People Money: The Promise of Regional Currencies - Softcover

Kennedy, Margrit; Lietaer, Bernard; Rogers, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1908009764 ISBN 13: 9781908009760

Publisher: Triarchy Press Ltd, 2012

Synopsis

Three authors with decades of experience have teamed up to provide an up-to-date, state-of-the art field guide to the emerging movement of regional currencies. People Money describes a global movement of people creating their own currencies to support regional business and strengthen their communities. These currencies operate legally alongside Bank Money and Government Money, giving people new choices in an age of transition from outworn financial structures to an era of sustainable abundance. Part One explains the characteristics and purpose of the various models of commercial- and community-oriented currencies, the administration and governance of the currencies, how to cooperate with other financial institutions, clearing systems and the issue of taxation. Part Two focuses on the 'how to' of developing a regional currency, outlining the key principles and design processes, and the benefits that have accrued as a result of their implementation. Finally, the book profiles and interviews some of the leading organisers of regional currencies around the world, explaining their driving passion and the nuances of each of the models - how the currency started, how it developed, the difficulties encountered on the journey, and how these were overcome. The currencies profiles include: Brixton Pound in London; The Business Exchange in Scotland; Blaengarw Time Centre in South Wales; Community Exchange System in South Africa; Chiemgauer in Germany; BerkShares, Equal Dollars, Ithaca HOURS and Dane County Time Bank in the USA; and many others.

About this title

About the Author

Prof. Dr. Margrit Kennedy is an architect with a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning and a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs, who worked for UNESCO and OECD and was a professor for Ecological Building Technologies in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hanover. Projects in ecological architecture for the International Building Exhibition Berlin in 1987 led her to the discovery that it is virtually impossible to carry out sound ecological concepts on the scale required today without fundamentally altering the present money system or creating new complementary currencies. In her two books "Interest and Inflation Free Money" (1987 - translated into 23 languages since) and "Occupy Money" (2012) she explores the systemic problems of the present system and the advantages of using new complementary monetary designs. Her work in this field has been instrumental for the start of more than 60 regional currency initiatives in the German speaking parts of Europe. Bernard LIETAER has been active in money systems for 35 years in an unusual variety of functions. While at the Central Bank in Belgium he co-designed and implemented the convergence mechanism (ECU) to the single European currency system and served as President of Belgium's Electronic Payment System. He was General Manager and Currency Trader for the Gaia Hedge Funds, when Business Week identified him in 1990 as the world's top trader. He is currently Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, and Visiting Professor at the Finance University in Moscow. He is the author of fifteen books relating to monetary and financial issues. John Rogers cut his teeth with local currencies by running a local exchange system in Wales for 10 years. He co-founded the Wales Institute for Community Currencies at the University of Newport, which he directed with Geoff Thomas from 2003-2007. They coordinated research into the effects of time banking in ex-mining communities, which was published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 'Hidden Work'. He now offers training and consulting for local currencies through Value for People and has spoken and led workshops at many international conferences.

Edition details

• Publisher: Triarchy Press Ltd
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1908009764
• ISBN 13: 9781908009760
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 258