If asked, most people would say that shortage of money is the main reason for their lack of personal development, including in this physical, psychological, educational and social issues that improve people's lives. The current effects of the financial crisis create citizens that live with a limited budget, being unable to spend money in needs other than food and shelter. That is, if they are lucky enough to have a stable monthly income. All these restraints created by a currency-based economy should be alleviated with a system that allows people to cover some of their necessities even when there is a lack of money. That way, we believe a fairer community can be constructed. A community that promotes inclusion and diversity. A community in which their own members are actively involved to help others meet their needs.

A clear path we can follow to achieve this is using as currency something we all have in common: TIME. It doesn't matter if you are a wealthy 40 year old or if you are a teenager living in the street, your hour has 60 minutes. Therefore, there should be a place where people can cover their needs for services while trading with others their knowledge and abilities, one hour at a time. That is what Time Bank Mexico is about.

Time Bank Mexico is a place where anyone can go and teach for an hour whatever they are best at and having, as payback, 60 minutes of whatever service they want. It could be something as simple as some language classes or something as advanced as having that medical consultation that person was not able to pay for. At Time Bank Mexico everything is worth one hour, it doesn't matter if the task is teaching someone to ride a bike or having psychotherapy. And why do we believe in this? Because it creates a fairer world. With this system, the only way a person can get 1000 hours of massage therapy (or any other service) is when that same person has given 1000 hours of something else, no inflation or interest rates included. In the end, is about giving a new perspective to the old saying: "You get what you give". Simple, and yet brilliant.

At Time Bank Mexico anyone willing to swap skills instead of paying for them could be a member. But not only that; work done on a volunteer basis could be rewarded. Therefore, we are not only looking to engage individuals but also institutions that would like to contribute to the well-being of others through giving and receiving services.

We believe the real wealth of any society is its people, so at Time Bank Mexico they are our main asset. Since EVERYONE has something to share, it's really just a matter of developing new habits of consumption that allow us to bridge social gaps and build intergenerational relationships in a community.

"Market economics values what is scarce - not the real work of society which is caring, loving, being a citizen, a neighbour and a human being."
Dr. Edgar Cahn, founder of International Time Banking Movement

According to its creator, time banking had its roots in a time when "money for social programs had dried up"[1] and no approach to social service in the U.S. was coming up with creative ways to solve the problem. In particular, Cahn believed that one of the major failings of many social service organizations was their unwillingness to enroll the help of those people they were trying to help.[2] He called this a deficit based approach to social service, where organizations view the people they were trying to help only in terms of their needs, as opposed to an asset based approach, which focuses on the contributions towards their communities that everyone can make.[3] He theorized that a system like time banking could "rebuild the infrastructure of trust and caring that can strengthen families and communities"[4] and that is what Mexico needs now.

Due to all the current problems our society is facing, mexicans suspect before they trust and no community can be built on this basis. Therefore, a place where people participate in the improvement of their society is indispenble. Time Bank Mexico allows that, while actively encouraging relations between people of different backgrounds who would not usually have met. Moreover, we exist to implement a system that will help to gain strength to alternative economic models while generating solutions to money-based current problems.

Mission
Time Bank Mexico is a place that provides people the opportunity to cover their needs for services while sharing with others their knowledge and abilities, one hour at a time.

Vision
A fairer community in which their own members are actively involved to help others to meet their needs.

1. Acquire our space, preferably a building, either by donation or sponsorship, before we start operating.
2. (The first months) Trade 500 hours per month.
3. By the time we maintain a minimum of 500 hours per month, increase the traded hours in 10% each 50 new members.
4. By the end of the first year, have 5000 active members.
5. Involve one high school (approximately 300 students) per month.
6. Ally with an institute (related to arts or science) every two months.
7. Ally with an NGO every two months, offering their volunteers trading hours with us in exhange for the time they invest with them.
8. Have an advertising campaign each semester.
9. Once a year, participate in the World Social Forum or similar.
10. Once a year, offer a course given by a national/international expert in social business or similar.

HOW WILL THE OBJECTIVES BE ACHIEVED?

1.1 Investigate about organization's properties and buildings that are not in use.
1.2 Involve organizations interested in the project and willing to donate or sponsor.
1.3 Get funds from crowd funding or angel investors.

2.1 Get 500 members per month.
2.2 Identifying key places where to go and talk about the project.
2.3 Invite key members (specialized knowledge).

3.1 Mantain the admission of new members in a steady number (achieve goal no.2).
3.2 Creating brand awareness with an advertising campaign.

4.1 Have, at least, 417 active members each month (achieve goal no. 5, 6 and 7).
4.2 Create events in which only active members can attend.

5.1 Get contacts of high schools, specially the ones with strong policies in social service.
5.2 Meet with them and get them involved, developing programs according to their necessities.
5.3 Get involved in local projects such as schools fairs.

6.1 Get contacts of different institutes from conferences, summits, etc.
6.2 Meet with them and get them involved in the project.

7.1 Get contacts of NGOs while volunteering and practicing activism.
7.2 Meet with them and get them interested in having this option as a reward for volunteering work.

8.1 Hire an agency interested in trading (part of) its works for hours in our bank.
8.2 Present our proposal to big agencies and to friends in the field.

9.1 Get sponsorship to be able to attend the Forum.
9.2 Create fundraising events.

10.1 Get contacts of experts in social ventures.
10.2 Meet with them and get them interested in giving a course in exchange of trading hours.


WHAT WILL BE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THEM?

~ Knowledge about a useful place and it's owner.
~ Word-of-mouth marketing.
~ Advertising campaign.
~ People with professional development in the education field, among others.
~ Participation of students, artists and scientists with interest in social welfare.
~ People with contacts in institutes of arts and science and NGOs.
~ Activists and volunteers.

[1]Cahn, Edgar S. No More Throw Away People. Washington, DC: Essential Books, 2004. xix.
[2]Cahn, Edgar S. "Time dollars, work and community: from 'why?' to 'why not?'" Futures 31 (1999): 507.
[3]Cahn, Edgar S. No More Throw Away People. Washington, DC: Essential Books, 2004. 87.
[4]Cahn, Edgar S. "Time dollars, work and community: from 'why?' to 'why not?'" Futures 31 (1999): 507.