Our Social Purpose

What’s Our Social Purpose?

We are working toward a healthier, “threefold” society – one that is more mutually supportive, fair, and free.

Social Transformation

Until a few centuries ago, most societies were ruled by a monarch – considered divinely inspired to govern all aspects of society.

Starting at the end of the 18th century, monarchs were mostly replaced by democratically elected officials – likewise tasked with governing all aspects of society.

This continues to be our situation today. Our society consists of three different areas – economy, state (government), and culture – yet these are blended together in a single, unitary society, typically with a single elected official ultimately responsible for everything.

However, because the three areas are blended together, present-day society cannot flourish in a healthy way. We experience unfreedom, unfairness, and social isolation.

 

What is a Threefold Society?

Today we are in need of a new social structure – a “threefold” society – one that is more clearly articulated into its three separate areas, each having its own independent leaders and social ideals:

    • the economic-business life – with the ideal of fellowship
    • the government-political life – with the ideal of fairness
    • the spiritual-cultural life – with the ideal of freedom

In this future threefold society, we can experience each of our legitimate social ideals in its proper place. Through our everyday life as individuals, by participating in all three areas of social life, each one of us brings about the necessary social unity.

Unfortunately, a threefold society cannot be brought into existence overnight. It must arise out of a grassroots movement, based on a series of gradual steps and phases.

Next Phase

Local Money…Ok, So What?

To begin with, our aim is simply to circulate local currency that grows local businesses. However, very soon, these threefold dollars in circulation will allow us to invest funds back into the community.

Let’s say we reach a point in time when there are 25,000 threefold dollars in circulation. This would mean there would also be 25,000 US dollars sitting on a reserve account – available in case people wish to exchange back again. In practice, however, not all of these US dollars would need to be kept on hand for such exchanges – because people who become more and more confident about holding threefold dollars and using them for their everyday purchases will have less need for the equivalent US dollars.

So at a certain point, some of the reserve funds – for the sake of argument, let’s say 10,000 US dollars – become freed up for investment back into the community. This money could be used to acquire equipment or a small parcel of land, or something else that can help the community grow further.

And then, the person who is entrusted to use the equipment or land will be required to pay back the US dollar loan over an agreed-upon period of time. They will thereby replenish the reserve funds, so the community investment process can be repeated and expanded.

In this way, the local threefold dollars can be made to work even harder – to build up local neighborhoods and provide opportunities for trusted, competent people to work for the good of the community!

How to Bring About Social Threefolding?

To begin with, we recommend webinars, study groups, and other training sessions that explain the value of social threefolding, address questions and concerns, and help you imagine what a future threefold society would be like. See our Events page for more.

Our threefold dollar money system, as it grows and develops, can be used to finance productive assets in service to the local community. This starts to bring about the separation of state (government) and economy.

Then, prices and incomes can be adjusted within the independent money system such that everyone gets their needs met. In so doing, financial support arises for a free and independent cultural life.

In the long run, we aim to:

  •  
    • develop a large-scale network of local financial communities who work together collaboratively with economic associations to establish fair prices and incomes
    • create a full-featured, asset-based community money system, separate from politics, that advances a form of fair property ownership – called private-social ownership – based on competence, productivity, and rights consciousness
    • generate reliable, no-strings-attached gift funding streams that support independent education, health care, arts, and other aspects of the free cultural life, allowing the talents and abilities of each unique individual to flourish.

Long-Term Aims

Learn More

Where Can I Learn More?

Further information is available at these links:

And visit our Events page for upcoming trade network meetings and learning opportunities.