[P2P-F] varoufakis on piketty

Mon Feb 23 00:57:19 CET 2015

It would be much more heartening to see inspiration from Graeber than from
the neoliberal Piketty.

On Sun, Feb 22, 2015 at 5:44 PM, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
wrote:

>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Josef Davies-Coates <jdaviescoates at gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, Feb 23, 2015 at 6:38 AM
> Subject: Re: Community Banking with a transformative difference: Negative
> interest money
>
>
> re global currencies with aligned values, Michel may have mentioned this
> before, but in case he hasn't
>
> http://fair.coop (see pages under Economic System)
>
> Also, Greek's new Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis is a fascinating
> chap.  See e.g. this proposal of his for an FT (Future Taxes) Coin as
> shared on the P2P Foundation blog recently:
>
>
> http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/the-ft-coin-a-complementary-government-currency-proposed-by-yanis-varoufakis/2015/02/19
>
> Other notable things from him I've seen are this critique of PIketty:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNLPO2j9RQ0
> http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue69/Varoufakis69.pdf
>
> And this blog post from his time as Economics at Valve (a hugely
> successful non-hierarchical video game company, where he was responsible
> for e.g.  linking economies in two virtual game environments by creating a
> shared currency)
>
> http://blogs.valvesoftware.com/economics/why-valve-or-what-do-we-need-corporations-for-and-how-does-valves-management-structure-fit-into-todays-corporate-world/
>
>
>
> On 22 February 2015 at 23:09, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
> wrote:
>
>> far from me to say that community, regional and national approaches are
>> not needed, but there should also be a global level, as no matter where a
>> important sustainability innovation emerges, it should be supported to that
>> it can scale globally,
>>
>> Michel
>>
>> On Mon, Feb 23, 2015 at 2:43 AM, Henry Tam <
>> htam.global.t21 at btinternet.com> wrote:
>>
>>>  How much of the alternative economy/enterprise/finance ideas, would
>>> you say, can be piloted at a sub-regional or regional level?  I was
>>> speaking with the Cambridge Coop Party and we discussed how the
>>> fragmentation going on can be reversed by renewed collaboration premised on
>>> cooperative principles, sustainability and community-based services.
>>>
>>> Coop is getting a bad name, not just because of the Coop Bank (which was
>>> never a real coop, and has just hired as a consultant someone who was in
>>> charge of compliance at HSBC when all the non-compliance took place!), but
>>> for example, in the 'Which?' magazine annual poll, Coop supermarkets were
>>> rated poor for pricing, "shockingly behind everyone else" on value for
>>> money, and worst for special offers and own label products.  They didn't
>>> come first in any category.  How would a major re-engineering even begin?
>>> And the Coop Party HQ is opening the door to coops not providing the funds
>>> that have been vital to local coop party's political activities on the
>>> ground.
>>>
>>> The Eastern Savings & Loans Credit Union is merging with the Cambridge
>>> Credit Union.  I wonder if they could play a role in providing investment
>>> in the development of cooperative commons locally, or pave the way for more
>>> extensive community banking regionally.
>>>
>>> We need some organisational levers to try out/pilot the ideas we talk
>>> about.
>>>
>>> Henry
>>>
>>>
>>> On 21/2/15 08:28, "Pat Conaty" <pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Michel
>>>
>>> Thanks. Good to set up this file as you have done with Henry's proposal
>>> for an Open Co-operative Development Agency. This is a good place to start.
>>>
>>> Not much further comment to my proposal so far. If others want to
>>> comment we can keep up this thread. Otherwise I will move this forward
>>> otherwise. I think with the Dieter Suhr article that was circulated my
>>> points further below are pretty clear. In any event I aim to complete my
>>> short book on co-operative capital and convivial money in April. This will
>>> probably feature in the final chapter.
>>>
>>> Annemarie has responded offline so I will talk with her further next
>>> week.
>>>
>>> On a related matter to my proposal but at national government level for
>>> interest free money, here is some extra info to ponder. Until the mid 1970s
>>> the Bank of Canada was a public bank for the entire country, not just a
>>> central bank as it has been forced to become today by the Bank for
>>> International Settlements (the international private bank for central
>>> bankers based in Basle)..
