tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71721336833135412092024-02-07T15:44:01.696-08:00Trust is the Only CurrencyMira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.comBlogger446125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-66030948720207464262015-08-05T11:01:00.003-07:002015-08-20T10:44:42.525-07:00Anti-Oppression Resources<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 32px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Compiled by Mira Luna</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I've been working on this resource list to create a less oppressive world. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Part of the prompting
for this was that in doing new economy work I
realized that oppression was not only being ignored but getting in the
way of authentic progress in the movement. The tensions created by
various forms of oppression in the movement eat away at its capacity to
be effective and turn off potential volunteers and allies.</span>This is part 1 of this resources list. Part 2 is yet to be
released and will be on resources for creating better democratic and
participatory group processes which will assist with Part 1 goals and
has its own goals as well. Enjoy, share, repost! Please give
attribution - it's been a lot of work - and feel free to add suggestions in the comments. If you would like to join a new Anti-Oppression Peer Support mailing list subscribe <a href="https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/anti-oppression-peer-support" target="_blank">here</a> or join the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/transformativetransitions/" target="_blank">Transformative Transitions</a> Facebook group.</span><br />
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<u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">General</span></u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Readings:</span></h2>
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<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/sites/default/files/srl/Action%20Camp%3A%20Lessons%20Learned.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">NASCO Anti-Oppression Action Camp</span></a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://aorta.coop/sites/default/files/2014_resource-zine_final.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">AORTA Resource Zine</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.coloursofresistance.org/734/tools-for-white-guys-who-are-working-for-social-change-and-other-people-socialized-in-a-society-based-on-domination/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Tools for White Guys who are Working for Social Change and other people socialized in a society based on domination</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://archive.neworganizing.com/content/blog/diversity-is-inefficient" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Diversity is Inefficient</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/10-lessons-from-a-sharing-economy-organizer" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">10 Lessons from a Sharing Economy Organizer</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bit.ly/1CHS4Da" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Being An Ally Concepts and Actions</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Activities:</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span><div>
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<li><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/resources/all-together-now" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">All Together Now: A NASCO approach to a diversity workshop</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="color: black;">and</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/sites/default/files/srl/Action%20Camp%3A%20Lessons%20Learned.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">NASCO Anti-Oppression Action Camp</span></a><span style="color: #1155cc;"> </span>(variety of exercises and discussion prompts)</span></li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd323hvj_1207ghvbsvzj" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Power Diversity Sequence</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://organizingforpower.org//wp-content/uploads/2009/03/games-theater-of-oppressed.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Theater of the Oppressed</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (lots of theatrical exercises)</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd323hvj_1208fgfwd2sf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Power Shuffle Exercise</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd323hvj_1209pdhbdqd7" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Step Forward, Step Back</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd323hvj_1240cm8vzmfk" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">I Am Poems</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (or draw an identity wheel with slices of pie for your different categories of identity)</span></li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd323hvj_1242cffgbdf6" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Story Circles for Oppression Awareness</span></a></li>
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<u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Racism</span></u></h2>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Videos:</span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItiXR5m1yAY&feature=youtu.be" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a></div>
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</ul>
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<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItiXR5m1yAY&feature=youtu.be" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">White Like Me</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTcSVQJ2h8g&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Racism is Real</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVro87fKP6M" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Decolonizing Our Solidarity Economy</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cartoons:</span><a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/white-privilege-explained/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a></div>
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</ul>
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<li><a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/white-privilege-explained/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">White Privilege Explained</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/01/how-you-benefit-from-racism/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How You Benefit From Racism</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/03/lies-that-keep-racism-alive/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Top 10 Lies Keeping Us from Eradicating Racism</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Activities: </span><br />
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</ul>
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<li><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/resources/all-together-now" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">All Together Now: A NASCO approach to a diversity workshop</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #1155cc;"><span style="color: black;">and</span> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/sites/default/files/srl/Action%20Camp%3A%20Lessons%20Learned.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">NASCO Anti-Oppression Action Camp</span></a></span></li>
<li><a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd323hvj_1238fmd3j6c2" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Checklist for White Allies Against Racism</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/lewisjulie/White%20Priviledge%20Unpacking%20the%20Invisible%20Knapsack.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (checklist or step up/step back)</span></li>
<li><a href="http://organizingforpower.org/the-benefits-of-being-white-exercise/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Benefits of Being White Exercise</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cwsworkshop.org/pdfs/WIWP_Analysis/10WP_Prog_Rad_GR_Mov.PDF" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Identifying White Privilege in Progressive and Radical Grassroots Movements</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (discussion questions/assessment)</span></li>
<li><a href="http://aorta.coop/sites/default/files/infiltration_handout.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Infiltration: How the Values of Oppressive Systems Tend to Arise in Coops and What We Can Do About It</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (assessment/actions)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Articles:</span></div>
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<li><a href="http://www.cpt.org/files/Undoing%20Racism%20-%20Understanding%20White%20Privilege%20-%20Kendall.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Understanding White Privilege</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=2867d847f3&id=dd5fc810db" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Anti-Racism for Collective Liberation</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=2867d847f3&id=5cbe971c04&e=82495f7ad0" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Culture Shifts from the Catalyst Project</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/sites/default/files/srl/guidelinesforbeingstrongwhiteallies.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Guidelines for Being Strong White Allies</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.coloursofresistance.org/734/tools-for-white-guys-who-are-working-for-social-change-and-other-people-socialized-in-a-society-based-on-domination/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Tools for White Guys who are Working for Social Change and other people socialized in a society based on domination</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://kalamazoo.coop/sites/default/files/We%27re%20all%20in%20it%20together.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">We are all in it together: an ally’s resource to fostering anti-racist, community positive spaces</span></a></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Case studies:</span></div>
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</ul>
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<li><a href="http://www.cwsworkshop.org/pdfs/WIWP_Analysis/3Place_at_Table.PDF" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">A Place at the Table: A Sierra Roundtable on Race and the Environment</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cwsworkshop.org/pdfs/WIWP_Analysis/2AR_Coalition.PDF" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">An Anti-Racist Coalition? We Have a Long Way to Go</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.hpsfaa.org/Resources/Documents/AppliedAnthropologist-2002/fall2002/Making%20Environmental%20Justice%20Whole.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Making Environmental Justice Whole</span></a></li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">An Unsettling Profile: Communities of Color in Multnomah County </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Additional resources for depth:</span></div>
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</ul>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.cwsworkshop.org/PARC_site_B/dr-culture.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">White Supremacy Culture, From Dismantling Racism: A Workbook for Social Change Groups</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/american-racism-in-the-white-frame/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">American Racism in the White Frame</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nasco.coop/sites/default/files/srl/understandingwhitesupremacy.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Understanding White Supremacy, Challenging White Privilege and Working for Social Justice</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ky_yma9PjHYlPKb7BNhzM77xA5w0PvM4xbFqYrtiCf8/edit" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Role of White People in Ending Racism</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/white-fragility-and-the-rules-of-engagement-twlm/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">White Fragility and the Rules of Engagement</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Books: </span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Catalyzing Liberation Toolkit: Anti-Racist Organizing to Build the 99% Movement </span>(PDF online)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.chriscrass.org/book.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Towards Collective Liberation: Anti-Racist Organizing, Feminist Praxis, and Movement Building Strategy</span></a><a href="http://www.incite-national.org/page/revolution-will-not-be-funded-anthology" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.incite-national.org/page/revolution-will-not-be-funded-anthology" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">The Revolution Will Not Be Funded Anthology</span></a></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sexism</span></u></h2>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cartoon: </span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/25051229@N03/6008918971" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Not My Comrades</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Activity:</span><a href="http://organizingforpower.org/the-benefits-of-being-male-exercise/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Benefits of Being Male Exercise</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Articles:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://everydayfeminism.com/2015/05/male-privilege-trans-men/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">These 25 Examples of Male Privilege from a Trans Guy’s Perspective Really Prove the Point</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://medium.com/@racheltho/if-you-think-women-in-tech-is-just-a-pipeline-problem-you-haven-t-been-paying-attention-cb7a2073b996" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">If you think women in tech is just a pipeline problem, you aren’t paying attention</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/going-to-places-that-scare-me-personal-reflections-on-challenging-male-supremacy/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Going to Places That Scare Me: Personal Reflections on Challenging Male Supremacy</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.filmsforaction.org/articles/10-words-every-girl-should-learn/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">10 Words Every Girl Should Learn</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.coloursofresistance.org/734/tools-for-white-guys-who-are-working-for-social-change-and-other-people-socialized-in-a-society-based-on-domination/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Tools for White Guys who are Working for Social Change and other people socialized in a society based on domination</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Book: Backlash</span></div>
<h2 style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Classism</span></u></h2>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cartoon: </span><a href="http://thewireless.co.nz/articles/the-pencilsword-on-a-plate" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Class Privilege</span></a></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Articles:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/endowmentethics/pages/39/attachments/original/1381950315/How_to_Reduce_Classism.pdf?1381950315" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How to Reduce Classism in Activist Groups</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2014/12/linda_tirado_on_the_realities_of_living_in_bootstrap_america_daily_annoyances.html" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Why Poor People Stay Poor</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.edchange.org/handouts/shifts-classism.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Shifts of Consciousness for Anti-Classist Activists</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://killermartinis.kinja.com/why-i-make-terrible-decisions-or-poverty-thoughts-1450123558" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Why I Make Bad Decisions or Poverty Thoughts</span></a></li>
<li><h2 style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.timwise.org/2015/04/how-racism-explains-americas-class-divide-and-culture-of-economic-cruelty-an-excerpt-from-under-the-affluence/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">How Racism Explains America’s Class Divide and Culture of Economic Cruelty</span></a></h2>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/27/poor-kids-who-do-everything-right-dont-do-better-than-rich-kids-who-do-everything-wrong/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Poor Kids Who Do Everything Right Don’t Do Better Than Rich Kids Who Do Everything Wrong</span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.classism.org/about-class/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">About Class</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Books:</span></div>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<li style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; list-style-type: disc; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><div style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://www.feminish.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Where-We-Stand-Class-Matters.pdf" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Where We Stand: Class Matters</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> (PDF online)</span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting By in America</span></li>
</ul>
<h2 style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
<u><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ableism</span></u></h2>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"></ul>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Film:</span><a href="http://www.kartemquin.com/newsletter/when-billy-broke-his-head-now-available-to-watch-online" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">When Billy Broke His Head</span></a><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Articles:</span><br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;">
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.mtv.com/news/2061806/chronic-illness-wish-understood/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">13 Things People With Chronic Illness Wish You Understood</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LIkho5qIFcO6BmpAM6lL2QOUaYQNENLwzLWpA4CrYnA/edit" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Disability Awareness Workshop</span></a></li>
<li><a href="https://leavingevidence.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/changing-the-framework-disability-justice/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Changing the Framework: Disability Justice</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.disabilityandrepresentation.com/2013/09/14/ableist-language/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.666666666666666px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Ableist Language</span></a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-86184509049790918902013-08-30T17:58:00.002-07:002015-08-05T10:58:03.781-07:00Brazil Blossoms as Solidarity Economy Beacon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Brazil
is recognized as one of the most advanced countries in terms of the
development of solidarity economy though it's received little attention
in the media, partly because of the Portuguese language barrier. I was
lucky enough to conduct an interview through a translator that has
contacts with the movement. This is an interview with Luigi Verardo, a
consultant at ANTEAG (National Association of Workers in Self-managing
Enterprises), translated by Miguel Hirota.<br />
<br />
To give some context, the solidarity economy movement emerged in
Brazil when the country was hit by a recession caused by the
liberalization of capital markets in the late 90's. Many businesses
closed and traditional employment opportunities shrank significantly.
Then in 2003, the Brazilian Forum on the Solidarity Economy was
established, formalizing the movement. That same year, the Network of
Government Policymakers on Solidarity Economy first met and the National
Secretary of Solidarity Economy was established under President Lula.
