FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. What does joining the Auroville's Conscious Community Exchange System for Sustainability mean for me?

The ACCESS is not a club or organisation but a new virtual mean of exchange. Therefore you do not 'join' and become a 'member' of an association. You register to use the ACCESS as a new way of exchanging energy, provide for your needs, share what you love to do; your skills, knowledge, time; offer the belongings you do not need anymore and build your community; without using the national currency. You will feel that you are part of a community because you will experience a different spirit among the members of the ACCESS. The ACCESS is characterised by openness, friendliness, honesty and trust, which is quite different to what your are likely to experience in the 'old' money system.

Q. Does it cost anything to join the ACCESS?

No it's 100% free to join. We levy a tiny 1% on the value of each transaction which goes towards administering and promoting the exchange system.

Q. How can I begin exchanging without any credits in my account?

A. As an appreciation for your willingness to experiment with participating in this community exchange system, you are offered a credit line of 200 Auros on Trust. You can now start experimenting right away. Depending on your status and willingness to submit personal information, different amounts of additional credit are available. Look for the additional credit application on the home page or during registration. This credit allows you to draw a minus on your account by going into debit (not debt). This means your account has a negative balance but unlike with conventional money you do not have to pay interest on it and there is no stigma attached to it (unless it gets beyond your allowed debit and isn't reduced periodically). Your debit simply means that you owe the community goods and services to the value of your debit.

Q. What is to stop me just entering payments into my account so that I get lots of credits?

A. Your credits are someone else's debits, and they will question your false exchanges with them. Your balance, which is open for everyone to see, will also reveal what you are doing. There is no need to cheat in the ACCESS because you can simply go into debit and return what you have received by delivering goods and services to others at a later time.

Q. What if someone exploits the system and then leaves the community without giving anything in return?

A. This can happen but equally someone who has given more than they have taken can also leave the community. If someone exploits the system it is the community that bears the burden, not any particular member and the system is not hampered from functioning. It simply means that the balance of all accounts do not come to zero anymore.

However, the particular and unique design of the ACCESS is to reduce this risk to minimum and to foster a trust and long time credibility that other systems have often failed to sustain, starting with a lot of enthusiasm but soon collapsing in irrelevance.

Q. What if someone doesn't pay me for work I have done for them?

A. That is impossible. You - the provider - are responsible for entering or getting entered the transaction information and you will be immediately credited for it. In the ACCESS the receiver is the passive party.

Q. Is this just a tax dodge?

Definitely not ! Our motives are noble. We want to create a more equal and just society where wealth is distributed according to contribution, not according to your ability to 'make money'. In other countries where these systems have become big, the state has either ignored the tax angle because it saves the state money on welfare payments, or there is an agreement to provide services to the state. Some government are openly allowing these systems and even sometime promote them as they have realised that this is an excellent method of putting in circulation something that would supplement the scarce national currency especially in defavorised milieu. Our approach is that when we become big, the state should become a member of the ACCESS and participate in the normal way. In this way the state could credit itself through the services it provides to all members and debit itself by purchasing the services of ACCESS members.

Q. What if someone takes more from the system than they give back?

Before agreeing to exchange with someone you should check their balance. If you see they have made a lot of purchases and are running a large debit, then refuse to exchange until their standing has improved. If you suspect some irregularities please inform the Administrator at access@auroville.org.in

You can also rate the quality of exchange you have had with other members to provide reference for further exchanges. In this manner everyone takes responsibility to maintain a high level of care and quality of relations on the system.

Ultimatly the administration keeps track of the accounts and sends reminder to users who have gone in debit for over 3 months without providing anything during this period. The procedures of credit allowance are described for each categories of membership when you go through the application request.

Q. What if my service is popular but I can't find anything I want? What is the use of a large credit balance if I can't spend it?

A. Don't exchange unless you feel there is something you can get in exchange. As more and more people join the system the more likely it becomes that someone will have something you want. Encourage others you know would provide something you need to join.

And most importantly do not just post your offers but also your needs. Someone wishing to acquire credits on the system might buy the cellphone you want to get your credits...

Q. What is the currency called and what is it worth?

A. Our currency in AUROVILLE is called the AURO. One AURO is equal to one minute of skilled work. 1hour = 60 Auros. This is purely to give it a base for reference and everyone is left to decide upon the value of what they are exchanging at the time of the transaction and how skilled exactly is their work and its value. An equivalence for goods and services is to be calculated by the provider and a good rule of thumb is also to simply equate 1 Auro with 1 rupee.

Q. How are goods and services valued?

A. Members value their own goods and services as described above. The law of supply and demand applies, but within the context of a closed group with local values. This frequently differs from the situation on the global market.

Q. Is there just one Community Exchange System ?

A. No, there are many established CES in different parts of the world, with new ones being introduced all the time. Presently Auroville's system is exchanging internally and within the bio-region but soon we will allow it to open with other exchanges around the world.

Q. Who are the people behind this project ?

A. Primarily Olivier from La Ferme who has worked since many years on alternative economic possibilities for Auroville. He recently developed a global concept for intentional communities around the world called 'The Rainbow Economy' and, as part of this project, with the help of a few friends like Martin Gluckman, Thomas Greco www.reinventingmoney.com, Stephen Demeuleneare www.appropriate-economics.org and others, he introduced this tool for Auroville's economic development. We are using the open source Cyclos software which is hosted independently and is administered by the dedicated team of Damien, Devipriya, Martin and Olivier. If you wish to join and help develop the concept and administer the system please write to access@auroville.org.in