Category: Social Business

Description:  To trade prosperity for empathy



Idea:  


For people of developed countries to enter into personal trade with third-world countries.  To give them some of our prosperity, so that they may give us some of their sadness.

Without sadness we become numb and dumb to our own humanity.  If we are missing out on significant sadness of the world we are missing out on a significant amount of our own potential humanity.  

Without sadness we miss out on sublime wisdom, and humane wisdom.  
Because sadness gives strength, we miss out on strength that supports the actuation of that wisdom.

Without sadness we are so much weaker as a species.


 Personal trade-  by personal trade, I mean a high-touch interaction in the process  
  of buying (like buying from, while chatting to, a local market vendor), but included
  in/with this, the process of the buyer getting to truly know the life of the seller.  



Example(s):  


A very simple example is products bought overseas come with a letter (and maybe a picture) openly and honestly communicating part(s) of the seller’s world.  

But I feel that this example isn’t robust enough.  It’s just not enough.  It can be more; there must be better ways- ways to more fully utilize the idea’s potential.



Additional Comment(s):  


What are some other ways we can do this?  Please give ideas in the Comments section!