Social Trade Organisation:

1
Social Trade Organisation

• New Money
• presentation Forum Alternative, Transeurope
  Festival, Prague

2
Financial system is a failure

• High (youth)unemployment
• Unequal distribution of welfare
• Unstable and unsustainable
• Environmental problems

3
Social Trade Organisation (STRO)

• The Social Trade Organization was founded in 1970
• based in Utrecht, The Netherlands
• Mission
• to research, experiment and implement innovative
• sustainable economic structures made to suit
  local
• economies.

4
STROs presence in the world
5
Local circulation in poor areas problem
Money flows towards richer areas without
supporting the local economy
6
gt own currency forces local purchasing power to
circulate longer within the region gt afterwards
can be exchanged for trade outside the region
Local circulation in poor areas solution own
currency
7
Local Money how does it work?

• Thousands projects worldwide using an own, local
  currency
• Can only be used within certain area
  neighbourhood, city, region
• No replacement of national currency, but
  complementary
• Some local currencies no exchange for national
  currency
• Other local currencies exchange for national
  currency or goods

8
Local Money paper money or ..
9
Local Money digital gt Cyclos software

• STRO's open source software for the
  administration and operation of Transaction
  Networks
• For the users it functions like online banking
  software, allowing transfers between accounts
  through Web, cards and SMS
• Introduces innovative algorithms that help to
  keep purchasing power circulating longer, faster
  and more times in the local market
• Offers functions of social networks and online
  market place

10
Local Money an example
consumers
supermarket
restaurant
LM
LM
computer-shop

LM bonus
loan
butcher
administration
LM
11
Local Money an example
consumers
supermarket
restaurant
accountant
LM
LM
LM
transport
LM
LM
computer-shop

LM
distribution
LM
garage
butcher
LM
administration
marketing companies
LM
- fee
stock-farmer
LM
12
Local Money advantages

• Local purchasing power circulates longer within
  the region more local economic activity and more
  jobs
• Cheaper loans to companies that participate in
  the network
• Use of Cyclos means introduction of modern
  payment system

13
Local Money in practice Puntotransacciones

• El Salvador 500 companies and consumers
• Turnover 2011 1.3 million dollar, doubling each
  year

14
Local Money in practice Brixton Pound
15
Results

• We have proven that privately emitted means of
  payment are technically viable, legally sound and
  commercially accepted
• Our methods for emitting, backing and
  administrating different forms of means of
  payment are operational in hundreds of local
  networks
• Our software for online transactions is being
  used in more than a hundred trade-networks (that
  we know of...)

16
Local Money in Europe

• Most European countries in economic crisis
• High unemployment, e.g. youth unemployment is 50
  in Spain
• Conventional solution budget cuts by governments

17
Campaign Spend Local for More Jobs worldwide
18
Maybe also in Czech Republic nakupuj lokálne?

• www.nakupujlokálne.cz ?

19
More info on STRO

• STRO www.socialtrade.org
• Cyclos www.cyclos.org
• Facebook www.facebook.com/socialtrade
• Twitter SocialTradeOrg
• Spend Local www.spendlocal.org
• email jaap.vink_at_socialtrade.org