NATIONAL LETS/CE CONFERENCE GOWRIE PARK TASMANIA

2013

 Some overall themes

Some theory
Summary of workshops
stimulating trading and participation Increasing the appeal of LETs/CE to mainstream

audiences How to maintain a dynamic group Building a National Network Functionality and requirements of new CES system

Vibrancy of current groups Victoria, NSW, QLD, Tasmania Inspiring stories of changed lives through LETs/CE Increasing Government interest in community currencies Potential for government sponsored timebanks start lobbying your council now (would be good to have a promotional video we can show to local council)!! Addressing one of the greatest tragedys of our current systems: the waste of peoples time and talents eg unemployed and asylum seekers discussion of how we can address this Importance of education, lifelong learning and socialisation Underpinning theory about sustainability integral thinking, positive ecology one main insight is that no-one is 100% wrong , and understand that human nature is influenced by two conflicting drives for competition and cooperation, both are functional for sustainability

 Tania showed this wonderful video Giving is all we

have see www.givingisallwehave.com Samantha showed another one she organised search Youtube Cape Town Talent Exchange

 Importance of communication/healthy conflict/

participatory democracy combining our different talents, generating energy from diverse connections Gift of time and of communication (eg Timebeats) There are many roads to a system of where we get to spend our time doing what we love and/or what we believe (Leeandras story very inspiring!) is worth doing and where education and lifelong learning are restored as one of the highest human endeavours Lets explore them all, spread the word and build ecologies of hope!

 Is useful to include lots of different ways of thinking,

rather than say some ways of thinking are wrong No-one is 100% wrong or right
We need to tailor our messages to our audiences,

understand where they are coming from Do they have a tendency for traditionalist, modern, post-modern or integral thinking? Everyone will have elements of each influencing them, but will tend to have one dominant tendency

 Unexpected gifts Katherine Bowling asked people to

write done something they wanted to work on; she will send it back in the mail as a reminder with something else written on it Leeandra gave the invitation for people to visit FNQ to help her with her business in return for accommodation

 The universal things we have in common everyone must eat

and everyone relies on things from other people therefore must exchange in some way with others Both have been used to reduce human freedom/autonomy, as tools for domination, as instruments of control Has been the basis of the emergence of private property rights, money, class distinctions, monetised employment - all contribute to unsustainability Freedom of our minds/capacity to imagine a world where these things do not cause a system where some people are given a very low worth and some high worth is one starting point Increases in collective consciousness, collective wisdom, increased understanding of human nature and of reciprocity, how working for the collective good (sacrifice give up something for something better) satisfies our self-interest

 Admin send out survey asking the seven top things that individuals

need (ie want) Admin then facilitates businesses/individuals to fulfil these needs More social/trading/face to face situations/opportunities Rally people around a project Personalised stories in the newsletter. What has happened in LETs that has worked. good News story to keep morale up and positive attitudes. Set dates for trade days and workshops yearly, monthly calendar Help people to organise their time and have a bigger impact

 The same functionality will be kept, the new system will

have a new look The development of the new CES is an international project (5 years?) There will be a wish list The cost for hosting on the new server will be $2,000 per year

How to make LETS/CE appeal to more mainstream audiences

Bringing industry into LETS

Education Housing Clothes Food Energy Transport Mediciine IT

Go down the line to bring vertical industry over. Who will do the pitch? Debt-free Community support for industry Loyal local customers Effective referral system Pioneering something different No waiting for payments Interesting personal stories Maybe, just maybe, scale the time to what people are paid currently per hour, although this could have disastrous consequences.

 Build a good leadership team Lots of projects, opportunities for social events

Try old tried and established methods

Use the concept of apprentices If people have large credits, contact them and ask

them what they need, try to facilitate meeting their needs hopefully they will then be more proactive in fulfilling them themselves

 Website would have to be a separate one to the CES website to accommodate

non-CES groups Could have an interactive map, people could enter their postcode to find their nearest group FAQ Administrators mailing list extension of current forum Sharing resources media releases, templates, logos Governance Insurance Lobbying Issue re unequal inter-state trading system blocks inter-state trades above a certain limit.

 What are the implications of Government involvement? Do we need to discuss a more transparent terminology, eg a

general term covering LETs/CE/Timebanks (eg to help make it more marketable and increase perceptions of a united movement)? Identify for you what specific thing/s you want to apply that have emerged as compelling for you Should we work towards a National Movement ? Other ways of learning from each other?

 Very special thank-you to Eric and Tania for

their great organising and many other skills!

And a very special thank-you to everyone for

coming and contributing!! See you all in 2014!