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    Commons economy posts

    How much trouble are humans really in, and what can we do about it?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-Sep-2022 | 28

    I’m inviting you to come on a journey with me. In an attempt to answer the question above, I’m going to research and write a series of blog articles (including interviews with key people), from which I’ll produce a book, and re-structure the Lowimpact website, including our message. Read more

    Matthew Slater’s review of recent money news

    The Credit Commons protocol was written by Matthew Slater. It’s the ‘language’ that allows groups all over the world to connect and interact. It’s a bit like the rules of chess – it doesn’t matter what kind of chess pieces or board people are using, as long as they abide by the universally-accepted rules of chess, they can play together. Read more

    Join ‘Way Out Economics’ for a new economic system

    Diana Finch of Bristol Pay | 11-Sep-2022 | 0

    Bristol Pay and the Credit Commons Society have joined forces to organise a gathering of practitioners, thought leaders and funders focused on nurturing a new economic system. The event will be hybrid, with the ‘in real life’ element being in Bristol. Read more

    Would sociocracy work for your organisation?

    Ted Rau of Sociocracy For All | 04-Sep-2022 | 2

    This is part 2 of an interview with Ted Rau, co-founder of Sociocracy For All. Part 1 (‘What is sociocracy’) is here. Now we’re talking about whether sociocracy might be a good idea for your organisation / business. Read more

    What is sociocracy? With Ted Rau of Sociocracy For All

    Ted Rau of Sociocracy For All | 28-Aug-2022 | 0

    Here I’m talking with Ted Rau, one of the co-founders of of Sociocracy For All, and leader of the general circle for that organisation. Read more

    How to spread the idea of (much) more radical change?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 07-Aug-2022 | 5

    We need system change, no less (i.e. system replacement, rather than trying to tweak this fundamentally damaging system). Here, I want to talk more about how I came to this conclusion, and what the route to radical change might be. Read more

    Can governments solve the climate problem?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 31-Jul-2022 | 2

    Short answer: no, because governments are fixated on maximising GDP growth, which is the root cause of the climate crisis, and which far outweighs any (rare) beneficial legislation that they might introduce. Read more

    New tools and ideas for building the commons economy

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 24-Jul-2022 | 6

    The Commons economy is not, like capitalism, built around the private ownership of the means of production – but neither is it, like socialism, built on the state ownership of those means. It’s about reinstating the commons, that have been gradually enclosed over the centuries, first by the state and more recently by capitalists. Read more

    Communicating about degrowth, with Mark Burton of Steady-state Manchester

    Constant GDP growth causes ecological damage – there’s the constant expansion in the use of energy and materials, and the by-products of their use. Read more

    Grace Rachmany: comparing ideas for a moneyless economy, Part 2

    Part 2 of an interview with Grace Rachmany, of DAO Leadership and Voice of Humanity. She has some very interesting ideas around currency design and building a new economy based on community / reputation. As with all our interviewees, we think you’ll be interested in her ideas, and what she’s up to. Read more

    Is it time to rethink the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 29-May-2022 | 3

    Time to rethink the UN’s ‘Sustainable Development Goals’: the concepts of ‘development’ and ‘progress’ based on eternal GDP growth are flawed. Read more

    Review of Brett Scott’s ‘Cloud Money’

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-May-2022 | 0

    Review of Brett Scott’s ‘Cloud Money’, a ‘convoluted payments circuitry, tied together by institutions you cannot see, but who can see you’. Read more

    We’re taking on a paid intern: you, maybe?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 15-May-2022 | 0

    We’re looking for a paid intern. Contact us if you think this might be you, and please do pass it on to anyone you think might be a likely candidate. We initially have up to £600 per month available for the right person, depending on how much time you can put in – and there will be opportunities for you and others to bring in more income to pay for more work for you to do. Read more

    Grace Rachmany: comparing ideas for a moneyless economy

    eas around currency design and building a new economy based on community / reputation. As with all our interviewees, we think you’ll be interested in her ideas, and what she’s up to. Read more

    Co-operative social care with sociocracy and mutual credit: Emma Back of the Equal Care Co-op

    Emma Back of Equal Care Co-op | 10-Apr-2022 | 0

    There are some very interesting aspects to the Equal Care Co-op, including ‘Teams’, sociocratic decision-making and an internal payments system that could be described as a cross between mutual credit, timebanking, tokenising, and recognition of informal labour, including emotional labour and care work. Read more

    How the state favours big business and causes inflation with ‘Quantitative Sleazing’

    A new essay on the economics of the pandemic suggests that the recent inflation is a sign that that failure is accelerating towards us. It’s an important reminder for us to ask ourselves how ready we are to both cope and help others in a crumbling economy. Read more

    Fairbnb and housing Ukrainian refugees: Emanuele Dal Carlo

    Emanuele Dal Carlo of Fairbnb | 27-Mar-2022 | 0

    We were interviewing the President of Fairbnb as a co-operative alternative to Airbnb. However, things have taken a bit of a turn since we started talking, and now they’re using the platform to help Ukrainian refugees. Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: Investment, saving & location

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 20-Mar-2022 | 1

    Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together to form a global moneyless trading network – the ‘Credit Commons’. Here we’re looking at savings and investments in a mutual credit world, as well as the importance of physical location. Read more

    Mutual Credit Services – keeping communities alive after COVID: Community groups & individuals

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 13-Mar-2022 | 0

    This is the fifth in a series of articles looking at the development of Mutual Credit Services (MCS), whose mission is to help build local mutual credit ‘clubs’ in the UK and overseas, and to link them together to form a global moneyless trading network – the ‘Credit Commons’. Here we’re looking at community groups and individual consumers. Read more

    How not to build a movement, as demonstrated by Chris Saltmarsh

    We thought you might like this extraordinary defence of Deep Adaptation by Matthew Slater. Last year, he and Extinction Rebellion co-founder Skeena Rathor, authored a chapter in Deep Adaptation: Navigating the Realities of Climate Chaos; last month it was reviewed by newcomer Chris Saltmarsh, the champion of Jeremy Corbyn’s Green New Deal proposals and author of ‘Burnt’. Read more

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