The Aspen Network | The Aspen Project

The Aspen Project,

it's members and participants have begun to pave the way.

We found our people.

The Aspen Network is the end game.

Question: Do you believe that a very significant portion of the world's resources and currency are at least partly under the control of a relatively small group of greedy, power hungry, and even evil people?

Assumed answer: Yes

Follow-up Question: Do you feel like those people represent the majority of the world's population?

Assumed answer: No

So, we are the majority. We; You, me, and what could constitute 99% of the world's inhabitants are not evil, greedy, power hungry, resource controlling, money hoarders.

Why don't we do something about this then?

Sure, they have money, power and resources- but you know where they get all of that? From us.

Let's stop feeding them!

But how?

The Aspen Project is building an enormous following of like minded individuals that agree that there is something very wrong with this system. We are all already creating an impact and momentum to break it down. But if all we're doing is financially helping people we're continuing to feed the beast. We're not solving the problem at it's core, we're actually making it worse. (Skip to "how we'll make it BETTER)

Let's talk about "community" for a moment. Imagine you lived on an island with 98 other people. Between the 99 of you, every skill, every trade, and every necessary trait for survival and growth is present. On this island there is no need for currency. Some grow food, some make clothes, some clean clothes, some build homes, some build boats, some are experts with whatever technology is available. Everyone is bringing something to the table and the community survives based on the contributions of its members; life moves on because of the contributions of the "Community." Scale this island up to encompass the globe, we still have every skill, every trade, and every necessary trait for survival and growth are present. Why don't we operate like this?

At some point, we all agreed that we couldn't live like this anymore. We were coerced by (statistically) the one other person on the island who assured us all of our resources were safe with him. We allowed that person to convince us that they knew right from wrong. We adhered to his rules, his laws, and we allowed his power to grow. We allowed this 1 to become a middle man between our offerings and our neighbors. Our skills, talents, interests and passions became commodities that aided in growing the gap between the 1 and the 99.

This gap has grown larger and more evident for generations to the point that now the VAST majority of us have no choice but to play the game. We accept the value placed on our goods and services because the ONE has left us with no other choice. We pay enormously high prices for food that originated as a seed. We must pay this, because we do not have the resources to tend to our own gardens, in the event that we're allowed to have them. Our "Community" was no longer taught how to grow this food, or make these clothes. Basic survival and skills of self-reliance are no longer considered "education". Skills that have been passed down, now feed the machine and the middleman triples the cost and passes on to us. The "community" has been lost, has expired, retired, it is no more.

What if it was possible to build a "community" on a global scale?

What if we brought it back?

What if we cut out the evil greedy, profit seeking middle man?

Within The Aspen Project we have a database of doctors, lawyers, plumbers, chefs, gardeners, yoga instructors, teachers, electricians, home builders, real estate agents, everything that the community needs to survive and THRIVE. We have a network that can work together to service everyone's needs on a global scale. We don't need Target, or Walmart, or Coca-cola, or Budweiser. We have individuals in the community that are passionate and knowledgeable about making furniture, making clothing, teaching, learning, fixing. We have a community that is capable of ANYTHING! With a platform and a willingness to work together we do not need to worry about interest rates, credit scores, inflation, and we certainly don't need to worry about corporate profits.

WE ARE THE SKILL!

WE ARE THE LABOR!

They are simply the convenience that they have convinced us that we need.

We should not be responsible for the cost to ship a strawberry across the country when your neighbors have had a strawberry field forever! We should not be paying for the pesticides and poisons added to our foods, or the advertisements that remind us how readily available this poison is. We flock like sheep behind Super Bowl commercials and joke about the cost of the air time, we joke all the way to the store to pay for these ads and quickly consume the poison they're peddling. We need to stop using our skills and labor to cover the costs of stock splits, and dividends! The machine did not get its power from skill and labor, and our skill and labor will never reap the power we've succumb to.

Our only hope for power and freedom is through

compassion, collaboration, and community.

Compassion, collaboration and community, these are the pillars that The Aspen Project is built on. We've used these pillars to build a network, let's put it to work... together.

Where do we beigin?

When you have clicked on any one of the dozens of "Join" buttons on the site, you've got some data to enter, and some choices to make. Since The Aspen Project is sponsored and run by Seed and Soul Ministry, you have an option to join the church (an even greater cause than the project). You'll have an option to join the Canopy Club (A specific cause oriented, high donation platform). Lastly you will be prompted to opt-in to The Aspen Network. When you opt-in to The Aspen Network you will create an account that feels like a social media platform. When creating the account you will indicate what skills, products or services you're willing and able to contribute to fellow Network members at a rate that is unique to members of the Network. The Network is a non-profit, and the goal is for members to find goods and services that do not include corporate mark-ups.

For example: If you have the skill to replace or fix a water heater, and the company you work for charges $2500- would you be willing to charge considerably less knowing that there will come a time that you will need a videographer for your wedding?

If. you own a restaurant, would you be willing to offer discounts to Network diners knowing that you'll need a new cooler in the kitchen sometime soon?

The Aspen Network members are paying their skills forward, knowing that they will receive compensation through the skills and passions of the Network in their time of need.

This is a social network depending on its membership to grow uncontrollably, and for those members to be committed to compassion, collaboration, and community. By entering your data you're sending out a beacon, letting the community know that you're here to help, also letting them know that there will come a time that you need help... and the community will be here for you.