>>>
>>> Here below from Ellen Brown is an update on the Bank of Canada case by
>>> Comer in the Canadian level Supreme Court. The case is focusing on a demand
>>> for reviving the Bank of Canada role in making interest free loans direct
>>> into the real economy for infrastructure and services for the public good.
>>> So read here QE as socially directed investment not for assisting the
>>> refinancing of  the toxic balance sheets of banks as we know QE. See also
>>> the the other link with all the background in Part 3 of my paper on the
>>> Commons Transition Website.
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>> http://www.publicbankinginstitute.org/canadian_court_decision_has_revolutionary_implications_for_banking?utm_campaign=feb_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pbi
>>> <http://www.publicbankinginstitute.org/canadian_court_decision_has_revolutionary_implications_for_banking?utm_campaign=feb_newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=pbi>
>>> <http://www.publicbankinginstitute.org/canadian_court_decision_has_revolutionary_implications_for_banking?utm_campaign=feb_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=pbi>
>>>
>>>
>>> http://commonstransition.org/co-operative-commonwealth-de-commodifying-land-and-money-part-3/
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 21 Feb 2015, at 00:37, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear Pat,
>>>
>>> I don't have time to rummage through the older emails but I have created
>>> this common document as you requested,
>>>
>>> see
>>> https://docs.google.com/document/d/188Y7COujNwhU60pMiNypXHaRHgLrjKywVlfN6AyOdCY/edit
>>>
>>> On Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 4:03 PM, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Michel, Josef and Annemarie
>>>
>>> Michel, good idea. Do open a Google doc if you like with Stacco. A few
>>> of this can then co-develop this co-operative money commons proposal for
>>> the Commons Transition site as an proposition.
>>>
>>>
>>> Josef and Annemarie, the proposal really is not complex. More info to
>>> clarify what I am saying and advocating. We need a social-public
>>> partnership to harness a collaborative transformative approach.
>>>
>>>  If you check out the Dieter Suhr paper on neutral money he explains the
>>> concept. But we need democratic finance bodies to make it a co-operative
>>> form of money for local city regions in a distributed way. If Dee Hock
>>> wanted actually a model where the customers owned the platform not Bank
>>> America and other banks, you get the notion. As Dee Hock explains in the
>>> extracts from his book on Chaordic Commons, the banks kicked this consumer
>>> sovereignty idea of his into the Long Grass where it was lost.
>>>
>>> In Germany there are 50 regional currencies. Chiemgauer in southern
>>> Germany has a negative interest rate of 8% a year. They both print notes
>>> and have
>>> a digital money version. This is interesting as unlike Ithaca Hours that
>>> works with Alternatives Federal Credit Union in Ithaca as a credit union
>>> and local money partnership or Bristol Pound that has a partnership with
>>> Bristol Credit Union, Chiemgauer uses negative interest rates.  This is an
>>> advance on Bristol Pound and Ithaca hours from a design point of view as it
>>> creates a dynamic pressure for money velocity and liquidity to expand. But
>>> they create through Chiemgauer a slow pressure of three months at 2%
>>> charge. If they moved to month at 2% charge, this would create more focus
>>> on spending it.
>>>
>>> Where they are in southern Germany they operate more a slow money
>>> system. But Athens needs a faster money system. So velocity and speed
>>> controls are important and will vary based on the state of play of the
>>> economy. In 1933 <tel:1933>  Irving Fisher wanted FDR to introduce
>>> Worgl money at a charge of 2% a week as the crisis of liquidity and
>>> structural unemployment plus general strikes was huge. So speed controls on
>>> money with negative interest can be ramped up to create emergency
>>> currencies with high velocity to secure the common good.
>>>
>>> Many small credit unions have never been comfortable with Visa cards.
