Complementary currencies, a new approach to territorial development. Which role for the communities?

Wojtek Kalinowski, Catalina Duque Gómez, November 2017

Institut national spécialisé d’études territoriales de Dunkerque (INSET), L’Institut Veblen pour les réformes économiques (Veblen)

You have probably already heard about these strange little currencies that are being launched here and there, in France and elsewhere, and that raise many questions for public authorities, local elected officials, companies and local residents. For some, they are « gadgets » with no real impact on the economy and society. For others, these currencies announce, on the contrary, a profound change in the approach to territories, in the organization of exchanges and, finally, in the very way we define wealth in our societies. But what is really going on? These currencies are the talk of the town, but in reality they are little known. And if we have created this MOOC, it is precisely to explain what they are about in concrete terms, to allow you to understand the issues behind these currencies, and in particular to situate them in the framework of public action.

We will talk about the functioning of the different types of complementary currencies, the objectives that these currencies pursue, the role they can play in local development, in social cohesion, and in the transition towards sustainable territories.

The course is structured in 4 sessions. We will start by discussing the nature and functioning of money (Session 1(in French)). This will lead us to raise questions about the current monetary system and to understand the challenges behind the creation of complementary currencies. The Session Two (in French) will outline current territorial issues and develop how different types of complementary currencies propose to address them. We will focus on the contribution of complementary currencies to the territorialization of activities, the dynamization of exchanges and the transformation of social practices and representations.

This general framework will allow us to address, in the last two sessions (Session 3 and 4 (in French)), the different types of complementary currencies based on French examples. We will talk about the practical implementation of complementary currencies and give the floor to actors involved in the implementation of these initiatives. We hope that these 4 sessions will contribute to a better understanding of complementary currencies and their potential.

As an extension of the Complementary Currencies MOOC, a conference was organized at the Learning Center in Dunkirk on June 16, 2018 on the theme «  Land Currency Solution  » and is the subject of a fifth session (in French). The purpose of the conference is to address more specifically the issues of the effects and impacts of local complementary currencies, i.e. currencies that are strongly anchored in the territory, involving citizen collectives, local economic actors and, most often, public authorities.

We invite you to read the fact sheets that accompany the videos, which provide more details on the experiences mentioned and resources to help you learn more.

Summary

Session 1 : Keys to understanding money, its functions, its role as a social link (in French)

Session 2 : Complementary currencies in territorial dynamics: overview, issues and perspectives (in French)

Sessions 3 and 4 : Complementary currencies in practice (in French)

Session 5 : Effects and impacts of local complementary currencies (in French)

Sources

To go further