The Villarceaux Monetary Forum 2014 : The challenge of “scaling-up”
Some 35 participants gather to discuss the significance and viability of the monetary projects that will be presented, as well as practical approaches, obstacles to be avoid, difficulties encountered, and the transformative potential of these mechanisms.
The 2014 Forum was devoted to the question of scaling up, which can be posed in two ways: in relation to a specific currency project, with all the practical issues this implies, such as the projects’ development, its internal dynamic, and its recognition by authority; but also, more generally, in relation to the community and complementary currency movement as a whole.
Many of the project’s practitioners, as well as the scholars who support them, seek profound social and economic transformation—whether this be defined as a shift to a territorial economy, the ecological transition, social inclusion, or the fight against poverty—and see currency as a lever of change. Along the way, these actors encounter practical and political difficulties, relating to the mechanism’s viability, public confidence, recognition, and so on.
Discussions with the actors and scholars interested in these issues have made it possible to identify three of the main stakes:
1) Building and expanding the sphere of exchange: What kinds of resources can enter the exchange circuit, and how? How are they to be identified, integrated, and valued? What practical difficulties are encountered? Is the current sphere of exchange viable?
2) Explaining the project to users and encouraging use: community and complementary currencies depend heavily on the personal involvement of project activists. How can the circle of users be expanded? How are conflicts related to the managing of the mechanism handled?
3) Negotiating recognition with the authorities: project practitioners must “negotiate” their projects with a wide range of actors: local government, public institutions, local associations, social and solidarity economics networks—and as high up as monetary authorities, who are increasingly interested in these mechanisms. What arguments can be used to “justify” these currencies at each level? As a response to the economic crisis? As a tool for local development and prosperity? And how is one to speak of monetary creation, given official skepticism about this matter?
PARTICIPANTS
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Burton, Mark
Bristol Pound
UK
Caro, Andréa
SOL Violette
France
Cerfontaine,
Elodie
Financité
Belgium
Dombret, Laurent
Le Minuto
Belgium
Doré,
Dominique
SEL
France
Chaput, Olivier
ECO-IRIS
Belgium
Xabi, Camino
EUSKO
France
Gomez, Georgina
ISS Erasmus
University - The Hague/Rotterdam -Netherlands
Netherlands
Kaabi, Lotfi
Special advisor
for Tunisia Presidence on social innovation - Project Time Banking
- Tunisia
Tunisia
Kazbekow, Kirill
Sustainable
Money Research Group (Berlin)
Germany
Longhurst, Noel
University of
East Anglia - UK
UK
Ould-Ahmed,
Pépita
Institut
Recherche et Développement (IRD) - France
France
Pratella, Grazia
Associazione
Nazionale Banche del Tempo)
Italy
Renaut-Revoyre,
Zoé
déléguée
générale du réseau Accorderie France Currency
Accorderie - France (Paris)
France
Servet,
Jean-Michel
IHEID Genève
Switzerland
Shakhli, Tom
Brixton Pound -
UK
UK
Sotiropoulou,
Irini
Independant
researcher
Greece
van der Wekken,
Ruby
TimeBank
Helsinki
Finland
Vital, Annie
Currency Mesure
- France (Romans sur Isère)
France
Warnier
Jean-Pierre
anthropologue,
Centre d’études africaines, EHESS
France
Blanc, Jérome
University Lyon
2 - France
France
Bruno Théret
CNRS, université
Paris Dauphine
France
Kalinowski,
Wojtek
Veblen Institute
France
Whitaker, Celina
CEDAL/Monnaies
en débat
France
de Freitas,
Carlos
Palmas Institute
Europe/FMDV/Monnaies en Débat
France