Parliament of Bread and Roses

The Parliament of Bread and Roses is a superior ministry of the Vekllei Government.

Read more: Ministry of Culture, Social Economy

The Commonwealth Parliament of Bread and Roses is a superior ministry of the Vekllei Government. It is led by a First Secretary, who reports directly to the Cabinet. Taking its name from the labour organising principle that human dignity requires both material sustenance and spiritual flourishing, the Parliament monitors and maintains the delicate social equilibrium that makes Vekllei’s moneyless society possible.

While other parliaments handle specific policy areas, Bread and Roses operates across all ministries from the perspective of social stability. It coordinates the complex web of reciprocal obligations, community bonds and cultural practices that prevent the commons system from collapsing into either chaos or authoritarianism. The Parliament manages what economists might call “social capital” but which Vekllei people simply understand as courtesy and neighbourliness.

The Parliament’s unique role emerges from recognition that human dignity requires both material security and social belonging. Vekllei’s economy depends not just on abundance but on the principle of subsidiarity – that decisions should be made at the most local level possible, with higher authorities supporting rather than supplanting community initiative. The Parliament cultivates what might be called “social solidarity;” the understanding that individual flourishing depends on the common good.

Broadly, the responsibilities of the Parliament of Bread and Roses include:

• Promotion of human dignity through community integration and social participation.
• Oversight of subsidiarity principles and community self-determination across republics.
• Administration of programmes supporting families, vulnerable populations and social solidarity.
• Management of restorative justice and compromise.
• Coordination of voluntary service and Work Action Groups.
• Planning for social resilience and community preparedness during disruptions.
• Monitoring social cohesion indicators and community health across all republics.
• Oversight of community integration for immigrants and internal migrants.
• Management of social development programmes and experimental community arrangements.
• Administration of volunteer coordination and community service systems.
• Regulation of gift economies, time banks and alternative exchange systems.

The Parliament of Bread and Roses is led by the State Secretary for Bread and Roses, who is a member of the Cabinet. It is represented in the Commonwealth Council by the First Secretary of Bread and Roses.

Social monitoring is conducted through the Bureau of Civic Society, which maintains detailed understanding of social relationships across Vekllei’s scattered communities.

As the guardian of Vekllei’s social fabric, the Parliament ensures that material abundance supports social advancement. It recognises that, in a social economy, social behaviours are economic behaviours and require special attention.