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I am a futurist and my husband is a retired economist. Together we predicted this economic downturn about 8 years before it happened and we tried to warn as many people as possible because we knew it would be 'the big one.'
We also know that this problem will not be solved by throwing money at the corporate sector or at individuals and families. This strategy will not work! It would only be a stopgap measure.
Up till now we have relied on our politicians and world corporate 'leaders' to get us out of this mess - but these guys have no real solutions.
The answer is going to be to solve the issues from the grassroots up.
Individuals, families and entire communities are going to have to come together to find practical, workable answers which are fair and just for all - and not just a select few.
With our research, here at AlterQuest (the alternative quest for answers) we didn't just predict the problems but we began to search for ways to circumnavigate it. We now have a database of workable ideas which are used by people all over the planet.
We have the blueprint for a new civilization.
Every day we now hear of more and more people who have been made redundant.
Our son, who was working as a draftsman for a housing company was laid off two weeks ago.
Our neighbor, who had worked for the national airline for many years was let go after the Xmas rush.
How are all these people going to get jobs again?
The old world economy, around which we humans based our civilization, is crumbling and no amount of patchwork will save it.
We only have two choices at this time:
Stay as we are and hope that someone, somewhere will have answers which will make everything ok again (or)
Start creating a new system which works parallel to the old one – a system which will be able to sustain all of us and which will be fair and just and will work long into the 21st century.
So, how can we find a system which will help us get through these tough economic times?
There are many ways and I will list a few here.
Start a local monetary system which will provide an income and create jobs in your community. See: www.ithacahours.com for one system.
Start a barter system – so you can trade your knowledge or expertise for someone else’s skills e.g. if you are a cook, you can make bread or cookies and you can barter some of these for a haircut. The hairdresser cuts your hair and you pay her in food.
You start a LETS system – where each barter transaction is given a LETS amount and you get LETS credit for each thing you do e.g. if you give a massage or a haircut (provided you are skilled in these things) you gain LETS credit which you can then use to ‘buy’ vegetables from someone who has grown some or you might use your credits to buy some accounting from the accountant. This scheme is working well in many regions.
Make a local bank – one which will lend to small businesses without charging them high interest and lots of fees. That way, businesses in your locality can open up and jobs can be created.
The point is to make a monetary and economic system which is outside the old system.
The old system is taking money away from people and in it, people with skills are being left with no way to use them.
A new system must give people due pay for their skills and it must promote a well balanced community which has jobs for all and a monetary system which sustains all.
The same principle applies for healthcare, education, housing and all the necessities of life.
The three important principles are:
Evaluate the problems you are facing in these areas and
Find workable solutions which are outside the old way of thinking - then..
Put the ideas and methods into action.
How simple is that?
The answers are right there, if we just look for them.
If we make a more spiritual community and a more unified civilization we will move forward into the 21st century with confidence – knowing that for the first time in the history of mankind, we are making positive progress!
We are about to revamp our website but you are welcome to visit the old one and see some of the concepts we are teaching people.
