Do you trust your bank.. or a cooperative to keep your savings?
At the European GEN-Gathering in Sweden one of the most inspiring presentations was Les Pas-Sages, an French organisation that developed a financial/legal model to support communities. With more than 50 ecovillages in France and in Europe, we have imagined an alternative financing model. A portion of the cooperative is owned by citizens. Les Pas-Sages now also developes projects in Portugal, Germany and Sweden. We look forward to explore this model in Netherlands, as ecovillages here face the same challenges in financing our dreams!
It is not a donation: it is a form of Solidarity Savings!
Les Pas-Sages supports communities in understanding and simplifying legal, financial, governance and human ecosystem mechanisms to create cooperative, resilient, ecological and joyful places of life and activities!
Co-creating a live together
Les Pas-Sages shares the vision of a world where we choose cooperation in the articulation of the I-We. ‘We act to house ourselves, live our desires and strengthen our ties, without seeking real estate speculation. We believe that another way of living together is possible, made of mutual aid, intergenerational conviviality and collective projects… What we call cooperation. This is why we support groups today in the realization and monitoring of their projects and we also intervene in collectives that encounter difficulties to make joy and confidence shine again.’
Les Pas-Sages was founded by a financial expert, who saw many groups with great dreams not succeeding due to lack of financial expertise. This led to the development of the Les Pas-Sages model.
The action
A collective project requires complex and sometimes dry knowledge: Legal, Financial, Governance and Relational. ‘We are committed to allowing you to take ownership of these mechanisms to perpetuate your eco-place and contribute to the autonomy of the group. We believe that cooperation can then exist in the sovereignty and empowerment of each person.’
Vincent Rueda
We are delighted that Vincent Rueda from Les Pas-Sages is willing to present the project. Vincent will share his expertise and enthousiasm about the model of Les Pas-Sages. About himself: ‘A former engineer in industry, I am now a hypnotherapist and work at Pas-Sages to co-construct another way of connecting human societies. Since 2020, I have been at the initiator of the first participatory housing project based on the Pas-Sages model in Portugal.’
After the presentation, there will be plenty of opportunity forhttps://www.les-pas-sages.org/ questions.
This online webinar starts Thursday 24 October at 19:30h and end around 21:30h. The language spoken will be English. You recieve the zoomlink on the day itself. Look in your Spambox if you didn’t recieve the mail!