february update in the world of hubs

"Brief update from Manfred of The Hub Network on facebook (operations director, Hub World) on what happening in the world of Hubs...(from Feb 6th, so 9 days old now, but still)

• Amsterdam is open for business - and building a beautiful space.
• Berlin is open for a year now.
• Bristol has increased its membership base significantly since moving into their new home at Bush House last June.
• Bombay just e-mailed to say they found a building and are about to sign the lease.
• Bruxel has yesterday opened a smaller predecessor to a bigger space the team intends to take on.
• Halifax has opened its Hub on Monday and new members work in the middle of renovation efforts.
• London Islington has just celebrated its fourth birthday and is fully booked and buzzing as ever.
• London Kings Cross is open for three months now and has signed up 200 members and counting.
• Madrid has signed the lease to an incredible space and is starting to renovate.
• Milano is actively fundraising and has several options for spaces to move into.
• Oaxaca is building a team, doing the groundwork and exploring the scene.
• Porto has a building and a team and funds and is eager to get going.
• Rotterdam and Sao Paulo are up and running and by now among the Hub establishment.
• Stockholm has joined the family and is open and active.
• World is getting organised. We don't control this wonderful beast - did we say we would? But yes, of course we are trying.
• Dublin, Vienna, Tel Aviv and many others are very active and eager to join.

And this is only about the Spaces. Add your story, tell us more."

food $ flow web image

Thinking about the possible connections that a local currency could make in the Louisville food system...



What else could be linked in?

_________

Local currency needs to have the power to buy for people necessary stuff - Right? That is a basic for what would make a local currency work - the power to buy things that people would be needing to buy anyway. Food is an obvious one, so I drew that and you can CLICK on the image to make it more legible.

But the bottom of the food triangle are the producers, right? The farmers. What would they do with their local currency? Well, one thing would be to be able to purchase health care, or at least a co-payment.

But even better would be a local credit union/bank that accepted the currency. Then they could trade it in for federal $. The credit union would have to know that customers would be willing to receive part or all of their withdrawal in local $. And if they knew they could buy essentials with it, they would - especially with the added incentive of stimulating the local economy and keeping local businesses and farmers alive!

What do you think? Could this work?

If so, should we choose a date in 2010 to launch it with lots of businesses signed on ready to go on, say, March 22, 2010? With a big media splash (since it is World Water Day, and we're going to get the flow of local money going!). Can you picture it?