What if every year your community won the lottery and there was a big new pot of money to spend on people, buildings, land and nature – in fact on anything that would improve life for you and your community?
Imagine every year, everyone had a vote to decide on what this money should be spent on.
Imagine your family, friends and neighbours working together to make the best use of this new annual community fund and ensuring it was spent wisely.
It could mean new jobs.
It could mean new community facilities, affordable housing and farms.
It could mean new educational, arts or health projects.
What would you spend this annual windfall on to create wellbeing in your community?
And what if, instead of the lottery, this just happened as a matter of course because there was a new, simple practical way that allowed companies to share all their profits with communities and still trade profitably?
And what if this was also better for the companies because people (their customers) wanted them to succeed because it was in everyone’s interest, and they could focus on long-term success instead of paying short term dividends to a few investors.
And what if this new productive economic system could be grown in community after community and gradually redistribute power and wealth across society without the involvement or permission of politicians, government, banks or corporations? Would that be worth the price of a beer?
What if together we could grow this new economic model in parallel to the existing system so that within less than a generation a national network of these could become as big as the City of London. Would that be worth – the price of a ticket for the football or a subscription to the gym or golf club perhap?
What if, as this new economic network grew and replicated its new institutions – like regional community banks for instance controlled by local communities – together began to buy utility companies, farms, supermarkets, rail and transport companies and eventually big corporations like Barclays and Amazon turning them into engines for community wellbeing and opportunities for all. What would that be worth?
Gosh this is a thought that is getting really big!
In fact perhaps the most outrageous thought you could have today is that not only is this possible but that you could help to make it happen
In the past when governments and institutions failed to provide for peoples needs grass roots mutual aid organisations stepped in. Building Societies for example were formed in the 19th century so that individuals could buy homes as personal assets. Today through this new structure, Commons Societies can enable us to own companies together and thereby share, protect and develop our common wealth.
In this way we can ensure that business is still valued but that it serves society by sharing its success so communities can invest in the things that communities need now and for the future.
This new system of ownership, finance and distribution will re-balance society by enabling Civil Society organisations to provide a counterweight to the current monopoly that governments and big corporations have on power and resources.
In so doing we will move past a point in history where the economic landscape and political debate is determined only by separatist interests and the maximising of profit and power for the few.
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”