Reprinted from The Ottawa Citizen, Page E-7, Saturday, July 6th, 2002 (Please network this article far and wide to show that we can get positive coverage in the mainstream media. This just happened with no extra effort on my part. As one of my cyberspace friends has told me repeatedly - 'Just let spirit direct your work and amazing things will happen.')

"AMAZING CONCEPT" ALLOWS MEMBERS TO CASH OUT
By Paula McCooey

Tom Kennedy is convinced the world would be a better place if we simply tossed out our cash out the window.

He sent this message to demonstrators in downtown Ottawa last week, while also participating in marches to protest the G8 summit in Kananaskis, Alta.

Mr. Kennedy, 53, is the co-ordinator of Ottawa first and only private currency - an online barter system called Ottawa LETS, organized through the Web site www.flora.org/lets-dev

The system is what he calls "usury free" (another way of saying "interest-free").

Unlike Argentina where villagers created tangible paper currency called Creditos to exchange wares at large markets, Ottawa's independent funds exist in the form of computer bytes. The user sets up a free online account where it can hold either a surplus or deficit of private currency.

Basically, he says, the site is a fully functioning person-to-person trading system. And if a user wishes to purchase a product or service, they can pay a portion of the total with the credit accumulated in their electronic account. But to accumulate credit in the first place, the user must offer a product or service.

Also, to keep with the reality that government-funded money still makes the world go round, transactions are completed
partly in Canadian dollars and partly in private currency.

Members receive a statement of their personal account every month, which shows a credit or debit. The challenge is to get people to join the network - which has approximately 200 users in Ottawa so far.

"This is about people learning how to support their community by supporting their corner store and people in their home-based businesses," said Mr. Kennedy. "And when people make a conscious choice to do that, they are obviously not supporting the corporate globalization concept - which includes giant retail and big box stores.'

The concept surfaced in Canada during the early 80s in the midst of the recession. During a time of high unemployment and interest rates, two residents from Vancouver Island created a software so residents could list their offers and wants to the database, encouraging people to buy or shop in the area.

Mr. Kennedy blames the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for causing great damage in Argentina over the
last 20 years.

"Now there's a shortage of cash in Argentina, and they are living in unemployment ranging from 25 to 50 percent. Since this has happened, there are 2.5 million Argentines bartering and trading and getting all their services and goods at local markets using private currency called Creditos and not using the federal peso down there."

These currencies have also recently been created by governments in several areas of Japan where currency has dwindled during its recent economic woes.

"It's a pretty amazing concept," said Mr. Kennedy, a retired elementary school teacher who is able to save his pension and rely more on his private currency.

Picture caption: Tom Kennedy was passing around copies of his message at last weeks' G8 protest in Ottawa. He
developed Ottawa's first and only private currency, called Ottawa LETS.
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Notes & Background Information:

 

On Wednesday, June 26th, 2002, I prepared the back-to-back flyer Time Is The Engine Of 'UsuryFree' Progress - which is attached below. I was passing out these flyers at the Anti-G8 Demonstrations in Ottawa when Cortenay Pasternak, a reporter with CTV National News requested that I do brief, live interview at approximately 11:50 AM. While doing that interview, Paula McCooey, a reporter with the Ottawa Citizen was within listening range. After the CTV interview, Paula McCooey asked me for a copy of the flyer and then asked if I would spare a few minutes to talk with her. Paula used on of my quotes in the 'Voices' column on page C-2, The Ottawa Citizen, Thursday, June 27th, 2002: "When we stop buying their stuff, they'll change what they are doing. There's millions of Chinese workers working in sweatshop labour environments in eastern countries to satify crass consumerism in North America and we all buy into it as long as we go and shop in the big box stores."

 

Paula telephoned me again on Wednesday, July 3rd for some more information and the article appeared in the Saturday Citizen on July 6th, 2002. I trust that Izzy Asper approved :)

 

NOTE: I have been creating and spending my own 'usuryfree' time currency in addition to creating and spending 'usuryfree' ecodollars with the Ottawa LETS. I developed the concept of 'ufoh's' (usury free online hours) and I have been promoting 'ufoh's' to those in my circle of influence. Likewise, I am an advocate and promoter of the Ottawa LETS - though I am not an official co-ordinator as Paula McCooey implies in her article. I guess she confused the two different 'usuryfree' community currencies BUT I did explicity tell her that Marty Settle was the key person responsible for the creation and implementation of the new 'usuryfree' software - which is open-source software - that permits Ottawa LETS' participants to engage in online trading. Anyone having questions about this new software and how it can be adapted to serve your respective local community - should contact Marty Settle at this email address: martin_settle@sympatico.ca

 

Enjoy this day!
Working with you for 'peace and plenty' by 2020
I AM
Tommy-Usury: Free otherwise known as 'Tom-Joseph: Kennedy'
www.cyberclass.net

 

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Time Is The Engine Of 'UsuryFree' Progress ...
by Tommy-Usury: Free

 

"The perfect economic system is the sine qua non of the new and innovative 'usury-free' time currency which in turn is the engine of  'usury-free' progress in this 21st Century."

