Last updated on : August 19th, 2024
✦
Welcome to
✦ The Fabric of Wishes ✦
a mutual assistance movement
for individual and collective
empowerment
✦
~ Preamble ~
✦ ~ ✦
Scattered embers often only need to be brought together for a flame to manifest and dance once again. A necessary but dormant idea can be awakened suddenly by the simple fact that, one fine day, a friend finds himself inspired by it. A path can be redesigned simply by taking it. And the whole landscape can thence be transformed.
And so, one fine day in a spring that was slow to bloom, my friend Daniel paid me a visit. It had been a particularly dark winter, humanly speaking, spent in our caves in front of a screen that gave us both a crude view of the world in its delirious totality ― and the antidote, the entertainment that momentarily relieved us of it. Could we fall deeper into absurdity ?
*
And what were we to do with the revolt inside ?
Yet another dystopian science-fiction novel ?
Yet another escape ?
. . .
Yet another depression in the face of the unbearable ??
*
In any case, Daniel quietly tells me that he has decided, in order to rediscover some joy, that it’s time for him to discipline himself a little, to take up yoga again regularly, to get out of the house, to do useful things with other human beings if possible ― because we’re moving towards a complete atomization of society ; we’re social animals, and it can’t go on like this.
He said he’d like to find such an activity to fill his Saturdays.
I then told him about an idea that was yet but an idea ― but that I had sown three years earlier on La Tramice ― in the form of a letter that was meant to go viral, and that I had shared with everyone . . . but that hardly anyone had relayed. ― Something was missing.
Commitment, perhaps ?
Of course.
And the dose of reality that comes with it ! 😉
For the idea itself was not only necessary, but excellent : to spread our concrete wishes (our volios) and those of our businesses, to weave together a world based on our shared dreams. I had even boldly proposed holding Wishing Circles « in every park, in every city », « EVERY Saturday at 2 p.m. », so that we could meet in person. For it’s a human need, this contact, this socialization ― but it’s also necessary in order to establish sufficient trust between us for the third practice I suggested there : the recognition booklets, an idea inspired by the Jardin d’échange universel (an exchange network that has persisted and grown since 1998), and which consists of ensuring, in individual booklets, a decentralized accounting system to fluidify exchanges in the community and revitalize it by weaving our own emerging economy.
To which Daniel replied : « That’s a good idea ! That’s what I’m going to do ! » And I retorted, « Well, I’ll help you with that ! » And so it was that we began meeting every Saturday since then to work out the formula for The Fabric of Wishes / La Trame Étoilée, which will follow this little preamble.
It’s not just another formula thrown into the void, this time !
* * *
For I discovered, on an end-of-the-world day, that there’s nothing that keeps anxiety away more ― than action. There’s this meme that strikes me as deadly accurate :
« The distance
between your dreams
and reality
is called action. »
I love this definition.
Another quote that really inspires me (so much so that I’ve put it at the top of my book) states that
« [a] dream that does not become
reality is a dream that has not been
dreamt enough. »
Well, thank you, Daniel, for having sufficiently dreamt this dream with me ― so that it finally became action, one of the kind that makes dreams come true !
So, come one, come all !
✦ The Fabric of Wishes unfolds ! ✦
Feel invited to join in, whether with us in Montreal (starting on June 29, 2024 ; see below) or by starting a Constellation in your neighborhood !
And may social happiness spread, from ember to ember, bringing them together despite the headwinds ; and our paths renew and bloom again ― simply by walking them, dreaming them, communicating them enough ; sowing seeds, ideas . . . among which we’ll walk, I hope, one day ― no doubt already dreaming of something else.
Many thanks ! 🙏
Frédo
Editor Trammer
for LaTramice.net
Montréal, Québec, June 4th, 2024
―
✦
What is
✦ The Fabric of Wishes ✦
?
It is a fractal movement of mutual assistance between humans :
local, friendly and completely decentralized
Do you wish to meet the people in your neighborhood, find out about their dreams, talents, interests . . . ? Their needs and offers ― those of their projects and businesses ? Maybe encourage them ? Would you also like to make yourself known in the community and exchange all kinds of ideas, goods and services, develop a network, maybe make friends ? Would you like to remake the world at a human scale ? In short, relearn how to live together as free, autonomous, communicating human beings ?
The Fabric of Wishes, with its regular Wishing Circles ― perhaps soon in a park near you ? ― was conceived with this in mind. Today, our so-called « civilized » world is very much withdrawn, each of us in our own cave, our noses on our screens . . . We no longer know the people in our neighborhoods. And starting a business requires enormous sacrifices, imposes tons of constraints. We might wonder whether humanity has really evolved, or whether we’ve just become trapped in some insanely artificial machine. ^^
*
The trammers, weavers of an emerging world, freely participating in the starry fabric of their dreams, are not discouraged by so little ! ― and come to their local wishing circles to listen to each other, meet, maybe connect, exchange ― even get to weave a little at this fabric !
✦
Imagine what it would be like if you could sow your ideas for activities, businesses or landscaping in a fertile, collaborative, and friendly soil ― imagine . . .
That, without anyone having to take a penny out of their pocket, the neighborhood comes alive : someone sets up a scavenger hunt for the kids ; an alley greening project emerges ; a game night is organized ; a bike repair workshop is formed ; a community garden bears fruit ; people start preparing meals and delivering them to our entrepreneurs too busy to cook ― imagine . . . 🌸 🌸 🌸
✦ ✦ ✦
A first Constellation
has formed
as of JUNE 29, 2024
at Parc Lafontaine
in Montreal, Quebec
―
There is NO registration fee
― because there is NO central registration :
only free participation
and a culture of encouragement.
(See the Frequently Asked Questions below, under :
What is self-registration ?)
―
✦
These meetings will be weekly and bilingual (French ~ English), which doesn’t have to be the case for all constellations. Other constellations might, for example, choose to meet once a month, or every other week, and in one language only ; or alternatively, one week in one language and one week in the other. As much as the diversity of individual participants is an asset, so too is (the possibility of) diversity between Constellations.
See our recurring event on Facebook.
~ ✦ ~
Our trammers ― including yourself, if you wish ― at least some of them (as this is an optional practice), will be equipping themselves with Recognition Booklets. These booklets will enable them to keep decentralized inter-individual accounting, so that they can keep track of their « giving Vs. receiving » balance within the community, and thus make exchanges more fluid by advantageously replacing money.
Indeed, it costs nothing to record such a balance ― whereas money, far from being the measuring instrument it should be, on the contrary artificially creates disparity in excess and scarcity. Yet wouldn’t it be absurd to run out of centimetres to make all the measurements we’d like to make in the course of a day ?
That’s why those of us at The Fabric of Wishes who use the Recognition Booklets will count some of our exchanges, in whole or in part, in HOPs (for hour of work per person) ; this unit of measurement is indicative (for example, we may count 2 HOPs for a tiring job) and subjective (some things being properly priceless).
Please note : As the HOP is a unit of measurement, and one that can go below zero, it would be absurd to use it as a commodity that can be lent or borrowed ― and catastrophic to make it something that can be rented !
The vitality of a community is measured by the quantity and quality of its exchanges (which includes good practical communication), not by the sum of its bank accounts. Besides, the sum total of the balances (in HOPs) of all the booklets ― is always zero.
Find out more about :
The Recognition Booklets
a tool to fluidify exchanges
―
The HOP : a currency with bounce !
The fact that this unit of exchange is associated with The Fabric of Wishes, a network of networks of people who take the time to meet (and network further !) ; the fact that it is transparent and therefore cross-verifiable by peers ; the fact that it is an individual tool, which does not depend on a central body, nor on variable exchange rates, but on a universal : time ― all this contributes to its reliability and its usefulness, and therefore to the confidence we can have in it. To do good business with each other, it’s all about recognition.
✦ ~ ~ ~ ✦
So, are you in the mood for a bit of tramming ?
These three practices put together (wishing circles, volios and recognition booklets) open up and facilitate a range of practical, novel and colorful possibilities ― why not bring The Fabric of Wishes to your neighborhood ?
Starting a Constellation is easy !
You’ll need to print a few documents :
• Flyers / posters
• Foldout
• Booklets
Start by finding a café or restaurant near a nice grassy spot where we can sit in a circle, that is open to welcome trammers in bad weather.
Once the location is established, edit the documents (above) to show the correct details and post where you can, and distribute the flyers (from hand to hand and in a few mailboxes near the meeting place) a few weeks before the first wishing circle.
