[GiftEconomy] How to Expand the Gift Economy?

[Russell Jelter]

How can we expand and popularize altruism as the mechanism for providing
everyone with the goods and services they need?

I've had a few ideas. I'm not sure how possible or probable these ideas may
be, but maybe they'll get people thinking, and maybe some real action can
start taking place.

1. Websites that provide a framework for giving without expecting
reciprocation. This includes things like the "Free" section on craigslist,
or Freecycle yahoo groups. This method shines simply because of how easy it
is to come across and use. Almost everyone knows how to use a website. Just
a couple clicks of the mouse and before you know it someone is on the way to
your house to pick up your old couch, and you're feeling good about
yourself.

2. A program like the F2F Altruistic Economics project that altruists.org is
involved in. One big reason that this is better than a website is because it
is in everyone's hands rather than entrusted to some authority that promises
to take care of the new economy on their server. Also, most websites don't
hold anyone responsible for being a complete drain or freeloader at everyone
elses expense. This type of program can keep track of people's history and
generosity so everyone can get a clearer picture of who they should help
first. And like websites, it isn't limited geographically. It could spread
across the planet in very little time, unlike my next idea.

3. Really Really Free Markets.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Really_Really_Free_Market . Basically, it's a
block party where people are encouraged to provide whatever goods and
services they can to their community - entirely for free. It's very similar
to a potluck, except not limited to food. This is limited because it is
local, so it can't rapidly spread around the world like a website or a
program could. However, one unique aspect of this idea is that it encourages
and depends on the evolutionary software we're all born with because we'll
be interacting with each other face to face rather than computer screen to
computer screen. This means there is a built-in anti-moocher system, because
people can get to know each other and be sure not to give anything to
moochers. Another benefit is that, just by passing the 'free market and
seeing the smiles, people will be reminded of what life is really all about
- each other. And the idea is incredibly accessible. You don't even need a
computer to participate, so even homeless people can benefit. And the idea
can spread to the farthest corners of the Earth, whereever there are people,
regardless of the equipment the people have.

It is also remarkably disconnected from any certain political beliefs or
particular worldview. Well-to-do people will be excited to get rid of their
extra couch or old flat-screen TV without having to wait for bulk-trash day
or paying to discard it, and they'll feel good about helping someone out!
And just the act of helping will probably remind them about other people and
make them feel that much more charitable in general. Meanwhile, the poorest
of the poor can come benefit even if they have nothing to give away. Or they
can offer to tell stories or something and for the first time since they
lost their last job they won't feel worthless. And the best part is that all
these people from all walks of life are just participating because its
better for themselves and everyone else. They don't even need to realize
they're slowly replacing money and corporations as our method of fulfilling
our "needs". But they will realize that they feel better about themselves
when they do something for free, and they'll start to realize the abundance
we really have if we all help each other fulfill our needs.

4. Grow the gift economy from the ground up. This idea might start with
writing up a list of the minimum of skills you would need to have a working
society. Lets say you want 100 people, from farmers to doctors. Hopefully
there would be no need for people like police or lawyers in this society, so
you're saved the trouble of convincing people like that to live without
money. Perhaps each person you come across that could fill a position, you
ask if they would participate in this gift economy once you fill all the
slots (or this part could be handled by a website or something).  Then once
you have the 100 people of varying skills, you tell them all that you have
all 100 people and that they are free to stop using money starting now.
They'll all either move to a central location, or just keep in contact
somehow, and they'll all do their very best to not make or spend any money
and to rely on each other's gifting rather than on the toxic market economy.
There may be some folds to iron out, but eventually these 100 people should
be pretty comfortable with the situation. And now that there is a stable
gift economy, it would be very easy for people to join in. People would
simply have to tell the 100 people that "they're in", and stop going to work
and start altruisticallly helping out the rest of the community. It would be
hard to start up, I know, but it doesn't seem so impossible. At first there
could even be an official organization behind the project that helps pick up
the slack with donations until the first 100 people get themselves fully
self-sustainable. The real sweet deal of this idea is that now people have
an example and an alternative. Now instead of the gift economy being a crazy
impossibility, people could just drop what they're doing and join in any
day. If it worked as well as I hope it would I think this would start
growing rapidly as soon as the seed community was stable.

Anyways, thats all my ideas for now. Please let me know what you think of
the ideas - what you have to add or what I got wrong or left out - and
please keep new ideas coming in! And if any of these types of projects look
like something you would like to actively pursue, feel free to bring it up!
This is probably a good place to find people to help.

And don't forget it's really easy to participate in the gift economy, even
without all these. Here are some ways to participate:
http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/money-print-your-own/37-ways-to-join-the-gift-economy(That
might spark some more ideas, too.)

-- 
http://www.onelovee.org - A more wholesome way to give and receive goods and
services fairly, without exchanging money.
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