'Usury-Free,' wealth creation is destined to become the 'sine qua non' of individuals and businesses.' Sine qua non - sin-ih-kwah-NON; - NOHN;  is defined as 'An essential condition or element; an indispensable thing; an absolute prerequisite.' Sine qua non is from the Late Latin, meaning "without which not."

Our individual, family, business and/or community goals and values can be advanced and fostered with ‘time’ as we build walkways to local trade, roadways to national trade and bridges to global trade. Indeed, 'usury-free' time currency has the power and potential to initiate major improvements locally, nationally and internationally.

As 'usury-free' time currency is utilized, evaluated and adopted, gaps between the rich and poor will lessen as decision making power is decentralized to the individual rather than being centralized by the usury elites' group of companies.

The exciting reality of globalization fuelled by the 'usury-free' economy can provide optimal opportunity for peace, prosperity and abundance for all. It’s not ‘globalization’ that we should be against, it’s the design flaw of ‘usury’ which we should be opposing, BUT I’d rather be for a ‘usuryfree’ time currency for the whole world.

We can build a solid local, national and global economic system which fosters abundance while satisfying the fundamental needs and wants of uncommon people in their respective local and global communities.

We-the-people are beginning to awaken. As we awaken, we are realizing that most social and environmental  problems are rooted in 'usury' economics as it has been developed and is managed by the Usury Elites. We-the people are witnessing a loss of diversity, erosion of privacy, further alienation, unsustainable agriculture and continuing crass consumerism bolstered by fear, selfishness and greed - all key elements of any 'usury-based' economy.

Readers are invited to take thirteen minutes a day and review one lesson each day at one of these Cyberclassrooms:
the  LETS/Barter Cyberclassroom: www.cyberclass.net/bartable.htm  
the Economics Links Cyberclassroom: www.cyberclass.net/ecolinks.htm 
the AIR (Abolish Interest Rates) Cyberclassroom: www.cyberclass.net/airtable.htm
the SDI (Self Directed Income) Cyberclassroom: www.cyberclass.net/sditable.htm
the Argentina Cyberclassroom: www.cyberclass.net/argentina.htm 

The 'UsuryFree' Time Currency Cyberclassrooms

Relevant postings about 'usury-free' time currency: www.cyberclass.net/ufoh.htm

1. Usury-Free Economics - A Win-Win Social Institution  at  www.cyberclass.net/usurywin.htm
2. Any Level Of Government Can Abolish 'Usury'  at  www.cyberclass.net/abolishusury.htm
3. You've Got Time  at  www.cyberclass.net/gotime.htm
4. Fixing The Flawed System - NOW   at  www.cyberclass.net/fixing.htm
5. P2P (Person-To-Person) Payment Systems  at  www.cyberclass.net/p2p.htm
6. The Barter/LETS Cyberclassroom  at  www.cyberclass.net/bartable.htm
7. Usury Freed Trumps Usury Greed  at  www.cyberclass.net/usurygreed.htm
8. The UsuryFree Network/NoUsury Network  at  www.cyberclass.net/nousury.htm
9. Time For Banking With Time  at  www.cyberclass.net/time4bank.htm
10. Time 4 Time at www.cyberclass.net/time4time.htm
11. Avoid Banks at www.cyberclass.net/avoidbanks.htm
12. Why at www.cyberclass.net/why.htm
13. Trocking for Time at www.cyberclass.net/trock.htm
14. The SDI & Barter/Trading Industries Are Well Positioned at www.cyberclass.net/positioned.htm
15. The UsuryFree Promissory Note at www.cyberclass.net/ufohfront.jpg & www.cyberclass.net/ufohback.jpg

I know that freedom advocates and those who are opposed to globalization are in agreement that we must stop using their 'usury-bearing' federal dollars and instead start using our own 'usury-free' time currency.' Therefore, please network this information far and wide so that we can build our own, loyal network where we can earn and spend our own 'usury-free' time currency. Let's include all levels of government in our database so that they can accept our 'usuryfree' time currency as payment for fees, fines and/or taxes.

Let's start listing our ‘offers’ and ‘wants’ at www.communityzero.com/usuryfree. Join this virtual ‘UsuryFree’ Community, then click on 'Shared Lists' at the left side of the page. Then read the information about 'usuryfree' time currency, browse the listings of those who have already completed their details, then click on 'Add New Item' at the bottom left and enter your own contact details with your ‘offers’ and ‘wants.’

And start trading our 'usury-free' time currency now..... In the not-too-distant future we will have the financing to launch our database with a search engine and the ability to trade our ufoh's (usury free online hours) with the click of a mouse. Those who live in Ottawa are likewise invited to join the Ottawa LETSystem where they can now trade their ecodollars online. Details at this URL:  www.flora.org/lets-dev 

For more information contact: Tommy-Usury: Free, The UsuryFree Network,
P.O. Box 9333, Ottawa, Ontario  K1G 3V1 Tel: 1.613.746.9702 Fax: 1.613.746.5387
Email: tom@cyberclass.net  Website: www.cyberclass.net