WIR Bank
The WIR Bank, formerly the Swiss Economic Circle (German: ''Wirtschaftsring-Genossenschaft''), or WIR, is an independent complementary currency system in Switzerland that serves businesses in hospitality, construction, manufacturing, retail and professional services. WIR issues and manages a private currency, called the WIR franc, which is used in combination with the Swiss franc to generate dual-currency transactions. System The WIR franc is an electronic currency reflected in clients' trade accounts and so there is no paper money. The intentions of starting were in increased sales, cash flow and profits for a qualified participant. WIR created a credit system which issues credit, in WIR francs, to its members. The credit lines are secured by members pledging assets which ensures that the currency is asset-backed. When two members enter into a transaction with both Swiss francs and WIR francs it reduces the amount of cash needed by the buyer; the seller does not discount it ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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German Language
German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western Europe, Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and Official language, official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It is also an official language of Luxembourg, German-speaking Community of Belgium, Belgium and the Italian autonomous province of South Tyrol, as well as a recognized national language in Namibia. There are also notable German-speaking communities in other parts of Europe, including: Poland (Upper Silesia), the Czech Republic (North Bohemia), Denmark (South Jutland County, North Schleswig), Slovakia (Krahule), Germans of Romania, Romania, Hungary (Sopron), and France (European Collectivity of Alsace, Alsace). Overseas, sizeable communities of German-speakers are found in the Americas. German is one of the global language system, major languages of the world, with nearly 80 million native speakers and over 130 mi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Freigeld
( German for "free economy") is an economic theory and proposal founded by the German-Argentine economist Silvio Gesell in his 1916 book, '' The Natural Economic Order'' (). Some of the basic economic ideas of Freiwirtschaft were also independently published in 1890 by the Hungarian-Austrian economist Theodor Hertzka in his novel ''Freiland - ein soziales Zukunftsbild'' (''Freeland - A Social Anticipation''). Structure Freiwirtschaft consists of three central aspects, usually summed up as the Three Fs: * ' ('free money') ** All money is issued for a ''limited'' period by ''constant'' value (neither inflation, nor deflation). ** Long-term saving requires investment in bonds or stocks. ** Freigeld is 'free' because it's free (libre) from hoarding and interest. * ' ('free land') ** All land is commonly owned or else the property of public institutions and can only be rented from the community or from government, respectively, not purchased (''see also Georgism''). * ' ('free ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Freiwirtschaft
(German for "free economy") is an economic theory and proposal founded by the German-Argentine economist Silvio Gesell in his 1916 book, ''The Natural Economic Order'' (). Some of the basic economic ideas of Freiwirtschaft were also independently published in 1890 by the Hungarian-Austrian economist Theodor Hertzka in his novel ''Freiland - ein soziales Zukunftsbild'' (''Freeland - A Social Anticipation''). Structure Freiwirtschaft consists of three central aspects, usually summed up as the Three Fs: * ' ('free money') ** All money is issued for a ''limited'' period by ''constant'' value (neither inflation, nor deflation). ** Long-term saving requires investment in bonds or stocks. ** Freigeld is 'free' because it's free (libre) from hoarding and interest. * ' ('free land') ** All land is commonly owned or else the property of public institutions and can only be rented from the community or from government, respectively, not purchased (''see also Georgism''). * ' ('free tra ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Local Currencies
In economics, a local currency is a currency that can be spent in a particular geographical locality at participating organisations. A regional currency is a form of local currency encompassing a larger geographical area, while a community currency might be local or be used for exchange within an online community. A local currency acts as a complementary currency to a national currency, rather than replacing it, and aims to encourage spending within a local community, especially with locally owned businesses. Such currencies may not be backed by a national government nor be legal tender. About 300 complementary currencies, including local currencies, are listed in the Complementary Currency Resource Center worldwide database. Terminology Some definitions: * Complementary currency – is used as a complement to a national currency, as a medium of exchange, which is usually not legal tender. * Community currency – a complementary currency used by a group with a common bond, such ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tomorrow (2015 Film)
''Tomorrow'' () is a 2015 French documentary film directed by Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent. Faced with a future that scientists say is a great cause for concern,Anthony Barnosky, Elizabeth Hadly ''et al.''"Approaching a state shift in Earth’s biosphere" ''Nature'', number 486, 7 Juin 2012, pages 52-58 (page visited on 31 August 2016). In addition to this article (mentioned in the film), Anthony Barnosky and Elizabeth Hadly also wrote the book ''End Game: Tipping Point for Planet Earth?'', 2015 (). the film has the distinction of not giving in to catastrophism. Optimistically, it identifies initiatives that have been proven themselves in ten countries as examples of solutions to environmental and social challenges of the twenty-first century in agriculture, energy, economy, education and governance. ''Tomorrow'' exceeded a million entries in France. It won the 2016 César Award for Best Documentary Film and was distributed in 27 countries. [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Demurrage Currency
