Participative economy

The participative economy or parecon is a Economic system of Participation suggested in alternative to the current Capitalisme or also in alternative to centrally planned socialism or Coordonnateurisme; who emerged by the work of the theorist Michael Albert and the economist Robin Hahnel in the Années 1980 and 1990.

The fundamental values which seeks to implement the participative economy are: equity, the solidarity, diversity and the participative Self-management. The principal institutions to achieve these goals are the councils of workers and consumers who would use the methods of self-management to make the decisions, the remuneration granted according to the effort and of the sacrifice, and a participative planning.

Albert and Hahnel stress that the participative economy proposes only like alternative economy and that it must be accompanied by visions different in the fields from the policy, the culture and the family. Stephen R. Shalom began a work on a type of participative policy which it called " Parpolity ". Elements of the Anarchism in the field of the policy, the polyculturalism in the field of the culture and the Féminisme in the field of the family could according to the discussions of the being authors the possible foundations of an alternative vision of the future for these other spheres of the company.

Institutional framework of the participative economy

Principle of decision making

One of the main clause of the participative economy is that any person should have some say for a decision in a way proportional to the degree where this decision affects it.

the Councils of consumers and producers

To complete this principle of decision making, a participative economy would be organized as councils of consumers and producers. Many individuals would take part in the two institutions. Geographically, these councils would be probably encased, with councils of neighbors, councils of district, councils of city or area and a council of country. The decisions would be caught sometimes by Consensus, sometimes by vote, and sometimes in another way, the best method would be decided by the council.

Remuneration for the effort and the sacrifice

The partisans of the participative economy explain that it is inequitable and also ineffective to remunerate on the basis of of the birth or innate intelligence.

External bonds

an explanatory text of the participative economy, by Norman Baillargeon.
the page of Parecon on ZNet.
the page devoted to Robin Hahnel
Koumbit.org, an good example of participative economy based in Montreal, Quebec.

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