Tuebingens Coop
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Wege zu einem gerechteren Wirtschaftssystem
Mit dieser Web-Site wollen wir ein Projekt aufbauen, das alternative Wirtschaftsformen erarbeitet. Diese sollen auf Gleichberechtigung und Solidarität beruhen. Im Gegensatz zu unserer heuten Gesellschaft, die auf Gier, Konkurrenz und Macht basiert, wollen wir Möglichkeiten anschauen, die Selbstbestimmung und Teilnahme an gesellschaftlichen Prozessen fördern.
Wir sehen dieses Projekt als ein offenes Forum. Jeder ist, wie bei Wikipedia, eingeladen, die Projekte zu bearbeiten und neue Projekte vorzuschlagen.
English speakers and writers are more than welcome!!
Alle sollen mitmachen!!! Feel free to join in and contribute!!
Willst du mitmachen? Hier ist eine Kurzanleitung. (kommt bald) Wanna contribute? Here's how. (coming soon)
Projects
Die folgenden Projekte sind Vorschläge, die uns zu einer gerechteren Region verhelfen können.
Project: "Cafe, World Cafe, Begegnungsort"
I think it would great to creat a place in Tübingen where people can meet, play music, read, converse about social change, plan projects, etc. Of course this is not a new idea but very old. Still, such a place is missing in Tübingen. Fabian Betz vom Werkstatthaus is thinking about starting something like this. The World Cafe idea sounds interesting (www.theworldcafe.com).
Project: "Speaking in Schools"
CSG: Frau Schmidt (Tel. 65995) hat prinzipiell Interesse an guest speakers.
Project: "Parecon"
Project: "Share and be Free"
Wir können uns eine neue Initiative vorstellen, die das Car Sharing Konzept oder den Tauschring einen grossen Schritt weiterbringen könnte. Es wird ein offener Pool an Produkten und Dienstleistungen zusammengestellt. Alle Teilnehmer/Innen können nicht nur Sachen ausleihen und oder Services in Anspruch nehmen. Sie können auch Produkte oder Dienstleistungen zur Verfügung stellen, und dadurch "Tü-Taler" erwerben.
Ein Ziel soll sein, vom Eigenbesitz wegzukommen. Dies kann zum Einen sehr befreiend sein, zum anderen kann es die Entwicklung von alternativen ökonomischen Systemen fördern.
Fallbeispiel
Petra hat ein tolles Rennrad, das sie aber nur einige Tage im Jahr benutzen will. Sie stellt ihr Rennrad in das Pool ein und bekommt dafür z.B. 20 Tü-Taler. Mit diesen 20 Tü-Taler kann sie dann 20 mal im Jahr in der "Volksküche" im Wiegenberg-Cafe essen gehen.
- Probleme/Kritik
Als sie aber zwei Monate später das Rad für eine Fahrt nach Rottenburg mit zwei Freundinnen abholt, stellt sie fest, dass die Birne vorne kaputt ist und das hintere Rad einen Platten hat. Somit wird die Fahrt zwecks Reperatur um 60 Minuten verschoben. Petra ärgert sich und wünscht sich vielleicht, dass sie das Rad doch im heimischen Keller aufbewahrt hätte. Sie meldet den Vorfall. Wenn alles klappt, wird der vorherige Nützer eine Strafe an Petra in Höhe von 30 Tü-Taler zahlen müssen.
Mittlerweile wurden weder ihre 20 Tü-Taler noch die 30 Tü-Taler Strafgebühr besteuert. So gab es weniger Geld im kommunalen Haushalt für gemeinschaftlich nützliche Projekte.
- Response to critique
That could happen, it shouldn't though. I imagine the thing working more like car sharing. The products would be cared for and regularly checked after. If a user notices something wrong he makes a note in some kind of log book. If something breaks it's reported. Either the damage could be covered by insurance or the person who caused the damage would have to pay for it.
If it works for car sharing why shouldn't it work for bikes, trucks, tools, cameras, etc.? Why not spread it out to general services? Getting away from private property and moving towards more cooperation is a viable goal.
Project: "The Small-Mart Revolution"
The Tübingen Progressive Americans are presently working on this topic. Für weitere Informationen schau diese Web-Site an (http://www.smallmart.org/) or read the book (Michael H. Shuman, The Small-Mart Revolution).
various conversations
Talking to Axel about solutions and agreeing that the change has to come from the local level. Talking to Thilo about changes at the community level. "In Germany political structures in place for Beürgerbeteiligung".
Problems/Critique/Questions
- How is the issue addressed that wealthier communities will tend to encapsulate themselves and keep their excess wealth?
The author, Michael Shumann, argues that a main problem is managing scarcity. I wonder if he means that scarcity is our main problem. If we just had more resources then everything would be fine? I, Gus, would argue that many parts of the world have plenty of resources but you still see poverty, injustice and inequity. Are not wealthy people simply concentrating too much into their own hands?
