In today’s world where traditional markets frequently fail to meet the essential needs of communities, cooperative economics provides a powerful alternative. Rooted in the idea that communities can take action to address their own needs, cooperative economic models can offer a pathway to economic security and self-sufficiency. Among these models,…
Author: KoinBlog
A Unified and Person-Centered Economic Model – “The Participatory Community”
In my journey exploring the idea of time banking, I have come across many similar expressions of the same core values—community, compassion, valuing others, investing in the well-being of others, cooperation rather than competition, sustainability, equity, altruism, and other such utopian concepts. These ideals resonate deeply with the vision of…
The Nature of Needs and Happiness: A Holistic Perspective to Community Service
In our pursuit of happiness, it’s tempting to believe that obtaining what we want will bring lasting fulfillment. Yet, time and again, we see that merely having more “stuff” often fails to satisfy us deeply. In the Western world – a consumer-driven society which relentlessly promotes the idea that external…
Cooperation, Competition, and the Changing Social Landscape as Seen Through the Lens of Systems Theory
Systems theory, the transdisciplinary study of cohesive, interrelated, and interdependent components, offers a theoretically robust framework for examining the complex networks that make up social systems. These systems – whether natural, like ecosystems, or artificial, like economic structures – function as wholes, with each part influencing and being influenced by…
Man’s Desperate Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl’s book; Man’s Search for Meaning is a profound exploration of human suffering, resilience, and purpose. Drawing on his harrowing experiences as a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, Frankl proposes that the quest for meaning is the fundamental driver of human behavior. The book is divided into two parts: the…
Living Simply Through Love, Care, and Purity: A Biblical Approach
The Bible has, for more than 1500 years, been a source of wisdom when it comes to navigating life, yet its most profound principles are often elegantly simple. Two key passages distill the essence of righteous living: James 1:27 and Matthew 22:37-40. Together, they offer three guiding principles: love God…
Using Free-Form Time Banking as a Strategy for Developing Volunteer Resources within a Community Service Organization
Time banking is a way for communities to capture value without monetary cost through the recognition of individuals’ skills and time by the use of an indirect time-tracking instrument. Active engagement in time banking partnerships can enable members of a community to grow their personal networks, make lasting friendships, gain…
What Kind of Hand Were You Dealt in Life: A Reflection on Responsibility and Choice
We are not held responsible for the hand that we have been delt in life but we are, most certainly, held responsible for the way that we play that hand. Life is not a game of fairness but rather one of uncertainty. The cards that we are dealt – our…
If It’s Worth Doing, It’s Worth Doing Well: Is Less Actually More?
There’s an old saying that insists, “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” This sentiment comes to us today from a time when quality was actually important, when craftsmanship was appreciated, and when people took pride in building and creating things that would last. But with the rise of…
You Can’t Help Those Who Won’t Help Themselves
In our communities we see that ever-increasing needs is becoming the norm – many of them urgent – and community service and outreach programs strive to selflessly meet those needs, offering resources to those struggling to make ends meet. The intention behind such programs is simple: to provide assistance, support,…