In 2004, the first National Meeting of Solidarity Economy Enterprises
took place. Today, there are more than 120 local solidarity economy
forums and 27 state forums held on a regular basis. Working groups
communicate with the forums and government and develop technical plans
and operational aspects of the movement.<br />
<br />
Values of the Solidarity Economy, as cited by the National Secretariat of Solidarity Economy of Brazil:<br />
<ol>
<li>
Self-management<br />
</li>
<li>
Democratization of the economic relations<br />
</li>
<li>
Co-operation instead of forced competition<br />
</li>
<li>
Valuing diversity. Human beings are more important than profits<br />
</li>
<li>
Valuing local knowledge, constant learning and training<br />
</li>
<li>
Social justice and emancipation<br />
</li>
<li>
Protection of the environment<br />
</li>
</ol>
Many, many networks, associations, <a href="http://www.fbes.org.br/biblioteca22/Brazilian_Solidarity_Economy_Movement.pdf">forums</a>,
governmental entities, and grassroots organizations now exist to
support the development of different aspects of the solidarity economy,
from <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20838553">community banks and microfinance</a> to <a href="http://infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/features/saii/features/economy/2013/04/04/feature-03">currencies</a>, cooperatives, fair trade and nonprofit enterprises. The list is inspiring and numbers over 22,000 social enterprises, now <a href="http://www.fbes.org.br/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3748&Itemid=215&033e956d9f852cd72810941d7e818a97=5c69e487f34e0d5cf61788331979452e&Q3_0=33&Q3=3304557&distmax=0&formato=mapa&busca=&busca_nome=&farejar=Farejar%21">mapped online</a>
to connect entities, promote to consumers and develop integrated
solidarity economy commerce chains. A large percentage of these entities
are cooperative enterprises. The architecture of the movement is large
and complex, and according to local activists, emerges strongly from the
grassroots (cooperatives, unions, landless workers) while incorporating
elaborate government initiatives.<br />
<br />
As part of Brazil's mission to share their experiences with the world, Brazil will be represented at the <a href="http://www.ripess.org/program-manila-2013/?lang=en">5th International Meeting of the Social Solidarity Economy</a> in Manila, Oct. 15-18, 2013.<br />
<br />
<b>What is the current state of Brazilian Solidarity Economy?</b><br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_28076">
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<span lang="en-US">Currently Solidarity Economy is going through a redefinition process. It was built up with a social organi</span><span lang="en-US">z</span><span lang="en-US">ation by the people and also with an institution (Brazilian government’s public policies). The relationship between these two e</span><span lang="en-US">ntities</span><span lang="en-US"> </span><span lang="en-US">hasn't fully matured</span><span lang="en-US">. So there’s a need to work for autonomy and to deepen their characteristics.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_28130">
<b>What are some of the most exciting or important recent developments?</b></div>
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_28078">
<span lang="en-US">Among what has happened recently, the 5th National Plenary of Solidarity Economy (09</span><span lang="en-US">th</span><span lang="en-US"> to 13</span><span lang="en-US">th</span><span lang="en-US"> December 2012, at Luziânia, Goiás: see </span><a href="http://e.eita.org.br/vplenaria" target="_blank">http://e.eita.org.br/vplenaria</a><span lang="en-US"> for the final report in Portuguese) and the 2</span><span lang="en-US">nd</span><span lang="en-US"> Solidarity Economy Social Forum (11</span><span lang="en-US">th</span><span lang="en-US"> to 14</span><span lang="en-US">th</span><span lang="en-US"> July 2013, at Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul). </span><br />
<br /></div>
<b><span lang="en-US">What tools do you use to strengthen Solidarity Economy? </span></b><br />
<span lang="en-US">The tools to strengthen are: holding plenaries, forum activities, communication between participants, mappings, </span><span lang="en-US">trainings and funding.</span><br />
<br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_43205">
<b><span lang="en-US">What are its major accomplishments?</span></b></div>
<span lang="en-US">We have many accomplishments. </span><br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_43212">
<span lang="en-US">-</span><span lang="en-US"> </span><span lang="en-US">Holding and broadening of forums (national forums, state-level forums all over Brazil regional and local forums).</span></div>
<span lang="en-US">-</span><span lang="en-US"> </span><span lang="en-US">Having
achieved, by way of the petition to the Letter to then President Lula,
the National Secretary of Solidarity Economy (SENAES) and appointing the
Prof. Paul Singer as its secretary.</span><br />
<span lang="en-US">-</span><span lang="en-US"> </span><span lang="en-US">Linking Solidarity Economy with self-management. Defining Solidarity Economy’s principles.</span><br />
<span lang="en-US">-</span><span lang="en-US"> </span><span lang="en-US">Having set up a social network and movement beyond political parties.</span><br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_43214">
<span lang="en-US">-</span><span lang="en-US"> </span><span lang="en-US">Doing
activities that combine the policies of the Brazilian Solidarity
Economy Forum (FBES) with that of SENAES by way of mapping existing
Solidarity Economy practices in Brazil.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<b>What are its major challenges?</b><br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_28082">
<span lang="en-US">We can point out, among other
challenges, the problem of segmentation due to the fact that Solidarity
Economy has been built up from three segments (public policymakers,
different organi</span><span lang="en-US">z</span><span lang="en-US">ations and businesses) with a policy to put businesses as main players.</span>
As a perspective to get over this picture, there’s a need to deepen the
characterization as a social movement with policy and culture to
promote necessary autonomy for its development.<br />
<br /></div>
<b>What enabled the movement in Brazil to move so fast and be so successful compared to other countries?</b><br />
<span lang="en-US">The movement’s organi</span><span lang="en-US">z</span><span lang="en-US">ation has been developed quite quickly thanks to the following reasons:</span><br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_28084">
<span lang="en-US">The fact that the FBES organi</span><span lang="en-US">z</span><span lang="en-US">ation was born as a fruit of the activities at the 1</span><span lang="en-US">st</span><span lang="en-US">
World Social Forum which took place in Brazil in 2001. The fact it was
held in Brazil promoted a significant impact among Brazilians who could
join directly or indirectly. First of all a working group, the Brazilian
Working Group of Solidarity Economy, was set up with the mission to
diffuse and organi</span><span lang="en-US">z</span><span lang="en-US">e
state-level forums at different regions, which turned into FBES in 2003
with representation, at that time, in almost every Brazilian state.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<span lang="en-US">Solidarity Economy’s proposal found, especially in the first five years of the last decade, a fertil</span><span lang="en-US">e</span><span lang="en-US"> context - at that time there used to be a high level of unemployment, prec</span><span lang="en-US">ariousness</span><span lang="en-US"> of the labor market and little social mobility.</span><br />
<br />
<span lang="en-US">With Lula’s election for
president, at the end of 2002, there were a lot of expectations and
possibilities to promote the solidarity economy within the executive
power.</span><br />
<br />
<b>What role has government played? Has the government been helpful or resistant?</b><br />
<div dir="LTR" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1376417436288_28086">
<span lang="en-US">The government was both helpful and resistant.</span><br />
<br /></div>
There are difficulties for the government to work with social
organizations. The State’s very structure is against promoting social
organizations and movements. The executive power has its priorities, in
the legislative power, the opposition parties created hurdles.<br />
<br />
For more details on the organizational structure of Brazil's Solidarity Economy see this <a href="http://www.fbes.org.br/biblioteca22/Brazilian_Solidarity_Economy_Movement.pdf">brief</a>.</div>
</div>
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</div>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-632281298343639402013-05-14T14:10:00.004-07:002013-05-14T14:10:53.537-07:00Communities Self-insure for Cooperative Healthcare <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="views-field-created"><span class="field-content">05.08.13</span></span></div>
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May Day at Sandhill Farm, an egalitarian community<br />
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<a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/health-care-as-commons" target="_blank">Obamacare</a>
is changing the game of private health insurance, but private health
insurers are still in it to make profit. And while they are in the game,
they will do their best to rig the game in their favor. Ask anyone who
has had a significant health problem. So why do we continue to give
control over health care and our money away to companies that don't have
our interests at heart in a matter that is literally life and death?<br />
I wanted to look at alternative, community-based models and see if
they actually work. One model is the Ithaca Health Fund, operated by the
<a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/healthy-rebellion" target="_blank">Ithaca Health Alliance</a>
since 1997. This nonprofit, inspired by the Canadian health system and
the Amish Church Aid self-insurance program, runs several health-related
programs. The Ithaca Health Fund reimburses medical costs for certain
categories of preventive and emergency health care and its free clinic
provides conventional and complementary primary care visits to the
uninsured, as well as classes and a newsletter on preventative medicine.
They rely on member fees and grants for funding and local college
students to fill the many needed volunteer roles. <br />
<img alt="Ithaca Health Alliance" height="331" id="irc_mi" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pl7A_z6mU9Y/T6rUlwBEMLI/AAAAAAAAAvc/AcrYNacDRT4/s1600/Ithaca+Free+Clinic.jpg" width="480" /><br />
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Ithaca Health Alliance</div>
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The Ithaca Health Fund was challenged by the New York State
government as an noncompliant health insurance provider but restructured
to work around the laws partly by making “grants” to uninsured
patients, rather than reimbursements and restricting their boundaries to
New York State. They are still struggling to get official nonprofit
status from the federal government even though they are a charitable
organization that depends significantly on grants to meet the needs of
its low income clients while maintaining fee levels that they can still
afford.<br />
Even more intriguing was my encounter with <a href="http://thefec.org/projects/PEACH" target="_blank">PEACH</a>
(Preservation of Equity Accessible for Community Health) at Sandhill
Farm in rural Missouri. On a visit there, I asked the residents of this
intentional community how they made it without health insurance and they
glowed about the benefits and low cost of PEACH. I recently interviewed
PEACH's initiator, Laird Schaub, about this little known program to get
the inside scoop.<br />
Read more <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/communities-self-insure-for-low-cost-healthcare" target="_blank">here </a></div>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-40207645396480884912013-03-28T12:32:00.003-07:002013-03-28T12:34:10.859-07:00Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Note this event is looking for a post-event follow up intern. See announcement <a href="http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/pagecopy.nsf/%28httpVacancies-en%29/75625F6BE218C77BC1257B350029BEE1?OpenDocument" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Date: 6 - 8 May 2013</div>
Time: 09.00 - 17.45<br />
Location: GB Room and Room II, International Labour Office, Geneva, Switzerland<br />
Counterpart(s): ILO, UN-NGLS, Hivos<br />
Project Title: <a class="project" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BB128/%28httpProjects%29/7C3E2BE2E2075149C1257A870039098E?OpenDocument">Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy</a>
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This event is open to the public. <br />
<br /></div>
<map name="n6042.enDescription.1.33A4">
<area alt="" coords="1,0,217,312" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BD6AB/httpNetITFramePDF?ReadForm&parentunid=BA9B4AB319947304C1257B0F005274B2&parentdoctype=eventauxiliarypage&netitpath=80256B3C005BD6AB/%28httpAuxPages%29/BA9B4AB319947304C1257B0F005274B2/$file/SSE_flyer_final.pdf" id="HotspotRectangle27" shape="rect"></area></map>
<img align="right" alt="SSE conference flyer" border="0" height="314" src="http://www.unrisd.org/UNRISD/website/events.nsf/b79a596027955ef080256b530039c1c3/513e84d6ba2d56eec1257afa00469157/enDescription/0.8A?OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg" usemap="#n6042.enDescription.1.33A4" width="220" />As
interest in alternative production, finance and consumption grows in
the face of global crises, this conference will explore the potential
and limits of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) — organizations such
as cooperatives, women’s self-help groups, social enterprise and
associations of informal workers that have explicit social and economic
objectives, and involve various forms of cooperation and solidarity.<br />
<br />
Through this event UNRISD aims to raise the visibility of debates about
SSE within the United Nations system and beyond, and contribute to
thinking in international policy circles about a post-2015 development
agenda.
<br />
<div style="padding-top: 12px;">
This conference is being co-organized with the <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm" target="_blank">ILO</a> in collaboration with <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.un-ngls.org/spip.php?page=sommaire" target="_blank">UN-NGLS</a>.</div>
<h3 class="anchor">
Key questions</h3>
<ul>
<li type="disc">Can SSE make a real difference to food security, rural development, gender equality and decent work?
</li>
<li type="disc">What is the role of governments, civil society and the private sector?
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px;" type="disc">Can SSE expand while remaining integrative and rights-based?</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="anchor">
Sessions include</h3>
<ul>
<li type="disc">Conceptualizing SSE
</li>
<li type="disc">SSE, Welfare Regimes and Social Service Provisioning
</li>
<li type="disc">SSE and Local Development
</li>
<li type="disc">Poster Session for PhD Candidates
</li>
<li type="disc">SSE, Public Policy and Law
</li>
<li type="disc">SSE and Gender Dynamics
</li>
<li type="disc">Political Economy of SSE and Collective Action
</li>
<li type="disc">Scaling up SSE through the Market
</li>
<li type="disc">SSE, Resilience and Sustainability
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px;" type="disc">Priorities for Research, Policy and Action</li>
</ul>
<h3 class="anchor">
More information</h3>
<ul>
<li type="disc">Click to view the <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BD6AB/httpNetITFramePDF?ReadForm&parentunid=804B55E077E3269EC1257B0F004EBDBA&parentdoctype=eventauxiliarypage&netitpath=80256B3C005BD6AB/%28httpAuxPages%29/804B55E077E3269EC1257B0F004EBDBA/$file/Microsoft%20Word%20-%20Provisional%20Agenda%20UNRISD%20SSE%20Conference%2018022013.pdf" target="_blank">provisional agenda</a>
</li>
<li type="disc">Find out about the <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BD6AB/httpNetITFramePDF?ReadForm&parentunid=1731A1F1C4E79578C1257B3A004CAC25&parentdoctype=eventauxiliarypage&netitpath=80256B3C005BD6AB/%28httpAuxPages%29/1731A1F1C4E79578C1257B3A004CAC25/$file/Call%20to%20participate%20in%20SSE%20Practitioners%27%20Forum.pdf" target="_blank">Practitioners' Forum</a>
</li>
<li type="disc">Click to view the SSE <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BCCF9/httpNetITFramePDF?ReadForm&parentunid=1788BAC8B2D0014CC1257A920054BC0D&parentdoctype=brief&netitpath=80256B3C005BCCF9/%28httpAuxPages%29/1788BAC8B2D0014CC1257A920054BC0D/$file/PB2e%20-%20SSE.pdf" target="_blank">Project Brief</a>
</li>
<li type="disc">Find out more on the <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005BB128/%28httpProjects%29/7C3E2BE2E2075149C1257A870039098E?OpenDocument">project page</a> for the associated UNRISD project, Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px;" type="disc">See the SSE <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.unrisd.org/unrisd/website/projects.nsf/%28httpAuxPages%29/93128CF1C037CFB9C1257B1D0054960F?OpenDocument&category=Think+Pieces" target="_blank">think piece series</a></li>
</ul>
<h3 class="anchor">
Register now</h3>
To register for the conference, please use the <a class="hmlink" href="http://www.unrisd.org/80256B3C005CFA92/httpEventRegistration?OpenForm&eventunid=513E84D6BA2D56EEC1257AFA00469157">online registration link</a> provided on the top right of this page.<br />
<br />
Registration for this conference is free of charge. We are unfortunately
unable to offer conference participants funding for travel and
accommodation.<br />
<h3 class="anchor">
Related events</h3>
<ul>
<li type="disc">UN-NGLS (UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service) will be
organizing a special session on alternative finance and complementary
currencies during the afternoon of 8 May 2013 following the end of this
conference.
