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"Time Dollars" are a special, tax-exempt form of
money that anyone can earn by using their time,
energy, skills, and talents to help others. One hour
of service provided to another human being or to the
community earns one Time Dollar.
Co-production as an idea was developed by the
founder of Time Dollars, Edgar S. Cahn, who was
responding to the fact that whole communities and
the people within them find their strengths,
resources, and talents overlooked, rejected, and
discounted. Edgar Cahn saw too many people being
defined as having nothing to give, nothing of value.
They were society's "Throw-Away People", struggling
to find a niche in a world that says they "do not
count."
He developed Co-Production as a different path, one
that asserts that this is unacceptable, and that all
individuals, no matter how frail, fragile, damaged,
even delinquent, can feel valued for contributions
that they are able to make as they are to the
store of human capital in their family,
neighborhood, or community" (quoted from The
Time Dollar How To Manual).
The four core values of Time Dollars:
- Assets - The wealth of a society is its
people. Every human being can be a builder and
contributor.
- Redefining Work - Work redefined includes
whatever it takes to rear healthy children, preserve
families, make neighborhoods safe and vibrant, care
for the frail and vulnerable, attach injustice, and
make democracy work.
- Reciprocity - We all want to give back.
Replace all forms of one-way acts of helping with
two-way transactions, so that "You need me" becomes
"We need each other"
- Social Capital - Humans require a social
infrastructure, which require ongoing investments of
social capital generated by trust, reciprocity, and
civic engagement.
Time Dollars is helpful for victims of domestic
violence and sexual assault, because you don't need
money to earn or spend Time Dollars. Domestic violence
is the leading cause of poverty among women. Abusive
men know how to keep women in relationships by hiding
the money, keeping assets a secret, threatening to take
all of their money, house, and possessions. Women
return to relationships with abusers for the same
reason. How do you pay a plumber when you have no
money? How do you go to court to get child support when
you have no money to pay for transportation or child
care? Time Banking is an alternative way to get women's
needs met without depending on an abusive partner.
Systems across the country have been trying to
address the high rate of domestic violence and
sexual assault since the 1970s and found that
domestic violence and sexual assault are problems
that cannot be solved by law enforcement, the
judicial system, and women's services alone. The
problem affects all areas of the community and
all areas of the community working together is the
most effective way to hold abusive men accountable
and keep women and children as safe as possible.
The Schenectady County Coordinated Community
Response to Domestic Violence (CCR-DV) follows the
proven model with professionals and private citizens
from various areas of the community. A steering
committee made up of representatives of the
organizations and systems that deal with domestic
violence and sexual assault, bring
issues to the larger group for decisions and
solutions. Committees work to accomplish projects.
A Coordinator employed by the CCR-DV organizes
the committees' work, presents trainings in the
community, and facilitates meetings.
What does that mean for a Schenectady Stand Up
Guy?
- The most important part of the community
response to domestic violence and sexual assault is
men telling men that real masculinity means behaving
respectfully toward women and children and the
CCR-DV is one of the best places to do that.
- You stand with other men and women who are
willing to take action.
- You are a citizen, voter, and member of the
community affected by domestic violence and sexual
assault
Come to a CCR-DV meeting and find out how you can help.
First
Thursday of Every Month
10:00am to 12:00 noon
at the
Schenectady Police Department
Corner
of Liberty and Lafayette Streets
"Envisioning A World with Liberty, Justice, Safety and
Equality for All"
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