>>> Bigger credit unions are into this game. Remember as my paper shows on
>>> Co-operative commonwealth,  mutual finance before 1870 <tel:1870>  was
>>> widespread with out any interest at all. This was the building society
>>> movement for the first 100 years. People forget all this. Co-ops at the
>>> outset were against interest and usury. This has been long forgotten.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> But there has always been a gap in the market in the credit union world
>>> for an alternative payment system. I know as I have been involved with
>>> credit union development since the early 1980s The debit cards being
>>> developed for the homeless with the Big issue and Street UK in the UK now
>>> are a step to be inclusive that CDFIs like Street UK here are working on.
>>>
>>> Chiemgauer's digital money is supported by two members of Inaise, the
>>> social banks Triodos and GLS Bank. Both Steiner banks. When you borrow on
>>> Visa, the deal is this.
>>> They give you a credit limit. You can take this money that you in a way
>>> opt for at least initially. It is free money for one month. They though
>>> make you liable for the borrowing. This is debt and debt money. Paper money
>>> is complex and costly to administer.
>>>
>>> What is missing is the link to the city state. If we could get
>>> sympathetic local government bodies  to work with credit unions, CDFIs and
>>> social banks to bring in them for these city-state monies we could add
>>> another dimension that is missing with Chiemgaeur to get us closer to Worgl
>>> where you could pay your taxes with the money. This move this closer to a
>>> real democratic money.
>>>
>>> Bristol has got some support for some business rates tax payments. But
>>> we need to advance further. Hull a city in the North of England has talked
>>> about Hull Coin but this is not happening yet.
>>>
>>> Michel you can cut and paste my past few emails into a Google doc. I
>>> also sent another one three weeks ago to you and Annemarie that one of you
>>> can dig out and paste this in. It was about the interface between
>>> democratic banking, co-operative money and the local authorities or small
>>> states like Wales.
>>>
>>> Michel we should then develop a conversation with other experts on
>>> banking like Cliff and Margie on this list plus Franz De Clerck, my old
>>> friend. Maybe also Peter Blom at Triodos.
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 18 Feb 2015, at 02:28, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> hi Pat, perhaps you can start with a formal description of the proposal
>>> on a google doc, and then circulate it amongst players that can do
>>> something about it ?
>>>
>>> On Mon, Feb 16, 2015 at 4:20 PM, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Michel, Josef, Robin, Mike, Margie, Cliff and Yvon
>>>
>>> Terrific! Glad Michel and Josef that you agree with my proposal further
>>> below for a negative interest VISA solution for social banks and CBPs.
>>>
>>> So where do we begin? Some questions for those on this list as this idea
>>> could be co-operatively transformative.
>>> I believe that backers with the knowledge and expertise could be
>>> attracted from what is already happening below the radar.
>>>
>>> Indeed I think this could be a global project for Fair Trade Banking or
>>> something similarly named. The gap between credit card rates of
>>> 19%  plus and bank base rates of 0.5%  here in the UK has never been
>>> greater. This is such a usurious scam.
>>>
>>> Credit cards are the most transparent example of how banks create money
>>> as debt out of thin air. They give a new customer a
>>> liquidity limit, create this by this agreement as new money that is
>>> issued out of thin air, and then this liquidity becomes
>>> another micro-profit centre. Just imagine a Worgl and WiR alternative
>>> where local credit unions, social banks, co-operative loan funds, etc
>>> collaborate to set up a Co-operative alternative on a regional scale on
>>> a commons platform that could be national or wider.
>>>
>>> The credit card system robs from the poor and provides a free ride and
>>> free liquidity to the better off users. This is a class divided system.
>>> Credit unions and social banks could co-develop and offer a clearly
>>> democratic and socially inclusive solution for liquidity and working
>>> capital for
>>> Commoners.
>>>
>>> If the banks can maintain this unfair deal, who could say legally that
>>> credit unions as licensed deposit takers and co-op organisations could not
>>> do the same but
>>> in the Worgl way for issuing cost carrying money so everyone pays the
>>> costs of the liquidity admin and a marginal cost for credit risk. LETs
>>> failed in Argentina
>>> a decade ago because Michael Linton never designed any credit risk
>>> protection and if people take all the free money they want
>>> you get inflation and a breakdown in trust. The volume and velocity of
>>> money has to be managed.
