TEDxDelft 2013 | Damaris Matthijsen: Creating an economy that honors life

Social entrepreneur Damaris Matthijsen had everyone spellbound as she walk onto stage through the aisles singing a haunting melody. She started off with a thought provoking game. The audience was asked to stand and represent certain words through action. The word ‘Freedom’ got a loud “yay” and hand wave, while  ‘Brotherhood’ had people hugging each other. Then came the tricky word – ‘Equality’. After a momentary pause, people held hands.

The trinity -Freedom, Brotherhood and Equality – is what Matthijsen considers key to a new approach to an economy- one that honors life. Founder of the pioneering economic movement – Economy Transformers – Matthijsen believes that current economic structures disregard human life and contribution. “Three things that will bring life back into the economy are to recognize the heart as a compass for society, to develop the heart, mind and willpower and to have a holistic approach to every aspect of life and economy.”

While working for a bank, Matthijsen found herself uncomfortable with how unimportant people were in the larger scheme of things. A former colleague’s suggestion was: ‘once you turn the key in the lock of your front door, leave yourself at home’.

But Matthijsen disagrees. “Don’t leave yourself at home. Listen to your inner voice and create a world that you would want to live in. That’s your future economy.”