Le ore d’argento

1. Time Bank “AUSER – Filo d’argento” March 2005 Le ore d’argento

2. ... an hour is not merely an hour. It is a vase filled with perfumes, sounds, plans, and climates … M. Proust

3. Time Bank in Italy 1992 in Parma with UIL Trade Union as sponsor 1995 in Sant’Arcangelo of Romagna, the true beginner of Time Bank in Italy, promoted by the local Municipality Then Time Banks have been opened across Italy, usually promoted by Associations or Trade Unions

4. AUSER Time Bank: the beginning A special bank where you don’t deposit or withdraw money nor pay interests, but time is exchanged A cultural and material project based on the concepts that time is not only money, but it is overall help, convivial reunions, sociality, mutuality

5. 3 basics 1. EXCHANGE give to receive, receive to give 2. VALUE of the performance which is based on the time spent (independently from the exchanged service) 3. PARITY of individuals (housewives, professionals, students, retired people ...)

6. Encourage solidarity A new plan to discover a new value for our time A way to link people locally so that they share their time and skills Everyone’s time is equal: one hour of your time earns you one hour of time credit to spend when you need a helping hand

7. The evolution of AUSER Social Bank of exchanged Time: how was it possible? With the introduction of new realizable opportunities provided by the social Bank of the given time of AUSER • returning time received to Filo d’Argento Auser • balancing bank statements receiving bank social bonus or depositing funds for the purchase of social bonus, considering every hour conventionally equal to 1 Euro, independently from the individual performance

8. The Social Bank of Given Time: how does it work ? supervises all the activities carried out by AUSER regulates all volunteers – members activities and related refunds refunds: book tickets, meal tickets, cash, time refunds depend on the kind of service and expense

9. The social Bank of the exchanged time: how does it work? Secretary and telephone to collect offers and requests and match them The person who requests time equally becomes a debtor of time that will be given back with the flexibility seen previously Time must be given back within an established period Every account holder lists the things he needs and those that he can carry out

10. Secretary keeps records of transactions sends bank statements (processed using an appropriate software) to every member

11. How to join Auser Time Bank Member application filled out at the main office fulfilled offers and needs forms 2 photos the new applicant must be introduced by at least one member who will sign the application

12. Membership Criteria • Registration depends • on being or becoming a member of Auser • on Bank rules and Auser Statute acceptance • on the result of a preliminary interview with an expert who assesses the new applicant adhesion to the principles and the philosophy of the Bank • The applicant must show a valid identity card and a phone number

13. Members receive Time bank checks with current account number A member card with name and photo A copy of Bank rules Updated list of available activities

14. Partnerships Seldom there were some exhanges between Bank and: Public Agencies Other Time Banks (Giratempo)

15. Memberships About 50 members Exchanging time: 25/30 members Coordination/Secretary: a member offers "on his own time" the hours for the coordination/secretary activities

16. Summary 1 January ‘03 - 31 December ’03 Activity Hours Exchanges n° % English lessons 495.3 437 65.2 Further activities 91.15 1 12 Organizational activities 64 29 8.4 Needleworks 33 5 4.3

17. Summary of activities Activity Hours Exchanges n° % Elderly home company 26 3 3.4 Home cleaning 14 5 1.8 Association guiding principles 12 5 1,6 Bank central administration 8 3 1.1

18. Summary of activities Activity Hours Exchanges n° % Errands 8 2 1.1 Computers lessons 6 1 0.8 Accompanying to doctor, shopping… 2 1 0.3 Total amount 759.45 492

19. Partial data Previous data don’t consider all “at par” exchanges Convivial reunions “Salotto” meeting Trips Exhibition visits Conferences, cinema, theatre…

20. AUSER – Genoa: our activities • Filo d’Argento: solidarity telephone • Time Bank • Voluntary: different activities as a tool for community development • International solidarity • EDA (Educazione permanente e università dell’età libera): permanent education and university of free age • Social Tourism and recreational activities

21. Feel free to contact me… auserliguria@auser.191.it to Fulvia Pestarino