Ancient Civilizations & Modern Alternatives to Banking?
Picture a world where small towns thrive, people work together for the good of their community, and the power to shape the future isn’t held by a few—but by everyday people like you. What if the solution to our economic and social troubles isn’t found in some far-off political capital or big corporation, but right down the street in your own backyard?
This isn’t a far-flung utopian fantasy. It’s the heart of the One Small Town initiative, a revolutionary approach that positions communities—not banks or corporations—as the architects of prosperity. Born from years of deep research into ancient civilizations and the roots of modern economics, this movement offers a blueprint for collective abundance, while sidestepping the pitfalls that have doomed similar utopian experiments. Whether you’re fed up with broken promises from politicians, worried about economic decay, or just longing for a sense of purpose through contribution, this vision invites you to consider a new way forward. Let’s dig into how it works, why it’s different, and what it could mean for your community—and perhaps, the world.
The Ancient Roots of Modern Problems
Many of the challenges we face today aren’t exactly new. Through his study of ancient civilizations in Africa and beyond, Michael Tellinger uncovered fascinating evidence of advanced societies that have largely been ignored by mainstream archaeology. But beyond stone ruins and mysterious mines, Michael’s research illuminated something more sobering: the birth of the money system as a tool of control.
Tracing the story back to the Sumerians around 4,000 BC, it becomes clear that money—as clay tokens representing gold stored in temples—wasn’t just about trade. It was a method for priest-kings to consolidate power, create dependency, and ultimately control the masses. Fast-forward a few millennia, and the central banking empires of Europe turbocharged this concept, giving us the modern system where money, power, and influence are tightly interwoven.
Michael calls this the "tool of enslavement"—not in a conspiratorial sense, but as a plain observation. Most people’s experiences with money, from the struggle to pay bills to the way governments and corporations shape our lives, echo this age-old pattern. If what we call progress has created new forms of dependency and scarcity, the big question becomes: how do we break free?
Contributionism: Turning the System on Its Head
Having identified the problem, the next step was clear for Michael: find a way out. The idea he developed, Contributionism, proposes a community-driven model where people contribute their time and skills for the mutual benefit of all. Unlike communism, which demands state ownership and strips individuals of property, Contributionism is voluntary, locally controlled, and designed so that every member of the community directly benefits.
The elegant premise is simple but powerful: if every adult in a small town were to dedicate just three hours a week to communal projects—growing food, building businesses, sharing expertise—the collective labor would create immense value. Multiply this by a town of 10,000 people, and suddenly you have 30,000 hours of productive work per week. This is enough labor to start multiple community businesses, reclaim abandoned spaces, and revitalize local economies, all while ensuring everyone gets a fair share of the profits.
To make this sustainable and scalable, the initiative leans on modern technology, specifically a private blockchain-based platform. This infrastructure tracks each member’s contribution and rewards them with an “Infinity Token”—a stable, internal currency that avoids the pitfalls that doomed earlier ventures into digital or community currency. Unlike speculative cryptocurrencies vulnerable to market swings and manipulation, Infinity Tokens can’t be crashed or devalued from the outside. Instead, they serve the community, incentivizing participation and circulating value where it’s most needed.
What Makes One Small Town Different?
Plenty of intentional communities and collective living projects have come and gone, often collapsing under the weight of internal conflict, unclear structures, or unrealistic expectations. What sets One Small Town apart is its adaptive, practical approach. Participation is voluntary—anyone can join, but no one is required to. If the initiative launches in your city, you’re free to take part or just watch from the sidelines. Usually, once the tangible benefits start rolling in—fresh, affordable produce, better local services, real profits—curiosity turns into participation.
Importantly, this model isn’t about rejecting money or the broader financial system altogether. Community businesses still engage with the outside world, trading with dollars, euros, or pounds to bring real profit back home. The secret sauce is that the community, not distant shareholders or executives, owns these businesses and decides collectively what to produce, how to grow, and where to invest the proceeds.
Built-in transparency, thanks to the blockchain platform, ensures accountability—everyone’s contributions and rewards are clearly tracked. Plus, because the platform manages everything from membership to distribution of profits and tokens, friction and misunderstandings that have torpedoed other intentional communities are minimized.
Liberation, Not Revolution
Make no mistake: this isn’t about overthrowing governments, fighting the system, or retreating to ideological extremes. The goal is to “use the tools of enslavement as tools of liberation.” By leveraging existing legal company structures where appropriate, One Small Town stays compliant while shifting control away from faceless institutions and toward local people.
This incremental, “parallel society” approach echoes the wisdom of Buckminster Fuller: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” In time, as more towns adopt the model and become economically resilient, the balance of power subtly shifts from politicians and central banks to communities of people choosing to cooperate for mutual prosperity.
The Path Forward: Real Hope for Real People
It’s easy to be cynical in today’s world. Economic decay, empty storefronts, abandoned farms, and shuttered schools are a reality for countless small towns. But the One Small Town initiative offers not just a diagnosis, but a practical path to renewal. By rekindling the spirit of communal contribution—and harnessing the best of both ancient wisdom and modern technology—it presents a way for people to reclaim agency over their lives.
The story isn’t over yet. After nearly two decades of dedication, the platform is finally being implemented in small towns across South Africa, the UK, the USA, and beyond. It’s not a top-down revolution, but a bottom-up rebirth, inviting anyone and everyone to help write the next chapter.
Ready to learn more? Visit onesmalltown.org, read the stories, and consider how you—and your neighbors—might start something extraordinary, right where you live.
Conclusion: Your Future, Your Community, Your Choice
If you feel disillusioned by headlines, nervous about the economy, or just want to know your efforts make a difference, take heart: you’re not powerless. The One Small Town initiative proves that together, we can create abundance, security, and meaning—not through charity or handouts, but through genuine, voluntary collaboration. The tools are here and the blueprint is set. All that’s left is to take the first step. Would you give three hours a week to help shape a brighter future?
Let’s build something incredible—one small town at a time.
📕 Guest: Michael Tellinger
Michael Tellinger is a South African author, scientist, explorer, and founder of the "One Small Town" initiative and the Ubuntu Movement. He’s best known for his work on ancient African civilizations, money origins, and new social models for community prosperity.
🌍 Website: https://michaeltellinger.com/
▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Michaeltellinger
👍 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michaeltellinger/
🐦 X / Twitter: https://x.com/MichaelTelling2
