Embracing the Community Spirit: Public Living Rooms and Timebanking!

The 6 simple ways to be a camerado - introduced by Maff in this video above.

January 2024

Our TimeBanks.Org Chats-On-A-Bench are held monthly on the third Sunday of the month from 4 pm to 5 pm Eastern US time. Here’s our standard format:

• Welcome
• Timebanking’s 5 core values – a quick rundown.
• Breakout session – Hello, and “What’s on your mind?”
• Whole group sharing – drawing on topics from the breakouts.

The Opening: Welcome and The Core Values 

The Core Values: 1. All people as assets; 2. See, value and count the work that’s outside of “work”; 3. Reciprocity -- Shared receiving and giving leads to a community rooted in trust; 4. Connection & Kindness -- We all need them!; 5. Mutual respect -- underlies everything our wellbeing on every front.

Chat-On-A-Bench, January 21, 2024

Hello’s and Break-Out Chat

Presentation by Maff Potts, Founder of Public Living Room

This month, we were graced by the presence of Maff Potts, founder of the Public Living Room, also known as Camerados – which invites people to come together simply to be together, doing and sharing whatever they feel comfortable doing, with no agenda other than to….. Get comfortable being together. 

Maff showed us pictures of people gathered together in different countries and different settings, some inside, some outside, some in temporary pop-up living rooms, some in artfully created permanent public living rooms, like the one that had been a shipping container with nothing but throw-away junk in it that was lovingly transformed into a “bar” – except instead of alcohol and glasses, the theme was tea and tea-cups! 

Maff introduced the core values of Public Living Room that every PLR signs onto – and noted how much they align with TB’ing core values. 

We agreed that both organizations share the desire to build connections and trust in community. The big difference – and why they could so usefully be connected is that Camerados purposefully do not get into “planning” mode – what happens, happens spontaneously! 

Timebanks, on the other hand, are very much oriented to choosing projects with a purpose, and to taking action around those purposes. Camerados makes it very easy for people to hang out together and get to know one another and build trust without any weighty expectations. We agreed that they could be a wonderful stepping stone into active, vigorous timebanking!

Sharing from the Group

Maff’s presentation and the Q & A afterwards meant there was time only for one person to share their timebanking news – but what exciting news that was!

Elise Edjang shared with us that Youth TimeBanking Cameroon, which she started last year has grown and evolved, now has a store-front and office, and was going to have its Grand Opening on Friday, Jan 26.  Lots of excitement in the community about that. She will be sending us photos to share!!!!

And that brought us to the end of another really great Chat!!!!

More about Camerados in the video below.  It was a treat to hear from Maff about being human!!

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of TimeBanks.Org, TimeBanks, or Timebank members.