Working groups list: ACBES

ACBES - Alternatives to the Canadian Banking System

Contact us

Go to our website

About ACBES

Alternatives to the Canadian Banking System is examining the reasons that corruption and greed is intrinsically tied with an unbalanced, inequitable, and unaccountable banking system. We are researching where inefficiencies and weakness of our system from Canadian examples to the global in legal, social, historical and political contexts. We are looking at ways to change the system into being more sustainable (economically and environmentally) and are seeking alternatives that focus on local and community supported systems, as well as an evaluation of law. We have found successful community currencies such as Calgary Dollars, Ithaca Hours in New York, and Salt Spring Island Dollars.

Without a background in economics, the understanding of our current banking system can seem somewhat daunting. John Kenneth Galbraith, world-renowned economist, coined this problem best in that the idea of money creation “is so simple…it repels the mind.” However, fortunately for us, people like Mark Anielski, Edmonton economist and pioneer of the Genuine Progress Accounting System (GPA), Duff Conacher of Democracy Watch and the Canadian Community Reinvestment Coalition, and countless others have been helping define the phenomena by questioning the legitimacy of the tightly controlled and a huis clos (closed doors) banking system, and developing more efficient, accountable and sustainable means to exchange goods and services and issue money. As globalization runs amuck and the obvious disparities of the world markets become devastatingly apparent, more and more people are seeking out to change the standing global economic order.

We have spoke with Mark Anielski and Duff Conacher and used their interviews in a short documentary produced last winter. As a means of outreach, the short has screened in February 2005 at the Alberta Social Forum in Calgary in association with Calgary Dollars. In March, we presented with Deb Abbey, CEO of Real Assets, a social investment company, hosted by the University of Alberta's Women's Law Forum, and presented with Vancouverite Adam Cornier, first-time filmmaker, who is producing a documentary on “Fixing Capitalism.” This short is now online via our website (http://altbank.apirg.org).

The first draft of the treatment for the documentary has been completed. We are now concentrating our efforts in finding personal stories, potential interviewees, and continuing our research.

We still have need for anyone with an economics or related background to help us with specific research goals. Anyone else that is interested, feel free to contact

We would like to thank APIRG for all of the support and funding they have offered us over the years!