It appears that the current economic system is not working for many. Globally people are starving, without homes, unable to afford or access education, and in many cases living without even having access to clean water or electricity. Statistically there also appears to be an increasing gap between those with the resources they need and those without them. A resource based economy (RBE) is one possible solution. One Community, The Venus Project, the Build Hybrid RBE Communities and Towns Now open facebook group, and others are organizing specifically to demonstrate and promote the RBE approach to Highest Good of All living and comprehensively addressing these issues.
ONE COMMUNITY RBE | HIGHEST GOOD | VENUS PROJECT | OPEN SOURCE
The basic principle of a resource based economy is the making of all goods and services available without the use of money, credits, barter, or any other system of debt or servitude. In the One Community implementation of this it means that investment of time and energy becomes the only currency and all resources are shared and managed by the collective desires of the group. We see consensus governing as a foundational aspect of the decision making process also, but this form of organization is not a necessary component of a resource based economy.
On a deeper level, a resource based economy is about careful application of the methods of science for human concern, the creation of abundance for all, the automation of as much labor and decision making as practical, and a cultural shift from guilt and condemnation to personal and social responsibility, meritocracy, access replacing ownership, cooperation replacing competition, and ultimately the virtual elimination of the need for law and enforcement because everyone is provided for.
The foundational thought driving a system such as this is that there is enough for everyone and we all benefit even more by sharing and working together for the support and highest good of all people. People around the world are beginning to collaborate on this idea and organizing groups like ours and others are working together to make it happen because we recognize that an RBE world is possible if enough people want it.
In our experience, the most common questions that arise when discussing a resource based economy revolve around feasibility and motivation. Is it really possible? How will anything get done, how do you keep people motivated without money? The simplest answer to both of these is looking at the existing example (of the basic tenants of RBE) that almost everyone is familiar with: the family unit.
In most family units a sharing of resources without exchange or barter is in place. The family works together to achieve their common goals and foundational resources are all shared. Family sizes, family leadership structures, and energetic input within these structures vary greatly but the basic principles of working together and sharing are fairly universal. Extending this idea outside of family groups is also already fairly prevalent in most cultures with extensive utilization remaining in “less developed societies.”
One Community’s belief is that this concept of sharing and working together is individually beneficial and an approach that demonstrates living for The Highest Good of All. We think that it creates more effective entities from a business, financial, communal, and global perspective and we also see it already happening. People every day are donating their time to organizations like ours and others that are collaborating, creating, and giving away everything we can to further help humanity.
Like no other time in history, we have the opportunity to connect using technology and to work with people all over the world to achieve our shared goals. Coming together with like-minds, One Community and it’s partners are doing this in the extra time we all have available and we do it without payment or expectations. Anyone can participate and, in the true spirit of both open source creation and resource based economy implementation, the results of our collaborative work are available for everyone to use in whatever way works best for the individual.
With this approach we have the ability to transcend ideology because what we are creating is for everyone. We also have the ability to unify as a people behind a common goal of helping each other, which is, in our opinion, the real essence of a resource based economy.
The next step is really demonstrating that this model can provide an alternative with clear benefits for people unhappy with the current economic system. One Community, and many others, are creating this now with open source plans purposed to provide a 4-phase roadmap for establishing these models complete with physical infrastructure, built-in revenue streams, more fulfilled-living lifestyle elements, and clearly defined financial and time investment requirements to make it all possible.
Here’s a video from The Free World Charter that discusses what could be possible with a global RBE:
We believe that if we make it compelling enough, affordable enough, easy enough, and globally accessible, then this idea will experience exponential growth. This is the purpose of One Community and like-minded organizations like the Build Hybrid RBE Communities and Towns Now open group (and others) working together right now to create a global collaborative of self-sufficient and self-sustainable teacher and demonstration communities, villages and cities to be built around the world. For people who understand the benefits, integration of a resource based economy into these models is foundational.
Q: Why has One Community chosen to implement a “resource based economy” within business models that support capitalism?
In accordance with our 4-phase global transformation strategy, we feel a profitable model is necessary to provide a path to becoming debt-free for those with debt. We also believe that demonstrating self-sufficient teacher/demonstration communities, villages, and cities as profitable investments is important for people (or even companies) who may want to use this model as an investment, retirement plan, or option for raising money for some other endeavor.
Q: How does One Community stop well-meaning ideas (i.e. more tourists = more money = expansion of project and more benefits for the world) getting out of hand to the point where the focus is making money (same as the current system) at the expense of the original ideals of the project and the benefit of the members?
One Community’s highest values as an organization is creating for The Highest Good of All. Every member (and future member) of our team is screened for alignment with this foundational value. We as a group see holding one another accountable to making every decision with this value in mind as an opportunity for constant improvement on the individual level. We also feel the inherent goodness of humanity will flourish naturally in an environment like One Community where all needs are provided for. With these foundations in place, even one person is meant to be sufficient to identifying a deviation from our goals and initiate a “course correction.”
Q: How do you prevent One Community from becoming an elitist club, which can only be joined by people with “above average” financial security?
Initially One Community is only seeking people with financial independence for the Pioneer Team because we see this freedom from debt as essential to the integrity of our open source goals and establishing One Community as a place accessible and capable of helping everyone. The Highest Good Business page describes how One Community will evolve with business models that can then help people from all demographics and financial sectors.