</li>
<li type="disc">From 8-12 April 2013, the International Labour
Organization is holding the third edition of the Academy on Social and
Solidarity Economy in Agadir, Morocco. For more information please see
the <a class="hmlink" href="http://socialeconomy.itcilo.org/en" target="_blank">website</a>.
</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0px;" type="disc">International Journal
of Labour Research Seminar: "Trade unions and cooperatives: Challenges
and Perspectives", taking place on 9 May at the ILO in Geneva. For more
information please contact Pierre Laliberté at laliberte (a) ilo . org.</li>
</ul>
</div>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-64477620033537847472013-03-16T11:40:00.001-07:002013-03-16T11:40:30.181-07:00How to Make Better Decisions Together <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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By </label>
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Photo by Maurice from Zoetermeer, Netherlands<br />
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Learning how to make decisions together is a
crucial element of getting along and getting things done with others.
It’s wise for your group to learn how to steer your boat together with
collective decision-making before you have a sinking ship on your hands.
I’ve learned these skills through workshops, readings and from living
and working in cooperatives and they have been incredibly valuable to
the success of these projects.<br />
<br />
Collective decision-making has innumerable rewards. If group members
affected by the decision are involved, less conflict will result. If
folks implementing the decision are involved, decisions are more likely
to be implemented with hard work and enthusiasm, and empowered
decision-makers are likely to stick around for the long haul. Team
spirit is cultivated by collaborative problem-solving and listening to
other's perspectives.<br />
<br />
A strong example of collective decision-making is participatory
budgeting which often leads to less contentious, more inclusive
budgetary decisions – not an easy challenge. Residents, assisted by city
administrators, create proposals through a collaborative process and
present their projects. Everyone (including youth and immigrants) votes
on their top choices using ballots or dotmocracy - a rank-choice voting
system using dots as votes.<br />
<br />
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<a alt=" " class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_big/pb_ny_gym.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="NYC participatory budgeting, courtesy of the Participatory Budgeting Project"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-blog_top_image" height="276" src="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_top_image/pb_ny_gym.jpg" title="" width="490" /></a><div class="field-field-blog-image-top-desc">
NYC participatory budgeting, courtesy of the Participatory Budgeting Project<br />
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<strong>Collective decision-making isn't as much about how we vote on
decisions as it is about the process of hearing and incorporating all
sides. This process often involves:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>
A well-facilitated discussion of the issue or problem</li>
<li>
Open brainstorming of proposed solutions</li>
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Developing refined proposals</li>
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Identifying concerns about proposals and checking for initial agreement</li>
<li>
Modifying and making amendments to proposals through compromise</li>
<li>
Voting to assess unity, concerns or to make further modifications</li>
<li>
Implementing and evaluating the success of the proposal</li>
</ul>
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<a alt=" " class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_big/consensus-flowchart.png" rel="lightbox" title="Consensus flowchart by Grant Horwood"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-blog_top_image" height="314" src="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_top_image/consensus-flowchart.png" title="" width="250" /></a><div class="field-field-blog-image-top-desc">
Consensus flowchart by Grant Horwood<br />
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<strong>There are 3 key ingredients to effective collective decision-making:</strong><br />
1) The ability to trust the wisdom and consider the well-being of the group while setting aside personal agendas.<br />
2) Selection of an appropriate process that your group agrees on and get training in the facilitation of the process.<br />
3) A comfortable and accepting group environment, so that individuals
freely share their ideas, thoughts, emotions and experiences without
retribution or oppression. Participants should feel their contributions
are fairly and equally considered, even though they might not be part of
the final solution. Troubleshooting guides listed in the Resources
section below encourage full, fair and safe participation.<br />
<br />
<strong>Group Mind</strong><br />
A group should have some common ground to hold it together during
conflict, such as values, vision and goals. Common ground serves as a
reference for whether or not a good decision is being made. Knowing
whether you like warm or cold weather will help you figure out whether
to sail your boat North or South. If you don’t know your common ground,
it’s good to find it before you set sail so you don’t have folks
steering you in different directions. Large groups that have factions
can form subgroups that come back together for discussion, like
spokescouncils, as activist groups like Occupy have done. Diverse
stakeholder decisions are an exception, where common ground may be
naturally lacking, and consensus can be challenging though still
worthwhile.<br />
<br />
<strong>Cooperative Attitude</strong><br />
Cooperative attitude can be learned through cooperative experience
and requires developing a sense of group unity, caring and respect
amongst members. Have positive experiences together like group projects
and shared meals to help create unity – the glue that gets the group
through stormy meetings without unraveling. To a certain degree,
participants must surrender forcing their own personal agenda in order
to make decisions as a group, while still being clear about where they
are coming from. Developing communication and listening skills and to
make compromises comes with maturity and practice, though there are
tools to help accelerate learning, like the Connection Action Project's
guide below.<br />
<br />
<strong>Decision-making Process</strong><br />
Get trained in a process -- research guidebooks or hire a consultant
to teach the process to your group. Every new person who comes into your
group should be trained, as one unskilled decision-maker could steer
you off course. The larger your group, the more structured process you
will likely need. A consultant can also help you pick your process and
tailor it to your group's needs and culture. Consensus is often thought
of as the ideal collective decision-making process, but other models are
helpful for large, diverse groups: Dynamic Facilitation,
Spokescouncils, Crowd-wise and Consensus-Oriented Decision-making.<br />
<br />
<div class="content-image-big">
<a alt=" " class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_big/consensus_state_of_mind.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Consensus State of Mind flowchart by the Rhizome Coop"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-blog_top_image" height="508" src="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_top_image/consensus_state_of_mind.jpg" title="" width="490" /></a><div class="field-field-blog-image-top-desc">
Consensus State of Mind flowchart by the Rhizome Coop<br />
</div>
</div>
<strong>Facilitation</strong><br />
Your boat will need a crew trained in all the key roles so that your
meetings stay on course. Training in facilitation can be basic, like
learning meeting roles such as note-taker, facilitator, vibe watcher and
time keeper. Or it can be more elaborate training in conflict
resolution, creating group agreements, techniques to break up mental
gridlock, or anti-oppression tools. Take turns with facilitating and
other roles for power balancing and group skill-building. Create group
agreements/rules for every meeting. Look out for hidden power dynamics,
which can sabotage authentic collective process.<br />
<br />
<strong>Listening and Communication</strong><br />
These are essential, yet often overlooked, elements of effective
group process - participants must be able to voice themselves and be
heard. There are many communication styles, some more emotional or
nonverbal, and some people are able to speak their mind more than others
due to conditioning or personality. Nonviolent communication is
popular, but be careful about imposing one tool on unwilling
participants; have varied tools available for different folks and
contexts. Cues such as "step up" and "step back" direct members who are
over- or under- participating. Take a break (use a "T" hand sign) to
move through emotions in the middle of a heated discussion and calm the
energy for clearer communication. "Safe space" is one of my favorites to
incorporate into a meeting - it's where anyone can voice any concerns
without response. Personal development practices like meditation or
counseling may help members come to the table with a clearer mind that
less is attached or triggered and more open to hearing others.<br />
<br />
Read more and see resource links <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-make-better-decisions-together" target="_blank">here</a>. </div>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-64405310995982407542013-03-13T14:09:00.001-07:002013-03-13T14:09:10.338-07:00How to Map the New Economy in Your City <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="field-content">By Mira Luna </span></span></div>
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<span class="views-field-created"><span class="field-content">From <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-map-the-new-economy-in-your-city" target="_blank">Shareable.net </a></span></span></div>
<div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last">
<span class="views-field-created"><span class="field-content">03.12.13</span></span></div>
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Groups all over the world are resisting the
status quo of profit maximization by putting society's happiness, health
and the Earth first. This work, though, is often overshadowed by big
business with its bloated advertising budgets and economic
monopolization, which makes alternatives seem insubstantial if not
nonexistent.<br />
<br />
New economy projects are mostly unconnected, so each one struggles
alone rather than supporting each other. One result of this is that
awareness remains low. The <a href="http://ussen.org/" target="_blank">US Solidarity Economy Network</a> (USSEN) and its international counterpart, <a href="http://www.ripess.org/?lang=en" target="_blank">RIPESS</a>, are working to change this by implementing a mapping and economic integration <a href="http://ussen.org/mapping-economic-integration" target="_blank">tool</a> to connect groups with one another to build a cooperative, just and sustainable economy.<br />
<br />
Mapping your community helps demonstrate that “Another World” is not
only possible, it already exists. Mapping also can become a community
organizing tool - uncovering a reservoir of social assets even in the
poorest neighborhoods, which may seed mutual aid and cooperative
business ideas - as it did for the Jersey Shore Neighborhood
Cooperative. USSEN has a <a href="http://ussen.org/mapping-economic-integration" target="_blank">list</a> of communities that have done independent mapping projects, each using its own methodology, criteria, platform and map name.<br />
<br />
When developing a map, a challenging question comes up,“who's in?”
Some generally agreed upon principles for solidarity economy (SE) are:
solidarity, mutualism, cooperation, equity (race, ethnicity,
nationality, class, gender, LGBTQ, ability), social and environmental
prioritization, democracy, pluralism, and grassroots driven. Most groups
will not meet all these criteria. The line can become fuzzy if you
don't have lots of local entities to choose from to populate the map.
