The Mediterranean Lab for Co-production 

of Social Innovation

What is Money and who creates it? MedTOWN’s workshop on ‘Complementary currencies & social policies’ in Greece

What is Money and who creates it? With these two questions, MedTOWN’s workshop started on ‘Complementary currencies & social policies’ in Athens.

Its Monday morning at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences (Greece), and about 90 sociology students (80% women), professors, members of the Greek ministries of Education & Religions, and of Labour & Social Affairs, as well as representatives from our partners in Portugal, Spain, Palestine and, of course, Greece are participating.

The session started with an introduction to currencies by Emeritus Professor Theodoros Sakellaropoulos of the university’s Department of Sociology, followed by a practical activity leaded by our Spanish collaborators from La Transicionera.

Beginning with an applied role-play exercise on how community members can help each other and synergize, it set the mood to explain that money is really a common agreement between people and that these tools we work with are based on trust & confidence, and reduce the need for legal money when it is scarce, while strengthening the community.

The presence of members of the Greek government and academics in the workshop was a good opportunity to reinforce the policy advocacy side of our project. This is the first stop of MedTOWN’s study visit and partner’s exchange in Greece. More interesting activities to come.

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