Give your money away???

I have always like to live with the motto, “Waste not, want not” and also am a great believer in the theory that there is enough food and money to go around in the world – if only we cared enough to share.  So, when this press release came across my desk the other day, it really spoke to me – Give your money away!  What a crazy concept – but maybe there is something in it.

On Saturday, 15 September at 138 worldwide locations, an event called Free Money Day took place.  It was timed to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman
Brothers. For the day, members of the public handed out their own money to complete strangers, asking recipients to pass half on to someone else. In its second year, ‘Free Money Day’ started conversations about the benefits of alternative economies based on sharing and captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of people, from all walks of life.

This is the Press Release that they sent me:

FREE MONEY DAY A HUGE GLOBAL SUCCESS

138 Sites Worldwide Participated in ‘Free Money Day’ on September 15

Promoting Global Prosperity through Economies of Sharing

On Saturday, September 15, at 138 locations worldwide, members of the public handed out their own money to complete strangers, asking recipients to pass half on to someone else. In its second year, ‘Free Money Day’ started conversations about the benefits of alternative economies based on sharing and captured the attention of hundreds of thousands of people, from all walks of life.

“‘Free Money Day’ was a wonderfully rich experience. Across twenty-four countries, people were reminded of the mutual value associated with sharing and the ‘gift’ economy” said Australian Dr. Donnie Maclurcan, co-founder of the Post Growth Institute, the group behind the worldwide event.

‘Free Money Day’ was timed to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the collapse of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers, now seen as a turning point in the development of the 2008 financial crisis. “With world debt at over US $190 trillion, and debt connected to growth economics by necessity, now is the time to explore how we might thrive in futures beyond economic growth,” said Dr. Maclurcan.

One hundred and thirty-eight ‘Free Money Day’ events occurred across 6 continents and 24 countries, from India to Nigeria, Kenya, Colombia, Australia and the U.S. More than US $3,600 was given away as well as land estimated to be worth $30,000. Dr. Maclurcan gave away $500 of his own money at Dupont Circle, Washington, D.C.

For more information, videos, a map of worldwide participation, testimonials and photos from Free Money Day 2012, visit: www.freemoneyday.org/media.

# # #

The Post Growth Institute is an international group exploring and inspiring paths to global prosperity that don’t rely on economic growth

Additional enquiries: media@freemoneyday.org; Dr. Donnie Maclurcan (spokesperson), +1 540 556 4857 Washington, D.C., USA (UTC/GMT -5 hours)

Twitter: @freemoneyday Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/freemoneyday

Ref: $190 trillion debt figure - Kyle Bass: http://www.scribd.com/doc/74335711/Hayman-Nov2011

There you go…

Meg