These principles leave something to aspire and work towards. You may
want to do the mapping with local organizations to get a broader
perspective and to encourage participation.<br />
<br />
<strong>Functions of mapping</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>
Make projects more visible to each other and the public -- free advertising!</li>
<li>
Movement and regional community-building by connecting SE entities,
social movements, and activists through social networking for developing
mutual support and common infrastructure.</li>
<li>
Facilitate the creation of viable solidarity economy supply chains that link SE producers, distributors, and finance.</li>
<li>
Foundation for research to make the case for allocating resources and policies to support the solidarity economy.</li>
</ul>
<div class="content-image-big">
<a alt=" " class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_big/brazil.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Brazil's solidarity economy map and directory"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-blog_top_image" height="338" src="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_top_image/brazil.jpg" title="" width="490" /></a><div class="field-field-blog-image-top-desc">
Brazil's solidarity economy map and directory<br />
</div>
</div>
Brazil has an elaborate, government funded <a href="http://www.fbes.org.br/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3748&Itemid=215&033e956d9f852cd72810941d7e818a97=5c69e487f34e0d5cf61788331979452e&Q3_0=33&Q3=3304557&distmax=0&formato=mapa&busca=&busca_nome=&farejar=Farejar%21" target="_blank">Solidarity Economy Map</a>
of over 20,000 collectively run enterprises throughout the country,
which enables consumers to find SE goods and services and develops SE
supply chains. The map's social networking function is supported by a
separate platform called <a href="http://cirandas.net/" target="_blank">Cirandas</a> where enterprises, organizations, networks and individuals can create their own information page. <a href="http://zoes.org/" target="_blank">ZOES</a>
is a platform in Italy that links mapping and social networking and
allows entities to self-map after being vouched for by someone already
in the ZOES network.<br />
Within the US, there are many examples of simple maps, some just beginning:<br />
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112892358918251834205.000442d4624ee318c9b1d&ll=42.420415,-72.491913&spn=0.84955,1.867676&z=9&om=1" target="_blank">W. Massachusetts Solidarity Economy Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://solidaritynyc.org/#/map" target="_blank">Solidarity NYC Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://maps.google.ca/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=117046187073929804173.00048c008e41521d1e891&z=9" name="Philadelphia Solidarity Economy" target="_blank">Philadelphia Solidarity Economy Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.transformationcentral.org/solidarity/mapping/mapping.html" target="_blank">Boston Area Solidarity Economy Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?cd=2&hl=en&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=101489084589975348016.000483372b986c7a2b140&ll=40.241274,-74.108963&spn=0.389433,0.607681&z=11" target="_blank">Jersey Shore Neighborhood Cooperative Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://goo.gl/maps/WelgK" target="_blank">Ann Arbor Sharing Economy Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://goo.gl/maps/W9ish" target="_blank">Detroit Solidarity Economy Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://goo.gl/maps/BiFxg" target="_blank">Chicago Solidarity Economy Map</a></li>
<li>
<a href="http://www.afsc.net/PDFFiles/DemocraticInfrastructureJune2010.pdf" target="_blank">This is What Democracy in Ohio Looks Like: Ohio's Democratic/Self-Determination "Infrastructure</a>" (a directory not yet in a map format)</li>
</ul>
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<a alt=" " class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_big/nyc.jpg" rel="lightbox" title="Solidarity NYC's map"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-blog_top_image" height="374" src="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_top_image/nyc.jpg" title="" width="490" /></a><div class="field-field-blog-image-top-desc">
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<strong>How to Make a Map</strong><br />
Sometimes mapping starts with a curious individual. However, it's
best if the map involve the broader community at some point. A community
survey can collect information to populate the map in a balanced and
diverse way. This may help you figure out what your geographic
boundaries are, who to include in the map, as well as what to name it.<br />
<br />
Read the rest on how to map <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-map-the-new-economy-in-your-city" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-67059522288189431862013-03-04T17:23:00.001-08:002013-03-04T17:23:22.133-08:00Extreme Wealth Inequality in America<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h1 id="page-title">
<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This timely myth-shattering
video is spreading across the web, using powerful infographics to
make the case that not only is wealth distributed unevenly, but that it
is much, much worse than we think. Just in time for the sequestration...Also, check out this <a href="http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Koch_Brothers_Exposed/70241178?locale=en-US" target="_blank">film</a> on Netflix about the Koch Brothers, multi-billionaires that pull all kinds of political strings to avoid taxes and grow their already extreme wealth.</span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></h1>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/QPKKQnijnsM" width="550"></iframe>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-77250852572954221082013-02-14T15:57:00.000-08:002013-02-14T15:57:02.884-08:00Self-management and Work as Alternatives to the Global Economic Crisis<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11155">
<b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11156">FOURTH INTERNATIONAL GATHERING OF “THE WORKERS’ ECONOMY”</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal">
<b>Self-management and Work as Alternatives to the Global Economic Crisis</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal">
<b>July 9-12, 2013</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal">
<b>Joao Pessoa, Brazil</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11116" style="line-height: 150%;">
In
an international context where the global capitalist crisis is
increasingly affecting European countries, especially along the
Mediterranean, the only response from governments has been to implement
the usual
austerity measures. These austerity measures,tried and tested in other
parts of the world, have, yet again, not only failed to regenerate
economies, but have led to further impoverishment, structural
unemployment, marginalization and insecurity for the majority
of who must work to earn a living. In response, large protest movements
have begun to emerge in the “developed” countries that are feeling the
effects of the crisis the most, reinforcing the need for changes in the
management of the economy that not only contemplate
the welfare of workers, but also assure that its management rest in
their hands..</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11117" style="line-height: 150%;">
In
the so-called “developing” countries, particularly in Latin America,
social movements, people’s organizations and labor movements have been
developing self-managed organizations at a grassroots level. Such is
the case of the worker-recuperated enterprises in various South
American countries, and other forms of workers’ control, both urban and
rural. In some instances, these movements have gained some recognition
and support at a governmental level, bringing into
question the role of the state and the relationship between state power
and the autonomy of popular movements: on the one hand the state can be
a potential facilitator of the processes of workers’ control, but on
the other hand it can be seen as an antagonistic
instrument of traditional power with the potential to limit the
autonomy of self-managed organizations.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11150" style="line-height: 150%;">
The
Fourth International Gathering of “The Workers’ Economy” seeks to
explore these and other questions relating workers’ struggles from
different perspectives and national contexts. It seeks to provide space
for
discussion and debate using the experiences of workers’ control and
self-management as a point of departure, bringing together academics,
social activists, and workers. Together with worker-recuperated
enterprises, cooperatives, labor movements and organizations,
social movements, political groups, and academics, among others, we
have been co-developing the International Gathering and its themes</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11148" style="line-height: 150%;">
with
representatives from over 20 countries that have participated in our
previous three gatherings. We reiterate here what we emphasized in
previous
<i id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11149">encuentros</i>: while in uneven
ways perhaps, workers are undoubtedly inventing alternatives that are
not only limited to the economic, but that extend out into wider
cultural processes as well. Based on non-capitalist relations of
production, these processes
have increasingly been opening up spaces for prefigurative politics.
Moreover, these alternative economic institutions are affording workers
room for discussing issues such as internal power and gender structures,
as well as the relationship between workers,
workplaces, and their surrounding communities. These processes, visible
for example in the recuperated factories, workers’ cooperatives, and
micro-enterprises of the world, although still incipient, show that
workers can indeed self-manage a more humane and
sustainable alternative than what is offered by corporate
globalization.<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-AU">The
Fourth International Gathering will be held in the town of João Pessoa
in the state of Paraíba in northeastern Brazil, and hosted by the
Incubator for Social Enterprises
(INCUBES), at the Universidade Federal da Paraiba, and the Programa
Facultad Abierta (Open Faculty Program) of the University of Buenos
Aires.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>History of the International Gathering of “The Workers’ Economy”</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11119" style="line-height: 150%;">
The International Gathering of “The Workers’ Economy,” had is its first
<i>encuentro</i> in Buenos Aires in July 2007 under the theme
“Self-management and Distribution of wealth.” It was organized by the
Open Faculty Program of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters,
University of Buenos Aires, in conjunction with academic institutions,
social organizations, and workers in Argentina and around the world.
The International Gatherings, have emerged into a forum for the exchange
of ideas and experiences between academics, activists, and workers.
These ideas center on the possibilities and challenges
of self-management; the regeneration of a political, economic, and
social project by the working class and social movements; as well as
critical discussion and analyses of the practices of academic research
focusing on self-management and the workers’ economy..</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
The Argentine experience of workers’ control and self-management provided a solid basis for discussion for the first
<i>encuentro </i>in 2007. These discussions took on an international nature by the second and third
<i>encuentros</i> (held in Buenos Aires in 2009, and in Mexico City in
2011) which explored, and learned from, the different experiences of the
working class and social movements around the world. As an ultimate
objective, they contemplated on an alternative
economic, social and political project from that which neoliberal
global capitalism presents. In this sense the themes and discussion
topics of the International Gatherings became more diverse with each new
<i>encuentro</i>, expanding to different areas of social struggle and
critical thinking, yet still remaining true to the spirit suggested by
the title of the International Gatherings: how to think about, debate
and construct an economy emerging from workers
themselves and encompassing workers’ self-management.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Thematic areas:</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Proposals for panels and paper presentations may include, but are certainly not limited to, the following thematic areas:</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
1. Analysis of capitalist management of the economy and proposals for self-management</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
2. The new crisis of global capitalism: Analysis from the perspective of the workers’ economy</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11120" style="line-height: 150%;">
3. The historical trajectory of self-management: From traditional communities to labor movements</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
4.
Actual practices of self-management today: Possibilities and challenges.
(Including, but not limited to: worker-recuperated enterprises,
cooperatives, and attempts at self-management by indigenous communities,
peasants and social movements)</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
5. Self-management and gender: Creating democracy</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
6. Analysis of the socialist experience: Past and future</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
7. The challenges of trade union experiences in neoliberal global capitalism.</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
8. Informal, precarious, and degrading employment: Social exclusion or reconfiguration of labor in global capitalism?</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
9. New movements in response to the global economic crisis: Perspectives from the struggle for self-management</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
10. Challenges facing popular governments in the social management of the economy and the state</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
11. The university, workers, and social movements: Debates over methodologies and practices of mutual construction</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Organizational structure for the IV International Meeting “The Economy of the Workers”</b><b><span style="color: #4f81bd; line-height: 150%;"></span></b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b><span style="color: #4f81bd; line-height: 150%;"></span></b>The IV International Meeting will take place 9<sup>th</sup>-12<sup>th</sup>
July, 2013 with morning and afternoon sessions, and will be open to the
public.
There will be plenary sessions and workshops with the presentation of
papers, videoconferencing, and a final plenary session with discussion
and conclusions</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Organizing Committee:</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Incubator
for Social Enterprises (INCUBES) Fedeal University of Paraíba, João
Pessoa, Brazil; Department of Social Relations of the Autonomous
Metropolitan University-Xochimilco, Mexico; Programa Facultad Abierta
(Open Faculty Program), Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, University
of Buenos Aires, Argentina.</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Abstract submission deadline for papers: 22 April 2013</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Notification of approved presentations: 2 May 2013</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Final papers submission deadline: 30 June 2013</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i>Please send abstracts for presentations to the following emails:</i></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11121" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
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<b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11145">English</b>: <span>
</span></div>
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<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11144">marcelo.vieta@euricse.</span>eu
- Marcelo Vieta (Research Fellow, European Research Institute on
Cooperative and Social Enterprises (EURICSE), Trento, Italy, and York
University,
Toronto, Canada) </div>
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<b id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11141"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11140" lang="ES">Portuguese: </span>
</b><span lang="ES"></span></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11137" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11139" lang="ES"><a href="mailto:mausarda@yahoo.com.br" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11138" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mausarda@yahoo.com.br</a></span><span lang="PT-BR"> - Mauricio Sardá (Coordinator of the Incubadora de Empreendimentos Solidários, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Brazil)</span><b><span lang="ES"></span></b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11136" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b>Spanish:</b></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11135" style="line-height: 150%;">
centrodoc@gmailcom<u><span style="color: blue;">
</span></u>- Documentation Centre of Worker-Recuperated Enterprises, Open Faculty Program, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
<u><span style="color: blue;"></span></u></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11134" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="mailto:andres.ruggeri@gmail.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">andres.ruggeri@gmail.com</a> - Andrés Ruggeri (Director, Open Faculty Program)</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11130" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11133" lang="ES"><a href="mailto:marcoagomez.gomez@gmail.com" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11132" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">marcoagomez.gomez@gmail.com</a></span><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11131" lang="ES"> - Marco Augusto Gómez Solórzano (Director, Labor Studies, UAM-Xochimilco, Mexico)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11128" style="line-height: 150%;">
For more information on the International Gathering of the Workers’ Economy, including previous meetings in 2007, 2009 and 2011:
</div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11122" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://www.recuperadasdoc.com.ar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.recuperadasdoc.com.ar</a> </div>
<div class="yiv1911829497MsoNormal" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11123" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://sites.google.com/site/estudiosdeltrabajouamx/" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1360884799589_11124" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://sites.google.com/site/estudiosdeltrabajouamx/</a></div>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-28944759649519210972013-02-09T19:19:00.004-08:002013-02-09T19:19:51.399-08:00Mayor to take salary in Bristol pounds<div id="article-header">
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<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/" itemprop="publisher">guardian.co.uk</a>,
<time datetime="2012-11-20T01:00EST" itemprop="datePublished" pubdate="">Tuesday 20 November 2012 01.00 EST</time>
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George Ferguson on election night. Photograph: Rod Minchin/PA</div>
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On his first day in office the new independent mayor of <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/bristol" title="More from guardian.co.uk on Bristol">Bristol</a>
rebranded the Council House, scrapped a parking measure brought in only
a few weeks ago and announced he would take his salary in the city's
local currency.<br />
<a href="http://www.georgeferguson.co.uk/" title="">George Ferguson</a>, who beat 14 candidates to become <a href="http://www.bristol.gov.uk/page/mayor" title="">mayor</a>,
also revealed on Monday that the hole in the city council's budget was
