In today’s world, where economic uncertainty, job displacement, and social fragmentation are on the rise, it’s time we rethink how communities function. The traditional economic model—one based on monetary transactions and individualistic success—has left many behind. But what if there were a way to harness the power of cooperation without…
Category: Making Money
Interesting ways to make money
Cooperative Networks of Peer Support: More than just an interesting idea
The idea of “cooperative networks of peer support”, championed by the organization called “Humans United in Mutual Aid Networks” represents an incredibly powerful, untapped potential for addressing the economic and social challenges that increasingly characterize modern life. And by leveraging platforms like KommunityKoin.com as a foundational framework, these networks can…
Do You Work or Do You Have a Job?
There is a distinction between having a job and working. The difference may seem subtle at first glance, but it is fundamental. A job is a position assigned within an economic system, a function performed in exchange for money. Work, however, is an act of creation, a process of bringing…
The Cost of Convenience: Reclaiming What We Lost
In the years following the great war, a change swept across our land. Men and women, once masters of their own fates, began to lean on others for the tasks they once held dear. The farmer’s plow rusted in the field; the craftsman’s tools gathered dust. With each passing day,…
Is Retirement Still a Reality or a Relic of the Past?
The idea of retirement, once a cornerstone of the American Dream, now seems like an elusive mirage for many. It was a promise fulfilled for the baby boomer generation—a period of leisure and rest after decades of toil. This ideal was born out of the post-World War II economic boom,…
Entropy: Why is Living Such a Struggle?
The second law of thermodynamics provides an interesting insight into the fabric of existence. Entropy, the measure of disorder or randomness, explains why all systems, including life itself, are engaged in a perpetual struggle against the natural trend toward chaos – or simplicity. This principle reveals why life, at its…
The Concept of Social Currency in the Digital Age
Social currency, at its core, refers to: the intangible value that individuals or groups derive from their relationships, reputation, and interactions within a community. It is the measure of trust, influence, goodwill, and reciprocity that fuels social networks and fosters collaboration. While traditionally unquantifiable, social currency has always been a…
The Net-Giving Fueled Favor Chain: A Supercharged Whirlwind of Giving
In our fast-paced, individualistic world, the idea of interconnected generosity often feels like a nostalgic ideal rather than an achievable reality. Yet, every so often, a new framing of an old idea sparks fresh inspiration. Recently, I was speaking with someone about time banking and time co-ops when they remarked,…
Cooperative Economics and Community Empowerment: Time Co-ops and Time Banks
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,…
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…