time/bank: workshop Paul Glover

The American Paul Glover (1947) will give a workshop entitled ‘Making Money: How to Start a Local Currency’, an investigation of the system behind timebanking. In addition to giving information, the workshop will also function as a way to start a network. Anton Vidokle of e-flux Time/Bank will also be present to share his experience.

Paul Glover is a visionary economist and community organizer. He is known as a radical and pragmatic thinker. He is an advocate of alternative economic systems, local food production, ecologically friendly transport systems and urban planning, and he is the founder of Ithaca Hours, a very successful local currency in Ithaca, New York.

Ithaca Hours is a local currency system that promotes local economic strength and community self-reliance in ways which will support economic and social justice, ecology, community participation and human aspirations in and around Ithaca, New York. Ithaca Hours help to keep money local, building the Ithaca economy. It also builds community pride and connections. More than 200 businesses publicly accept Ithaca Hours for goods and services (including the best restaurants in town, movie theaters, bowling alleys, two large locally-owned grocery stores, the local hospital, farmer’s market vendors, the Chamber of Commerce). Whereas national currencies are based on the exploitation of natural resources and cheap labour, the Ithaca Hours stand for solidarity and justice. Instead of images of dead presidents, the Ithaca hour notes feature pictures of salamanders, babies, insects and lakes.

Currently living in Philadelphia, Paul Glover holds degrees in marketing and in city management and is founder of GreenPlanners, a consultancy for community eco-development. In 2004Glover was a presidential candidate in several primaries of the Green Party (eventually won by Ralph Nader).
“When conservatives don’t conserve and liberals don’t liberate, Greens become centrists because we directly address the central concerns of average Americans for clean and abundant food, for safe and comfortable housing, for creative work, for top-quality health care and education, for time to enjoy family life and for time to relax secure in their old age. By contrast, Democratic and Republican party leaders are dangerous extremists, indulging extremes of violence and greed, converting global wealth and human decency into chaos.”
www.paulglover.org/