Order of the Teaspoon
On the 17th of August 2006, in Stockholm, Sweden, The Order of the Teaspoon was launched with enthusiasm and festivity in the presence of its spiritual originator, Amos Oz. The Order’s motto and message is “For tolerance, against fanaticism” and was inspired by the following words by Amos Oz from his book “How to Cure a Fanatic”:
“I believe that if one person is watching a huge calamity, let’s say a conflagration, a fire, there are always three principle options.
1. Run away, as far away and as fast as you can and let those who cannot run burn.
2. Write a very angry letter to the editor of your paper demanding that the responsible people be removed from office with disgrace. Or, for that matter, launch a demonstration.
3.Bring a bucket of water and throw it on the fire, and if you don’t have a bucket, bring a glass, and if you don’t have a glass, use a teaspoon, everyone has a teaspoon. And yes, I know a teaspoon is little and the fire is huge but there are millions of us and each one of us has a teaspoon. Now I would like to establish the Order of the Teaspoon. People who share my attitude, not the run away attitude, or the letter attitude, but the teaspoon attitude – I would like them to walk around wearing a little teaspoon on the lapel of their jackets, so that we know that we are in the same movement, in the same brotherhood, in the same order, The Order of the Teaspoon.
In Sweden people are now wearing a little teaspoon on the lapel of their jacket or around their necks as proof of their membership, in the same brotherhood as Amos Oz. Of the money that they have paid for the spoon, around 40 Euros, half goes to manufacturing the spoon (in real silver, created by well-known designer Lo Pettersson), the other half goes to a fund that each year gives grants to projects and people who contribute to society in the spirit of the Order: For tolerance, against fanaticism.
The Order of the Teaspoon is the result of a cooperation between Amos Oz’, Swedish publisher Wahlström & Widstrand and the quality magazine Vi (founded in 1913 and owned by the Swedish cooperative movement). The magazine wrote about the idea, published a long interview with Amos Oz and distributed, free of charge, the Swedish translation of “How to Cure a Fanatic” to all its 40 000 subscribers.
The Order, in the legal form of a foundation, has a prestigious board where Amos Oz has accepted to be an honorary member of the board.
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If you would like to support the Order of the Teaspoon, you can buy a teaspoon pin to put on your dress/jacket/tie. We also offer the spoon as a necklace and earrings. If you are interested in purchasing a Teaspoon please fill out the order form here.
You can also contribute to the Order of the Teaspoon by a direct payment to our account, plusgiro number 40 89 48 -8. If you are in another country please use: IBAN (International Bank Account Number): SE53 9500 0099 6026 0894 1031. BIC (Bank International Code): NDEASESS
