2nd International Conference on Complementary Currency Systems

= Wednesday June 19 to Sunday June 23, 2013, in the Hague

URL = http://qoin.org/conference_english/

Description

"From Wednesday June 19 to Sunday June 23 a conference will be held in the Hague that will take the visitor into the world and science of Complementary Currencies. The Policy Conference on day 3 – Friday 21st of June – focuses specifically on policy makers, government officials, innovation managers and practitioners.

This Policy Conference aims to bring the attention to the great variety of community and complementary currency systems existing nowadays and explore their potential to combat unemployment, support the local economy, enhance community and social networks and meet environmentally responsible purposes. The format was designed to offer a great opportunity to exchange innovative ideas and get insights on legal issues in addition to exploring how such systems can be employed to meet social goals while saving on government expenses.

Examples of successful community currencies include:

De Makkie in Amsterdam East: a reward scheme seeking to empower local people to play an active role in their community and improve social cohesion in the neighbourhood. The project results from a partnership between the local authority, local civic associations and various other organisations with interests in the neighborhood.

E-portemonnee in Belgium: an electronic savings and reward scheme through which one can earn points by conducting sustainable and environmentally friendly behaviour. These points can be used as means of payment for environmentally friendly products.

The Policy Conference is designed around a variety of formats including Shows, Games, and Inspiration sessions. Panels will be held in English, Spanish and Dutch and will host more than 75 speakers, researchers and experts in the field. An example of a session is:

Social Cohesion & Social Care. Time Credits & Time-banks stimulate social care, voluntary work and neighbourhood services. How can municipalities and professional organisations set them up or support bottom-up initiatives?

Speakers include: Jordi Griera (Banco del Tiempo – Spain), Stephanie Rearick (Time Banks – USA), Becky Booth (Spice - UK), Mayumi Hayashi (Fureai Kippu – Japan), Sander de Rijke (de Makkie – Netherlands). Hosting the session is Noel Longhurst (University of East Anglia – UK)." (http://qoin.org/conference_english/)