Community Investment Enterprises

Description

David Braden:

"In a community investment enterprise, residents of a locality agree to cooperate in the acquisition of the land, facilities and tools to produce the food, clothing, shelter, education and health care needed by those resident in that locality. The production cycle for internal transactions is:

- contribution of labor to produce basic goods and services

- distribution of goods and services in exchange for labor

There is also a production cycle for external transactions:

- contribution of labor to produce basic goods and services

- sale of goods and services for money

- acquisition of additional land, facilities and tools

- capacity to accept additional contributions of labor

Growth of the internal cycle depends on expanding the diversity of goods and services offered from one basic service needed by every one on a continuum toward all the food, clothing, shelter, education and health care needed for every resident of our locality to thrive.

Growth of the external cycle depends on increasing the amount of “excess” production available for sale in the market.

Growth also depends on the quality of goods and services as participation in either cycle is entirely voluntary.

As explained below, this design is based on issuing a "share" in exchange for a predetermined amount of labor contributed and that share is then redeemed for goods and services received from the organization."