Enric Duran Giralt (born 23 April 1976, in Vilanova i la Geltrú) also known as Robin Banks or the Robin Hood of the Banks is a Catalan anticapitalist activist^[1] and a founding member of the Catalan Integral Cooperative (CIC – Cooperativa Integral Catalana) and Faircoop.^{[2][3][4][5][6]}On September 17, 2008, he publicly announced that he had ‘robbed’ dozens of Spanish banks of nearly half a million euros as part of a political action to denounce what he termed the predatory capitalist system.

From 2006 to 2008, Duran took out 68 commercial and personal loans from a total of 39 banks with no guarantees or property as collateral. He had no intention of repaying the debts, and used the money to finance various anti-capitalist movements.^[7]In 2008, Duran released both an online article entitled “I have “robbed” 492,000 euros from those who rob us the most, in order to denounce them and build alternatives for society” (translated), and an online video, each explaining what he had done and that he had left the country to view the reaction and consider his next move.

This was also published in the free magazine Crisis, in Catalan, of which 200,000 copies were printed and distributed by volunteers throughout Catalonia. A second newspaper, We can! Live Without Capitalism was distributed on March 17, 2009, and a third, We want! on September 17, 2009.^[8][9]

Today, five years ago, Enric made it clear that he did not accept the authority of the “justice” of the System and when it was required by him, his response was not to appear at the Provincial Court of Barcelona. On February 12, 2013, many companies were attentive to the reaction of the corrupt states of the state, the bank, and the judiciary and police.

Here we note the statement that was read before the Provincial Court of Barcelona on February 12, 2013.

Duran stated that he sought to create a debate about the financial system and the current capitalist system, proliferate protest actions against it and fund the social movements that seek to create alternatives. Duran called what he did an act of ‘financial civil disobedience’, and stated that he was prepared to go to prison for his actions.

Response of authorities

In 2009 Duran returned to Spain, and was arrested by Spanish police on March 17, 2009 at the University of Barcelona, as charges had been brought against him by six of the thirty-nine banks concerned. He spent two months in prison before being freed on a bail of 50,000 euros.^[10][11]

For the first anniversary of the announcement of his “robbery”, an action day was planned in over 100 cities on September 17, 2009, in which people met, both in Spain and abroad, to share alternatives to capitalism.^[12][13]

On November 25, 2011, the state prosecutor requested that the judiciary pass down an 8-year prison sentence for Duran, for the crimes of presenting false documents (in securing his loans) and continued insolvency.

The defence attorney based his case on the fact that imprisonment for unpaid debts has been abolished in Spain. Duran himself responded by maintaining that “I do not think that the judiciary is entitled to judge” (translated from Catalan). He questioned the state’s lack of response to the financial speculators who inflicted great suffering on much of the European population, and to the September 2011 changes to the Spanish constitution which made the repayment of debts the absolute priority of the country. He also claimed that his actions were an act of social justice – an attempt to redress in some small way the injustices perpetrated by those in power.^[14][15][16]

Duran cited the pardon granted to the chief executive of the Banco Santander, Alfredo Sáenz Abad, in November 2011, as an example of the bias of the judiciary towards the powerful and well-connected, and argued that “when the government violates the rights of the people, insurrection is the most sacred of rights and the most indispensable of our duties” (translated from Catalan). He called on his supporters not to waste time campaigning for his acquittal or release, but rather to follow his acts of civil disobedience towards the banks with their own. In March 2012 he released a video explaining his legal situation and continued to encourage others to civil disobedience.^[17][18]

Life in hiding

Before a criminal tribunal scheduled for 12 February 2013, Duran decided to leave the country rather than stand trial in Spain. “I don’t see legitimacy in a judicial system based on authority, because I don’t recognise its authority.” The prosecuting attorney and 16 banking institutions called for an 8-year prison sentence.^[19]

Since this time he has been in hiding. A campaign under the hashtag #ReturnWithFreedom was started to enable Duran to return to Catalonia.^[20]

Previous activism

Duran was involved in the “For the Abolition of Debt” campaign(1999/2000), the “Global Resistance Movement” (2000/2002) the “Campaign Against the World Bank”(2001) and the “Campaign Against the Europe of Capital”(2002).

Catalan Integral Cooperative

In April 2010, Duran began promoting the Catalan Integral Cooperative as a practical example of the ideals detailed in We can! Live Without Capitalism. In 2011 the cooperative accepted responsibility for a former industrial complex, with a view to turning it into a centre for environmental activities.^[21]

FairCoop

In April 2014, Duran began to develop an idea that was to become Faircoop, an open global cooperative. It stated aims are to “contribute to a transition to a new world by reducing the economic and social inequalities among human beings as much as possible, and at the same time gradually contribute to a new global wealth, accessible to all humankind as commons”.^{[22][23][24][25][26]}

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FairCoop combines the advantages of new decentralized technologies with ethical principles and experiences of activists and groups trying to create a new economic system based on cooperation and economic justice. The cooperative provides financial tools and services designed for the creation and distribution of free common wealth.^[16]

On the long run FairCoop aims to create an environment for building a new social and economic system based on decentralized cooperation, avoiding the need of nation states and central banks. In a short term, the cooperative is creating a space for real collaboration, with projects all around the world for humanity as a whole.^[17][18]

Proposed economic system

One of the priority objectives of the FairCoop is building a new global economic system based on cooperation, ethics, solidarity and justice in economic relations.^[19]

For that it is committed to the following resources:

• Faircoin: Is a cryptocurrency with a store of value function. On the long run it aims to be a reference prices.^{[20][21][22][23][24][25][26]}
• Faircredit: Is the most awaited monetary tool for the FairCoop ecosystem. Its development will involve the challenge of building an innovative and decentralized money system that contributes to recover the sovereignty of the people through access to credits as a common good: a system of mutual credit globally as a means exchange of products and services, supported by Faircoin.^[27][28]
• Fairfunds: Are Faircoin funds for donations to various types of projects: The Global South Fund is for the empowerment of local projects at various levels, while the Commons Fund and the Technological Infrastructure Fund are for global projects, which may also include coordinated networks of local projects coordinated globally.^[29]
• Fairsaving: Is a resource for ethical savings, which is completely free from the cental banking system and state control, primarily for those members who are beginners in the field of wallet security.
• FairStarts: Is a Network of Incubators to help developing transnational, open and cooperative projects which are working on a collaborative and commons peer production economy.
• FairMarket: Is the virtual market of FairCoop that will allow all FaiRCoop members to use FairCredit and allow each user to use Faircoin to buy goods and services.^[30] This is a key project, which operates under the concept of “open cooperative”. The first alpha test version was launched on the World Fair Trade Day 2015.
• Enric Duran    Anticapitalism   Civil disobedience     De-growth

Faircoin: the Eco-Solidarity money that could Sweep the World

Faircoin was chosen as the cryptocurrency upon which to base its resource-redistribution actions and building of a new global economic system.^[27]

Understanding that we are faced with not just a passing financial crisis but a systemic disintegration, we realized that the truly unrealistic and utopian dream was that of endless capitalist accumulation, as the established powers insist on going headlong over a cliff, stubbornly insisting on growing inequality and endless consumption of finite resources.

Whereas for us, it was clear to see that the realistic proposal was integral, eco-friendly, grassroots self-management of our own economic life.

^{CONSULT FAIRCOIN DIRECTORY:  HERE}

^{From Cryptocurrencies to FairCredit The economic system promoted by faircoin, explained!! … It helps you to …}

Entender Faircoin, la economía real del común de las personas.

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