Strengthening Local Economies Through Alternative Currencies; conference call 3/1

[eridani]

Strengthening Local Economies Through Alternative Currencies
Featuring: Founder of Ithaca Hours - Paul Glover & Co-founder of BerkShares - Susan Witt
RSVP to join conversation on Monday, March 1 at 5:30pm(Pacific)/8:30pm(Eastern)
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In the increasingly unsettling economic climate of 2010, United States residents have every reason to be concerned about the long term value of our hard-earned dollars. We hear disturbing rumors of international monetary systems plans to abandon the dollar as the primary trade currency, and the federal government continues to squander our nation's wealth on empire building, while quality of life is plummeting.

Empire to protect and enrich the few, in turn erodes local economies around the country. What's a community to do? How can we protect and strengthen our shared resources, while decreasing our dependence on a spiraling national economy and an ever-weakening dollar?

Reliable economic structures must be created, and people are increasingly turning to alternative currencies as part of the mix. Alternative currencies have growing appeal in 2010; there are now almost 100 local currency groups in the United States. (source)

For the second Conversation in our Economic Democracy series, we'll speak with two of our country's outstanding alternative currency pioneers, Paul Glover of Ithaca Hours and Susan Witt of Berkshares.

In 1991 Paul Glover heard a radio interview with Schumacher Society staff about two local currencies called the Deli Dollars and Berkshire Farm Preserve Notes. The story inspired him to issue Ithaca Hours in his hometown of Ithaca, New York, as a way to create more local jobs and more security for Ithacans who are underemployed. Ithaca Hours has grown from its small grass-roots beginnings to include over a thousand individuals and stores.

Susan Witt, Administrator of the Community Land Trust in the Southern Berkshires is founder of BerkShares local currency program and its predecessor SHARE micro-credit program. BerkShares are a local currency for the Berkshire region. Dubbed a "great economic experiment" by the New York Times, BerkShares are a tool for community empowerment, enabling merchants and consumers to plant the seeds for an alternative economic future for their communities. Launched in the fall of 2006, BerkShares had a strong debut, with over two million BerkShares having been circulated to date.
( source www.berkshares.org )

Join our Conversation, share your ideas or experiences, and learn about how communities across this nation can protect and enhance our resources through alternative currencies.

In Celebration and Collaboration,

Diane Wittner
Co-Producer
Conversations with the Cabinet
Backbone Campaign

rsvp {at} backbonecampaign.org
Three ways to participate:

1. CONFERENCE CALL: First, RSVP by email with "Alternative Currencies" in the subject line, so we can reserve a spot for you on the call and send you instructions for cueing up for "on air" questions in the chatroom. At the time of call, dial 1-[phone], follow prompts and enter access code 1037729 followed by #.
and/or
2. WEB RADIO: Got to Voice of Vashon and see "click here to listen" at the top right corner.
To ask questions while you listen, you will need to RSVP for a password and log in at the live chat.
and/or
3. E-MAIL: Click RSVP to email your questions ahead of time.

[blindpig]

1. k&r, n/t