Start
Founded in 1970, STRO was the first Dutch organisation dedicated to raising awareness of environmental problems, including rainforest depletion and climate change. STRO also identified that the prevailing monetary system increases inequity by fostering growth compulsion and allowing unchecked accumulation of wealth and power. Initially focused on carbon dioxide emission rights and advocating for labor tax reforms, the organisation shifted its emphasis to monetary structures by 1980, initiating research and development programs aimed at creating alternative systems to mitigate threats to nature and society.
Cyclos for scaling up monetary innovations
By 2000, STRO assessed that developing banking software was essential to scale up monetary innovations, leading to the creation of Cyclos, which saw its first releases around 2006. By 2014, Cyclos was recognized as the world’s most innovative payment software by the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA), and has since become the preferred tool for organisations experimenting with new financial structures.
Latin America
From 2000 until 2013, STRO’s R&D efforts primarily targeted Latin America. Cooperatives in Honduras and Costa Rica need far less influx of outside money.
In Brazil the example of Banco Palmas is copied many times in the form of “Community Banks.” In El Salvador Punto Transacciones is still active and on a larger scale Tradaq in Brazil.
Sardex (Sardinia) was already partaking in STRO’s European Digipay4growth project (2013- 2016) and Sardex and STRO are still strongly connected.
During that same project the Spanish municipality Santa Coloma de Gramanet (near Barcelona) found a way to increase the impact of their expenditure in favour of small local companies.
In the Netherlands we are one of the initiators of United Economy, a large cooperative of individuals and companies working on the transition to a more sustainable and sociable world. By purchasing first and foremost within the cooperative, the participants strengthen each other.