March 12, 2009

Alternative Money Systems

At the moment I am researching some alternative Money Systems for use as an online software system for a LETS job agency in Groningen in the Netherlands (Dutch: LETS uitzendbureau). We will work under the name LETSwerk.nl
Looking at the following softwarelist (http://www.complementarycurrency.org/software.html).
The system should be able to have multiple currencies. We will use time (like time-banks), LETS (local barter units) and conventional money (Euro). 
After lots of research we will begin to use Cyclos as our main banking and administration software. Before this I tried CuroMuto.com as a test environment but I could not get this barternetwork to work.

Just before this post I joined http://stroomgeld.ning.com/ (dutch) aiming at an ecosophical approach using Bernard Lietaer's book 'The Future of Money'. A good portal-page about complementary economics in the Netherlands (including international links) is: http://complementaire-economie.startpagina.nl/

There are many web sites dealing with alternative money systems and related issues. The following are some of the most interesting (list from: http://www.ces.org.za/misc/links.htm)
Alternative Money Systems
The following resources are to help you understand the nature of money-as-we-know-it and why we need a new money system.
Documents, Books and Articles
Monetary Reform
Monetary History
Miscellaneous
  • Money, Banking and Credit. This site is devoted to the issues of money, banking, fiscal, and monetary policy and their impacts on families and the nation as a whole
  • The People vs The Banks - Class action suit on behalf of the people of Canada alleging that financial institutions are illegally creating money.
Peak Oil
Video
  • CC Video. Collection of videos on complementary currency systems
  • Money as Debt [Google video]
    Paul Grignon's 47-minute animated 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. The Cowichan Citizens Coalition and its "Duncan Initiative" received high praise from those who previewed it. I recommend it as a painless but hard-hitting educational tool and encourage the widest distribution and use by all groups concerned with the present unsustainable monetary system in Canada and the United States.
  • The Money Masters [Google video]
    How International Bankers Gained Control of America
  • Monopoly Men - Federal Reserve Fraud (1999)
  • Suzao Media
    A good collection of videos on money and debt
[this post was updated on december 3, 2009.] 

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