New ideas around Money

A Massachusetts local currency gets international attention


A Dutch nonprofit provides $500,000 grant to start loan program for increasingly popular BerkShares.

The currency is available only in the Berkshires region of western Massachusetts. The area, which long ago embraced the organic and shop-local movements, decided in 2006 to take it a step further by creating its own currency. Town leaders hoped it would encourage people to shop only in stores in Berkshire County.

People can now walk into five banks across the county and change dollars into BerkShares. More than 400 businesses accept the alternative currency. Now 140,000 bills are in circulation, in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20 and 50 that bear images of local heroes and landscapes.

http://america.aljazeera.com/article...attention.html

And what about time as currency?

NEW YORK — Carmen Barbosa used to work in a Bronx factory stitching bathrobes designed by Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers for $8 an hour. The factory closed five years ago. Now Barbosa teaches a knitting class at a recreation center in Washington Heights on Friday mornings from 10 until noon, for which she receives two time credits per class. She has more than 650 hours logged in her time bank account.

Barbosa, 75, is a member of the largest time bank in the country, coordinated by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Founded in 2006, it now has more than 3,000 members. Time bankers teach classes — current offerings include tai chi, knitting, stress management and calligraphy. They also cook, clean, buy each other groceries, tutor, fix computers, pet-sit and lay tile. No money is ever exchanged. They offer one another their time, measured in hour-long units. All labor is created equal: An hour spent balancing a checkbook is no different than an hour cleaning a toilet. “Everyone’s time is worth the same,” says Mashi Blech, the founder and director of the VNSNY time bank.

http://america.aljazeera.com/article...scurrency.html

They made a choice.:thup:
Miraculous.:rolleyes:

A joyous story.

Quote:

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Originally posted by BabaRa

And what about time as currency?

NEW YORK — Carmen Barbosa used to work in a Bronx factory stitching bathrobes designed by Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers for $8 an hour. The factory closed five years ago. Now Barbosa teaches a knitting class at a recreation center in Washington Heights on Friday mornings from 10 until noon, for which she receives two time credits per class. She has more than 650 hours logged in her time bank account.

Barbosa, 75, is a member of the largest time bank in the country, coordinated by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Founded in 2006, it now has more than 3,000 members. Time bankers teach classes — current offerings include tai chi, knitting, stress management and calligraphy. They also cook, clean, buy each other groceries, tutor, fix computers, pet-sit and lay tile. No money is ever exchanged. They offer one another their time, measured in hour-long units. All labor is created equal: An hour spent balancing a checkbook is no different than an hour cleaning a toilet. “Everyone’s time is worth the same,” says Mashi Blech, the founder and director of the VNSNY time bank.

http://america.aljazeera.com/article...scurrency.html

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It's a start and a good one at that, IMO.

The model is reasonable for now as well.

Egalitarian, as a core time/work principle is refreshing.

Quote:

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Originally posted by BabaRa

And what about time as currency?

NEW YORK — Carmen Barbosa used to work in a Bronx factory stitching bathrobes designed by Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers for $8 an hour. The factory closed five years ago. Now Barbosa teaches a knitting class at a recreation center in Washington Heights on Friday mornings from 10 until noon, for which she receives two time credits per class. She has more than 650 hours logged in her time bank account.

Barbosa, 75, is a member of the largest time bank in the country, coordinated by the Visiting Nurse Service of New York. Founded in 2006, it now has more than 3,000 members. Time bankers teach classes — current offerings include tai chi, knitting, stress management and calligraphy. They also cook, clean, buy each other groceries, tutor, fix computers, pet-sit and lay tile. No money is ever exchanged. They offer one another their time, measured in hour-long units. All labor is created equal: An hour spent balancing a checkbook is no different than an hour cleaning a toilet. “Everyone’s time is worth the same,” says Mashi Blech, the founder and director of the VNSNY time bank.

http://america.aljazeera.com/article...scurrency.html

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Exchanging one currency for another does nothing for me, but this time exchange I find really great. Is there not a saying that time is money ? I'll be chewing on that thought for a while (I must have cow medicine LOL). Thanks for sharing.

Wasn't sure where to plop this - here or in the bitcoin thread.

Interesting anyway.

http://motherboard.vice.com/blog/in-...cryptocurrency

Michael Tellinger is working with a system called contributionism. Suffix aside, it is a workable system. With aligned people.