>>>
>>> I did not know Michel that Dee Hock when he invented VISA wanted the
>>> card owners not the banks to own
>>> the VISA platform.  This solution I am suggesting would be the answer to
>>> that.
>>>
>>> I am sharing this idea with a few from the other list talking about CBPs
>>> and co-operative economic democracy. My thinking
>>> on how and why this would really work is based on a paper from Dieter
>>> Suhr who is a German monetary reformer who died
>>> tragically 20 years or so ago in an accident. He was a good friend of
>>> Margrit Kennedy and I met him when we both spoke at the
>>> launch of INAISE in Brussels about 1989 <tel:1989> . His proposal was
>>> for neutral money but it lacked a set of co-operative finance actors to
>>>  make it
>>>
>>> happen. This has been the barrier. His book on Neutral money can be
>>> downloaded.
>>>
>>> Rather like the problem before Dee Hock solved this for the banks in the
>>> 1960s. Like today, where
>>> there are umpteen local currencies and all not viable in a business
>>> sense, then 50 years ago the banks were all issuing their own credit cards
>>> and all
>>> losing money. Dee Hock proposed a co-operative solution of convergence
>>> which is what ViSA offered. A collaborative economy solution to
>>> secure declining marginal cost economies. It worked but today we lack
>>> this breakaway play for local money systems. They need to
>>> stop doing their own thing. But how and would this be feasible? I think
>>> so. So correct me if you think my hypothesis is wrong please?
>>>
>>> So some substance to back up this idea. We did work on payment system
>>> solutions for CBPs and you can see these in the CBP report that Mike Toye at
>>> Ced-Net has circulated.
>>>
>>> Robin Murray is talking to some top notch bank payment systems people in
>>> London working on an alternative including a brilliant Welshman.
>>> One guy set up the new Metro bank in the UK and the other is a  'bank in
>>> a box' guy. They both want to see People's banking alternatives
>>> and one of the guy's has been working with Occupy groups in London and
>>> New York on what this might look like.
>>> If we could get some Community Development Credit Unions like Self Help
>>> CU, Alternatives and some CDFIs and social banks
>>> like Triodos and GLS interested in this fee based payment and liquidity
>>> system we could make a go of it.
>>>
>>> I have a couple of very clever CDFI friends in the UK interested in this
>>> stuff. Moreover they are also payment system experts.
>>> One is Martin Hockly at Street UK (a very successful home improvement
>>> lender and micro finance lender in Birmingham) and the other is
>>> Steve Round formerly at Unity Trust Bank, the trade union bank here.
>>> They have developed a pre-paid debit card for
>>> homeless people. Steve is chair of the Big Issue. Their plastic card has
>>> been piloted successfully. Martin was working with
>>> us in the past on a solution for CBPs to provide bill payments.
>>>
>>> I gave a paper about these Co-operative money ideas four years ago in
>>> London and Martin Hockly has been very keen on the
>>> possibilities since then.
>>>
>>> So what do you all think? This is so practical if we can get some early
>>> adopters and perhaps build on the conversations Robin
>>> has been having and some of the work in the UK on the payment system for
>>> homeless people soon to go live there is a real chance for this
>>> to be set up on robust foundations. Ann Pettifor of the Jubilee Debt
>>> Campaign is a friend and she would find this compelling I suspect.
>>>
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 16 Feb 2015, at 05:28, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> thanks Pat, I am convinced of this as well,
>>>
>>> Michel
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 10, 2015 at 1:46 AM, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Josef
>>>
>>> I do apologise. It has been a madly busy day.
>>>
>>> Yes, David B made the edits and sent round the corrected version.
>>>
>>> We are soon to send out the Deep Dive and if you wanted to have a read
>>> and proof it, that would be marvelous.
>>>
>>> I am copying David in on this reply. I am sure he will share it with you.
>>>
>>>
>>> On Community Banking Partnership, my argument and cast to Michel is that
>>> while we need to
>>> reinvent money and get this right. We cannot ignore the need for
>>> banking. As I see it, the CBP models
>>> of knowledge banking are seeking to be convivial, keep people out of
>>> debt and provide
>>> good basic banking services.
