Public investment unaffordable? Join this workshop and learn how to counter this common narrative, and how governments can use their money for good.
On Sunday 14 September, Waag Futurelab and Modern Money Lab will host an extensive programme on the possibilities of public investment. The common narrative dictates that public investment is unaffordable or must be paid for by implementing austerity measures. Following Modern Money Theory, we will dive into government budgets and the concept of money, countering that narrative. You will come away with a true understanding of how governments spend money and what is possible: whether for healthcare, education, pensions, climate action, and whatever is needed for a transition to a sustainable post-growth economy.
Programme
The programme consists of a series of introductory talks and participatory group discussions, based on short articles and case studies on the nature of money and the role of government budgets. All materials will be provided before the workshop, but no preparation is required. The workshop will be facilitated by Associate Professor Steven Hail, Lecturer at Torens University and Economist at Modern Money Lab.
| 12:00 - 13:00 hrs | Welcome & light lunch |
| 13:00 - 14:00 hrs | Part 1: Money - what it is and where it came from |
| 14:00 - 14:30 hrs | Break |
| 14:30 - 16:00 hrs | Part 2: The power of the purse - national budgeting and the Euro |
| 16:00 - 16:30 hrs | Break |
| 16:30 - 18:00 hrs | Part 3: Inflation, instability and the European Central Bank |
| 18:00 - 19:00 hrs | Dinner break |
| 19:00 - 20:30 hrs | Part 4: Screening of documentary Finding The Money with Q&A |
The workshop will be conducted in English. Water, tea, coffee and a light lunch and dinner will be provided.
Accessibility
If you are tight on funds and want to participate in this event, The Money Lab can offer you a special free admission ticket through The Money Lab Humanitix ticket page.
The Waag building is not accessible to visitors with mobility impairments. View our accessibility information here.
About the organisers
Steven Hail is founder of Modern Money Lab Inc (MML Inc), an Australian based research institute that contributes to the development of new knowledge and political science. This programme is realised as part of the informal movement Modern Money Lab UK (an offspring of MML Inc), with which Waag’s Finance Director Michèle Thole is liaised. The movement is concerned with changing the conversation around money and the economy, to contribute to a community-based economy.