£32m – £4m greater than he had expected. Ferguson said he would work
with anybody who could come up with a clever way of finding the savings
needed without harming services.<br />
Ferguson's first decision of his
three-and-a-half year tenure was to scrap the name Council House and
replace it with City Hall. At his swearing-in ceremony at Temple Meads
station, he said the new name showed that the building and the work that
went on inside it belonged to the people of Bristol, not to the mayor
or the councillors.<br />
Ferguson, wearing his trademark bright red
trousers, also revealed that he was scrapping charges for on-street
parking on Sundays. He said that from next year he would look at making
parts of the city traffic-free on the first Sunday of every month, as
happens in Bristol's twin city, Bordeaux.<br />
To applause, Ferguson
said he wanted to move fast. He did not want to commission expensive
surveys or report on initiatives. "Let's just do it and see how it turns
out," he said.<br />
Of his salary – currently £51,000, though the figure could change – Ferguson said he would take it in <a href="http://bristolpound.org/" title="">Bristol pounds</a>, a currency introduced this year and proving a success.<br />
Thanking
the voters for entrusting him with the "ultimate project", Ferguson
said Bristol had a minor link to London but a more important link to the
rest of the world. "We are a proud provincial city," he said. "We are
pretty self-contained and we are independent."<br />
Ferguson will try
to form a rainbow cabinet with councillors from the political parties he
defeated in last week's elections. He said he had already had positive
talks with the leaders of all four parties on the city council.<br />
He
accepted there would be tough times ahead and revealed that at his
first meeting on Monday he was told the hole in the budget was up to
£32m. "We've got to be really clever," he said. "I will work with
anybody who can find ways to deliver the services. I come with
absolutely no dogma about how we do it. What matters is that we do it."<br />
Ferguson
completed his speech by asking everyone present to join him as he took
the oath made by young men of Athens when they became citizens: "I shall
not leave this city any less but rather greater than I found it."<br />
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-25140132958571389822013-02-08T10:34:00.003-08:002013-02-08T10:34:55.085-08:00A New Era: From Occupation to Workers' Control <div class="panel-top clear-block">
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<span class="views-field-title">From <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/a-new-era-from-occupation-to-workers-control" target="_blank">Shareable.net </a></span><span class="views-field-name"></span></div>
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Republic Windows and Doors workers celebrate their first victorious occupation in 2008<br />
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This week, Strike Debt <a href="https://twitter.com/StrikeDebt/status/296752304898588672" target="_blank">tweeted out</a>
triumphantly: “It’s a new era. First machine fired up at worker owned
factory. #NewEraWindowsandDoors”. For those of us who’ve been following
news about the Chicago factory formerly known as Republic Windows and
Doors, this was the culmination of years of struggle. It’s an exciting
moment, and a victory which hopefully can inspire other factories across
the country.<br />
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Though the factory had been making windows and doors since 1965, our
story starts in 2008 with the financial crisis and the actions of Bank
of America. Despite having received billions in tax dollars, Bank of
America (and other major banks) spent much of 2008 cutting off
struggling small businesses or businesses with low returns—not because
they couldn’t afford to lend to them, but to improve their balance
sheets. Republic Windows and Doors lost their credit line in late 2008
(just a few days after BOA received $25 billion in bailout money) and
summarily fired their 250 workers in three days, without either the 60
days notice or the 60 days severance required by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WARN_Act" target="_blank">WARN act</a>.<br />
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A common story, perhaps, but at Republic Windows and Doors the
workers didn’t acquiesce. Instead, in December of 2008, they occupied
the factory for six days, bringing <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/us/08chicago.html" target="_blank">major national news coverage,</a>
and won their severance. It’s important to remember that in 2008,
occupation was seen more as a labor action from the 30s then a common
tactic for protest on the left.<br />
<br />
In February 2009, the plant was purchased by Serious Energy, and
reopened, with many of the workers returning to their previous union
contracts. It seemed like a major victory, and things went well at the
factory for a time. But then, in February of 2012, sudden closure was
again announced, this time by the new bosses. Once again, workers
rallied to the factory, this time with a big wave of support from Occupy
Chicago, and though their occupation only lasted 11 hours, they won
fair severance pay once more.<br />
<br />
But now, rather than wait for another boss to just repeat the cycle,
the workers are taking control of the factory. In May of 2012, they
incorporated as a democratically run worker-owned cooperative, and
they’ve begun purchasing the machinery in the factory bit by bit. They
have the support of their union, the United Electrical Workers, as well
as the micro-finance solidarity economy organization <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/micro-finance-meets-the-solidarity-economy" target="_blank">Working World</a>.<br />
<br />
Read more here: <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/a-new-era-from-occupation-to-workers-control" target="_blank">http://www.shareable.net/blog/a-new-era-from-occupation-to-workers-control </a>Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-13859644873791807992013-02-08T09:47:00.002-08:002013-02-08T09:47:21.417-08:00Job Opportunity: COLORS Co-Op Academy Coordinator COLORS Co-Op Academy Coordinator<br />Location: Detroit, MI<br />Type of Job: Full-Time, Permanent<br /><br />Overview:<br />The Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-Michigan) seeks a dynamic and entrepreneurial individual with deep ties to the food justice and worker cooperative movements who can play a leadership role in founding a COLORS Co-Op Academy for emerging, worker-owned good food businesses in Detroit. The COLORS Co-Op Academy is an intensive learning experience designed to cultivate new worker-owned good food businesses rooted in principles of democracy, sustainability, and justice. The COLORS Co-Op Academy will serve as a model to inform the launch of similar COLORS cooperative incubators around the country. We envision a community-based economy in which all people are contributing with dignity, respect, and ownership. We work towards this vision by developing worker cooperatives grounded in the leadership, resources, and needs of communities most affected by social and economic injustice. By linking our actions with movements for worker, food, and racial justice, we collectively re-imagine and transform our workplaces, communities, and local economies.<br /><br />Organizational Background:<br />Founded in 2008 and based in Detroit, MI, the Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan (ROC-Michigan) is a non-profit, membership-based organization of over 1,000 restaurant workers. We are an affiliate of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United), a national restaurant workers’ organization founded in New York City by restaurant workers displaced by the 9/11 World Trade Center tragedy. We are dedicated to improving working conditions and increasing opportunities for advancement in restaurants nationwide for the collective benefit of workers, employers, and consumers. We take a three-pronged approach to achieving change in the restaurant industry that includes: (1) campaigning for workplace justice; (2) conducting community-based research and policy work, and (3) promoting the ‘high-road’ to profitability through innovative employer partnerships, workforce development programs, and our family of COLORS Restaurant social enterprises. In ten years, ROC has become the nation’s leading restaurant worker organization. More information can be found at: www.rocunited.org and www.rocmichigan.org.<br /><br />Job Responsibilities Include:<br />
Leading the COLORS Co-Op Academy<br />o Developing and ensuring continuous improvement of a COLORS Co-Op Academy curriculum developed in partnership with Cooperation Texas, an Austin-based cooperative incubator program;<br />o Conducting outreach with community-based partners and allies to recruit Co-Op Academy participants;<br />o Facilitating Co-Op Academy participant workshops in workplace democracy, food justice, and business development, as well as peer-to-peer learning sessions;<br />o Coordinating support services for participants, including legal and marketing assistance, mentoring<br />opportunities, post-graduation coaching, and micro-loans<br /><br />Supporting overall organizational and program growth<br />o Developing and maintaining relationships with key Co-Op Academy local and national partners including: ROC-United, Cooperation Texas, Community Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED), Fair Food Network, the Urban Communities Clinic, local community colleges, and Jackie Victor, co-founder of Avalon International Breads;<br />o Planning and implementing program communications and marketing;<br /><br />Attending cooperative conferences and building relationships with movement leaders;<br />Participating in a formal evaluation to identify best practices for scaling the local model nationally;<br />Innovating programs to leverage and/or create organizational synergies between the Co-Op Academy<br />and our non-profit COLORS Restaurants<br /><br />Intensively coaching and supporting the development of worker-owned, good food enterprises in Detroit<br />o Providing intensive cooperative and business consultation, based on the developmental stage of each incubated cooperative, to up to three student teams who will be enrolled in the Co-Op Academy per year, as well as providing post-graduation coaching services;<br />o Playing a leading role in working with local and national staff and allies to assess the feasibility and<br />possible launch of a COLORS Co-Op Academy ‘teaching enterprise’ that would incorporate cooperative leadership principles<br /><br />Required Skills and Qualifications:<br />-Willingness and motivation to play a founding role in launching a good food cooperative incubator that will be shaping the development of a national program;<br />- Strong background in worker-cooperative business development or the equivalent;<br />- Management experience in a food enterprise or the equivalent;<br />- Excellent verbal and written communication, including proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, Email, Internet and social media;<br />- Ability to work effectively with diverse populations, including Academy participants, customers, and allies;<br />- Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends based on Academy participants’ schedules;<br />- Strong commitment to movement-building and social, racial, economic, and food justice<br /><br />Desired Qualifications:<br />- Knowledge of and/or experience with popular education;<br />- A strong background or interest in worker and/or community organizing and/or economic development;<br />- Spanish-language proficiency;<br />- Culinary background and/or familiarity with food production;<br />- Commitment to grow with the organization<br /><br />People of color and women are encouraged to apply. We are willing to consider applicants from outside Southeast Michigan who are willing to relocate to metro Detroit for this position.<br /><br />Salary:<br />Starting salary of $35,000 is negotiable based on experience. Featured benefits include generous paid time off as well as health insurance.<br /><br />How to Apply:<br />Please send a (1) resume and (2) cover letter as soon as possible to michiganinfo@rocunited.org and include “Co-Op Academy Coordinator” in the subject line of your email.<br /><br />Contact:<br />Restaurant Opportunities Center of Michigan, 311 E. Grand River Ave., Detroit, MI 48226<br />Attn: Minsu Longiaru, Executive Director, (313) 962-5020Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-61243427822325838682013-01-25T08:30:00.000-08:002013-01-25T08:30:00.791-08:00Meet the Maker Space in a Church Basement <div class="panel-top clear-block">
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Mt. Elliot Maker Space in the Detroit Church of
the Messiah basement helps youth and adults develop skills around bikes,
computer, workshop tools, art, and more.<br />
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On assignment for Shareable in Detroit, I've been
looking for some hope to report on beyond the devastation porn the
mainstream media seems fixated on. I'd only been there one day and found
plenty of it - driven by determined, creative and resilient folks.<br />
I went to a meeting at the "World Famous" <a href="http://www.churchofthemessiahdetroit.com/7120.html" target="_blank">Church of the Messiah</a> for the<a href="http://c2be.org/the-detroit-community-cooperative/" target="_blank"> Detroit Community Cooperative</a>,
a worker coop business incubator and a coop of small businesses that
aim to support each other. Still in it's early stages and with limited
funding, this program is aspiring to develop the Mondragon of Detroit.<br />
I showed up early and a churchgoer named Craig, bubbling with
enthusiasm for what he was about to show me, brought me down to the
basement of the Church, which turned out to be a maker space, called <a href="http://www.mtelliottmakerspace.com/" target="_blank">Mt. Elliot Maker Space</a>, with a strong emphasis on youth, job skills and microenterprise development.<br />
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Youth taking apart and rebuilding electronics, courtesy of Mt. Elliot Maker Space.</div>
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Pastor Barry allowed some neighborhood folks and a community
association who pitched in, to build out the space for an earn-a-bike
program, a community tool workshop space, a computer learn and build
lab, screenprinting program, and more. An 11 year old girl recently
learned soldering and now she's teaching other folks at the makerspace.<br />
There is a small company blossoming there, reusing wood from
abandoned Detroit houses and making them into high end furniture to
provide much needed local jobs, possibly as a worker coop.<br />
Craig said it's the only bike shop, much less community bike shop, on
that side of town. Particularly helpful now the city is coming close to
shutting down the majority of its bus service, even though the
temperatures drop below zero in Michigan. At least people can get to
work if they need to on bike. They can to come to the Church of the
Messiah and learn how to fix and build their own bike.<br />
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<a alt=" " class="lightbox-processed" href="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/lightbox_big/mt._elliot_john.jpg" rel="lightbox" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="John, who built out much of the maker space and tool workshop, photo by Mira Luna"><img alt="" class="imagecache imagecache-blog_small_image" height="280" src="http://www.shareable.net/sites/default/files/imagecache/blog_small_image/mt._elliot_john.jpg" title="" width="210" /></a><div class="field-field-blog-image-top-desc">
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John, who built out much of the maker space and tool workshop, photo by Mira Luna</div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-58989931374533801982013-01-24T14:46:00.000-08:002013-01-24T14:46:02.792-08:00Young Adults: Win a Grant to Start a Sharing Project! <div class="panel-top clear-block">
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<span class="field-content">01.23.13, 3:24pm</span> </span><span class="views-field-nothing"><span class="field-content"><a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/young-adults-win-a-grant-to-start-a-sharing-project#comments"></a></span></span></div>
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Are you interested in starting a sharing project, or know someone who is? Then you should apply for a seed grant from <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dEJ3NjRtWEtNb25IUFJ6MGF3U0JKQ0E6MQ">Shareable</a>!
This brand-new pilot program offers small grants and technical support
to students and young leaders under 30 to help them catalyze a sharing
project in their communities. </div>
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The program offers up to $1,000 to young leaders on college
campuses and in cities to launch projects or events that strengthen
their communities as platforms for sharing. Along with cash awards,
Shareable will also offer media and technical support, as well as
project coaching and access to our network of sharing experts.</div>
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<strong>The entire application is online and only takes a few minutes to complete. <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dEJ3NjRtWEtNb25IUFJ6MGF3U0JKQ0E6MQ">Apply now</a>.</strong></div>
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The deadline to apply is Valentine’s Day (February 14,
2013), so please help us spread the word to anyone you know who might be
interested. </div>
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<strong>What’s a “sharing project”?</strong><br />
Here are examples of projects we’d like to support: swaps (<a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-stage-a-clothes-swap">clothing exchanges</a>, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-throw-your-own-community-swap-meet">book swaps</a>), <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-start-your-own-skillshare">skill shares</a>, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/adults-on-bikes">bike</a> and <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/co-operatives-20-santa-cruzs-computer-kitchen">computer kitchens</a>, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-create-a-low-cost-pop-up-library">lending libraries</a>, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-to-share-time-through-timebanking">timebanks</a>, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/a-drop-in-the-bucket-lessons-learned-founding-stanfords-free-store">free stores</a> and <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/trade-school-pay-teachers-with-vegetables-chocolate-and-advice">free schools</a>, sharing-themed campus club, <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/top-10-tips-for-starting-a-campus-food-coop">cooperatives</a> of all kinds, and more.<br />
<br />
But don’t let this list limit you. Be creative! We’re totally open to
ideas that aren’t on the list. We’ll also consider summits and
educational events to develop project ideas, alliances and next steps
for community action.<br />
<br />
<strong>Who can apply?</strong><br />
All college undergraduates, graduate students, and urban leaders
under 30 are eligible to apply. We encourage applications from the
Midwest, the South and low income communities. The deadline to apply is
February 14, 2013. We will award the grants on February 21, 2013.<br />
<br />
<strong>How can you apply?</strong><br />
Since this is a pilot, we’re keeping the project requirements fairly
loose though we’d like to see proposals for achievable, sharing-themed,
service projects that could become permanent institutions in the
community. We encourage applicants to work in teams, and to find
additional support from other organizations.<br />
<br />
If you’re a young leader, please <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dEJ3NjRtWEtNb25IUFJ6MGF3U0JKQ0E6MQ">apply here</a> by February 14, 2013. And please share this opportunity with people who you think would be interested.<br />
<br />
<strong>Who is Shareable?</strong><br />
<a href="http://www.shareable.net/">Shareable</a> is an online
magazine about sharing. We cover the people, projects, and communities
that are bringing a shareable world to life. This shareable world
includes things like car sharing, clothing swaps, childcare coops,
potlucks, and cohousing, to make life more fun, green, and affordable.
