The money are not coming to all the way they should.
This is not because you are lazy, careless, or other, but may be because you are hit by global forces, the cold winds from the investors are blowing your way. The factories in your neighbourhood are closing, the markets are disappearing, the smallholding food growers go away, the small shops and makers of stuff of many kinds are closing down, there is little for you to do where you live. Everything is done elsewhere – in the big factories, in the huge malls, on the huge farms, efficiency is increasing, the need for people is dwindling, diversity of offerings is being reduced, what you get is cheap and good. The economics of scale is the chief factor to consider, some say the only one, as this is best for investors. The social consequences are dire, but not a theme to consider right now, perhaps later.
And the investors are a restless bunch, and never satisfied, they roam the world for growth, for profit, constantly innovating in their creative destruction – whether it is chicken farming or PC-production. Their focus is constant, unwavering. Locals outside the production units are just so much biomass.
You are left behind and destitute – with a family to support. Your neighbours are hit too – your community is in a bad state. You barely scrape by. This illness is slowly spreading to several parts of the world, and it will accelerate as the years go by. Youths are hardest hit – they have nothing and little chance of getting any. For many places this is a huge exaggeration, it is not like this at all. But beware, the trend is scary!
This can not go on, the tide must be turned.
And little things are happening – new ways are found. one of the most interesting one is Equal Dollars.
Quote: ”Equal Dollars is a thriving community currency program run by Resources for Human Development, a national human services nonprofit with headquarters in Philadelphia. This currency promotes the exchange of goods, services and labor through a membership network and adds vitality to local economies where U.S. Dollars are scarce and expensive while local labor and goods are abundant but not fully used. Local businesses that accept the currency build stronger relationships and greater affinity within the community. People and businesses that join and use the currency make a conscious commitment to support their local economy by buying within the community.”
So people are there, they can and will work, but is not being used. But a bit of wise organisation is helping.
A new way has been found where people can sign up, get a basic number og Equal Dollars, use them to buy from the local firms that are part of the program, then they can sign up for volunteer work and earn more Equal Dollars, so they can buy more. A beneficial circle has been started, people are using their work power, they exchange that with others, people are starting to exchange services, stretching their money.
There are also community enrichment workshops,where persons come together to learn from each other, there are flea markets and farmers markets where you can pay with equal dollars or equal amounts of volunteer dollars, and work exchanges where you can give an have work in return. Coupon swaps are also being organised where you can put food or other coupons into the system and have them exchanged for coupons for items you would like to have.
There is also a business to business side to this as businesses are starting to exchange labour or barter goods.
There is a very crucial side to this – when you have little money you can give your time, receive other people’s time, you build relationships, they will gradually widen as more people are going into the system, you create good dependencies, you build community, we are back at our roots where people helped each other out and social relations are widening in a positive way. The local local labor and goods are there and more can be found!
This is a solution in the making, indicating good will and illustrating good principles. How much can you do locally and how much do you have to get from elsewhere, from the big businesses? How much money do you really need? the thinking is not new, but it goes against global tendencies where everything is soon to be made elsewhere on a huge scale. But life is surely much more than large scale production and consumption?
Local is good, local is where you start and do your living – local could be all you need really. Will the future bring us back ro our roots – where the good life is?
“Equalizing the economic playing field in our communities. ” Yeah – we need that.
see: Equal Dollars
