn and her book, For Giving and Theodore J. Mallon's book, The Journey Toward Masterful Philanthropy. In Ted Mallon's book he tells how, after an experience of being struck by lightning, he changed his way of thinking to include using vibrational energy when making decisions. Spiritual sources - how do we source our giving and philanthropy.

Susan told a story of a gift giving game she and her siblings used to play where prized "treasures" from their personal belongings would be wrapped up and given to each other. At the time, they lived in a small farm house with shared rooms. Later, they moved to a larger house, each with their own room. They also stopped playing the gift game. She mentioned how a general feeling of isolation prevaded those years.

Another thought from the book, The Gift is that a gift, when it moves across the boundary, either stops being a gift or abolishes the boundary. A commodity can cross the line without any change in its nature; moreover, its exchange will often establish a boundary where none previously existed (as, for example, in the sale of a necessity to a friend). "Logos"-trade draws the boundary, "eros"-trade erases it.

Chris' daughter Aine gave him a rock one afternoon on a beach. Receiving the gift of the rock, Chris placed it in his pocket and carried it with him to New Zealand. After working at conference with Maori organizations, a community Elder expressed her gratitude to Chris for his work. To honour her he gave Aine's rock to the Elder. She received the gift and returned several hours later with a poumanou taonga, a Maori necklace made from jade. The Elder, Auntie Julie, asked that the taonga be taken to Aine. When Chris gave his daughter the necklace, it completed a connection between her and Auntie Julie that continues to nourish her curiosity. It was observed that if the gift had stopped when Aine gave Chris the rock, none of those connections would have been made, and the boundaries that were transcended by the movementof the gift would still be with us.

'Other stories and sites'

• http://www.chriscorrigan.com/aine
• http://www.rumad.org.au/ - a website started from a book by Tracy Gary called R U MAD (Making a Difference?), on youth philanthropy