3rd and last lustrum blog…..

“What’s in it for me?”
This is a logical question when you ask people to work together on a co-creation project. With AiREAS we got the very big players together to address the issue of health and air quality. They each had their own reasons to participate. But “air quality” is too abstract for the many people who live their daily routines in auto-mode. STIR Academy offers reassurance to people who are already in the process of pain, chaos or awareness. It shows best practice of other people but those who get inspired have a whole process ahead still to get going. FRE2SH makes it real.

“What’s in it for me” in a money driven world is always translated into some kind of financial benefit. In FRE2SH however we show that money cannot be eaten, drunk or inhaled. We show people to make a difference for themselves by getting involved into self sufficiency, enjoying the results directly through real benefits and reciprocity. FRE2SH is a cooperative because we cannot do everything alone and need to work together. Through the creative input of everyone we co-create society and can go as far as developing and building our own houses and infrastructures. In most places that is too far fetched due to the dominance of old society system’s so we start very small, working on true tangible things that inspire, awaken and connect people:

• Food & Water
• Recreation
• Energy
• Education
• Self sufficiency
• Health

Our value driven cooperations and all people involved wish you a “natural” and sustainable 2014

Many people in the world already deploy initiatives out of their own motivation and awareness building. They did not need triggers like the STIR Academy or AiREAS or FRE2SH. What they do need is the re-assurance and praise that their activities are recognized and valued positively by others. Maybe they could benefit by connecting to other local initiatives and prosper together.

“What’s in it for me” translates then into recognition, shared values, food, energy, health, positive relationships, new knowledge, joy, pleasure, labor, activity, social cohesion, etc. “Everything you can create you do not have to buy. The money you save can be spend on other things.”

To develop this practical progression while respecting the initiatives of pioneers, helping them to connect with a growing bigger picture we defined “FRE2SH”. FRE2SH has to make change visible when it is created and co-created…..expanding it into true regional self sufficiency using applied science, technology and open policies.

FRE2SH (VE2RS in Dutch) makes change visible

New value systems
When new age entrepreneurs connect they do so in exchange of goods, knowledge and best practice. No money is involved. Direct labor is compensated with sharing the local benefits. In many cases FRE2SH introduces new value systems that keep values local inside a circular economy. Within the STIR Foundation we apply already two different value systems, strictly for local for local economic developments.

• Buddy: this is an value exchange system between local for local participants. It is similar to money as it values time and real values against local exchange criteria of shortages, abundance, quality and demand. The difference is that the speculation is not done by the Buddy but by the values and the users. The Buddy is just a local multiply-able standard without interest rates.
• AiREAS: this is a value system to stimulate behavioral changes. Eg. People who take the bike instead of car for work (good for health and air quality) can get local AiREAS that offer local benefits or access to specials.

1 AiREAS

Competition
FRE2SH does not compete with the power positions of large global energy or food supplies. It just stimulates self sufficiency and self awareness inviting the large organizations to participate and adjust their market approach accordingly. The local for local trend cannot be stopped and will eventually affect all structures, large and small. Self sufficiency in basic needs is only possible when we apply high tech innovations, scientific insights and social innovation. For big structures it is best to become early adapter too by joining FRE2SH and get inspired or even active rather than trying to fight it. Totally new markets emerge with great potential. The new world develops and we do it or make it visible.

What you can make out of trash

FRE2SH communities in Eindhoven

Showing kids the benefits of clean plain water instead of sweetened juices

Co-creating the eatable city by planting 100’s of fruit trees in the public space with school kids

Showing the new year pollution peak to which we expose our kids with fireworks

City farming needs to be preceded by soil tests on ancient pollution patterns

Regional development and STIR Self sufficiency university

Proactive citizenship

Learning to help each other

A city should be eatable

FRE2SH in action

FRE2SH is a global cooperative (local 4 local 4 global) movement. It does not cost anything to start. Important is to connect and use the same Sustainocratic framework so that we can share experiences through STIR Academy and get the large players to facilitate.