Solidarity Economy Organizing

San Francisco Community Congress: background and update

michaeljohnson — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 23:41:57 -0400

San Francisco Community Congress: background and update

(EDITOR’S NOTE: A very interesting grassroots development happening in SanFrancisco: The San Francisco Community Congress.The goal is to “devise practical, locally actionable proposals to shape and direct future policy affecting the local economy and the provision of critical human services.” Their mantra, “another San Francisco is possible.” If the devil is in the details, then this appears to be the beginning of a premier Solidarity Economy project.

GEO is...

Festival of Grassroots Economics: A Report

Ethan — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:05:16 -0400

Organized by Just, Alternative, Sustainable Economics (JASEcon) in Oakland, CA, the Festival of Grassroots Economics brought people together to imagine an "economy for people and planet."

Worker Cooperative Replication: Editor's Introduction to Issue 2, Volume 3

admin — Thu, 28 May 2009 16:55:16 -0400

The theme of this issue is worker cooperative replication. It addresses an issue which is central to the growth of the democratic worker cooperative movement. How do we reproduce the success stories we have already achieved? That is, how do we replicate successful worker cooperatives in different locations? Inherent in the challenge of replication is a long standing conundrum of worker cooperative development. Replication is analogous to "franchising" in a capitalist company. Capitalist companies have a compelling motive to replicate successful stores - maximizing profit. What motive does a successful worker cooperatives have for replicating itself?

The Replication of Arizmendi Bakery: A Model of the Democratic Worker Cooperative Movement

admin — Tue, 19 May 2009 13:41:08 -0400

By Joe Marraffino, Arizmendi Development and Support Cooperative

Since the mid-1990s a group of worker cooperative organizers in the San Francisco Bay Area has been developing a new model for cooperative development. Our organization, the Arizmendi Association of Cooperatives, is a network, incubator, and technical assistance provider that is owned, governed, and funded by the member workplaces it creates and serves. Our primary activity is to replicate and offer continuing support to new retail bakeries based on a proven cooperative business model.

The Seed

Ethan — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:37:01 -0400

A solidarity trade organizing effort in Greece

U.S. Solidarity Economy Network (SEN)

Ethan — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:35:20 -0400

Our Eyes On the Prize: From a "Worker Co-op Movement" to a Transformative Social Movement

Ethan — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:56:02 -0500

While empathizing with those who feel a sense of "inevitability" in the face of today's powerful capitalist economy (and disagreeing with those who see it as generally acceptable), I hold firmly to the perspective that a more just and democratic economy is both necessary and possible. And I believe that the greatest chance of increasing and assuring viability for the workplace democracy movement may rest in our ability to keep our "eyes on the prize"; that is, on the long term replacement of capitalism―an economy which socializes costs and privatizes benefits―with an economy of democratic cooperation―in which costs and benefits are democratically and equitably shared throughout society.

World Social Forum at a Crossroads: 5th International, Solidarity Economy, or Stand Pat?

Ethan — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 15:42:59 -0500

If in 2001 the World Social Forum was "the birthplace of global civil society"-namely all social groupings between the public realm of the state and the private realm of the family-what should it be when that society grows up a bit? Many feel that a change is needed. Explaining her absence from the 2006 WSF, Arundhati Roy said "[it] has now become very NGO-ized [non-governmental organizations]...it's just become too comfortable a stage. I think it has played a very important role up to now, but now...I think we have to come up with new strategies."

Free Software & Solidarity Economy In Colombia

Ethan — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 11:28:13 -0500

By David Jacovkis, www.freesoftwaremagazine.com

Solidarity Economy In Nepal

Ethan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 12:50:28 -0500

A blog highlighting solidarity economy experiences and case studies