Demurrage currency, also known as depreciating money or stamp scrip in its paper money form, is a type of money that is designed to gradually lose purchasing power at a flat constant rate. Unlike traditional money, demurrage is designed to only be a ''temporary'' store of value. Demurrage money functions primarily as a medium of exchange and unit of account. In some cases, demurrage currencies have been employed as emergency currencies, intended to keep the circular flow of income running throughout the economy during recessions and times of war, due to their faster circulation velocities. Demurrage is sometimes cited as economically advantageous, usually in the context of complementary currency systems. The German-Argentine economist, Silvio Gesell, advocated for demurrage currency as part of the Freiwirtschaft economic system. He referred to demurrage as '' Freigeld'' 'free money' — "free" because it would be freed from hoarding and interest. Gesell theorized that Freigeld ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Interest
In finance and economics, interest is payment from a debtor or deposit-taking financial institution to a lender or depositor of an amount above repayment of the principal sum (that is, the amount borrowed), at a particular rate. It is distinct from a fee which the borrower may pay to the lender or some third party. It is also distinct from dividend which is paid by a company to its shareholders (owners) from its profit (economics), profit or Reserve (accounting), reserve, but not at a particular rate decided beforehand, rather on a pro rata basis as a share in the reward gained by risk taking entrepreneurs when the revenue earned exceeds the total costs. For example, a customer would usually pay interest to debt, borrow from a bank, so they pay the bank an amount which is more than the amount they borrowed; or a customer may earn interest on their savings, and so they may withdraw more than they originally deposited. In the case of savings, the customer is the lender, and the ban ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Silvio Gesell
Johann Silvio Gesell (; 17 March 1862 – 11 March 1930) was a German-Argentine economist, entrepreneur, and social reformer. He was the founder of (German language, German for "free economy"), an economic model for market socialism. In 1900, he founded the magazine ''The Money and Land Reform'' (), but it soon closed for financial reasons. During his time in Oranienburg, Gesell started the magazine ''Der Physiokrat'' together with . In 1914, it closed due to censorship. In 1916, he published his most famous work, ''The Natural Economic Order''. Gesell is mainly known for his monetary theory. In particular, he noticed that there is an asymmetry between the durability and Hoarding (economics), hoardability of money versus the fragility and depreciation of goods and services that lose value due to entropy and the passage of time. He believed that people who own or hoard money have an unfair economic advantage over people who are dependent on producing and selling decayable goods ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Complementary Currency
A complementary currency is a currency or medium of exchange that is not necessarily a national currency, but that is thought of as supplementing or complementing national currencies. Complementary currencies are usually not legal tender and their use is based on agreement between the parties exchanging the currency. According to Jérôme Blanc of Laboratoire d'Économie de la Firme et des Institutions, complementary currencies aim to protect, stimulate or orientate the economy. They may also be used to advance particular social, environmental, or political goals. When speaking about complementary currencies, a number of overlapping and often interchangeable terms are in use: local or community currencies are complementary currencies used within a locality or other form of community (such as business-based or online communities); regional currencies are similar to local currencies, but are used within a larger geographical region; and sectoral currencies are complementary curre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Economist
An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social sciences, social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are many sub-fields, ranging from the broad philosophy, philosophical theory, theories to the focused study of minutiae within specific Market (economics), markets, macroeconomics, macroeconomic analysis, microeconomics, microeconomic analysis or financial statement analysis, involving analytical methods and tools such as econometrics, statistics, Computational economics, economics computational models, financial economics, regulatory impact analysis and mathematical economics. Professions Economists work in many fields including academia, government and in the private sector, where they may also "study data and statistics in order to spot trends in economic activity, economic confidence levels, and consumer attitudes. They ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Georgism
Georgism, in modern times also called Geoism, and known historically as the single tax movement, is an economic ideology holding that people should own the value that they produce themselves, while the economic rent derived from land—including from all natural resources, the commons, and urban locations—should belong equally to all members of society. Developed from the writings of American economist and social reformer Henry George, the Georgist paradigm seeks solutions to social and ecological problems based on principles of land rights and public finance that attempt to integrate economic efficiency with social justice. Georgism is concerned with the distribution of economic rent caused by land ownership, natural monopolies, pollution rights, and control of the commons, including title of ownership for natural resources and other contrived Privilege (legal ethics), privileges (e.g., intellectual property). Any natural resource that is inherently limited in Supply (econ ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |