SOCIAL CURRENCY AS AN INSTITUTION NEEDED FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SOCIALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

Abstract: The present work tries to recognize the importance of social-complementary currency systems for the sustainability of a social and ecological economy. The official currency and the current monetary systems promote an approach of perpetual growth, the predominance of the relation of competition in opposition to cooperation, and a mechanistic paradigm of society like a sum of individuals who only pursuit particular accumulation. This implies a complex system of social reproduction that creates serious environmental problems, generating a significant ecological footprint that affects our life and the future of our planet. On the other hand, sustained by a process of constant accumulation and the recurrence of financial bubbles circulated by the domain of interest bank debt, this system deepens inequality conditions (both north – south and within each particular society). Hence, the need to recognize alternative monetary systems as institutions that promote sustainable ESS subsystems, both socially and environmentally.