"It is the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." —Charles Darwin


Join us for a Consensus Training with Yuki Kidokoro at the L.A. Eco Village 117 Bimini Pl L.A., CA 90004 on Thurs, Dec 12th, 2013 from 7:30-9PM. Munch on delicious tamales while you learn! Everyone welcome.

Consensus is a group decision making process where everyone's opinions are heard and understood, and a solution is created that respects those opinions. Valuable for Time Banks, Transition Towns and any other groups that collaborate and share resources. Learn the art of consensus from L.A. Eco Village resident Yuki Kidokoro. Yuki has over 20 years of experience facilitating groups and group processes. She has a background in community organizing and has worked extensively with non-profit organizations. Yuki draws upon her experiences and analytical skills to recognize common intergroup and interpersonal dynamics in order to help individuals and groups with solution oriented facilitation and conflict mediation. After graduate studies in Urban Planning at UCLA, Yuki worked as an organizer and program director at Communities for a Better Environment for over 14 years, engaged in community organizing, waging environmental health and justice campaigns, movement building, and supporting leadership development of members. She has been an active member at the Los Angeles Eco-Village since 2000.

Facebook invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/558930760866608/

How to Make Better Decisions Together on Shareable: http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-make-better-decisions-together

Funding a Better Future for Time Bank Entrepreneurs
Sarah McGowan Dear

Donate to the Community Revolving Loan Fund!

This fall the Community Revolving Loan Fund (CRLF) and Local Economy Incubator (LEI) launched, serving the Arroyo Seco Network of Time Banks (ASNTB). 

Intended to help our community of artisans, entrepreneurs, visionaries and worker-owned cooperatives gain access to resources that often come with a great price tag in the extractive economy, both new projects seek to educate, support and empower the ASNTB through micro-loans and access to professional development.

The CRLF is the first-ever loan fund of its kind to be created by a Time Bank! 

After receiving a development grant (that also capitalizes 50% of the fund) from the Metabolic Studio, a direct charitable activity of the Annenberg Foundation led by artist and foundation director, Lauren Bon, we’re now in the process of raising $5,000 in matching funds from the community to begin lending in January 2014.

Time Bank members are enterprising, resourceful and creative. Many have already launched local businesses, restaurants and worker-owned cooperatives. More of us have developed handmade products such as jams, jewelry, clothing, botanicals and bread. Our fund provides low interest micro-loans to scale up production, upgrade equipment or purchase materials and supplies. 

Loan requests in the amount of $500-5,000 will be considered through a Time Bank developed application and panel review process. From the incredible support of our financial partner, the Santa Fe Permaculture Credit Union, we will retain full control of the review, management and closing process, offering our entrepreneurs access to truly community-supported small business loans that will further help them either improve or establish their credit.  

The fund is especially supportive of women and the economically distressed, ventures that promote environmental and/or community sustainability, ventures that show direct and positive impact on the ASNTB community and social entrepreneurs or cooperatives with a social mission. We hope to see today’s borrowers become tomorrow’s mentors and donors. 

Help us crowdfund this pioneering project! 

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today to support our enterprising members! Click here to donate. 

And click here to learn more about the history of the ASECO Community Revolving Loan Fund and its eligibility requirements, our financial partner, the Santa Fe Permaculture Credit Union, the Local Economy Incubator, our timeline for launch and the ways you can get involved!

What: Time Bank Training
Where: Fais Do Do, 5257 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles 90016
When: Sunday, July 28, 2013 from 10am to 2pm

More information:

Learn about:

+ Starting and coordinating a Time Bank
+ Recruiting leadership
+ Engaging stakeholders
+ Engaging organizations as partners
+ Community justice and Time Banking
+ Time Banking and other complementary currencies

About Dane County Time Bank: The Dane County Time Bank, established in 2005, is a network with over 2000 individuals and organizations who exchange time in order to build community, build capacity, and come together to help each other to build a better world.

More info on Dane County Time Bank here: http://danecountytimebank.org/home

About Stephanie Rearick: Based in Madison, Wisconsin, Stephanie Rearick is founder and Co-Director of the Dane County TimeBank and Project Coordinator of Time For the World. In addition to her work in timebanking and promoting ground-up economic and community regeneration, Stephanie is co-owner of Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse. She worked for Greenpeace for six years during her youth, helped launch Madison Hours, a local currency in 1995 and served for several years on the steering committee of independent local political party Progressive Dane.

You can learn more about Stephanie at these sites