>>>
>>> What is needed if you can imagine this is for all the social banks, all
>>> the credit unions and all the CDFIs to form
>>> an Alternative like VISA which by the way was set up by Dee Hock as a
>>> co-op but a private one which is
>>> a contradiction. But if all the social and alternative banks were to do
>>> this, then they could simply issue
>>> negative interest credit card liquidity.
>>>
>>> But this requires all the non-capitalist banking service providers to
>>> co-operate this way on a huge scale.
>>> The banks did it to create credit cards as lethal weapons of interest
>>> slavery. Doing the reverse with negative interest
>>> fee based finance would drive forward the alternative.
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9 Feb 2015, at 18:26, Josef Davies-Coates <jdaviescoates at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi Pat,
>>>
>>>
>>> On 9 February 2015 at 17:20, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>> Hi Kevin
>>>
>>>
>>> I think you mean Josef, but I'll forgive you :)
>>>
>>>
>>> Here is the info on Community Banking Partnership. Two reports
>>>
>>>
>>> Ah, thanks, I'd seen the legal structures one before.  :)
>>>
>>>
>>> and the model is evolving still but much better handled in the USA than
>>> here. See the report by Cliff, my good friend in New York. Here is an
>>> update on Neighbourhood Trust CU.
>>>
>>> http://www.neighborhoodtrustfcu.org <
>>> http://www.neighborhoodtrustfcu.org/>
>>>
>>> Fair Finance, Wessex Home Improvement Loans and ScotCash are good
>>> examples. Also Five Lamps in the North East.
>>>
>>> Bristol is pursuing CBP in a new attempt with the CDFA. Bristol CU,
>>> Bristol £ and CDFIs in the city.
>>>
>>>
>>> Thanks.  BTW, did you/ David re-edit the Open Co-operativism Report post
>>> my proof-reading?  I'm very happy to proof-read the 2nd in the series too
>>> if you've got that to share?
>>>
>>> Warm regards,
>>>
>>> Josef.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8 Feb 2015, at 17:21, Josef Davies-Coates <jdaviescoates at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Hi all,
>>>
>>> Annemarie: re:
>>>
>>> "
>>> Pat helpfully introduced me to an(other) ALT currency expert to help me
>>> produce the eventual report (attached, again, for speed)."
>>>
>>> I wasn't in this thread earlier on so could you please forward me the
>>> attachment you shared previously?
>>>
>>> Also, Pat is you could send me your Community Banking Partnerships doc
>>> too that'd be great.
>>>
>>> Many thanks and warm regards,
>>>
>>> Josef.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8 February 2015 at 14:41, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>> Michel
>>>
>>> For additional info.......
>>>
>>> Co-operatives UK are publishing a book with the New Internationalist in
>>> June on a new strategy for the co-operative sector in the UK. This is based
>>> on a considerable research exercise over the past two years.
>>>
>>> Robin Murrray and I have made contributions as has John Restakis. Ed
>>>  Mayo has done the editing and it should be a most helpful complement
>>> to all we are discussing.
>>>
>>> We should have a chat to Ed and Robin about this. Robin is in India on
>>> Fair Trade work at present but will be back at the end of this week.
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>> On 8 Feb 2015, at 05:31, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> thanks Pat!
>>>
>>> On Sat, Jan 31, 2015 at 5:38 PM, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>> Michel, Annemarie and Tapas colleagues
>>>
>>> Glad Annemarie that my short explanation of how to develop co-operative
>>> money and co-operative capital solutions in integrated ways was helpful.
>>> As to why this is so crucial......as a peaceful solution to the crisis that
>>> is growing with Pegida on the march and the National Front in France
>>> attracting support.
>>> Consider the analysis in relation to the following history of how we got
>>> to this mess.
