A complementary currency (frz. = addition) a currency, which has the character of a is . It is the agreement within a community to accept somewhat additionally beside the official money as articles of exchange. This additional currency can be both a commodity, a service or an money-equivalent credit note. She is understood in the sense as "money "that she fulfills the original and actual function of the money as "article of exchange ".

A goal of such an agreement is it, existing social, to compensate economic and ecological unequal weights itself devoted from the monopolistic position of the official currency in the case of long persisting scarceness, without completely displacing the standard currency. The causes the stabilization of spatially defined economic circulations by the anticyclical peripheral speeds of both currencies, where a monopoly currency does not ensure a constant cash flow. This is occupied by numerous historical and current examples.

Depending upon intended purpose and area of application since many centuries combined monetary systems within communities successfully are already practiced. Usually it could be paid in such a way handled that taxes can be settled only with the legal tender, everyday life business in the being and service range however to a part also with the secondary currency.

Particularly in the course of the progressive globalization since the 1990er years world-wide numerous complementary currencies were established, with which economically weakened and disadvantaged regions their economics could revitalisieren and make themselves independent of outside backers. In this way become e.g. high unemployment, increasing indebtedness, depletion and environmental damage by profitable use of alternative resources durably declining. Just like with the regional currencies the slogan is called: Regionalization instead of globalization.

Finally it concerns to world-wide cultural variety, over the implementation from rights of self-determination and the avoidance of long continuous social unrests, with complementary monetary systems also effective and lasting methods to retaining if these are caused through monetary Unterversorgung. History shows that such unrests lead frequently to bloody revolutions and wars.

Examples of current complementary currencies

The Banjar on Bali

On Bali a social, economic and cultural network insists for over 1000 years. The most important organisational structure is "the Banjar "(= neighbourhood) for the regulation of civilian aspects within the community. She was already mentioned for the first time in writing 914. All Banjar is basis-democratically and decentralized organized on local level. Public meetings of the council take place monthly in the villages and cities, in which over current and new projects one advises. For financial planning two in principle complementary budgets are available: on the one hand the Indonesian Rupiah, the legal tender of the archipelago, on the other hand "nayahan banjar "(= work for the public interest), one "time currency "their arithmetic and logic units by services to be formed. The money and time units are specified for each family. The current value, which everyone must apply for joint projects, is even more highly regarded than cash, since the mutual assistance promotes the co-operation better. Accordingly Verweigerungen lead starting from a certain extent to the proscription by the community.

All lining up work in a municipality is in this way "financially "secured. One pays either with Rupiah or with active work. Thus all existing resources are mobilized to convert around the decided projects. Time is regarded equivalently as a kind of money. Who makes much money, little time for the municipality has. And poorer humans, who earn little Rupien, can up-improve it by time work "content ". Thus the binary monetary system contributes to graden social differences to retain cultural traditions and stabilize the economy. Even the annual mass tourism on Bali could not infiltrate this traditional co-operation of the population in such a way, as one observes it in others "Urlaubsparadiesen ". There frequently a decay of the society is to be observed in profiting elite and becoming impoverished masses.

Quotations of leaders of some Banjar advice:

"Which concerns the co-operation in community and culture, is the Banjar more strongly than the religion. "

"The Banjar is it, which holds the community together, us all. "

"The Banjar is the most important principle of organization, which carries the balinesischen character. "

The shell money on Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea belongs itself to the few developing countries, despite the globalization pressure their cultural identity, which could retain social co-operation and an economic stability. A crucial factor is thereby the of "Kina "(legal tender) and the traditional shell money of the native population. Some province governments recognized the socio-economic advantages of a binary monetary system and to promote their use. The widespread Subsistenzwirtschaft in the regions can be mastered with such a combination better than with only one currency.

In February 2002 in close proximity to Rabaul on the island new Britain those was opened world-wide first shell bank. The exchange office is in the province East new Britain. There the Tolai places the largest subpopulation. Traditionally the Tolai with shell money pays. The unit are "fathoms ", those are money cords, which are enough between two stretched arms. Already 2001 approved the province government of East new Britain even the payment of taxes with shell money. "The Tolai Exchange bank "changes the shell money into hard currency, for the Kina. The current rate of exchange amounts to four Kina for fathom. However on the Gazelle peninsula one estimates a circulation of shell money at a value of eight million Kina.

Curitiba, Brazil

The rapid population growth in the Brazilian large cities had led also in Curitiba to the education of the nationaltypical slum areas (Favelas). A large problem of the town with millions of inhabitants was to center of the 1970er years the garbage, since the roads for the urban removal were too close and impassable. The propagation of numerous diseases became intolerable.

Thereupon the city administration invented a kind "Mutual Credit system ", in which services are exchanged against each other. At the edge of the Favelas a garbage separation system with enormous containers was established. When the inhabitants of bus tickets received reward for pre-sorting, with which the daily travels were secured to the school to the work and. The children received additionally various instruction implements. Today also food can be exchanged against the performed work. With the time numerous lasting advantages became visible: Education, environmental protection (by the recycling daily 1200 trees remain preserved) and a local economic growth improved clean outlying districts, discharge of the health service, extent of utilization of the public transportation, lowering of unemployment.

The economic consequences in figures: the average income in Curitiba is about three times more highly as the Brazilian average, between 1975 and 1995 grew the gross national product per head around 48% faster than generally speaking country. Fiscal charges is just as high thereby as in other cities. This led to a duplication of the number of inhabitants within fewer years on approx. 5 millions (conditions 2004). There are considerations to expand the system of complementary currencies on surrounding regions in order to strengthen there the local economic circulations and limit the urban growth. This example shows, how by dual a monetary system a third world country can reach the standard of living of the first world.

For its exemplary environmental policy (garbage separation, recycling, high air quality"Â…) Curitiba received 1992 from the United Nations the title "ecological capital of Brazil ".

Articles in category "Complementary currency"

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