Master Units, Barter trade and Cooperatives

Master Units, Collective farm centres - practical side of Prout:
In the beginning, Master Units were started with a view to developing the fate of the backward and downtrodden classes of society who find no scope to keep pace with the developing world.

As there are different nerve centres in the body which control the function of the different limbs and organs, and which are finally controlled by the mind itself, likewise the Master Units will be treated as the nerve centres of the society.

There is the necessity of starting Master Units in each and every district and block of the world. Master Units will expand all possible services, particularly in the fields of education, culture, economics and spiritual upliftment. These Master Units will work to improve the fate, first of all human beings - irrespective of caste, creed, color, religion and national barriers - and then of all living beings.

Through Master Units…PROUT and all-round service may render temporary service – they move along the flow of life – but our spiritual philosophy is above the flow of life. Hence, with spiritual philosophy as the hub, we are to start as many Master Units as possible.

What are the primary requisites of an ideal Master Unit? There are five, which correspond to the five minimum requirements in PROUT. First, to provide food throughout the year, besides sufficient local raw materials must be produced through agriculture and scientific farming. Secondly, there should be production of sufficient fibres and fabrics for clothing.
Thirdly, primary and post-primary schools should be started on all Master Units. Fourthly, general and special medical units should also be established…emphasise alternative medical treatments. Fifthly, Master Units should undertake schemes to construct houses for extremely poor people.

I want all Master Units to be economically self-sufficient in all respects, because spiritualists should not depend on the wealthy class for money.
There are several common points which should be implemented in all Master Units: Schools, hostels, children’s homes, medical units, cottage industries, dairy farms, plantations, seed bank, free plant distribution Herbs and medicinal plants should be given special importance. Besides: An Ideal Farm Training Centre.

On all our Master Units, only bio-fertilizers like compost, cow dung, neem paste, neem spray, etc. should be used. Chemical fertilizers must be avoided. Our Master Unit program is a combination of oriental sublimity and western dynamicity.

Research centres should be developed on all large farming projects and master units. Although all types of research should be encouraged, first preference should be given to agriculture, second preference to biology (zoology and botany) and third preference to chemistry.
http://www.amaye.org/master-units. http://www.gurukul.edu/gknetwork/Issue26/page15.htm. (I visited last October Master Unit Ananda Phutta Bhumi in Poland.
In the beautiful mountain valley with pumpkin fields, cows and spiritual environment.Village people are coming to ask homeopathic medicines and the community leaders are searching advices in their problems.DA)

Question on Barter trade: Is it suitable for undeveloped or developing countries? Sarkar: It is suitable for both undeveloped and developing countries, especially where the number of surplus goods is limited or few in numbers. To fulfil the mutual needs between regions, PROUT encourages the barter system in preference to the export system. The export system ultimately becomes commercial and competitive and leads to exploitation. If a country discontinues trade related to direct or indirect economic transactions and commences barter trade instead with other countries, it will not suffer much from an economic depression.

Cooperatives for integration of humanity:
As you know, human society is one and indivisible. A human being cannot live alone. In society human beings have to work jointly with others so that everybody can move forward collectively. That is, society is the collective movement of a group of individuals who have made a unanimous decision to move towards a common goal.

So, it is always better for people to work together as far as possible. Where individuality dominates human life, the environment, the welfare of different groups and even the continued existence of humanity may be adversely affected.

Coordinated Cooperation…something is done with equal rights, equal human prestige and equal locus standi…In the world today different socio-economic systems are in vogue, but none of these systems are based on coordinated cooperation. Rather, in these systems social relationships are mainly based on subordinated cooperation (having boss), resulting in the degeneration of society’s moral fabric… and no coordinated cooperation among the different ethnic groups whatsoever…causing the whole structure of society to crumble down.

In those countries that follow the commune system there is also lack of coordinated cooperation… society is reduced to merely a production-distribution mechanism under a regimented system of control… there is no personal ownership. Without a sense of personal ownership people do not labour hard or care for any property.

PROUT supports the implementation of the cooperative system because its inner spirit is one of coordinated cooperation. Only the cooperative system can ensure the healthy, integrated progress of humanity, and establish complete and everlasting unity among the human race. People should work to enjoy sweeter fruits by establishing the cooperative system. PROUT raises the slogans: “We want cooperatives, not communes,” and, “We are not slaves of communes.”

PROUT’s approach is that outside finished products which can be locally produced should not be imported. For the proper reorganization and maximum utilization of agricultural land, the cooperative system is most preferable… If they (farmers) form a cooperative and keep a record of their shares based on the size of their individual holdings, a sense of ownership is maintained.

In the initial stage agricultural cooperatives will be formed with the mutual cooperation of groups of farmers. Farmers may also create producers cooperatives to produce items for various industries. Consumer’s cooperatives will distribute consumer goods to members of society at reasonable rates.
So, for the establishment of a healthy society, agricultural cooperatives, essential commodity producer’s cooperatives and essential commodity consumer cooperatives are a must.

Cooperative members should form a board of directors for each cooperative. Many small satellite cooperatives should be formed to supply various items to large producer’s cooperatives.

In the capitalist system, raw materials are imported from other countries or regions in order to manufacture finished products. Cooperatives will not follow this system. They will develop their own raw materials through research so that they are not dependent on foreign raw materials.

Through the cooperative system human society will progress with accelerating speed, ushering in a new revolution in science. The day is very near when science will be guided by spiritually oriented intellectuals. When this day comes, science will move forward with leaps and bounds, causing the intellectual capacity of human beings to increase immensely. Cooperatives will greatly assist this psychic and spiritual advancement.

In the cooperative system there should not be any scope for interest earning shares; that is, there should not be profit earning shares in cooperatives. Rather, shares should be according to the production of the land. So unless the moral, religious and educational standard of a large portion of the population is very high, we cannot expect to have truly able men and women as representatives, ministers, or directors of cooperatives…

The sweetest unifying factors are love and sympathy for humanity. The wants of the human heart are joy, pleasure and beatitude. In the physical realm the best expression of this human sweetness is the cooperative system.

........Greece going back to Bartering as in ancient history: From http://www.reshafim.org.il/ad/egypt/trade/internal_trade.htm
To
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dz1KQkUJPkA
http://www.mises.ca/posts/articles/greeces-emerging-barter-economy/