Alternative currency

An alternative currency (or private currency) is any currency used as an alternative to the dominant national or multinational currency systems (usually referred to as national or fiat money). They are created by an individual, corporation, or organization, they can be created by national, state, or local governments, or they can arise naturally as people begin to use a certain commodity as a currency. Mutual credit is a form of alternative currency, and thus any form of lending that does not go through the banking system can be considered a form of alternative currency. When used in combination with or when designed to work in combination with national or multinational fiat currencies they can be referred to as complementary currency. Barters are another type of alternative currency. Often there are issues related to paying tax. List of alternative currencies[edit] Advantages[edit] Alternative currencies are reported to work as a counterbalance for the local economy. Disadvantages[edit]

WIR Bank WIR Bank logo The WIR Bank, formerly the Swiss Economic Circle (GER: Wirtschaftsring-Genossenschaft), or WIR, is an independent complementary currency system in Switzerland that serves businesses in hospitality, construction, manufacturing, retail and professional services. WIR issues and manages a private currency, called the WIR Franc, which is used, in combination with Swiss Franc to generate dual-currency transactions. The WIR Franc is an electronic currency reflected in clients' trade accounts and there is no paper money. The use of this currency results in increased sales, cash flow and profits for a qualified participant. WIR was founded in 1934 by businessmen Werner Zimmermann and Paul Enz as a result of currency shortages and global financial instability. Although WIR started with only 16 members, today it has grown to include 62,000. as of 2005.[4] The currency code is CHW as designated by ISO 4217. References[edit] Jump up ^ Niederer, Mike. External links[edit]

Geschenkenconomie katalyseert gemeenschapszin “De economie van de toekomst is gebaseerd op relaties in plaats van op bezit.” —John Perry Barlow Antropologen ontdekten dat gemeenschapszin niet noodzakelijk voortkomt uit nabijheid—een wolkenkrabber met 200 appartementen in een grote stad leidt bijna nooit tot een gemeenschap. Evenmin leiden een gemeenschappelijke taal, godsdienst, cultuur, zelfs bloed, automatisch tot een gemeenschap. Antropologen hebben gemerkt dat gemeenschapszin is gebaseerd op wederkerigheid in het uitwisselen van geschenken. Het schenken van een doos spijkers van de ene buurman aan de andere omdat de andere net om verlegen zit is een daad die gemeenschapszin bouwt. Het proces van schenken schept iets dat geldruil niet doet. De etymologie van het woord gemeenschapszin of communiteit komt van twee Latijnse bronnen: cum, wat ‘samen’ onder elkaar’ betekent; en munus, ‘de gift’, of het bijbehorende werkwoord ‘munere, ‘geven’. Vandaar: communiteit = geven onder elkaar. Aanbevelingen

Welkom bij Torekes! | Torekes In de wijk Rabot-Blaisantvest in Gent belonen we inzet voor mooie straten, propere pleinen of een beter milieu met een eigen munt: het Toreke. Op deze site ontdek je wat er te doen is voor het milieu en de buurt en Torekes oplevert. De biljetten van 1 en 10 Torekes zijn echt iets waard. Je kan ermee in de wijk brood, groenten en fruit, maar ook spaarlampen kopen aan het Torekes loket. Alle handelaars die Torekes aannemen, vind je op deze site. Wil je weten hoe Torkes eruitzien, wat je er mee kan doen of hoe je ze kan verdienen? Freiwirtschaft Freiwirtschaft (German for free economy) is an economic idea founded by Silvio Gesell in 1916. He called it Natürliche Wirtschaftsordnung (natural economic order). In 1932, a group of Swiss businessmen used his ideas to found WIR Bank (WIR). Structure[edit] Freiwirtschaft consists of three central aspects, usually summed up as The Three Fs: The (proposed) results include: History[edit] The basic economic ideas of Freiwirtschaft were published in 1890 by the Hungarian-Austrian economist Theodor Hertzka in his novel Freiland - ein soziales Zukunftsbild[1] (Freeland - A Social Anticipation).[2] Flaws of the monetary system[edit] Freiwirtschaft claims that current monetary systems are flawed. This is not the case in the financial markets. References[edit] Jump up ^ Theodor Hertzka: Freiland - ein soziales Zukunftsbild, Leipzig 1890 Summary on the website of the Otto-Lilienthal-MuseumJump up ^ Theodor Hertzka: Freeland - A Social Anticipation, St. External links[edit]

Local exchange trading system A local exchange trading system (also local employment and trading system or local energy transfer system; abbreviated to LETS or LETSystem) is a locally initiated, democratically organised, not-for-profit community enterprise that provides a community information service and record transactions of members exchanging goods and services by using the currency of locally created LETS Credits.[1] History[edit] Michael Linton originated the term "local exchange trading system" in 1983 and for a time ran the Comox Valley LETSystems in Courtenay, British Columbia.[2] The system he designed was intended as an adjunct to the national currency, rather than a replacement for it,[3] although there are examples of individuals who have managed to replace their use of national currency through inventive usage of LETS.[citation needed] A number of people have problems adjusting to the different ways of operating using a LETSystem. Criteria[edit] Of these criteria, "equivalence" is the most controversial.