Our work as NEWGroup begins with the simple premise that the economy is a means, not an end. Its proper purpose is to optimize the long-term health and well-being of those who depend on it for their livelihoods. Consistent with this premise, we envision a healthy planetary system of cooperative, equitable, locally rooted, rule-based market economies that:

• Provide everyone the opportunity for a healthy, dignified and fulfilling life,

• Restore and maintain the vitality of Earth's natural systems,

• Grow the relationships of strong caring communities,
• Encourage economic cooperation framed by rules for enterprises and the market that reflect the public interest and democratically determined priorities,
• Allocate resources equitably to socially and environmentally beneficial uses, and
• Support the democratic ideal of one-person, one-vote citizen sovereignty.

In contrast to the institutions of the casino economy, the defining institutions of the living economies we must now bring into being will be designed to:

• Value life more highly than money,

• Distribute and root economic power in people and communities that have a natural connection to and concern for one another and their place on Earth,
• Support the cooperative sharing of resources, and
• Give priority to building the community wealth essential to the health and well-being of all.