The Ojai Economy Group: Investing in the Power of Local So

The Ojai Economy Group: Investing in the Power of Local Solutions
Tuesday, 08 September 2009 00:00 Vickie Peters
http://www.hopedance.org/money/the-ojai-economy-group-investing-in-the-power-of-local-solutions

"When a group of people learn how to work together for the common good, they discover the power of community and realize that they are interdependently wealthy and capable of anything they apply their hearts and minds to." - Michael Lindfield, Advisor, Ojai Economy Group
If there is a glimmer of hope to be found in the troubling implications of overpopulation, climate change, peak oil, ecological devastation and financial meltdown, it may be the growing awareness that the global culture and economy are failing to meet our needs. Along with this realization comes the opportunity to create local economies that are more resilient and sustainable.

Acclaimed monetary systems expert Bernard Lietaer believes that greed and fear of scarcity are being continuously created and amplified as a direct result of the kind of money we are using, and he isn't surprised that the world is suffering from a monetary crisis. "Money is like an iron ring that we've put through our noses," he says. "We've forgotten that we designed it, and now it's leading us around." (www.lietaer.com). According to Lietaer, modern economics can be described as "a way of allocating scarce resources through the mechanisms of competition and personal greed." Because of the inherent inequities of this flawed system, it is failing to meet the long-term goals of civilization. In order to turn things around, we need to create healthy local communities and economies that share the characteristics of healthy ecosystems: their sustainability depends not only on their efficiency, but also on their diversity and interconnectivity.

Lietaer is convinced that we need to design monetary and social systems that support sustainability and community. People everywhere who believe in the power of local solutions to global problems are embracing this perspective. It's being called localization or transition, and it's happening because people are recognizing that the unsustainable global economic system is failing to protect humans, the environment, and the natural systems on which all life depends (www.localfuture.org).

Evolutionary economist Hazel Henderson agrees, and also stresses that cooperation is essential for ecologically sustainable development. "We are all learning that money, a useful invention of the human mind, is not wealth. Real wealth is in human talents, wisdom and understanding of the priceless assets and ecological capital of our living planet."

Henderson will be a featured presenter (via satellite) at The 2009 Ojai Forum on the New Economy: Healthy Local Communities, Civic Engagement and Global Sustainability (www.ojaiforum.com), which is being convened by the Ojai Economy Group (OEG). The forum will begin Friday, September 25, with a working dinner of locally grown fare, followed by an interactive discussion co-chaired by Henderson (www.hazelhenderson.com), socially responsible investment consultant Stuart Valentine (www.iowapam.com), and Rinaldo Brutoco, founder of the World Business Academy (www.worldbusiness.org). The following two days will be structured around intensive workshops dedicated to the development of specific action plans for strengthening the local economy.

The OEG is comprised of private citizens who share the view that the current economic crisis also represents an opportunity to create a more resilient, compassionate, and sustainable local economy for the Ojai Valley. They envision new levels of thinking, creativity and innovation that is based upon principles of goodwill, trust and cooperation (www.ojaieconomy.com). According to one of the group's founders, Tyler Suchman, "The idea of supporting the local economy through various initiatives such as alternative currency and bartering has been kicked around by many individuals for many years. The OEG hopes to bring together the right people at the right time, all of whom have had great success starting and building community-oriented companies, projects, and non-profit organizations."

The OEG is exploring the ideas around local economy from four directions at this point: alternative currency, bartering, giving and investing. "Ultimately, a systems approach incorporates all of these ideas into a cohesive platform for a sustainable local economy," Suchman says. The group is still considering how time, skills,and service might be woven into the fabric of a supportive, nourishing, and resilient local economy, taking into account the demographic, economic, cultural and geographic variables involved.

They will be evaluating various types of community currency, including a card system (gift cards, cash cards, and debit cards), a printed currency (similar to other local currencies like Ithaca Hours and BerkShares and the currently inactive SLO Hours) and the possibility of a points system that could be tied to bartering, service, gifting and volunteering. Once they're in place, the OEG envisions that these complementary forms of community currency will provide a local alternative to the dollar that can be used as a tool for supporting local businesses and non-profits and even tourism.

The OEG will also be considering the viability of a barter economy, where goods and services can be exchanged among multiple parties, along with the development of a supportive infrastructure for gifting, volunteerism and philanthropy for local community investment projects. Ellen Hall, another founding member, is concerned that the non-profits that give the Ojai Valley its unique value and soul are especially vulnerable due to the economic crisis, and believes that strengthening the local economy will help these organizations to survive. "The goal of a thriving Ojai goes beyond preservation of the quality of life supported by the current economy. A transformed local economy based on principles of goodwill and mutual support will enhance relationships," she says.

Individually and collectively, members of the OEG are researching how to best prioritize and integrate various programs and will be exploring these topics during their upcoming forum on the new economy. According to conference coordinator Roger Collis, "the new economy is not at odds with the old economy; it is not a replacement. Elements of the old economy are changing and people are hungry for alternatives." The goals of the forum are to convene the community in a transformational context and to capture the creativity, ideas and vision that are needed to strengthen and support the local economy.
Collis emphasizes the importance of looking at the economy from a holistic perspective. "We are not just talking about finances, we are talking about a way of life, a new consciousness that embraces all facets of human life - cooperating with nature through sustainable agricultural practices, education for the whole child, caring for elderly, a health system that is affordable for all people, a culture of personal creativity and sense of community. There is so much more we can do as people and as a society once we are able to overcome our doubts and fears of the future. The future is ours to shape, and new economic strategies are a necessary part of shaping a positive and hopeful world. We start with ourselves and with our communities and build from there." *

Vickie Peters is a writer and editor with expertise in the development of public relations and marketing programs for public entities, private industry, non-profits and community service organizations. She graduated with honors from Cal Poly, SLO, and is working toward an MA in geography with an emphasis in political ecology.