>>>
>>> Jacques Perretti a radical BBC journalist (very few of these) has done a
>>> superb two part series on BBC 2 on the roots of the Super Rich and Us
>>> (episode 1) and the
>>> proliferation precariat (episode 2)
>>>
>>> Check it out as it is gripping and a good sequel to Naomi Klein's book
>>> On this Changes Everything. Though the series is not about climate
>>> change it is about the background to the precariat and a return to
>>> Victorian times.
>>>
>>> Here is the link. Unfortunately the BBC scheduled them near to midnight
>>> that past two weeks so almost nobody saw them.
>>>
>>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xw2x8
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 28 Jan 2015, at 11:39, Annemarie Naylor <annemarie at commonfutures.eu>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> Thanks - all - very helpful!
>>>
>>> Annemarie
>>>
>>> Annemarie Naylor
>>>
>>> Director, Common Futures
>>>
>>> T. 07525 236797 <tel:07525%20236797>   E: annemarie at commonfutures.eu
>>>  W: http://www.commonfutures.eu/
>>>
>>> Follow me on twitter @commonfutrs
>>>
>>> 12 Sandford Close, Wivenhoe, Colchester, Essex, CO7 9NP
>>>
>>> Common Futures is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England
>>> no. 8481503
>>>
>>> From: Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
>>> Date: Wednesday, 28 January 2015 10:58
>>> To: Pat Conaty <pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop>
>>> Cc: Annemarie Naylor <annemarie at commonfutures.eu>, George Papanikolaou <
>>> georgepapani at gmail.com>, John Restakis <restakis at gmail.com>, David
>>> Bollier <david at bollier.org>, Marguerite Mendell <
>>> marguerite.mendell at concordia.ca>, Heike Loeschmann <Loeschmann at boell.de>,
>>> "kate at sharedassets.org.uk" <kate at sharedassets.org.uk>, Benjamin Tincq <
>>> btincq at gmail.com>, Kevin Flanagan <kev.flanagan at gmail.com>,
>>> marihipotenusa <marihipotenusa at riseup.net>, Nicolas Krausz <
>>> nicolas.krausz at fph.ch>, "j.loschmann at uea.ac.uk" <j.loschmann at uea.ac.uk>,
>>> Mike Lewis <ccelewis at xplornet.com>
>>> Subject: Re: Open Co-operativism report
>>>
>>> Pat,
>>>
>>> this would be important to educate our networks, if not myself, but I am
>>> travelling now and dealing with some emergencies,
>>>
>>> could you provide us with a clear excerpt of your choice, that explains
>>> that distinction between cooperative capital and money ?
>>>
>>> Michel
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jan 28, 2015 at 5:51 PM, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop> wrote:
>>>
>>> Annemarie and Michel
>>>
>>> Glad to hear Annemarie that my alternative currency pal, John Waters has
>>> been helpful to you. I really look forward to reading your report.
>>>
>>> Michel, yes indeed, the work with SolNantes in France is exciting as it
>>> involves up to 25 local government bodies.
>>>
>>> Annemarie, Leander Bindewald is a Gernan researcher and colleague of
>>> mine at NEF. See the info below about SolNantes.
>>>
>>>
>>> http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=68acbe3a1464672d97cffc627&id=4c87ec6bf4&e=fb078743b8
>>> <http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=68acbe3a1464672d97cffc627&amp;id=4c87ec6bf4&amp;e=fb078743b8>
>>> <http://us3.campaign-archive1.com/?u=68acbe3a1464672d97cffc627&id=4c87ec6bf4&e=fb078743b8>
>>>
>>> The UK partners in this EU wide alliance include Lambeth £ and Bristol £
>>> so these UK groups are watching with keen interest
>>> the SolNantes launch after the successful trials last year.
>>>
>>> There js a problem though. Liquidity and money is one thing and capital
>>> is another. We need both co-operative money and co-operative
>>> capital. That is what my Co-operative Commonwealth paper on the Commons
>>> Transition site is about. Most complementary money
>>> people do not make this clear and conflate both concepts of money and
>>> capital.
>>>
>>> On the other hand for capital there is the growing community development
>>> finance movement and the social banking movements.
>>> We need to get these alternative bankers more involved with SolNantes.
