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Alternative currencies and MetM?

RBW Rachel B. Wickert Public Seen by 9

One of our website revisions is a mention of alternative currencies. See at the bottom of Our service page, in the Terms & Conditions section : http://www.minds-et-motion.com/workinprogress/

It says "Wherever possible we will also consider alternative currency systems such as time banking or in-kind exchanges for example. We are exploring ways to integrate an alternative currency system to our work. Don't hesitate to contact us to find out more."

We've explained the background to this in our latest update : http://rdwbizz.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/metm-update-2.html

Any comment, idea or suggestion welcome!

RBW

Rachel B. Wickert Sun 8 Dec 2013 5:07PM

Merci pour le partage @dechenne !

Des applications concrètes du Time Banking = la Banque du Temps une manière innovante de valoriser des ressources présentes mais pas tjrs quantifiables financièrement #complementarycurrency

Reportage ARTE: http://gensol.arte.tv/time-bank/
Lien vers un réseau belge: http://www.sel-lets.be

Je pense effectivement que Terre Magenta pourrait bénéficier beaucoup de ce système. Selon mes recherches ici en angleterre et ailleurs, l'application d'un système ne demande qu'un coût administratif minimal mais important d'y penser. A savoir un logiciel adéquat d'enregistrement des demandes et offres ainsi qu'un facilitateur.

RBW

Rachel B. Wickert Tue 17 Dec 2013 5:49PM

At last! I've found a group called Community Currencies in Action CCIA that seems to be a rallying point for all things linked to alternative currencies. Just received their newsletter from my contact at the New Economic Foundation. They are launching an online encyclopaedia. Great! Here is the link to the newsletter which is full of info including new initiatives in Belgium and Spain: http://t.co/LUQccGZv7E

RBW

Rachel B. Wickert Tue 28 Jan 2014 10:35AM

How to create a local community currency? Comment créer une monnaie locale?

Bret Scott tweeted this link this morning.

An #opensource platform for community exchange: Check out @OpenLETS http://www.openlets.org @CCIA_EU
It is also in French (http://www.openlets.org/fr) and Russian amongst other languages.

Looks like a useful resource to help communities create their local currencies with examples of successful ones.

GJ

Gwyn Jones Tue 28 Jan 2014 1:01PM

Rachel, thanks for inviting me in. Recently I have been in contact with Bristol Pound, Lewes Pound, Brixton/Lambeth Pound and Totnes Pound as well as the guys at nef who are working on "complementary" currencies so this invite is very aposite.

These contacts are in the context of "Reward Your World" a bunch of inspired guys who are building community schemes that reward "behaviour change" (based on values, not money) with "better points" that can be donated to charities or used in local businesses. We are exploring how these systems can be integrated with the local "pounds". This could give them more reach to more members of the community and provide an on-line "e-pound" capability. It's got some interesting twists in the details but looks feasible.

RBW

Rachel B. Wickert Tue 28 Jan 2014 4:41PM

Thanks @gwynjones for sharing the info about the "Reward Your World" initiative. I would be interested to read more about the twists to find if there is anything promising as far as MetM is concerned...

GJ

Gwyn Jones Tue 28 Jan 2014 5:48PM

You've mentioned the main one which is taxes - but this can also extend to state benefits. This only matters if the amount of alternative currency, or any payment in kind is significant and could be construed by the authorities as "income". Concessions can be agreed with DWP for specific schemes where the amounts are trivial. However in a "bartering" scheme I imagine the amounts could be considerable but I guess you're addressing that.

The other issues are in on-going discussions and will be for some time...

RBW

Rachel B. Wickert Fri 31 Jan 2014 9:56AM

Hi @gwynjones ,

Your comments about the "Reward Your World" initiative made me think of an email exchange I had in August last year with Geert Hofman @geerthofman . He is also involved in several projects of a similar nature in Belgium at the University College of West-Flanders. They were at the experimental phase at the time. It would be good to hear an update from Geert actually. I am copying the description Geert sent me:

"1. A first project is an ESF (European Social Fund) project trying to create a kind of oasis for older unemployed people where they can work on their skills, interests or future potential through a social platform where businesses, social support services and individuals meet in a casual way. It would lead to far to explain the whole concept, but one of the important aspects of the project is using complementary money for services and products exchanged through this platform. We would be building this aspect of the projects based on LETS, without focusing on the local element but rather on a common interest in producing a saner labor market (an interest shared by companies, social organisations and individuals alike). We are currently in a prototyping phase of the project and should begin experimenting with real businesses, organisations and people by September 2014. It will be very important that we have a large enough community to make this work.

  1. A second project concerns the use of alternative currencies in the context of our college. It would also be the intention here to base the system on LETS but with an explicit focus on other organizations on an equal footing with students and staff.

In both cases I think the important factor will be a common goal and a large and diverse enough community. Both examples would make no attempt to make a connection to regular currencies to avoid legal and ethical complications."

Rachel