Catalyzing worker co-ops & the solidarity economy
No one can tell in advance what form a movement will take. Grace Lee Boggs’s fascinating autobiography traces the story of a woman who transcended class and racial boundaries to pursue her passionate belief in a better society. Now with a new foreword by Robin D. G. Kelley, Living for Change is a sweeping account of a legendary human rights activist whose network included Malcolm X and C. L. R. James.
[T]he Rural Electrification Act helped bring electricity to farm country, where investor--owned utilities hadn’t bothered to string lines. Low-interest loans through the Department of Agriculture enabled communities to organize cooperatives—nearly 900 of which still operate today. The loan program now earns more than it costs. Like the housing policies of the time that gave us the 30-year mortgage, it was a public policy that enabled widespread private ownership.
The fact is, credit is both necessary and central to the global economy. Economists like Lazzarato have come up with theories about how debt drives economic production and an ever-increasing economy and in an era where finance has come to dominate our economy, it is evident to everyone that banks are very powerful institutions and if they could be reformed could be the power behind substantial improvement in our economy.
Democratisation of our banking sector, via co-operatives and credit unions, is something that merits serious thought.
In the first in a series of short films looking at models of sustainable economic democracy, Maurice Macartney examines the achievements of the co-operative pioneers of Rochdale and Mondragon.
In this episode of the It’s Going Down podcast, we speak with two members of Kinłani/Flagstaff Mutual Aid about the growing Indigenous Mutual Aid network, the devastating impact of COVID-19 within indigenous Diné a
In the husk of an old grocery store, on an unassuming corner in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans, sits the Common Ground Health Clinic, a front-line fighter of COVID-19 that emerged from the wreckage of Hurricane Katrina. In leftist circles, Common Ground became one of the most storied mutual aid projects in recent history, in part because it was co-founded by a man later revealed to be an FBI informant who now works for Breitbart.
The cooperative development model creates opportunities for economic mobility and for financial and community resilience, including during times of crisis. Three cooperative organizations were chosen to receive Capital Impact Partners' Co-op Innovation Award, which aims to increase co-op development in communities with low incomes and/or communities of color.
This is a great book. If you are planning on setting up a workers’ coop in the UK, this is definitely the first book you should pick up. And it’s free. You can download it as a PDF from Seeds for Change, although I bought the spiral-bound version from AK Press (the excellent Scottish/Californian workers’ coop), and I think I prefer it in that format.
In recent months, members of progressive direct-action organizations have developed new systems for checking on their neighbors, dropping off food and medicine, providing protective personal equipment to incarcerated family members, and giving cash to those suddenly unemployed to meet immediate rent, food, and medical needs. At the same time, they’re continuing to press for workers’ rights and proper health care during the pandemic, as well as ensure access to federal stimulus money for individuals and small minority-owned businesses.
In late April, we made a commitment to redistribute half of every unrestricted dollar raised through the end of June within our co-op community. We’ve convened our member co-ops and cooperative groups in our network to understand how we can support each other, and where the need for financial resources is deepest.
The worker’s cooperative FRAKTAL has their sights set on opening Reykjavík’s first ever worker-run vegan café, and have launched a fundraiser to help make that dream a reality.
Date / Fecha: July 10, 2020 / 10 de julioTime / Hora: 3:00pm ET / 2:00pm CT / 12:00pm PTCost / Costo: Free / Gratis Join the USFWC to support our work and get discounts on our paid webinars
With the now global uprisings against Police Brutality and Systemic Racism, this webinar will discuss injustices affecting Land & Ownership, Health & Food Access, and Farmers &am
