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	<title>Guillaume&#039;s blog &#187; Brazil</title>
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	<description>Thoughts on the future of money</description>
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		<title>Brazilian community currency helps generate local wealth and jobs</title>
		<link>http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/12/12/brazilian-community-currency-helps-generate-local-wealth-and-jobs/</link>
		<comments>http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/12/12/brazilian-community-currency-helps-generate-local-wealth-and-jobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:34:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guillaume Lebleu]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brazil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[complementarycurrency]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/12/12/brazilian-community-currency-helps-generate-local-wealth-and-jobs/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[From the Untergunggenberger Intitut Wörgl blog in Germany Austria, here is a video on the Palmas community currency in Nord-east Brazil, launched several years ago, which has enabled this impoverished community to build and retain wealth locally. Just to give an idea of the scale, Banco Palmas has 2100 associates&#8230; 60% of which are below &#8230; <a href="http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/12/12/brazilian-community-currency-helps-generate-local-wealth-and-jobs/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Brazilian community currency helps generate local wealth and jobs</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>From the <a href="http://www.unterguggenberger.org/news.php?m=single&amp;id=277">Untergunggenberger Intitut Wörgl</a> blog in <del>Germany</del> Austria, here is a video on the Palmas community currency in Nord-east Brazil, launched several years ago, which has enabled this impoverished community to build and retain wealth locally. Just to give an idea of the scale, Banco Palmas has 2100 associates&#8230; 60% of which are below the poverty line.</p>
<p>A <a href="http://74.125.93.104/translate_c?hl=en&amp;sl=de&amp;tl=en&amp;u=http://www.citizenbase.org/node/3018&amp;usg=ALkJrhhO3hhGkEFZw7gyDPTG3wZys4C86w">very detailed description</a> is available. Here are the specific points I noted:</p>
<ul>
<li>Banco Palmas, which was started and is managed by local residents, functions as a local credit union that issues low interest rate loans in the alternative currency, the Palma, and provides also a credit card for payment convenience.</li>
<li>Access credit does not require documents, but only requires that local resident voucher for the loan. <span onmouseover="_tipon(this)" onmouseout="_tipoff()"><span class="google-src-text" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left">In other words, instead of relying on high-tech PhD risk analysis algorithm, CDS, securitization, and the likes, credit risk analysis is socialized.</span></span></li>
<li><span onmouseover="_tipon(this)" onmouseout="_tipoff()"><span class="google-src-text" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left">The bank funds consumption and production reports to be able to better determine what is needed by the community and provide market research for entrepreneurs.</span></span></li>
<li><span onmouseover="_tipon(this)" onmouseout="_tipoff()"><span class="google-src-text" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left">The alternative currency, the Palma, is backed by the national currency, and convertible at a 1% fee.</span></span></li>
<li><span onmouseover="_tipon(this)" onmouseout="_tipoff()"><span class="google-src-text" style="direction: ltr; text-align: left">The bank has established partnerships with local businesses, and many are providing discounts when paying in Palmas.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<p>Here are also some amazing numbers from the report:</p>
<blockquote>
<ul>
<li>In Ceará, sales in commercial establishments in the community increased by 40% In Ceará, sales in commercial establishment in the community increased by 40%</li>
<li>Bankruptcy for local businesses involved with the Bank has never exceeded 3% Bankruptcy for local businesses involved with the bank has never exceeded 3%</li>
<li>Crime rates in Ceará, compared to other neighborhoods in the city, are 5-6% lower Crime rates in Ceará, compared to other neighborhoods in the city, are 5-6% lower</li>
<li>900 new jobs were created in the formal and informal sectors since the beginning of the project 900 new jobs were created in the formal and informal sectors since the beginning of the project</li>
<li>Of Banco Palmas clients, 82% feel more responsible; 95% consider the Bank an agent in the eradication of hunger and promotion of jobs and income; and 54% feel more solidarity with the community Of Banco Palmas clients, 82% feel more responsible; 95% consider the bank an agent in the eradication of hunger and promotion of jobs and income, and 54% feel more solidarity with the community</li>
<li>11 other municipalities are currently receiving training from Banco Palmas technicians to implant community banks in their cities 11 other municipalities are currently receiving training from Banco Palmas implant technicians to community banks in their cities</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Food for thought: Brazilian Real vs. US dollar&#8217;s food purchasing power</title>
		<link>http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/04/23/food-for-thought-brazilian-real-vs-us-dollars-food-purchasing-power/</link>
		<comments>http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/04/23/food-for-thought-brazilian-real-vs-us-dollars-food-purchasing-power/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:01:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[admin]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Brazil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Brazilian real (R$) buys only .57 US dollars. On the other hand, I noticed that one R$ buys you approximately the same quantity/quality of food than one USD.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Brazilian real (R$) buys only .57 US dollars. On the other hand, I noticed that one R$ buys you approximately the same quantity/quality of food than one USD.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>iTunes not available in Brazil</title>
		<link>http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/04/06/itunes-not-available-in-brazil/</link>
		<comments>http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/04/06/itunes-not-available-in-brazil/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2008 16:17:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guillaume Lebleu]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brazil]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[iTunes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/04/06/itunes-not-available-in-brazil/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here is what you get when you try to connect to the iTunes Store in Brazil: I discovered this while trying momentarily to authorize one of my friend&#8217;s computers to read a movie I had purchased on my computer. Well, I researched the problem and found this petition. It looks like iTunes Store is not &#8230; <a href="http://lebleu.org/blog/2008/04/06/itunes-not-available-in-brazil/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">iTunes not available in Brazil</span></a>]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Here is what you get when you try to connect to the iTunes Store in Brazil:</p>
<p><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2185/2392968558_4fc15ce6a8_o.png" title="iTunes error -4" alt="iTunes error -4" height="153" width="480" /></p>
<p>I discovered this while trying momentarily to authorize one of my friend&#8217;s computers to read a movie I had purchased on my computer.</p>
<p>Well, I researched the problem and found <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/iTunesBr/petition.html">this petition</a>. It looks like iTunes Store is not available in Brazil, my guess is for fears of piracy, but I&#8217;m not sure. The problem is that the use case above is perfectly legit, yet, impossible to support in Brazil.</p>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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