Amnesty International Taiwan English Speaking Meet Up Group

Join us for a discussion of The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. In the book, Indigenous scientist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer reflects on harvesting serviceberries, using this simple act to explore the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. Drawing on Indigenous knowledge and the wisdom of the natural world, she invites us to reconsider what we value and how we relate to one another and the environment. She writes how our current economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources; that while we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude.

During the gathering we will discover how to bring the book’s suggestions into our own lives by discussing these questions:

• The author acknowledges being "harnessed to this economy" while working toward something better, and argues for creating gift economies in the gaps, openings, and edges. How do you navigate the tension between participating in the current economic system while trying to create positive change?
• How might you instill the principles of the gift economy in your own community? What is something you can do next week to grow a gift economy in one of your communities?
• “Recognizing ‘enoughness’ is a radical act in an economy that is always urging us to consume more,” writes Wall Kimmerer. Do you agree? What are some things that people do when they don't think they're enough, and how does this affect the community?
• What are some ways you find helpful in recognizing, and perhaps even celebrating, ‘enoughness’? What is an action you can take to foster “enoughness” within yourself; how about for someone else?

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