Solidarity instead of competition

 Different movements against this situation are developing in the midst of this generally dominating egoism. The public welfare balance sheet is the centerpiece of the movement of the public welfare economy which was brought to life in 2010. The initiator is the Austrian Christian Felber, professor at the economics university in Vienna.

The Berliner neighborhood Oberbaum-Kiez lying between the river Spree and the  tracks of the S-Bahn is an Eldorado for international property investors. In the middle of this area lies “Oktoberdruck”  a printing press. It belongs to its staff. The company orients itself around public welfare, pays attention to fair working conditions and equality. Their account is with the public welfare bank. Printing is done with easily degradable biologically based colors on paper with the highest environmental standards. Besides that Oktoberdruck is one of the first companies to  draw up a public  welfare balance sheet.  This balance sheet measures not only the profit but also aspects such as the reduction of  negative ecological impact and the quality of the workplace. All these ecological and social factors are rated, and a points system shows how great the commitment for public welfare is. The public welfare bank makes its decisions as to the financing conditions based upon this balance sheet data.

Hundreds of companies have already signed on to Felbers concept of public welfare. “We have just recently seen that an economy without ethics and a measure of decency does not function”. This sentence comes from the head of the Sparda Bank Helmut Lind. He too draws up a public welfare balance sheet, and refers to article 151 of the Bavarian constitution whereby the totality of economic activity must serve public welfare.