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The Djing notes. Photo: Mats Lindqvist.
Or, rather, the Djing is the new money in the building society Djingis Khan in Lund [map].
With economies shaking all over the world, the initiator Mats Lindqvist wanted to bring up the discussion about our economic system, perpetual growth and planetary boundaries. His way to do this was to start a local, alternative currency: the Djing.
What’s special about the Djing is that it isn’t as virtual and volatile as most other money we deal with nowadays. It isn’t even linked to gold or silver, which has been historically used to secure the value of a currency. These notes are instead backed up by…honey!
Why honey? one might ask.
“Honey is, unlike gold and silver, environmentally friendly to produce. It even requires a non-toxic agriculture, and honey production contributes to bigger harvests. In addition honey has a worth in itself as food, something you cannot use gold and silver for … Honey can be stored for a very long time and keeps its quality” Mats Lindqvist writes on a webpage informing about the alternative currency (in Swedish), where a photo shows the currency reserve: A bag full of honey jars.
Earlier several Transition initiatives in for example Brixton in London have started their own local currencies to stimulate a more local economy, where local materials, resources and knowledges benefit over imported, emission intensive products. It’s also believed to strengthen local social bonds.
For 10 grams of honey you get 1 Djing and there are now about 760 Djing in circulation.
Mats Lindqvist himself has bought home-made tofu and applejuice, and things that people offer and demand are for example bicycle repairing, babysitting, legal counselling and help to sew buttons and repair clothes.