When we share, not only is a better life possible, but so is a better
world. Make sure to check out our <a href="http://www.shareable.net/how-to-share">how-tos</a> so you can make sharing real in your life.<br />
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<strong>Why has Shareable created this pilot program?</strong><br />
In May 2011, Shareable hosted a one-day event called <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/announcing-share-san-francisco">ShareSF</a>.
We invited city officials, sharing entrepreneurs, nonprofits and new
economy leaders to explore how to strengthen San Francisco as a platform
for sharing. ShareSF combined education with action, including a
half-day unconference where leaders began collaborating. Nothing like
ShareSF had ever been done before. It was an experiment.<br />
<br />
Much to our surprise, the impact of ShareSF greatly exceeded our
expectations. As a result of ShareSF, the City of San Francisco became
keenly interested in the sharing economy. We helped Mayor Ed Lee launch
the city’s <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/breaking-san-francisco-announces-sharing-economy-working-group">Sharing Economy Working Group</a>, which is working on sharing-friendly policies. We also hosted a speaking tour to educate the city about <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/san-francisco-to-pilot-participatory-budgeting">participatory budgeting</a>, which they are piloting this year. Finally, we launched the first <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/policies-for-a-shareable-city">policy series about the sharing economy</a> in partnership with the Sustainable Economies Law Center.<br />
<br />
Inspired by the unexpected success of ShareSF, we tried a hands-on
approach to developing sharing projects in other communities, but with
mixed success. We realized that we’d have more success if we helped
leaders create projects that make sense for their own communities. We
believe that creating a network of local sharing leaders will have more
impact than creating projects ourselves.<br />
<br />
<strong>Don't wait, apply now online, just takes a few minutes. Click <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/shareable.net/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dEJ3NjRtWEtNb25IUFJ6MGF3U0JKQ0E6MQ" target="_blank">here</a> to apply.</strong>Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-76378228189381999562013-01-24T13:08:00.001-08:002013-01-24T13:08:15.007-08:00PB 2013 is on Fire!<div class="yiv271457336headerBarText" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2764" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; text-align: left;">
<strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2763"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2762" style="color: navy;"> The Participatory Budgeting Project</span><br />
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2822" style="color: darkorange;">January</span> <span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2778" style="color: darkorange;">2013 Newsletter</span></strong><br />
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<table cellpadding="20" cellspacing="0" class="yiv271457336bodyTable" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2782" style="width: 600px;"><tbody id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2781">
<tr id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2780"><td align="left" class="yiv271457336defaultText" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2779" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 150%; padding: 20px; width: 400px;" valign="top"><span class="yiv271457336title" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2818" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2817" style="font-size: 24px;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2816" style="font-size: 24px;">Vote Results: Two and a Half Winning Projects in PB<sup>2</sup></span></span></span><br />
<br />
We're thrilled to announce the results of <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=ae03aee5f5&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">PB<sup>2</sup></a>
- our first organizational PB process! To practice what we preach, we
asked everyone who donated to PBP last year to vote on how the donations
are spent, to identify the priorities for PB in 2013. Here's the final
vote tally:<br />
<br />
<table id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2815">
<tbody id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2814">
<tr id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2813">
<td id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2812">
<u><strong>Project:</strong></u><br />
1) Hire a Part-Time Development Person<br />
2) Produce a PB Intro Video<br />
3) Launch a Youth PB Campaign<br />
4) Travel Funds for Conference Participants<br />
5) Office Furniture and Equipment<br />
6) New PB Brochures and Info Sheets</td>
<td id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2825">
<u><strong>Cost:</strong></u><br />
$4,000<br />
$5,000<br />
$5,000<br />
$3,000<br />
$3,000<br />
$4,000</td>
<td>
<u><strong>Votes:</strong></u>
<div style="text-align: right;">
44<br />
29<br />
28<br />
12<br />
11<br />
6</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<br />
We committed to use half the money raised in donations to fund the
projects with the most votes. When we started fundraising in October,<strong> our goal was to raise $6,000. But in just three months, you gave $16,834! </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Thanks to the contributions of 130 amazing supporters, we raised enough to fund the top two priority projects above. </strong>We already hired a <strong>new development associate</strong>
to assist with our fundraising (see below). In just a few weeks, she’s
enabled us to submit three grant application letters and develop a
strong plan for raising new resources.<br />
<br />
We also just put out a <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=04a1d6b49e&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">request for proposals to produce a short <strong>PB video</strong></a> - please spread the word. If we can <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=9cb545e7fc&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">raise more resources</a>,
we’re committed to moving forward on the other priorities too. And as
with PB more broadly, we saw that opening up our budget process helped
attract more resources – not only the monetary donations, but also
computers and a printer from Google, to meet our office equipment needs!<br />
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<span class="yiv271457336title" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2785" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2784" style="font-size: 24px;"><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2783" style="font-size: 24px;">2013 PB Conference in Chicago</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=23bca7ee84&e=562d5bac01" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2787" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img alt="Building a Democratic City" height="100" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2786" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5/images/PBC_conference_banner2_small2.JPG" style="height: 100px; width: 400px;" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
From May 3-5, 2013, <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=ca9fca8145&e=562d5bac01" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2789" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2788">Building a Democratic City: The 2nd International Conference on Participatory Budgeting in the US & Canada</strong></a> will take place in Chicago. Together with conference co-organizers the Great Cities Institute, <strong>we are currently accepting proposals for conference sessions</strong>. Please see the <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=84a1fbb14c&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Call for Proposals</a> and <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=485e858beb&e=562d5bac01" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2790" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">conference website</a> for more information. The deadline for submissions is <strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2791">February 15, 2013</strong>.<br />
<br />
Join us for a weekend of exciting and engaging panels, presentations,
and workshops, from participants and organizers of PB initiatives from
across North America and the world. Conference participants will also
observe this year's final <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=9c5eb8f26e&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">PB Chicago</a> vote, and celebrate the announcement of its results. <b>PB Chicago </b>now spans four city wards, building on the first PB initiative in the US, in the city's 49th Ward.<br />
<br />
<strong>Registration will open in February. </strong>Stay tuned for more
program updates, and info on our new PB training workshop that will
take place on May 3rd right before the conference!<br />
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<span class="yiv271457336title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;">New(ish) Faces at PBP</span><br />
<br />
January has brought lots of changes at PBP:
<ul id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2799">
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2811">
<strong>Lize Mogel</strong> is joining our team as part-time Development Associate - thanks to your money and votes in PB<sup>2</sup>!</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2798">
<strong>Ramon Quintero</strong>, our Community Engagement Assistant
for PB Vallejo, unfortunately had to step down. We're sad to see him go,
but glad that he'll still be helping with outreach and the
Spanish-language budget delegate committee.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2826">
<strong>Aseem Mulji</strong>, our fantastic fall intern in Vallejo, is taking over for Ramon, as our new Vallejo Project Assistant.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2800">
<strong>Donata Secondo</strong> is stepping down as Project
Coordinator for PBNYC, though she's staying involved with PBP as a
Program Associate, to help with our conference and other projects.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2803">
<strong>Pam Jennings</strong> is now serving as our Project Coordinator for both PB Vallejo and PBNYC.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2802">
<strong>Isaac Jabola-Carolus</strong>, one of our fall interns in NYC, is joining staff as a full-time Project Assistant, working mostly on PBNYC.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2801">
Finally, speaking of amazing interns, we welcomed our two spring interns - <strong>José Ramón Martí</strong> and <strong>Aviva Coopersmith</strong>!</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2827">
Whew! See our <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=7b2336f36d&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">staff page</a> for bios and more info...</li>
</ul>
<br />
<hr />
<br />
<span class="yiv271457336title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Coming in 2013...</span></span></span><br />
<br />
We're pretty stoked about what's in store for 2013! Some highlights:
<ul id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2805">
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2804">
<strong>PB Launches in San Francisco.</strong> The first meeting for
District 3's PB process is this Saturday! We're thrilled to be working
on this pilot with such fabulous partners - SF Board of Supervisors
President David Chiu, the SF Controller's Office, Coleman Advocates, the
Chinese Progressive Association, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and
the California Civic Innovation Project.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2807">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2806" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><strong>Deepening PB in NYC and Chicago.</strong>
We're honored to receive new funding for PBNYC and PB Chicago, together
with partners Community Voices Heard and the Great Cities Institute.
While we're still working toward full funding, we'll be able to roll out
some upgrades thanks to generous support from the New York Women's
Foundation, New York Foundation, New York Community Trust, Scherman
Foundation, Field Foundation, Crown Philanthropies, and Institute for
Political and Civic Engagement at UIC. Thank you!</span></li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2808">
<strong>New Cities.</strong> In the past few months we've had
discussions with officials and community groups in over a dozen cities,
including Buffalo, Greensboro, Hartford, Louisville, New Orleans,
Portland (OR), Richmond (CA), San Diego, <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=411b1d0abe&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">San Juan</a>, Somerville (MA), St. Louis, and Toronto. Stay tuned for more info about speaking appearances and new PB processes!</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2809">
<strong>New Budgets.</strong> We're working to push the frontiers of PB, testing out new processes in schools, housing authorities, and organizations.</li>
<li id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2810">
<strong>New Tools</strong>. Over the next several months we're
developing a new batch of PB guides, videos, presentations, and
promotional materials, to better support local activists.</li>
</ul>
We look forward to your collaboration and <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=72e7938acd&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">support</a> on these new efforts!<br />
</td>
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A non-profit organization that helps communities decide how to spend public money<br />
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<span class="yiv271457336sideColumnTitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 150%;">Donate to PBP</span><br />
<strong>We depend on your support. </strong><br />
Invest in participatory democracy by making a tax-deductible donation via <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=15c1bfd685&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">PayPal</a> or <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=aaccd23bbf&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">snailmail</a>.<br />
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<span class="yiv271457336sideColumnTitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px;">Featured Video</span><br />
Last November,<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i>California Forward </i></b><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=dd8bd465a3&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">reported on why Vallejo adopted Participatory Budgeting</a>. <span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Now they've produced this great video about PB Vallejo: <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=56a19b31c9&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Citizen engagement enters new phase in Vallejo participatory budgeting</a></span><br />
<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=1a49be2380&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img alt="California Forward Video" height="85" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5/images/CAFWD_video.png" style="height: 85px; width: 170px;" width="170" /></a><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px;">In the Press</span><br />
<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Journal of Public Deliberation </i></b><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2796" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">released a <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=05fca6d617&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">special issue focused on PB</a>, including several contributions from Team PBP:<br />
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<strong>PBP's Josh Lerner & Donata Secondo</strong> break down the bottom-up design approach used for PB in the US, in "<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=1370ca1a22&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">By the People, For the People</a>"<br />
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<strong>PBP Associate Gianpaolo Baiocchi</strong> and our friend Ernesto Ganuza write about PB's global travels in "<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=3e97ab1bf6&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">The Power of Ambiguity</a>"<br />
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<strong>PBP Advisory Board Member Celina Su </strong>describes how PBNYC is starting to expand the possibilities for who can participate in politics, in "<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=56d6e1d0cb&e=562d5bac01" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2797" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Whose Budget? Our Budget?</a>"<br />
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Elsewhere, </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chicagotalks </i></b><span id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2793" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">writes about <strong id="yui_3_7_2_1_1359061303891_2792">PBP's Maria Hadden</strong> and the 46th Ward residents who are helping to build </span><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=b70abc69af&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Participatory Budgeting Chicago</a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">: </span><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=18ee37bef3&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Uptown takes next step in participatory budgeting</a>
In Brooklyn, a class of 5th graders thanks City Councilmember and <strong>PBP Advisory Board Member Brad Lander</strong> for <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=7081c926a7&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">"teaching us what it means to live in a democracy</a>"<br />
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<strong>PBP Board Chair Mike Menser</strong> writes about Superstorm Sandy and PB in <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=7d00b461a0&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">"The Participatory Metropolis, or Resilience Requires Democracy"</a><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 22px;">PBP Magnets Now Available! </span><br />
For only $1 you can now adorn your fridge with a PBP magnet! <a href="mailto:info@participatorybudgeting.org?subject=t-shirts" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Send us an email</a> to order
our beautiful PBP logo t-shirts ($17 +postage), stickers ($1), and
magnets. T-shirts are available in kelley green or white. Sizes are
limited.<br />
<br />
<span class="yiv271457336sideColumnTitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 150%;">Follow Us on Twitter</span><br />
PBP is tweeting! Follow us <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=c58739ccc6&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">@PBProject</a>!<br />
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<span class="yiv271457336sideColumnTitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 150%;">Like Us on Facebook</span><br />
PBP is on Facebook. "<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=832427dcc9&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Like us</a>" and get access to more resources and news.<br />