- I, Gus, don't really like the way Shuman calls all non-local businesses TINA businesses. It seems occupy the term in such a way as to make a new meaning out of it. TINA means "There is No Alternative" and it refers to the idea that there is no alternative to capitalism and Soviet-style socialism (now proven debunk). The way Shuman uses TINA you would think he means that LOIS (locally-owned businesses) are an alternative to capitalism. Obviously, though, small-mart and Local First are not talking about alternatives to capitalism. They are, at the most, talking about reforming it and putting a friendlier face on it.
- Shuman repeatedly argues, at least in the first 60 or so pages, that non-local business don't actually make up as much of the economy as one would think. Locally-owned businesses are much more important in the general economy than it would appear in the day and age of Wal-Mart, Target and CostCo. In Chapter 3 he goes on to list eight trends that point to a general decline of non-local businesses. These "deglobalizing" trends purportedly show that the tide is against globalization. This seems in a way disturbing to me. Does it not suggest that if we just wait long enough the tide is going to turn and the big bad multinationals are going to start falling apart?
- I, Gus, do believe that the Local First idea is laudable and we should work towards it. We are not going to create a better world over night and we need to start with small, doable steps. I do, though, think we need to keep the bigger picture in mind. What is the basic argument of Local First, in what way is it challenging neoliberal capitalism?
Let's look down the road a bit and ask where Local First will bring us in 10 years. If it is very successful it will reduce the power of global, centralized, multinational corporations. Would we then, however, simply be in an economic situation like America was in, say, 1960. Mom and pop stores were all over the place. Supermarkets were starting up, but not all-encompassing. Jobs were much more local and money tended to stay more in the region. So if we are back in 1960 what have we one?
Project: "Local Currencies" or "Regio-Geld"
There is now a group in Tübingen/Reutlingen that wants to start a "Regio-Geld" intitiative. It will be similar to the successful "Chiemgauer" system in Bavaria. If you are interested in this project check out the Chiemauer web site (www.chiemgauer.info). There is also a German-wide organization coordinating the various groups (www.regionetzwerk.de). There is also an international database with lists of local currency initiatives around the world (www.complementarycurrency.org/ccDatabase/les_public.html).
Nächster Termin:
Project: "Workshop on Economic Alternatives"
We would like to organize a workshop on economic alternatives. Topics could range from parecon to local currencies to local first (small-mart revolution). Here is what it could look like:
- one day event
- small introductory lectures on a few central topics
- focus on working groups
- summary at end and planning next steps
- goals: help people find groups in the area in which they can get involved, setup system where groups in the region can network
- Possible topics:
- parecon and libertarian socialism (Charles)
- Bürgergeld (ZAK)
- Small-Mart: Penny?
- Military and capitalism, attac?? Globalisierungskritiker
- Alternative Wohnformen (Axel Burkhart (Burgi) von der Schelling (burgi@schellingstrasse.de): he has a presentation prepared on Wohnprojekte, Networking)
Questions: Could we combine this with the Social Forum in Cottbus in Oct. 07? ((Talk to Carol Bergin)) Should the workshop be more that one day? ((Two days would be better)) How could we get others involved in the preparation? ((There is a social forum group in Tübingen and Stuttgart))
Barbara Kern- attac Stuttgart ist auch in Bürgerinitiativen usw. engagiert. Am 6.10. in Stutt. kennengelernt
Pinboard, Links, Contributers
Pinboard for Questions/Comments/Complaints
In Stuttgart there seems to be a network of groups working on social change. Ulrich Morgenthaler organized Chico Whtakers (cofounder of WSF) visit in Stuttgart in Oct. 07.
Ulrich Morgenthaler c/o Forum 3 Gymnasiumstraße 21 D-70173 Stuttgart T: 0711 -- 4400749-66 F: 0711 -- 4400749-99 Ulrich.Morgenthaler@forum3.de
Hier können Fragen, Anmerkungen und Vorschläge aufgenommen werden.
- Sprache
Es wäre schön, wenn wir auch englische Texte (oder auch andere Sprachen) integrieren können. Ich, Gus, bin Amerikaner und arbeite an diesen Themen mit einer amerikanischen Gruppe (http://tpa.twoday.net/).
- Question
Is it good for a platform like this that names are not written for the comments? You don't know who wrote what. I guess that's how wikipedia works so it could work here.
- Upcoming Events to tie into
- Tag der Region
- Im Herbst plant BUND, Nabu, Slow Food, HGV einen Tag als Teil einer bundesweiten Aktionstag
- Tag der Region
Theoretischer Hintergrund
Hier können Modelle, Theorien und freie Gedanken ausgearbeitet werden.
Contributors
Hier könnten die Teilnehmer sich vorstellen.
- Mark Hatlie (hatlie.de, Blog '66, Sites of Memory)
- Charles Yee ("the MAN")
Liste von verwandten Themen
- Alternative economic systems
- Parecon
- Small-Mart
- Economic Democracy
- Andere "Sharing"-Initiative
- Andere Kooperative, demokratische Initiativen
- Schelling Str. Tübingen
- Das Tübinger Modell der Baugruppen (web site??)
