WHAT IS LOVING CARE?
While many of us associate “money” and “regulation” with larger systems, like governments and workplaces, “loving care” comes to mind with small systems, like families, friendships, and community. While love’s life-saving value is incalculable, why does it feel counterintuitive to design love into larger systems?
We think of loving care, MJN’s second value, as a form of infrastructure & capacity building. We ask: what cultural practices and structures might help make loving care a norm within organizations? And, what is the future of work in which loving care is normal?
LOVING CARE IS AN ACTION
… To design systems that: foster the capacity of members to build kinship, authentic relationship, compassion, and mutual understanding; enable individuals to feel and value collective good; and center well-being.
LOVING CARE IS A FUTURE
… In which loving care is a norm of all systems. Then, we believe we’ll see happier, healthier people and harmony & synergy in everyday relationships, recognizing that systems are simply relational models.
5 CHARACTERISTICS
Our working descriptions have led us to characteristics we can begin to practice in our operations, finance, and programs, while gathering feedback and evolving as we go. We're working towards deep dives on each of these characteristics.
PRACTICE & LISTEN
There are tensions. Like: How do we take care of everyone while recognizing that deadlines sometimes control us? And as organization operating on a small budget, what do we do when we cannot offer health insurance, let alone full time salaries?
We don't have answers to questions. But looking for alternatives now will prevent us from falling into the trap of scarcity norms.