THE FUTURE OF MONEY Bernard A. Lietaer - library.uniteddiversity ...

street in our cities could become a work of beauty? What if the
limitations arise when we change 'work' into 'jobs', i.e. when we need
to exchange our work for an artificially scarce currency? Why could
we not design a money system that works for us, rather than having
us work for it? Walter Wriston, ex-Chairman of Citibank, defined
money as information. Why should information be scarce,
particularly at a time when the technologies of the information Age
are spreading like wildfire all over the world?
Yes, I'll concede to you that it is not quite that simple. Before you
conclude that I have gone completely crazy, I ask you to hear me out,
to accompany me in exploring some new possibilities. I hope you will
find them as surprising and as much fun as I do.
Your friend,
Bernard
For starters, a definition of the term Sustainable Abundance may be
useful.
Of all the definitions of Sustainability, the one I prefer is the
instruction of my scoutmaster whenever we arrived at a new
campsite: 'Leave the place in better shape than you found it.' A more
formal definition is the one used by the Gro Brundlandt Report for
the United Nations (1987): Sustainability is characteristic of a society
that 'satisfies its needs without diminishing the prospects of future
generations'. Such a society, I believe, should also respect the needs
and diversity of other life forms in the process,
Abundance does not refer to a mechanical accumulation of more
stuff, or a Porsche in every garage. Abundance is what provides
enough freedom of choice in the material domain to as many people
as possible, so that they can express their passion and creativity. Such