You’ll find all the instructions inside the recognition booklets and on the foldout (see example below). You’ll also find a Frequently Asked Questions section below, and ― hopefully soon, right here on LaTramice.net, a ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ Wiki ~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ enabling us, among other things, to publish our volios, i.e. our concrete wish lists ― as well as those of our businesses and other collectives. We’ll also be able to post messages, do research ― and maybe one day even chat with a chatbot who’ll put us in touch with other trammers across the starry universe !
✦
✦
Other Tools
✦ The Starry Letter ✦
A letter to send to friends and acquaintances to spread the word about The Fabric of Wishes ― and take the opportunity to spread your volios : your concrete wishes and those of your enterprises.
Examples of volios are therein presented.
*
Le Jardin d’Échange Universel (JEU)
Le JEU (https://leJEU.org) exists in France, Quebec, Belgium and a few other countries. The Fabric of Wishes is inspired by and very similar to it ; find out if there’s a JEU group in your area !
* * *
―
✦
✦ Frequently Asked Questions ✦
✦
Are HOPs compatible with JEU points ?
By principle, since the concept of the JEU also works with time (minutes) as a unit of exchange both booklet systems should be compatible. In any case, we intend to tie in with the existing JEU network.
What is self-registration ?
Self-registration within The Fabric of Wishes is the main point that differentiates it from the Jardin d’échange universel, which has members, an official registration and annual renewal fees.
But, in a truly horizontal system based on transparency, there is no registration that is more important, or more central, than another. There you have it : every entry you make of your unique identifiers (e-mail address, booklet number and ticket number) within The Fabric of Wishes (in the various booklets and lists that we’ll use) is as official as all the others.
To finance The Fabric of Wishes‘s coordination service (all the logistics of getting these circles to happen ― posters, distribution of flyers and leaflets, animation), which will be one service among many, we’re counting on the development of a culture of mutual encouragement (in HOPs, or as volunteering ― ideally recognizable in HOPs).
We’ll also be able to replenish our collective booklet . . . if we recognize in part in HOPs the value of the booklets people will want from us. That said, anyone can print and sell recognition booklets ― no one has the prerogative of it.
The Fabric of Wishes is intended to be a distributed system
completely decentralized, even fractal around the edges. ✨
What’s so special about the thirteenth week ?
We could, at each turn of the season, reflect together on our collective needs, what’s working well, what not so well, as well as our visions for the future.
And end it all with a big feast, of course ! 😃
What is the « culture of encouragement » ?
This culture is about being good gardeners watering and nourishing their garden ― which will nourish them in return.
It’s up to the community (i.e. each and every one of us) to take care of itself, to participate in its beautiful undertakings, to encourage itself, while making the most, of course, of diversity and of this famous collective intelligence !
~ Manifeste pour une culture de l’encouragement (in French) ~
Can I refuse an exchange ?
Yes.
Why not have a « magic » booklet
(which can go into negative indefinitely)
to provide for « essential services » ?
Since we’re reinventing our exchanges and the way we account for them, this idea could be very appealing. Wouldn’t it simplify our lives ?
Perhaps, but that would be without taking into account the « interplay of differences » between communities ― which will inevitably vary from one to the next.
For we want them to be able to vary, don’t we ?
Such a « magic » system could actually work, but only for a single Constellation, or else for Constellations very similar in what they accept as essential services.
Let’s imagine, for the sake of argument, a Constellation that would cheerfully « subsidize » a whole host of « essential services » thanks to such magic booklet : from therapeutic massage to eyeglasses, from eyeglasses to soup kitchens, from soup kitchens to champions’ locker rooms, and so on.
Let’s imagine that this is the community that has taken the use of such booklets the furthest (and by far).
Now, if this community is very busy receiving and giving these kinds of services, if we’re paid to give them and it’s miraculously free to receive them, then, in this community, we live well and we’re paid well, but compared to other communities, it’s as if we’re having both . . . our cake and eating it too ! To compensate, its (supposedly universal) currency should be counted as worth less than the others. Which is absurd for a currency based on time !
It’s a « false good idea ».
Besides, The Fabric of Wishes is magical enough as it is ! 🙂
What can I do if my balance is struggling to rise back ?
You can talk about it at the wishing circle, publicly offer your help ; or, more privately, during transactions. Ask for help if it doesn’t work !
If we weren’t helping each other to help each other . . . where would we go ??
What does the law say ?
It can vary from country to country : inform yourself !
« But, Constable, I’m just keeping an eye on my « giving Vs. receiving » balance within the community ! »