January 2023 welcomed the Japanese edition of the “Economy for the Common Good” book.
The Economy for the Common Good (ECG) is a movement that proposes an economic model based on the wellbeing of people and planet, instead of endless growth in a world with finite resources. The book of the same name written by ECG founder Christian Felber and published originally in German in 2012, has already been translated into 8 languages and published in 14 countries. French and Japanese are the most recent editions, both published near the end of 2022.
In the 12 years since the first edition, this theory has become a worldwide movement with extensive practical applications: more than 3,000 companies and organisations have endorsed the Economy for the Common Good, approximately 500 of them have adopted the Common Good Balance Sheet. Local governments participate through Common Good Municipalities and citizens organise in Local Chapters and Associations.
Modern society has become chaotic, even more so after the pandemic: self-interest is prioritised, competition between groups and individuals intensifies and there is a growing anxiety about the future. Faced with this reality, more and more people turn to alternative economies, such as ECG, as holistic solutions to these modern-day problems. ECG tools allow for committed organisations to understand their impact and for interested parties to advocate for the necessary legal framework to successfully implement them.
The online launch of the Japanese version counted with the participation of Mr. Kikuta, SME federation Iwate co-publisher; Mr. Egami, Japanese Practitioners for Banking on Values (JPBV); Mr. Ikeda, translator; Mr. Kawaguchi, publisher at Komyakusha, as well as the author and ECG founder Christian Felber. The event consisted of a webinar led by the author, interpreted in real time by a translator and completed with a question panel and participation from the distinguished guests.
Read the original invitation in Japanese here or find out more about the follow-up activity on Feb 15th.
