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

underlying principle - I dared more freely to ask for what I need. The
other day I organised a workshop on Thai cuisine at home, and I just
went out to invite my neighbours. It even has spread to the children.
My daughter told me "Caroline is a bit weak in spelling ... I could
help her". I have been able to break the traditional barriers and treat
everybody as an equal.'
This process has spawned a book on how to start your own
information exchange centre.
Every Saturday at 12.30 p.m. on the television network 'France 2'
there is a programme entitled Troc Moi Tout (Barter Everything),
which is the electronic version of a periodical called Troc Tout. Three
cable television programmes are providing a support system to
advertise available barter exchange opportunities a support system to
between individuals.
According to a survey made in December 1994 by the CREDOC one
out of four French people are now performing exchanges not using
the official French franc: 2% of all the French now trade mostly that
way, 10% regularly, another 13% occasionally.
'There was a time when the people from the villages went "aux
aidats". It was a reciprocal aid custom, which became essential at
harvest time. What if these old customs became the hottest modem
thing to do" wonders Dorothte Werner in an article about 'Trends for
the Future' in Elle. She may be right: remember the Australian story
of the 'Eleventh Round' (Chapter 2)? Here is a pragmatic
demonstration that whenever the competitive undertow generated
by the normal national currency disappears, people spontaneously
rediscover the pleasures of co-operatively working with each other.
Even in France, there are professional party poopers. The 'Fisc' (the
tax authority) is interested in its cut on exchanges over 20,000 FF per