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

In a world where pensioners are becoming an ever-increasing
proportion of society, to the point that medical expenses may
bankrupt entire countries, is anybody taking any notice?
The good news is that in the UK, more and more people have
started doing so (see sidebar). Research has also proved with hard
data the value of this model. Time Dollars systems have proved
effective not only in boosting healthcare systems, but in other social
problems such as youth crime, and lawlessness in run-down
neighbourhoods. Research has also proved the validity of this model
in various domains.
Time Dollars can now be exchanged not only for services, but also
for food, clothes, home mortgages (through Habitat International),
health insurance, computers and student loans. It is also clear that the
full potential for cross-fertilisation between Time Dollar systems and
local businesses has barely been tapped, and would provide
important benefits to both sides (see sidebar).
By the year 2000, more than 300 townships and social service
programmes have started Time Dollar systems, most of them in
Anglo-Saxon countries.
2. Ithaca HOURS
Ithaca is a small university town with a population of about 27,000
in state New York. It is not a rich town. It has, for example, the high
percentage of 'working poor' in the state of New York (people who
are employed, but whose income is so low that they still remain
eligible for stamps).
Paul Glover, a local community activist, felt that the proximity of
NewYork City kept diverting the community energy into the
vastness of the city. He decided to do something about this problem.