Further reading about currency and economics
Money and its secrets
by Bernard Lietaer and Gwendolyn Hallsmith is a practical guide to setting up community currencies.
- Money as Debt
Paul Grignon's 47-minute animated video presentation of "Money as Debt" tells in very simple and effective graphic terms what money is and how it is being created. It is an entertaining way to get the message out.
- La Double Face de la Monnaie' (Two Faces of Money)A recent French film (with English subtitles) is a great introduction to CCs to complement the above:
- Community Currencies: A New Tool for the 21st Century An overview by Bernard A. Lietaer
- New Money for Healthy Communities A complete downloadable book by Thomas Greco.
- Monetary Reform - Making it Happen Complete downloadable book by James Robertson & John Bunzl
Why complementary currencies?
- The vernacular economy
From Soil and Soul by Alister McIntosh (2004, Arum Press)
In the Hebridean vernacular economy, people understood themselves to be responsible for one another. Everyone was their brother's and sister's keeper. - Interview with Bernard Lietaer
'Money is like an iron ring we've put through our noses. We've forgotten that we designed it, and it's now leading us around. I think it's time to figure out where we want to go - in my opinion toward sustainability and community - and then design a money system that gets us there.' - Conserving Communities
by Wendell Berry
'These rules may seem radical, but only because the modern national and global economies have been formed in almost perfect disregard of community and ecological interests.' - Community currency
An updated wikipedia overview of the what, wheres and whys of local currencies.
Examples of complementary currencies
- A global database of CCs
developed by Stephen de Meulenaere in Indonesia - CC related videos
collected by Stephen de Meulenaere - Another comprehensive resource section
from John Rogers, who is developing a complementary curency design manual - Berkshares
BerkShares was launched in 2006 in Berkshire, Massachusetts, by a coalition of local business owners and community activists looking for a way to strengthen community ties and encourage local purchasing. Today, more than 280 merchants participate in the program, and more than $1.5 million in BerkShares was in circulation by the end of 2007. - The Eko
A community currency launched in May 2002 in Findhorn, Scotland. Since the initial successful trial period, 15-20,000 ekos have been in permanent circulation.
*Totnes Pounds
Launched in March 2007, the Totnes Pound has captured the imagination of the national press. In phase 2, up to 20,000 Totnes Pounds were issued. - Chiemgauer is the name of a community currency started in Bavaria in 2003. As of 12/2007, it had 2,400 members, 630 businesses and 180,000 Chiemgauer in circulation (85,000 electronic)
- Open Money is a means of exchange, related to LETs, freely open for all.
How do you start a complementary currency?
Read, ask questions, put aside all preconceptions, be bold.
- The Community Currency Guide
by Bernard Leitaer and Gwendolyn Hallsmith is a good first step.
Get involved: contact hello [at] TransitionTownLewes.org.uk
