In today's society, economic indicators sound like this:

• Unemployment is up.
• Christmas spending is lagging
• Many companies are reorganizing or merging.
• New car sales have slowed.

Dana Jones, editor of Response, says it's time to re-define economic indicators and start asking questions about the impact these statistics have on women, children and youth:

"How many of the additional unemployed folks are women, persons of color, youth?  Why was Christmas spending down?  Were people deciding to focus less on the commercial side of Christmas and more on the spiritual side?" 

Ms. Jones asks other questions then explains that this Response asks us to understand our role in world trade, even in our daily routines.

"Let us name economic indicators that measure the success of the world economy in terms of numbers of people fed and clothed, sheltered and employed, educated and healthy,"  Ms. Jones says.

Bible Study:  The Earth is the Lord's
by Marilyn Clement and Dana E. Jones

These writers look at Psalms 24:1-2.  They question world trade actions that go against the verse, "The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it."   They contend that as Christians, we must challenge a world trade system that places more and more of God's Creation in the hands of fewer and fewer people.

United Methodist Women members have careers ranging from doctors to farmers to scientists to film makers to carpenters, and more.  They care family members without pay.  They volunteer.  And they consume.  In all these roles, they are involved in trade.  This article looks at 

• the day to day marketing decisions we make and how we can ensure fair trade,
• trade language and deceptive terminology, and
• ways United Methodist Women seek economic justice that keep with Christian values.

Burma Ruling Favors Corporations

This article looks at the June 2000 Supreme Court Decision that ruled against a Massachusetts law designed to challenge slave labor conditions in Burma.  It was win for big business and a set back for those who use purchasing power to address human rights violations. 

You can't offer people democracy and free enterprise without the tool of capitalism:  capital.  The Women's Division was among one of the organizations to oppose apartheid then help put the tool of access to capital in place.  Shared Interest is an organization which gives South Africans of color access to credit, which they had been denied under apartheid.

Have you ever thought about the deluxe hamburger you ate recently?  the hamburger could have been processed in four countries by a transnational corporation based in the United States.  The cheese may have been imported but processed in Wisconsin.  The lettuce and tomatoes could have been part of the more than a third of the fruits and vegetables imported to the U.S.  This article traces the history of your burger and the public policy you can affect to ensure it addresses your Christian values.

A U.S. $60 loan helped Victoria Garcia pay for the bricks and labor to rebuild her outdoor oven, which slid down the mountain when the 1998 hurricane hit Honduras.  After repaying the first loan, she took out a second, to build a kiln for firing decorative ceramics.  Sales of these items have enabled her family to have a regular income.  This is one example of microcredit working for women in impoverished countries.  This article looks at the pluses and limitations of microcredit, the involvement of the Church, and programs that are just a part of the poverty solution.

WTO Entry Threatens to Displace Chinese Farmers

As China prepares to enter the global market economy, World Trade Organization rules hold potentially devastating consequences for the majority of Chinese agricultural workers.  This article looks at the growing class gap now and rising tensions within the working classes, and how WTO entry would affect this.