On March 27th 2012 Ben Dyson of Positive Money and Josh Ryan-Collins of the New Economics Foundation gave a briefing to the Welsh Assembly on the problems with our current debt-based monetary system, and proposed ideas for implementing complementary currencies in Wales without waiting for action from Westminster.
Three Assembly Members (AMs) attended, with representatives of another couple of Assembly Members. The event was co-hosted by Labour AM Julie Morgan and Conservative AM Darren Millar, making it a cross-party event and making it clear that reforming the monetary system is not about left/right politics (it’s just good sense!).
You can watch the audio and slides of the presentations and listen to the discussion that followed below. While Ben discusses the problems with debt-based money on a national scale, Josh discusses the opportunities for reforming the monetary system within Wales with the use of complementary currencies (whilst keeping the pound as the main currency).
Darren Millar AM agreed to initiate an all-party group on the issue of money to discuss these ideas further, and we’ll be working with Darren and Julie to take this forwards.
A round of applause goes to Harry White and the Cardiff & Swansea Positive Money group for meeting their Assembly Members and making this meeting happen! If you would like to be involved more in the activities of these groups in Wales, you can write to: positivetrigger@gmail.com
