[permaculture] Fwd: [Pil-pc-oceania] 1 million sapphires

Darren Doherty darren at permaculture.biz
Wed Sep 24 03:37:21 EDT 2008


G'day,
Please excuse cross posting but this deserves attention....

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Champagne <brogopg at bigpond.net.au>
Date: 2008/9/24
Subject: [Pil-pc-oceania] 1 million sapphires
To: permacultue discussion list <
pil-pc-oceania at lists.permacultureinternational.org>


Hello everyone,

Hows your LETS system going out there?

Here in the Bega Valley we celebrated last Sunday our 1 millionth
transaction of our currency we call 'sapphires'.Our system began about
20 years ago and has enjoyed a steady trade and membership throughout
the 2 decades. We recently switched to an on-line service and early
figures indicate that our trading will increase due to this happening.

Some remarkable stories have come out of our LETS system with two being
notable. 'The House that LETS BUILT' is well known around these parts
when Averil decided in 1994 that she wanted to build an entire house
using LETS. She went into dept around 27,000 sapphires but did it that
also enabled many others including myself, to learn how to build in
mudbrick. Such a wonderful time it was and Averil has her dept down to a
few thousand sapphires these days.

The other highlight was the BEND project in Bega. We are currently in
dept 70,000 sapphires to the system. Many people working on the project
including myself, have largely been paid in sapphires. What we intend
doing to clear the dept is sell part of the block price in sapphires.So
those working on the project earning sapphires will be able to have
around 7,000 paid in LETS currency. That will clear the dept as BEND
goes from being developers to the Bend Neighbourhood Association as
residents move in.

 From my knowledge of the history of LETS in Australia it was Jill
Jordon who introduced it to Melany that became the first system.The
Permaculture movement can rightly acclaim yet another unheralded
achievement in being the main group that has actively promoted LETS
through courses and activists setting them up.

I've heard varying reports over time how systems started up then failed
so I'm curious to know just how many healthy LETS systems we have in
Australia.I'm heading up to Brisbane in mid November to attend the
National LETS Conference up there so will probably find out.

Such an important component to have in your region as an Earth
Stewardship solution toward energy descent.

kind regards
John
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-- 
Hooroo,
Darren J. Doherty

Australia Felix Permaculture
Broadacre Permaculture Design & Development
International Certified Permaculture Education

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