>>>
>>> See this paper on Community Banking Partnership (CBP) attached. We ran
>>> pilots on these over five years and some have come out of this successful.
>>> In Bristol the Bristol £, the Bristol Credit Union, several CDFI lenders
>>> are involved in working up a city wide pilot of CBP. I have been invoked in
>>> the
>>> set up thinking and some colleagues of mine are involved in the early
>>> stage work now underway. If this works the aim is for it to become a
>>> national model.
>>>
>>>  In the USA, you have these Community Banking Networks and some very
>>> large now. Introducing co-operative money and joining both up is key to
>>> reinventing banking and money
>>> on a democratic basis. Alternatives Credit Union in Ithaca, New York
>>> have formed a joint venture  between Ithaca Hours and the pretty large
>>> credit union.
>>>
>>> The CDFIs are working with expensive capital which is an issue but
>>> otherwise they are doing fantastic work. They need access to
>>> convivial money. That is a subtext of my Co-operative Commonwealth paper.
>>>
>>> Hope this is helpful.
>>>
>>> Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 28 Jan 2015, at 09:21, Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>> dear Annemarie,
>>>
>>> great opportunities,
>>>
>>> a few ideas, have a look if you can at nantes, which already had its own
>>> wir (ecoreseau, affiliated with the CIC) and now their own worgl with
>>> SoNantes ..
>>>
>>> M3 is a really excellent magazine on commons urbanism, from the Grand
>>> Lyon, but monitoring urban trends in general. Emile Hooge is our man there
>>> and I have his email. Their latest issue was on l'economie servicielle and
>>> mobility
>>>
>>> The Bologna Regulation on the Commons should definitely be on your radar
>>> as a methodology of city-based commons governance, I have different
>>> contacts there, though 'the man' is definitely christian iaione
>>>
>>> Two important themes:
>>>
>>> * instigating idle sourcing and the sharing economy, on hopefully
>>> non-neoliberal terms .. Neal Gorenflo and the team around janelle orsi at
>>> SELC monitor this very closely. Seoul is know to have done things a bit
>>> differently than the start up road.
>>>
>>> * resilient cities and social/solidarity economies ...: we need civic
>>> economy incubators .. Geneve has a Chambre de l'Economie Sociale et
>>> Solidaire, Jean Rossiaud knows more
>>>
>>> I have various documentation on this in my wiki, so ask for specific
>>> links on anything of interest
>>>
>>> so in conclusion the suggested themes are:
>>>
>>> * incubators
>>>
>>> * governance mechanisms
>>>
>>> I'm sure John Restakis would have recommended adding the social care
>>> cooperatives as models to be on your radar
>>>
>>> Michel
>>>
>>> On Wed, Jan 28, 2015 at 4:07 PM, Annemarie Naylor <
>>> annemarie at commonfutures.eu> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear All
>>>
>>> You may recall I was looking for x5 'big ideas' when we were together in
>>> Berlin for an English County Council, and that Pat helpfully introduced me
>>> to an(other) ALT currency expert to help me produce the eventual report
>>> (attached, again, for speed).
>>>
>>> I subsequently fed some of the thinking into an NLGN publication:
>>> http://www.nlgn.org.uk/public/2014/the-council-and-the-common-local-government-in-2020/
>>> whose author is now writing a book about the scope to commonify local
>>> government post the forthcoming general election in the UK; again, I'm
>>> invited to contribute thinking in this instance, so do send anything you
>>> think might be useful and, in particular, concrete examples of 'doing
>>> different' by local state actors as and when you come across them.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, I'm invited to draw upon the original report to devise a
>>> workshop for the Society of County Treasurers (so, senior finance officers
>>> from County Councils - the largest representation of the 'local state' in
>>> England). I've suggested I 'lose' the focus on customer services /
>>> libraries - save to exemplify possible ways forward with a practical case
>>> in point - and that I major on the scope to adapt IBM's social
>>> collaboration drive, introduce an ALT / electronic currency, and design
>>> then implement an inward investment strategy for social and community
>>> enterprise.
>>>
>>> If you think there are other 'big ideas' / themes I should be developing
>>> for Finance people - I have land covered - please could you let me know?
