Category: Economy

Don't miss "In Transition 2.0" film at the Capitol - Tues, April 8

3/24/2014

We are pleased to screen In Transition 2.0, a film highlighting inspiring stories from Transition initiatives around the world.

Please join us at the Hawai‘i State Capitol Auditorium
(415 S. Beretania St., Honolulu, HI - take elevator down one floor) on Tuesday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. We'll start with pupus, show the film at 6 (it's just over an hour), and finish with a panel Q&A highlighting local projects.

Hear brief remarks from Senator Mike Gabbard, Chair, Energy & Environment Committee; Jacqueline Kozak Thiel, State Sustainability Director; Matt Lynch, Asia Pacific Center of Regenerative Design & Permablitz; Dave Atcheson, Transition Oahu; Sarah Marie Leone, Oahu Timebank; and Mindy Jaffe, Waikiki Worm Company.

For complete details -- including info on inviting your legislators:
see the event web page »

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Money & Life movie available online (plus video on Berkshares)

9/13/2013

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At the potluck/movie in Aina Haina yesterday, we watched two parts of Money & Life. Just letting everyone know that this movie is available to watch in full on YouTube (also embedded below). The website for the movie is http://moneyandlifemovie.com/.

I also mentioned that the PBS NewsHour had recently run a segment on Berkshares, a local currency for the Berkshire region of Massachusetts. Here's that video:

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Report from the complementary currency meeting

3/13/2013

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We had a productive Complementary Currency meeting at the end of February in Aina Haina, with fourteen of us exploring the possibilities and sharing ideas. (Thank you, Ron Robinson, for hosting this event at your home!)

Links to the YouTube videos we watched are at right, followed by some links to some sample systems, both paper currency and online mutual credit systems. (The Hawaiian Currency on is simply a conceptual art project, but it gets the imagination going...)

Outcomes & What's Next

We discussed scale for a potential system. People tended to like island-wide as the scope but to be able to zero in on local areas depending on the situation. (E.g., map based tool that allows zooming for local offerings.)
Joy articulated a draft process that received applause :-)
- define options (research, prototype, discuss)
- community survey, currency/trading games, other outreach to help select system
- decide on a system and bring partners on board
- budget and funding
- going live and multimedia outreach
...all the while gathering members/interested parties.
A few of us will be meeting soon to begin defining the various options. These are alternative answers to: 1) what purpose should our system serve? 2) what mechanism/system shall we implement?

Choosing from among the alternatives would be informed by the community survey & feedback sessions.

The stages that people would like to get involved with will vary. If you would like to be part of researching and defining what the options are, please visit the working group page and use the contact form. Thanks!

Here are links to the YouTube shorts we showed at the meeting:

Creating Our Own Money: Introduction
Ithaca Hours: Local Currency
BerkShares & Multiplier Effect
The Money Fix (we watched the mutual credit segment starting about 0:59:00)
Brixton Pound (a Transition currency)
Brixton Pound (pay by text) (they are using Cyclos software for web and SMS payments)

Here are some of the websites we wanted to show with examples:

Salt Spring Dollars (this is one of the sites that got Stuart so enthused about paper complementary currencies)
Hawaiian Currency concept designs by Kelsey Ige
Cyclos online and mobile banking software (Seems the cleanest and most full-featured of the open source systems I've reviewed; next iteration will not be generally free, but may still be for social purpose organizations. This is serious software.They have a demo area - try it out!)
Community Exchange System (a related software system -- apparently in use on Kaui where their unit is "Kalas")
Fourth Corner Exchange (based in Bellingham, WA, Life Dollar system is available)
Community Forge ("We've helped over 400 communities implement currencies") Here's a demo site. They use the Drupal content management system.
Value for People (UK based group that consults on community currencies -- they've got a Starter Pack that's a goldmine as far as suggested process -- much like the one Joy proposed)

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Film & Discussion Feb. 28: Complementary Currency

2/16/2013

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Momentum is growing for launching a complementary currency system in Oahu. Join the early-stage discussion!

Thursday, Feb 28, 6-8 p.m.
667 W Hind Dr., Honolulu, HI
(a home in Aina Haina -- see map)
Potluck pupus

We will show a few selected short videos related to complementary currencies that describe LETS (local exchange trading systems), a paper currency called Ithaca HOURS, and a "transition" paper currency backed one-to-one by government-issue money.

We also plan to demo a LETS system online.

The videos are short so we have time to discuss options for Oahu and begin to chart next steps!

Here's the Table of Contents for the DVD we put together:

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12/27 - SKILLSHARE at Fresh Café - whatchu got?

12/18/2012

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Barter - Swap - Reskill

The antidote to the consumer crush this holiday season...

Thursday, December 27
Fresh Café, 831 Queen Street, Honolulu (map >>)
Doors open @ 7pm

No money allowed -- we are trading in the currency of relationships, goods & services!

Trade and barter with others for awesomeness.
Mini-workshops throughout the nite.
Re-gifting of unwanted Christmas presents encouraged.
Prize for best barter of the night!
Interested in hosting a Barter Booth? Get in touch and tell us whatchu got in mind!

Awesomeness sample:

Got Facebook? Visit the Facebook SKILLSHARE event page and RSVP!

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Sept. 24: The Money Fix film screening

9/8/2012

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We're getting a discussion about complementary currencies rolling with a free screening of The Money Fix.

Monday, Sept. 24, 7-9 p.m.
Manoa Public Library

The film is 79 minutes so we'll have time for some discussion afterwards. Hope to see you!