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If you like this newsletter, <a href="http://us2.forward-to-friend.com/forward?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=41dd88828d&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">forward</a> it to a friend or share via Facebook!<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><strong><a href="http://us2.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=41dd88828d&fbsend=true&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Send PBP News: PB2 Vote Results, Chicago Conference, New Hires, New Cities to friends on Facebook"><img alt="Send PBP News: PB2 Vote Results, Chicago Conference, New Hires, New Cities to friends on Facebook" border="0" height="20" src="http://cdn-images.mailchimp.com/fb/send.gif" style="display: inline;" width="55" /></a></strong></div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-81652063434074660872013-01-23T18:32:00.001-08:002013-01-23T18:32:44.176-08:00Choosing a Union Hotel Just Got a Whole Lot Easier...Dear Friends, <br />
<br />Stay in hotels occasionally? Got an iPhone or an iPad? Then we've got an app for you. <br />
Download the free UNITE HERE Union Hotels Guide app now. <<a href="http://afl.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mKpc2rB6gVC0p%2Bi9Qggm9G%2FLwJNAslGE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1358994594_1">http://afl.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=mKpc2rB6gVC0p%2Bi9Qggm9G%2FLwJNAslGE</span></a>> <br />
<br />
Our simple app makes choosing a union hotel a whole lot easier. Use the
map to locate a union hotel by current location, or plan ahead and
search by city. <br />
<br />Best of all, you know you're traveling ethically
and directing your dollars to responsible hotels that provide good jobs
and top-notch service. <br />
<br />
The app also guides you away from any potential travel disruptions. We
know you don't want to cross a picket line, so the app conveniently
informs you of any hotels are that under boycott or at risk of dispute. <br />
<br />Take a moment to download the free Union Hotels Guide app now via iTunes. <<a href="http://afl.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=XCH%2BXd5f4EsuWCsTm%2Fw6Im%2FLwJNAslGE" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1358994306067_4799" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1358994594_2">http://afl.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=XCH%2BXd5f4EsuWCsTm%2Fw6Im%2FLwJNAslGE</span></a>> <br />
<br />
Thank you and enjoy. <br />
<br />UNITE HERE <br />UNITE HERE, <span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1358994594_3">275 7th Ave., New York, NY 10001</span> Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-91814128801873197722013-01-20T13:42:00.001-08:002013-01-20T13:42:22.429-08:00<h2 class="entry-title">
<a href="http://pbconference.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/call-for-proposals-for-2013-participatory-budgeting-conference/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Call for Proposals for 2013 Participatory Budgeting Conference">Call for Proposals for 2013 Participatory Budgeting Conference</a></h2>
<div class="entry-meta">
<span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <a href="http://pbconference.wordpress.com/2013/01/10/call-for-proposals-for-2013-participatory-budgeting-conference/" rel="bookmark" title="5:46 pm"><span class="entry-date">January 10, 2013</span></a> <span class="by-author"><span class="sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://pbconference.wordpress.com/author/pbconference/" rel="author" title="View all posts by PB in the US and Canada Conference">PB in the US and Canada Conference</a></span> </span> </div>
Join us in Chicago May 3-5, 2013 for <strong>Building a Democratic City: The 2nd International Conference on Participatory Budgeting in the US and Canada</strong>! We are now accepting proposals for workshops, presentations, panels, and other sessions – please see the <a href="http://pbconference.wordpress.com/call-for-proposals/" title="Call for Proposals">Call for Proposals</a> for more information. The deadline for submissions is <strong>February 15, 2013</strong>.<br />
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pbconference.info (at) gmail.com</div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-71145040109557918342012-12-11T13:32:00.001-08:002012-12-11T13:32:01.740-08:00Announcing the Economics of Happiness Conference 2013: Australia<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
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Announcing the Economics of Happiness Conference 2013</div>
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<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Take part in the growing localisation movement!<br />
Join amazing thinkers, visionaries, and activists from around the world at ISEC’s upcoming</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #003333;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #003366;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>ECONOMICS OF HAPPINESS CONFERENCE </strong><br />
<br />
<strong>March 15-17, 2013</strong><br />
<strong>Byron Bay, Australia</strong></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #000033;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Building
on the success of our first international Economics of Happiness
Conference, held last March in Berkeley, California, ISEC is hosting a
second conference in Byron Bay, Australia.</span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>PROGRAM</strong></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Through
an interactive program of plenary sessions, workshops, and social and
creative time, participants will have a rare opportunity to learn from
and share with some of the foremost leaders in the worldwide
localisation movement. The conference also offers the chance to make
new connections, build on current projects and find new inspiration.</span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333366;"><span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>For more information and to register for the conference:</strong></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheInternationalSoci/30f89f4f17/b7718c8701/f7af742dfc/xref=448" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #333366;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">www.byroncentre.com.au/whats-on/details/274?xref=448</span></span></a></span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><strong>SPEAKERS</strong></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This
event will bring together a unique international group of speakers,
each one acclaimed for their vision, activism, wisdom, and leadership.
These include:</span></span><br />
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><strong>Helena Norberg-Hodge </strong>(Australia), founder of ISEC, author of <em>Ancient Futures</em> and producer of <em>The Economics of Happiness</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Vandana Shiva </strong>(India), physicist, feminist and author of <em>Earth Democracy: Justice, Sustainability and Peace</em>.*<br />
<br />
<strong>Bill McKibben</strong> (USA), founder of 350.org, author of <em>The End of Nature</em> and <em>Deep Economy</em>.*<br />
<br />
<strong>Michael Shuman</strong> (USA), economist, author of <em>Local Dollars, Local Sense</em> and one of America’s leading localists<em>.</em><br />
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<strong>Charles Eisenstein</strong> (USA), de-growth activist, author of <em>The Ascent of Humanity</em> and <em>Sacred Economics.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Winona LaDuke </strong>(USA), renowned American Indian activist, former Green Party US vice-presidential candidate.<br />
<br />
<strong>Manish Jain</strong> (India), coordinator of
Shikshantar: The Peoples’ Institute for Rethinking Education and
Development, leading critic of conventional schooling.<br />
<br />
<strong>Mark Anielski</strong> (Canada), economist, author of the award-winning book, <em>The Economics of Happiness: Building Genuine Wealth.</em><br />
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<strong>Donnie Maclurcan </strong>(Australia), co-founder of the Post Growth Institute, author of <em>Nanotechnology and Global Equality.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Ijeoma and </strong><strong>Adebayo Clement Akomolafe </strong>(Nigeria), co-founders of Koru, a trans-local network of cultural creatives in Nigeria who believe another world is possible.<br />
<br />
<strong>Christian Felber</strong> (Austria), author of best-selling books, leading theoretician of the Common Welfare Economy.<br />
<br />
<strong>Anwar Fazal </strong>(Malaysia), Right Livelihood Award winner, founder Baby Food Action Network and Pesticide Action Network.<br />
<br />
<strong>Hwang Daekwon </strong>(South Korea), author who
inspired millions in Korea when he emerged from years of unjust
imprisonment with a vision of peace based on a deep connection to
nature.<br />
<br />
<strong>Anna Rose</strong> (Australia), writer, environmentalist, co-founder of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.<br />
<br />
<strong>Carol Black</strong> (USA), alternative education activist, writer, director, producer of the acclaimed film <em>Schooling the World: The White Man’s Last Burden</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Devinder Sharma</strong> (India), journalist, author of <em>In the Famine Trap</em> and <em>Keeping the Other Half Hungry.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Junko Edahiro </strong>(Japan), activist, journalist, author <em>Beyond ‘Eco’: How to Make a Happy Future</em>, and <em>A Way Out of the Energy Crisis</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Dave Rastovich</strong> (Australia), founder of Surfers for Cetaceans, alternative role model for millions of young people.<br />
<br />
<strong>Wasif Rizvi</strong> (Pakistan), a leading voice in
Pakistan on religion and indigenous philosophies, and their influence in
shaping social, political and economic processes.<br />
<br />
<strong>Pracha Hutanuwatr</strong> (Thailand), Deputy Director of the Right Livelihood Foundation, a leading practitioner of Engaged Buddhism.<br />
<br />
<strong>Richard Neville </strong>(Australia), futurist, author of <em>Footprints of the Future</em> and <em>Amerika Psycho</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Keibo Oiwa </strong>(Japan), author, anthropologist, environmentalist, founder of the Sloth Club, Japan’s leading ‘slow life’ environmental group.<br />
<br />
<strong>Kerrianne Cox</strong> (Australia), award-winning first Australian singer and songwriter, Chairperson of Beagle Bay Community.<br />
<br />
<strong>Benjamin Villegas </strong>(Colombia), chef, restaurant owner, promoting local food and farming.<br />
<br />
<strong>James Skinner </strong>(UK), board member New Economics Foundation, owner of R&D companies promoting clean and renewable energy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em><span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;">* via live Internet feed</span>.</em></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">For more information and to register for the conference, please visit </span></span><a href="http://cts.vresp.com/c/?TheInternationalSoci/30f89f4f17/b7718c8701/eb0c503578/xref=448" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.byroncentre.com.au/whats-on/details/274?xref=448</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: lucida sans unicode, lucida grande, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Or contact us at <a href="mailto:conf2013@theeconomicsofhappiness.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">conf2013@theeconomicsofhappiness.org</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;">www.theeconomicsofhappiness.org</span></span></div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-37184891653878197282012-11-29T12:07:00.000-08:002012-11-29T12:07:03.764-08:00Participatory Budgeting Arrives in San Francisco<br />
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<td align="left" class="yiv1787013401defaultText" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 150%; padding: 20px; width: 400px;" valign="top"><span class="yiv1787013401title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">PB Arrives in San Francisco</span></span></span><br />
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<strong>PBP is excited to serve as technical assistance partner for a new participatory budgeting process in San Francisco!</strong> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=bc8ab5cce4&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">David Chiu</a>,
President of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors (the equivalent of
City Council) announced the launch of a PB process in District 3 last
week, with support from the <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=e655f87aca&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Office of the Controller</a>, PBP, and our friends at the <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=d3358cfcf7&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Right to the City Alliance</a>.<br />
During this abbreviated pilot program, residents will directly decide
how to spend $100,000 of discretionary funding. Programs and activities
will be eligible, along with capital projects. The initiative will serve
as a model for potential broader application, including for the tens of
millions of dollars allocated through the city’s controversial <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=15057a6910&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">“add-back”</a> process. While this initial program is small, the potential is big.<br />
See the <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=21031289b9&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="David Chiu PB Press Release">press release</a> for more info, and read more about the spread of PB in the Bay Area <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=4d1cb9beac&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=32629eb6ec&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<span class="yiv1787013401title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">$11,760, 6 Projects, 34 Votes</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span>Less than a month ago we launched our very own </span><span><img align="right" height="108" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5/images/PB_squared.jpg" style="height: 108px; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-left: 4px; margin-top: 4px; width: 113px;" width="113" /></span><span>PB process - </span><span>aka our</span><span> first fundraising drive. Through <strong><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=c985e56a29&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">PB<sup>2</sup></a></strong>, we're inviting you to decide how to spend half of the money we raise in donations in the rest of 2012</span><span>. If you donate, you get to vote for how the donations are spent, and help chart the future for PB.<br />
<br />
<strong>So far, we've raised $11,760!</strong> </span>We are especially humbled<span class="yiv1787013401userContent"> by the 60 supporters who gave $6,756 on <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=087797da2f&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">GivingTuesday</a>,
in our first real fundraising day! We thank everyone who gave, tweeted,
posted, emailed, and reached out to friends and family -</span><span class="yiv1787013401userContent"> and especially our two donors who contributed matching funds!</span><span class="yiv1787013401userContent"> It goes to show that once people learn about PB, they want to spread the idea!</span><br />
<br />
<span>With the money raised so far we can fund at least one of the six critical projects on the </span><span><strong><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=633109e9a9&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">PB<sup>2</sup></a> </strong>ballot. </span><span class="yiv1787013401userContent">Check out the first three project pitches written by PBP staff - for a <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=1669c0a705&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">New PB Video</a>, a <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=315c3b38ba&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Youth PB Campaign</a> and <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=0a285f0bbb&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Office Furniture & Equipment</a>! <strong>Will you <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=187fe9a42a&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">help</a> make two (or more) projects a reality?</strong></span><span> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=b329b08b28&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Read more here</a>, and please vote!</span> So far, 34 votes have been cast, so you can make a real difference!<br />
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<span class="yiv1787013401title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">US Election Results for PB </span></span></span><br />
<div class="yiv1787013401post-content">
Several PB supporters ran in the recent US election. Below are some highlights, and you can see a full list of results <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=224bf73070&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">here</a>. If you know of more that should be added to the list, <a href="mailto:info@participatorybudgeting.org" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">let us know</a>.<br />
<strong>San Juan, Puerto Rico</strong><br />
<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=2f5ca17db8&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Carmin Yulín Cruz</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=4910856d6e&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">won a tight race</a> to become the next mayor of San Juan. She has <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=5a84d43574&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">promised to launch participatory budgeting</a> in her first 100 hours in office!<br />
<strong>New York</strong><br />
City Council Members Eric Ulrich and Dan Halloran, who are implementing PB with their Council Member funds this year, both <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=46b36f0437&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">lost their bids for higher office</a>, but they will remain in their City Council seats.<br />
<strong>San Francisco</strong><br />
San Francisco Supervisors (the equivalent of City Council Members) David Chiu and John Avalos <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=5698114eff&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">won easy re-election</a>.<br />
<strong>Fayetteville, Arkansas</strong><br />
<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=cfb041fef4&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Matthew Petty</a> won re-election to the Fayetteville City Council.</div>
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<span class="yiv1787013401title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">Speaking Tour</span></span></span><br />
<br />
We're on the road a lot this fall, raising awareness about PB and supporting local organizers. Some highlights so far:
<ul>
<li>
Executive Director Josh Lerner spoke in <strong>Buffalo </strong>and <strong>Toronto</strong>, meeting with elected officials, community groups, and funders to plant the seeds for PB in both cities.</li>
<li>
