brazil & belgium cc
complementary currencies
as shared by Bernard (and Gwen) – Michel shared this podcast on the p2p foundation site:
Occupy Wall Street has directed our attention to the extreme concentration of wealth resulting from decades of policy designed to trickle down prosperity. Through using a single type of bank debt currency, we allocate our labor and resources to benefit a global elite instead of our communities. Can we engage our local leaders and municipal governments to break this currency monoculture? Can global examples of currency ecology provide a map for improving educational experiences, enhancing the arts and building resilience to the fragility of central bank finance mechanisms?
In Extraenvironmentalist #29 we speak with Gwendolyn Hallsmith and Bernard Lietaerabout Creating Wealth: Growing Local Economies with Local Currencies, their recent book on how to implement complimentary currency systems while creating intentional cities with money ecosystems. We cover examples of complimentary currencies in Brazil (saber), the United States (time banking), Switzerland (WIR), Belgium, Lithuania and Uruguay (C3) to demonstrate how alternative forms of money can help to enhance our education, business and sense of community. Could the WIR be the reason for Switzerland’s stability? Are there ways to retool education funding that could help us realize our dreams?
knowledge – currency
bernard – 34 min in..
Brazil (saber)
7 yr old gets a currency if they choose a mentor..
chain of teaching until 17..
then have enough to use for uni..
came form phone 1% – this is 100 times more.. because every time kid teaches.. learns more and earns more..
37 min
ie: if have a dream – make a contract…
what you’re really calling for is monetary reform..
46 min – great insight from Gwendolyn.. on how to value things that matter – says we’re failing with things we need in abundance…all the things that we spend our time on .. that make us human beings.. that money/govt/et al don’t value
54 min – municipalities learn from each other quite quickly… people don’t realize the power of municipal govt
55 – 2010 in belgium.. can you make that (ghetto) neighborhood a pleasant place to live.. we found out what the people really dreamed of – where small gardens.. so we helped prepare that..
Belgium –
experimental currency in belgium – Torekes. – dream was to have a bit of garden
we need to get outside of the money box
“a political democracy without a monetary democracy is ineffective.”
More than one currency is required in order to do things effectively.
Torekes are earned through various activities that promote urban agricultural projects — community gardens, cleaning up neighborhoods, etc. — and can be spent on material that goes towards maintaining an effective agricultural space.
alternate currencies to get at unused resources
59 – a program that doesn’t take much money – mostly organization…
1 hour – local currencies are easiest to just get going – take matters in own hand..
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be you. 