Visiting the Economies of the Future

[marmar]

from YES! Magazine:


Visiting the Economies of the Future
Journalist David Brancaccio takes us to the most innovative local economy hot spots in his PBS documentary, "Fixing the Future."

by David Brancaccio
posted Jul 16, 2012


https://vimeo.com/42269352


As a journalist, I try to track down stories that open people’s eyes to new ways of thinking. I can measure how many people read, listen to, or watch a piece of reporting, but it is often tough to gauge what happens to my stories once they’re out there in the world.

That wasn’t the case with Fixing the Future, a documentary I hosted that follows people from all over America who are making economic change happen in their communities. These people are running local business alliances, engaging in service exchanges, investing their money in community banks, and running worker-owned cooperatives.

When the documentary first aired on PBS as a television special, our team soon heard from communities around the country, where viewers wanted to know how they could nurture their own local economies. Could, for instance, larger-scale cooperatives address social problems? Can we re-think community banking? What happens when businesses and residents band together to focus on improving livelihoods?

When viewers wanted to know more about Hour Exchange, the Portland, Maine-based time bank featured in the film, their interest compelled the founders of that group to embark on a cross-country pilgrimage of their own, sharing their experiences and spreading the idea of growing local economies. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/visiting-economies-of-the-future