COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

The Community Exchange System (CES) is an example of the Local Exchange Trading System (LETS)

CES is an internet-based, global CC network currently (June 2006) serving over 40 independent exchanges in 8 different countries. Users can trade directly and seamlessly with others in any exchange, without having to work through a second-teir network. CES software is not available for download at the moment as it is too complex, but this will change in the future as servers begin to distribute the load in different countries. Instead of having to deal with obscure code and provide their own servers, administrators prefer this solution as they can be part of national and global network within minutes. Each exchange has its own administrative interface with powerful tools for managing and running the exchange.

Project Website: www.ces.org.za

Contact:
Tim Jenkin
info (at) ces.org.za

CES money is public domain money. It is not 'owned' or controlled by anyone and as such belongs to the commons.

It is 'created' by the traders who use it, not by a third party outside the circuit of buyers and sellers (banks) who do so for their own parasitic gain.

When money is proprietary it confers the money power on those who 'create' and control it; when it is in the public domain the money power resides with its users, who can ensure that it is used for the public good.

Recover the money power by starting a new CES exchange in your area. Let the community decide how its efforts will be deployed instead of faceless and unaccountable individuals who do so for their private gain at others' expense.

Money and credit belong to the commons. Recapture these powerful forces for the common good.

With the impending implosion of the usury-based, global money system, now is the time to seek a new way of 'doing' money, one not based on debt and controlled by a global monetary elite that seems happy about destroying our planet in the pursuit of profit.

Conventional money is created as debt by private financial institutions for their own profit-making purposes, not as a public service. This is the root cause of the economic, social and environmental problems that beset us. The amount of debt determines the quantity of money, which has nothing to do with the amount of money we need to live decent lives.

CES money is 'created' by its users so it can never be in short supply. So long as you can offer something of value you can have from the community goods and services of like value.

Join the growing community who have discovered a new way of 'doing' money, a healthy money that will create a healthy society.