Thoughts on Day 2

Perhaps David Korten is correct about our perceptions about money; “Without money, we’re dead!”.  This conference is all about transferring our understanding of money away from a possession to that being a tool.  A tool used to build, construct, and enhance.  However, I am thinking that with all of this conference’s focus on the new and emerging economy, it has to be more than just money.

I believe that it was due to Genghis Khan who “modernized” wealth.  It was under his administration that paper notes were created and used as accepted symbols for things of value.  By his decree, these notes had an equivalency to gold and could be traded for that gold.  When needing items of trade in barter, it was far simpler and easier to exchange these notes rather than a sack of potatoes, fish, and firewood. 

The things needed were naturally “scarce” to individuals and of measureable value – and perhaps in an economic sense, things of value represent capital that could be traded to improve human condition.  Money has been the sole item considered for this purpose of exchange, but I am thinking there are other things as well.

Chris Martinson has mentioned that now is the time for everyone to build their capital (or things of value that could be used in exchange) to be used to improve conditions.  He indicated that there are at least 14 forms of capital and money is just one of them:

• Money
• Knowledge – basic literacy
• Skills – used in vocation, profession, and arts
• Health – physical well-being
• Health – emotional well-being
• Health – spiritual well-being
• Mobility – ability to get around
• Nutrition  – adds to physical health
• Energy - physical and environmental
• Water – we all need to exist
• Residential Environment – where we personally live and its infrastructure such as housing
• Community Environment – where we interact outside of our residential environment
• Family
• Social

All of the above listed items, to me, indicate things of relative scarcity and therefore of value.  All of the above are needed for well-balanced lives of meaning and purpose.  Each item can be depleted and therefore must, in some way, be built up/restored/enhanced.  I would personally include these as a necessary part of any conversation involving a new economy.  I believe that when dealing with conversations of new economies, it must be more than just money.

My thoughts here anyway.