shareable.net
How to Start a Community Currency
By Mira Luna
10.16.12

“Banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies...The issuing power should be taken from the banks and restored to the people, to whom it properly belongs." - Thomas Jefferson

“Let me issue and control a nation’s money and I care not who writes the laws.” - Banker Mayer Amschel Rothschild

The centralized creation of money and credit has a profoundly negative effect on local economies, sovereignty, and social cohesion. Bankers value profit at all costs, while locally-controlled institutions tend to hold other values - like community, justice and sustainability - more highly.

Communities can regain control of the flow of money and credit by issuing their own currency as a complement to conventional money, as electronic barter networks, debit cards, mobile phone payments, Timebanks, LETS, or old-fashioned cash.

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http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-start-a-community-currency

The Time Bank Training with Stephanie Rearick on July 28th was a huge success! Held at Fais Do Do in West Adams, twenty five Time Bank coordinators and enthusiasts gathered to learn from the founder of the Dane County Time Bank in Madison, WI, Stephanie Rearick. Many important topics were covered such as how to deliver a concise elevator speech and how to engage stakeholders. There were several helpful interactive exercises that gave participants opportunities to practice articulating the core values of Time Banking. Stephanie shared the many varied ways that Dane County has applied Time Banking such as a Youth Court, wellness project and energy conservation. Many connections were made throughout the day. Representatives from several Time Banks were present from all over Southern California including Long Beach Time Exchange, Orange County Time Bank, Our Time Bank, North Hollywood Time Bank, Santa Barbara Time Bank and the Arroyo S.E.C.O. Network of Time Banks.

Stephanie also performed some songs for us from her new set called Dreamworld. She played keyboard and trumpet at Pop-Hop on Friday and a little accordion tune at Thank you for Coming on Saturday at their "Not Talent Show". If you haven't heard her music check it out at stephanierearick.com.

Big Thanks to Stephanie, Fais Do Do, The Living Economy Salon, CRSP, The Metabolic Studio, Pop-Hop, Thank you for Coming and Large Marge Sustainables.

Stay tuned for a video of the training thanks to Hollis Doherty and Jason Allen!

Saratoga Patch
Written by Rachel Stober
July 27th, 2013

TimeBanking Begins to Trend in Silicon Valley Residents San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties have begun to trade time for services as part of TimeBank, a new Palo Alto Medical Foundation program.

Time becomes currency and commerce becomes connection in a form of banking finding traction in the Silicon Valley.

Spend an hour walking with an elderly person and someone else will spend an hour moving the furniture in your living room. Invest a solid amount of time in the winter knitting scarves for a father of four and rack up enough hours in your account to have your lawn mowed for the next summer.

Read full article...

Mark your calendars! Dane County Time Bank  Founder and Director Stephanie Rearick will be in Los Angeles July 26th-28th, 2013! This is an amazing opportunity to meet one of the pioneers of the Time Bank movement. She recently participated in the Community Currency Conference in The Netherlands.

Dane County Time Bank in Madison Wisconsin is one of the largest and most active in the country with a Time Dollar store, a youth court and a wellness project. On top of all this Stephanie is an incredible musician and will be performing for us at Pop Hop in Highland Park!

Stephanie Rearick Jr. Performs music from her new track list Dreamworld
Friday, July 26th at 7:00PM
Pop Hop 5002 York Blvd.
LA, CA 90042
http://www.thepophop.com/
http://stephanierearick.com/

Time Bank Musicians Meet up
The Not Talent Show at Thank you For Coming. Come jam with Stephanie!
Saturday, July 27th from 7:00-10:00PM
Thank you for Coming
3416 Glendale Blvd.
L.A. CA 90039
http://www.thankyouforcoming.la/2013/07/saturday-july-27-the-not-talent-show/

Time Bank Training and Rolling Conference
Learn about what goes into maintaining a Time Bank and all of it's many applications.
Sunday, July 28th from 10:00AM-2:00PM
Fais Do Do 5257 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Details: http://www.asntb.com/2/post/2013/07/time-bank-training-stephanie-rearick-rolling-conference-in-los-angeles.html

This summer I visited the New Economics Inst in South Egremont, Massachutess and learned about the successful local currency Berkshares. The Berkshares were launched in 2006 and over two million are in circulation today. They can only be spent at the small local businesses in Great Barrington, MA. The people who choose to use the currency make a conscious commitment to buy local first. Each Berkshare is 95 cents to the dollar. So residents who spend with Berkshares instead of federal dollars save five percent. Six different local banks have partnered with Berkshares, with a total of thirteen branch offices now serving as exchange stations. Four hundred businesses accept Berkshares including grocery stores, restaurants, bed and breakfasts and wellness centers. We spent some of our Berkshares at Guidos, the locally owned grocery store. We bought delicious, locally grown produce and were please to see that Guidos was bustling while the commercial grocery was empty.

Berkshares envisions a diverse and resilient regional economy that supports and prioritizes responsible production and consumption, wherein community members rely on the land and each other to fulfill the basic needs of food, culture, clothing, shelter, and energy.

Berkshares principals are Community, Economy, Ecology and Sustainability.

The Berkshares were spawned from the New Economics Institute (formerly the E.F. Schumacher Society). They experiment with local currencies, community land trusts and micro-loans. They host lectures and other educational events, publish papers and maintain a library to engage scholars and inspire citizen-activists.

It was founded in 1980 by Bob Swan comrade of E.F.Schumacher who wrote the book “Small is Beautiful: Economics as if People and the Planet Mattered”, written 1973.

During our visit we met with Susan Witt, executive director of the New Economics Institute and co-founder the E.F. Schumacher Society with Bob Swan. She schooled us on the rich history of the Institute and the many inspiring experiments with micro loans (SHARE), Community Supported Agriculture (Indian Line Farms) and various currencies. http://www.berkshares.org/about/witt.htm

The Cordwood note was not backed by federal dollars but a cord of wood. A cord of wood is locally used and produced and the locals know the value. What could we back our currency with here in L.A.? A sack of oranges?