The Economy of Francesco (EoF) conference, Restarting the Economy, was held at Castel Gondolfo and the Borgo Laudato Si, November 27-30, 2025, offering a very special occasion for exchange and collaboration. EoF is a global community of young economists, entrepreneurs and change-makers from over 100 countries, committed to “giving a soul to the economy” (Pope Francis, who initiated EoF in 2019).
About 300 people attended, the great majority under 40 years of age. Many had attended the first EoF conference in 2022. The 2025 conference was structured to enable individuals to share their EoF related projects on stage, at breakout sessions and booths, and through poster presentations.
Rick Clugston, ECI Council member and co-editor of our book, “Envisioning and Evaluating our Contributions to Planetary Well-being through the Lens of the Earth Charter” took part in this special gathering and made a presentation (and poster) describing the findings from this publication.
For instance, the diverse authors of the book’s 20 chapters emphasize the need to go beyond GDP growth as the central measure of a nation’s progress. They recommend adopting indicators based on the Earth Charter’s values and principles in order to create economies grounded in respect and care for the community of life.
The book “Envisioning and Evaluating our Contributions to Planetary Well-being through the Lens of the Earth Charter”, published by Upeace Press in collaboration with Earth Charter International can be found in the link below:
EoF has 12 thematic working groups. We will continue to explore further how to integrate the Earth Charter’s indicators for Planetary Well-being in the EoF’s work on Life and Lifestyle; Spirituality and the SDGs; and How to Measure Fraternity.
EoF event was organized along the following vision:
What if we stopped… and restarted?
For too long, the global economy has run on exhaustion: of resources, of people, of time. It has been shaped by accumulation without limits, progress without pause, and growth without soul. But the Jubilee Year 2025 — together with the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures — offers us a unique moment: to pause, reflect, and begin again.
Restarting the Economy is not just a slogan. It’s a choice.