It is also known as Ubuntu.
http://www.michaeltellinger.com/ubuntu-cont.php

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Originally posted by modwiz

Michael Tellinger is working with a system called contributionism. Suffix aside, it is a workable system. With aligned people.

It is also known as Ubuntu.
http://www.michaeltellinger.com/ubuntu-cont.php

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Sounds good on paper. Naturally, any new system will probably need adjustments along the way.

I think it's wonderful that the world is thinking of all these different possibilities, that will hopefully lead to the end of the control of the elite.

Difficult to say which one will take - and it may be that each area will find that a different one works better in their community than another - although, I do feel there will have to be something that is internationally accepted, since we are such a global community. Just wonderful that people are exploring with these different concepts.

And Sooz, thanks for your contribution; I've been wondering what's going on in Iceland these days.

Money and culture, probably the two biggest concepts we have to re-invent. Currently, culture serves money. The equation has to be turned around so that money serves culture. One can see how they need to be constructed simultaneously for a dynamic interplay to occur. This would allow for adjustments as the learning curve improves.

Important thread, Barbara.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Moonlight

Exchanging one currency for another does nothing for me, but this time exchange I find really great. Is there not a saying that time is money ? I'll be chewing on that thought for a while (I must have cow medicine LOL). Thanks for sharing.

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I have some history in LETS ( local exchange and trade system). But somehow never could realy get into it.
Just recently though in our community there is a facebook initiative in which people will "sell" stuff they don't need for small household items.
Say a bar of chocolate, a sachel of coffee, washing powder that sort of thing. as more and more people join in some people started giving their stuff away. including vegies etc.

As we as a family have to live on the cheapish side. the vegies come in handy.
And as we always seem to coock too much, we get people stopping by and picking up their dinner.

Wonderful development. not extremely well thought out. Just started by a few and slowly growing organicaly..

WIth Love
Eelco

Ubuntu: "I am because we are."

The following is taken from The Philosophy of Ubuntu...found at http://liberatedway.com/2013/08/17/p...phy-of-ubuntu/.....

"Ubuntu described beautifully in several blogs by the following story:

A researcher placed a basket of fruit by a tree, then challenged a bunch of children to race to the tree, the winner would win the basket of fruit. The children responded by holding hands then running to the tree together where they sat down and shared out the fruit. The researcher asked the children why they had done this as the winner could have taken the fruit for themselves as the winner of the race, the children responded, “UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”

Ubuntu means in the Xhosa tribal culture “I am because we are.” The Xhosa are a tribal culture in the south-east of South Africa who include famous members such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Ubuntu places otherness above the individual, thus they say:

“I am happy, because you are happy. “"

Quote:

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Originally posted by Melidae

Ubuntu: "I am because we are."

The following is taken from The Philosophy of Ubuntu...found at http://liberatedway.com/2013/08/17/p...phy-of-ubuntu/.....

"Ubuntu described beautifully in several blogs by the following story:

A researcher placed a basket of fruit by a tree, then challenged a bunch of children to race to the tree, the winner would win the basket of fruit. The children responded by holding hands then running to the tree together where they sat down and shared out the fruit. The researcher asked the children why they had done this as the winner could have taken the fruit for themselves as the winner of the race, the children responded, “UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the others are sad?”

Ubuntu means in the Xhosa tribal culture “I am because we are.” The Xhosa are a tribal culture in the south-east of South Africa who include famous members such as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Ubuntu places otherness above the individual, thus they say:

“I am happy, because you are happy. “"

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What a wonderful story, Melidae.

Reminds me of this one. In the Special Olympics (for those not familiar they are for the handicapped). Ten children were having a foot race. One fell down and cried out. The other 9 children stopped turned around and went back to the fallen child, helped him up and then they all linked arms and skipped to the finish line together. Everyone was a winner.

I think both these stories come under the heading "Let the children show the way." They had not yet been programmed to be competitive.

The only person I will compete with is myself. It is a productive use of any competitive energy. I am always the winner and there are no losers.

Quote:

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Originally posted by modwiz

The only person I will compete with is myself. It is a productive use of any competitive energy. I am always the winner and there are no losers.

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Stacked deck, eh!:whstl:

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Originally posted by BabaRa

Stacked deck, eh!:whstl:

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Yes. Stacked fairly high too.:p