Research Papers

The subject of cooperatives and private currencies, including detailed studies on the WIR Cooperative and the American Trade Cooperative, has been researched by prominent economists, experts in banking, financial and monetary matters and much research material is available.

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   B. Lietaer - UC Berkeley - USA/Belgium

2008 ▬  "How Businesses Can Save Themselves from the Impact of the Banking Crisis"  A One pager on the Business-to-Business (B2B) Currency solution by Bernard Lietaer. www.lietaer.com

   M. Pingle - Univ. NV Reno - USA

2009 ▬  "A Commentary on Trade Cooperatives in General and The American Trade Co-operative in Particular" Dr. Mark Pingle, an economics professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, President, Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics has researched and analyzed the American Trade Cooperative and its Swiss counterpart, WIR Bank.  He expresses his opinion on the viability and potential for success for the American operation.

  J. Stodder - Rensselear - USA

2007 ▬  “Residual Barter Networks and Macro-Economic Stability: Switzerland’s Wirtschaftring”  James Stodder an economics professor at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute at Hartford published a 31-page report which is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization.  This paper emphasizes that, as the WIR solves exchange problem with virtual money, it also helps stabilize the economy by providing firms in the cooperative with more ability to trade in down economic times that they would otherwise possess. 

   T. Studer - Basel University - Switzerland

1998 ▬ “WIR and the Swiss National Economy”  Dr. Tobias Studer, a Professor of Economics at Basel University, published a 58-page report titled  describing in detail the working of the co-operative System and its credit operation  

  W. Wüthrich - Switzerland

2004 ▬  "Alternatives to Globalization, Cooperative Principle and Complementary Currency”  A report by Dr. W. Wüthrich and translated into English by Professor Beard of Sonoma State University  on the WIR Bank System, a cooperative organization which in its nature and development has by now become something unique in Switzerland and in the world at large. http://www.zeit-fragen.ch/ARCHIV/ZF_119d/T01.HTM

  H. Defila - WIR Bank - Switzerland

1994 ▬ “60 Years of the WIR Economic Circle Cooperative”  Article in WIR Magazin written by Heidi Defila, a former Vice President of WIR, Outlines the history and evolution of the WIR Co-operative. It includes the challenges faced along the way and how they were overcome

   CO-OP History - Valentini - USA

2009 - "The Origins of the Cooperative, its Dynamics and Present Applications"  Ezio Valentini describes where the idea came from, the dynamics it provides in generating profits for participants and the current applications in the market place.