New Economy

[Ephilant]

New ways of doing things, innovative ideas to get off the dole, alternatives to everything, etc.

[Ephilant]

A few ideas I came across today prompted me to start this thread. Lots of people are in trouble, and creative ideas are being born every second by people trying to get out of the problems they are in, trying to do new things, old things differently, etc. I'm hoping this could become a collection of ideas where maybe, possibly somebody might just get that "Eureka" moment and start something new for themselves.

BBC reports today on Jeff Ragsdale who turned his bad personal experience and subsequent loneliness into an amazing adventure resulting in thousands of random conversations with complete strangers. And of course enough material for a book (Vol 1-2-3-4-...), movie, TV series, sit-com, you name it. Good on you Jeff!

Much closer to home (for me at least) is a man called Giorgos Vergakis who devised a "Money Back" system using used public transport tickets. It was tried, and is still going (now in it's fourth year), in his home town of Iraklio on Crete. Today, Giogos system has been adopted by the city of Athens.

Used mass transport tickets acquire a new value through an innovative idea, the “Money Back” system, being transformed into a new “alternative currency” for goods and services in stores participating in the scheme.
The idea, which has a European patent, belongs to Giorgos Vergakis and is being implemented in Greece by the Sales Promotion Center, a company providing integrated and specialised sales promotion and marketing services.
The Money Back system, under the slogan “Do not throw it away it has a value”, allows the public using urban transport (metro, bus, tram, Proastiakos train, electric railway) as well as travelers using ferryboats, airplanes, and trains in Greece and abroad to get discounts from participating stores simply by displaying their used tickets.
The discount is calculated based on a cashing scale that depends on the total value of the goods purchased. For example, the 5 to 1 cashing scale means that for every 5 euros of purchases consumers will have 1 euro discount if they have the amount of 1 euro in the form of used tickets.
In a press conference in Athens on Wednesday, Giorgos Vergakis explained that the “Money Back” system has social dimensions and a positive impact on the environment, traffic, ecology, quality of life and participation, urging people to use mass transport means while, at the same time, boosting the local market.
The “Money Back” initiative was first launched four years ago in Iraklion on the island of Crete as a pilot project but soon spread across Greece.

From Athens news

[C. Flower]

Nice idea, and nice thread.

[jaycube]

Now in the world every economy is in worst conditions, the whole capitalism structure is not so doing good in the whole world. some countries are surviving very hardly.

[fluffybiscuits]

Welcoem Jay

http://athenstimeexchange.blogspot.com/

This was what Eliphant mentioned before, its a money free system that means that people will exchange their time in exchange for others time to learn or use skills that they need People earn credits which they can then use