Cultivating the Future

Re-emphasis on that is in between all the currencies, credits, vouchers, commitments and other value signals

It's becoming increasingly clear that traditional concepts like "currency" and “money” no longer serve the needs of our communities. The words themselves, steeped in history and usage, carry with them connotations and limitations that hinder the true potential of polycentric, community-driven value exchange. It's not just about semantics; it's about the very structure and philosophy of how we interact and coordinate our resources.

The Challenge of Centralized Value Systems

At the heart of the issue lies the concept of money and currency as a centralized, singular entity—whether it's national currency, mutual credit, or even community currency. When many individuals, groups, or large communities issue a single currency, the trust and reliability of that currency being able to deliver its commitment become critical. However, this centralized approach often overlooks the nuances and needs of smaller, interconnected groups and individuals.

The Roman tradition of minting coins in the Temple of Juno Moneta, originally as a safeguard against conquest, has evolved into a world where every clan, nation, business or even individual feels compelled to issue their own currency. This proliferation of currencies, while a testament to free expression, also poses significant challenges. Yet we know that the pooling of these value signals is much greater than the sum of them all together.

The utility of millions of currencies, vouchers, commitments, credits all working together polycentrically in cooperation, is immeasurably more than them working in isolation or in competition.

A Garden of Commitments: Moving Beyond Currency

Instead of focusing on any one currency as the primary means of exchange, imagine a world where value is expressed through a network of mutual commitments. In this world, each person or group can issue their own commitments, forming a vast array of offers. This list of offers isn't just a list of products; it's a garden—a proto-social space where mutual offerings can thrive and interact organically. Each connection within this network requires careful tending, much like a garden, to ensure that these mutual commitments find life among each other.

The Importance of Structures Between Value Signals

The key to this resilient polycentric system lies in the structures and protocols that exist between value signals. These structures are what allow individual and group commitments to be expressed and symbiotically connected in a polycentric network. It's not enough to simply issue a currency or mutual credit, or gift card or voucher; the real work is in the "gardening" of many of these connections—curating, valuing, and exchanging commitments in a way that respects the autonomy and diversity of each participant as well as their relationship to the whole.

Operational Process: Cultivating

To bring this vision to life, we need a structured approach that balances inreach (internal understanding and practice) with outreach (community engagement and education). After this introduction - here's a step-by-step process to help you get started:

1. Inreach: Gain a deep understanding of the process. Work closely with one or two others to master the creation of Vouchers and Pools. This foundational knowledge is crucial for building trust and ensuring the system's integrity.

2. Outreach: Share the process with others. Explain how financial resources will be seeded into these pools, and collaborate with other stewards to establish the rules—how often assets/funds will be added, how much, and so on. Help people and groups understand how to create their own vouchers, empowering them to take part in this new economy.

3. Curate: Carefully select the Vouchers of service providers that you value. This step is akin to choosing the right plants for your garden—each one should contribute to the overall health and diversity of the network.

4. Value: Assign relative value to those vouchers. This process ensures that each commitment is recognized for its worth within the community, creating a balanced ecosystem of exchange.

5. Limit: Establish drawing rights for the vouchers. Determine how much the pool can hold of each asset and how much individuals can contribute to pull out assets. This step is crucial for maintaining the pool's stability and ensuring fair access to resources.

6. Enable Exchange: Create the pool and add some initial seeding funds and vouchers. This step brings the system to life, enabling the exchange of value within the community.

7. Inreach: Test the system personally. Make sure it's functional and useful in real-world scenarios. This hands-on experience will help you refine the process and address any issues that arise. Keep gardening (Commitment Pooling Protocol functions: curate, value, limit and exchange). Learn more about how other people are pooling.

8. Outreach: Let people know about the system, especially emphasizing that they could have interest-free credit to a market of resources—including their own. This is where the real growth happens, as more people join and contribute to the network.

The Future of Polycentric Value Exchange

As we move forward, it's important to remember that the technology supporting this vision is still evolving. While we don't yet have a fully functional app for Android or iPhone, it's on the horizon. In the meantime, check out the open source tools as they are in beta - you can create your own vouchers and pools on Celo blockchain via Sarafu.Network.

The system of commitment pooling to polycentric networks can be seen as the fruition or maturity of capitalist models. It's not about replacing currency but de-emphasizing it and creating a space where mutual offerings can flourish in a polycentric, community-driven environment.

Together we can build a more resilient, fair economy that serves the needs of all participants, nurturing the connections between us like a carefully tended garden.