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Last month, the International Geographical Congress (IGC 2012) convened in the city of Cologne, Germany. The main topics of the congress included, Global Change and Globalization, Society and the Environment, Risks and Conflicts, and Urbanization and Demographic Changes. Research studies from all over the world were presented with investigations into these themes, and the possible solutions for the different current problems found in each of them.
Within the topic of Global Change and Globalization, and the more specific theme of Finance Practices and Economic Alternatives, Javier Félix of our sister organization in Ecuador, Fundación Pachamama, together with PhD candidate, Erik Brenes, presented a study titled, “Promotion of Complementary Monetary Systems for Local Sustainable Development in Ecuador.”
More than 2,500 people attended the event, including professors, researchers, students and representatives from the most prestigious universities in the world. Over four days, 300 researches showcased exemplary case studies of experiences and tools that promote improved methods for global sustainability.
Fundación Pachamama has spent a great deal of effort documenting the empirical knowledge gained from projects implemented in rural communities. Conferences like this help share these learnings in an academic environment, as well as further the search for new sustainable development models. Ultimately, the objective is to stimulate a social economy, solidarity, and different tools, such as local monetary systems as valid alternatives to create solutions to the systematic problems found on a global scale, from a local level.