>>> And, if you look at the report and can help to bring up to date / enliven
>>> any of the sections I plan to focus on, all thoughts/suggestions from you
>>> would be very welcome.
>>>
>>> NB: this represents an EXCELLENT opportunity to influence the
>>> reconfiguration of the local state in England such that it is alive to the
>>> prospect of open cooperatives - a x2 day event hosted by the incoming
>>> President and Chief Finance Officer of one of the largest local authorities
>>> in England which also boasts the Minister for Local Government in England
>>> as one of its Mps.
>>>
>>> Many thanks - as ever,
>>> Annemarie
>>>
>>> Annemarie Naylor
>>>
>>> Director, Common Futures
>>>
>>> T. 07525 236797 <tel:07525%20236797>   E: annemarie at commonfutures.eu
>>>  W: http://www.commonfutures.eu/
>>>
>>> Follow me on twitter @commonfutrs
>>>
>>> 12 Sandford Close, Wivenhoe, Colchester, Essex, CO7 9NP
>>>
>>> Common Futures is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England
>>> no. 8481503
>>>
>>> From: David Bollier <david at bollier.org>
>>> Date: Monday, 19 January 2015 15:15
>>> To: Michel Bauwens <michel at p2pfoundation.net>, Pat Conaty <
>>> pat.commonfutures at phonecoop.coop>, John Restakis <restakis at gmail.com>,
>>> Marguerite Mendell <marguerite.mendell at concordia.ca>, Heike Loeschmann <
>>> Loeschmann at boell.de>, Annemarie Naylor <annemarie at commonfutures.eu>,
>>> Kate Swade <kate at sharedassets.org.uk>, Benjamin Tincq <btincq at gmail.com>,
>>> Mike Lewis <ccelewis at xplornet.com>, Kevin Flanagan <
>>> kev.flanagan at gmail.com>, marihipotenusa <marihipotenusa at riseup.net>,
>>> Nicolas Krausz <nicolas.krausz at fph.ch>, <j.loschmann at uea.ac.uk>
>>> Subject: Re: Open Co-operativism report
>>>
>>>
>>> Dear friends from the Open Co-operativism Workshop,
>>>
>>> Pat Conaty and I are pleased to send along the final version of our
>>> report on our workshop, attached.
>>>
>>> Thank you all for your thoughtful comments and edits.  We ended up doing
>>> more re-writing and editing than anticipated, but we are pleased with
>>> the final result and hope that the report will stimulate some new
>>> conversations and action.
>>>
>>> I know of at least three web postings of the report that will occur in
>>> the near future -- one on my blog (www.bollier.org <
>>> http://www.bollier.org/> ), one on the Heinrich
>>> Boell Foundation's website, and one on the P2P Foundation website.  I
>>> will share those links when they are available.  If you or other third
>>> parties post the report, write about it, or have some interesting
>>> reactions, please let us know.
>>>
>>> We have already seen a number of dialogues and collaborations inspired
>>> by our workshop(s).  Let's keep in touch about these initiatives -- and
>>> new opportunities to advance a convergence of movements!
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>> David and Pat
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> David Bollier
>>> david at bollier.org
>>>
>>> My blog:  Bollier.org <http://bollier.org/>
>>> Think Like a Commoner: www.ThinkLikeACommoner.com <
>>> http://www.thinklikeacommoner.com/>
>>> Green Governance: www.commonslawproject.org <
>>> http://www.commonslawproject.org/>
>>> The Wealth of the Commons: www.wealthofthecommons.org <
>>> http://www.wealthofthecommons.org/>
>>>
>>> 511 Old Farm Road
>>> Amherst, MA  01002 <tel:01002>   USA
>>> 413-259-2009
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at:
>> http://en.wiki.floksociety.org/w/Research_Plan
>>
>> P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net  - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net
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>> <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates:
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>>
>> #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/
>>
>
>
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> Josef Davies-Coates
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Senior Fellow, Karl Hess Scholar in Social Theory
Center for a Stateless Society http://c4ss.org

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