Project Coordinator Maria Hadden spoke at the <span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=a97f6a7c40&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation</a></span></span> conference in <strong>Seattle</strong>.</li>
<li>
Project Coordinator Donata Secondo traveled to <strong>Iceland</strong>,
to speak at a conference for local officials and meet with the
Icelandic Minister of the Interior and the Mayor of Reykjavik. Check out
her <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=2feeea8e13&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">appearance on Icelandic national television</a> (don't worry, it's mostly in English).</li>
</ul>
Big thanks to <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=b3574d593e&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">our</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=e46936b4b7&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">hosts</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=01fdeeae4c&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">and</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=46260b412e&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">allies</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=4be1aa0325&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">in</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=095cdcbaad&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">these</a> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=cfaae3468c&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">cities</a> - we look forward to working with you more in the future! And thanks to NYC Council Member and PBP Advisory Board member <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=637e5087ed&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Melissa Mark-Viverito</a>, for accompanying us on several of these talks!<br />
<br />
<img alt="Briefing for Community Groups in Buffalo" height="223" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5/images/community_briefing.jpg" style="height: 223px; width: 300px;" width="300" /><br />
<em>Packed house for a community organization briefing in Buffalo.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Next Up:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
December 5th: Josh speaks in <strong>Sacramento </strong>at the forum <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=9b089eb8af&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">What's Possible: New Ideas for Our Fiscal Path Forward</a>.</li>
<li>
December 10th: Josh speaks at the <em>Redesigning Democracy Summit </em>hosted by <strong>North Carolina</strong>'s <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=f86044aa83&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Institute for Emerging Issues</a></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: 12px;">Stay tuned for more talks, and let us know if you want to join forces at the<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 19px;"> <a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=fadaa8017d&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Allied Media Conference</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span class="yiv1787013401title" style="color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 110%;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><span style="font-size: 24px;">PB Internship Opportunities</span></span></span><br />
<div class="yiv1787013401post-content">
We're seeking several interns for Winter/Spring 2013:<br />
<ul>
<li>
<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=11f300e920&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">New York City Council Member Interns</a>, to work on PB for individual Council Members (Deadline December 10th)</li>
<li>
<a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=da5bccf449&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Policy, Design and Operations Interns</a>, for PBP's New York office (Deadline December 14th)</li>
<li>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://participatorybudgeting.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=d7a76e4fc718437c43d63cba5&id=224e358ed4&e=562d5bac01" rel="nofollow" style="color: #17488a; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">PB Vallejo Intern</a>, to work with PBP staff at City Hall in Vallejo, CA to implement PB</span> (Deadline December 28th)</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
Please share with anyone who might be interested!</td></tr>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-5894960084540509642012-11-28T13:49:00.000-08:002012-11-28T13:49:07.620-08:00Announcing a New Project: The Campus Network for a New Economy<span id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_486" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:info@neweconomicsinstitute.org" id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_395" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="" id="lw_1354139206_0">info@neweconomicsinstitute.org</span></a></span><br />
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<br />
<a href="http://neweconomicsinstitute.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c3ecb176d75fee23465b01a9&id=0f3c0c3ff4&e=7ff504bb6c" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img align="right" height="150" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/2c3ecb176d75fee23465b01a9/images/Campus_network_150x200.jpg" style="border: 0; display: inline; height: 150px; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 200px;" width="200" /></a>The New Economics Institute is thrilled to announce a new nationwide project: <b id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_506">The Campus Network</b>, an effort to build the foundation of a student-led movement for a New Economy.<br />
<br />
We're starting the program with a call for proposals from college
students to host strategic summits on the transition to a just and
sustainable economy. We will award eight grants of up to $5,000 and
provide each campus with ongoing training and support. The goal of the
summits is to raise awareness about the New Economy on college campuses
and build meaningful collaborations between students and their local
communities.The hope is that this will catalyze a nationwide student
movement and create a powerful network of young leaders committed to
building the New Economy.<br />
<br />
Will you help us spread the word? Together, we can make sure that every
student interested in this work is made aware of this special
opportunity. Here are three ways you can help today:</div>
<ol id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_508">
<li id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_507" style="margin-bottom: 15px;">
<a href="http://neweconomicsinstitute.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c3ecb176d75fee23465b01a9&id=e9a159a5a9&e=7ff504bb6c" id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_400" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="" id="lw_1354139206_4">Find out more about the Campus Network (<i>and begin the application process if you're a student!) </i></span></a></li>
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<a href="http://neweconomicsinstitute.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2c3ecb176d75fee23465b01a9&id=5c3e2af074&e=7ff504bb6c" id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_401" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="" id="lw_1354139206_5">Share this opportunity on Facebook</span></a></li>
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<a href="http://us6.forward-to-friend1.com/forward?u=2c3ecb176d75fee23465b01a9&id=a630a1050f&e=7ff504bb6c" id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_402" rel="nofollow" style="color: #336699; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span class="" id="lw_1354139206_6">Forward this email to a friend</span></a></li>
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<div id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_510">
The strategic summits will lead into a Summer 2013 convergence,
bringing student leaders from across the nation together with other New
Economy practitioners and leaders. We hope that the Campus Network is
just the beginning of what will become a powerful student movement for
the New Economy.<br />
<br />
We hope you're as excited as we are!<br />
<br />
Rachel Plattus<br />
Manager of Organizing and Development<br />
New Economics Institute</div>
<div id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_510">
<span id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_486" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><a href="mailto:info@neweconomicsinstitute.org" id="yui_3_7_2_16_1354137288169_395" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="" id="lw_1354139206_0">info@neweconomicsinstitute.org</span></a></span> </div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-80264228465885461322012-11-28T07:26:00.002-08:002012-11-28T07:26:27.157-08:00Popular Education for Building a New Community Economy<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 20.0pt;">Now Recruiting for</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span>Practical Visionaries Workshop: Spring 2013</span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<span><i>Popular Education for Building a New Community Economy</i></span></div>
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
Launched in spring 2011, the Practical Visionaries Workshop (PVW)
brings together Tufts Department of Urban & Environmental Policy and
Planning (UEP) and community partners in Greater Boston to share, learn
and develop strategies for “justainable” (just and sustainable) cities.
For more information, see <span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://pennloh.wordpress.com/practical-visionaries-workshop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1354116142_0">http://pennloh.wordpress.com/practical-visionaries-workshop/</span></a></span>.</div>
<div>
The 2013 spring workshop will explore new visions for the community
economy and how bring this visioning process to our communities. We
need <i>real economic development</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
that can meet basic human needs, generate shared wealth and ownership,
and sustain the health of people and planet. We know that Walmart and
other big box developments are not the answer. We know that we already
have some of the building blocks. And we draw inspiration from other
efforts across the US and globally to build a </span><i>solidarity economy</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.</span></div>
<div>
The requirements for the Spring 2013 Workshop include:</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt;"> </span></span>Eight
3-hour sessions from mid-January through April, with locations
alternating between Tufts campus and community partner locations. The
actual day/time will be set once we know who is willing to commit.
Sessions will include mix of discussion, guest presenters, interactive
exercises, relationship building, and report-back to community partner
groups.</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt;"> </span></span>Shorter readings and short written journals will be assigned (average of 1-2 hours prep per session).</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt;"> </span></span>Community
partner organizations are expected to support their leaders to
participate (such as giving paid employees time off to participate).</div>
<div style="margin-left: .5in;">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt;"> </span></span>Practical
Visionary Fellows are expected to bring the learning from the Workshop
to a broader group within their organizations at least once during the
Workshop period.</div>
<div>
For more information or to nominate yourself (or someone else), please contact Penn Loh (<a href="mailto:penn.loh@tufts.edu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">penn.loh@tufts.edu</a>, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7172133683313541209" rel="nofollow">617 627-4608</a>).</div>
<br />
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-37284084401145640332012-11-28T07:10:00.001-08:002012-11-28T07:16:43.863-08:00The News from Solidarity Economy in Europe - November 2012<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1354114136454_571" style="width: 600px;"><tbody id="yui_3_7_2_1_1354114136454_570">
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<b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">The solidarity economy... a project of society to be valued </span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">Even
if the European Union keeps on advocating for financial orthodoxy, it
now shows some flexibility towards a more human capitalism and (a
little) more concern with its effects on society. So does the
initiatives embracing the concepts of social responsibility, social
innovation, social entrepreneurship, and social business. The last ones
are booming and have totally mastered the art of communication with the
(very small) financial support from the classical companies and their
foundations. On the basis of "there is no more public money, long live
private direct redistribution" (and the tax benefits that goes with it).<br />
<br />
While these organizations are on top (of the media), and we cannot but
welcome these initiatives that promote social entrepreneurship,
solidarity economy and its older cousin, the social economy, struggle to
show the modernity of their initiatives which are not only focused on
improving their competitiveness on the market but to encourage the
social links, to create jobs and improve the well-being of the
communities in the territories. The social and solidarity economy is
largely based on values of the workers’ emancipation, collective
governance and economic democracy. More recently, they have also shown
real concern on environmental issues, the balance between North/South,
equity, social inclusion, etc. This is a tangible modern project for a
society where the free and undistorted competition should not be the
base of actions!<br />
<br />
We must therefore strengthen the visibility of our activities; bond them
in networks and set up strategies of inter-cooperation. This is what we
have started doing within the RIPESS Europe with our Executive
Secretary, Pol Vidal, who is going to meet the members in their
territories: to reinforce this approach and collect what their
aspirations and needs are, in order to be able to provide common
perspectives for the future, which will be focused on the territories
and will encourage us to work together. After a visit to Catalonia, it
will be the turn of the French region of the Midi-Pyrénées, then of
Hungary. Outcomes will follow in subsequent newsletters.<br />
In the meantime, good reading of this newsletter n°3, with a special focus on Luxembourg.<br />
<br />
Eric Lavillunière<br />
General coordinator of the RIPESS Europe</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><img height="225" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/reas_reas.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 225px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 224px;" width="224" /><br />
CROWDFUNDING THE SOCIAL MARKET </b><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">[published by <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=4112378f20&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.economiasolidaria.org</a>]</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">The 6<sup>th</sup> of November saw the launch of the crowdfunding campaign for the Social Market in Goteo.org (all information here: <a href="http://goteo.org/project/desarrollando-el-mercado-de-economia-solidaria" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://goteo.org/project/desarrollando-el-mercado-de-economia-solidaria</a>)<br />
<br />
The campaign’s goals are to:<br />
1. – Raise funds to further develop tools to help build the Social Market in Spain. <br />
2. - Promote the Social Market and its structures to different audiences.<br />
3. – Build synergy and cooperation between the various networks and
structures that make up the Social Market. Crowdfunding is a system of
funding through an internet platform, such as Goteo.org. All structures
or individuals can contribute, irrespective of whether they are or not
they are directly involved in building the social market.<br />
<br />
Funding raise will help support:<br />
• Web Development - 4000 €<br />
• Preparation, editing and inclusion in a database of the guide criteria for a social market (Social Balance) - 5000 €<br />
• Work coordination of Web content Konsumoresponsable.coop - 2200 €<br />
• Hosting - 1190 €<br />
<br />
Non-monetary contributions will be used to cover:<br />
• Website Development<br />
• Development of APP social currency<br />
• Administration expenses and communication<br />
<br />
We define the Social Market as a network of production, distribution and
consumption of goods and services that work on ethical, democratic,
ecological and solidarity principles, in a specified territory; it
includes both companies and other structures that are members of the
social and solidarity economy as well as consumers.<br />
<br />
This project aims to develop instruments and tools that will facilitate
inter-cooperation and mutual support between consumers, traders and
companies seeking to provide a global economic response to the different
challenges that we face as civil society.<br />
<br />
We also want to develop a web platform to provide information to
conscious consumers, participatory certification tools, development of
complementary currencies, meeting places between consumers and
distributors.<br />
<br />
The goods that are produced and distributed in the social market meet
three criteria: they are socially useful, environmentally sustainable
and have been produced fairly and democratically. We intend developing
participatory tools for certification.<br />
<br />
In addition to producing goods and services, we understand that the
social market is a tool that generates collective learning, social and
technological innovation, social relationships and innovative projects.<br />
<br />
The project consists of different tools for inter-cooperation between
the producers, distributors and consumers who are part of the project
and are organized within a legal framework. The most relevant features
are:<br />
<br />
1. The development of territorial structures for distribution and
consumption of goods and services produced according to social and
ecological principles. This allows ties between consumers and producers
to develop and helps foster communication and direct sales. These
regional networks will be organized as consumer cooperatives.<br />
<br />
2. The development of a distribution network that links social markets
in the different territories, offering goods that are common to all,
such as financial products, insurance, fair trade products, cultural
products or free software. To do this, the main tool is the site <a href="http://www.konsumoresponsable.coop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.konsumoresponsable.coop/</a>,
an information platform on issues of responsible consumption and an
on-line site with extensive information on each of the products and
services offered.<br />
<br />
3. To promote the creation, development and consolidation of projects
and companies that promote self-development of people, access to
employment to those with fewer opportunities, respect for the
environment, commitment to the territory to which they belong and
cooperation, as principles of the economic and social activity.<br />
<br />
4. The development of innovative tools that allow us to explore
alternative economic ways to the current system, and which are
beneficial for social development. These include the development of
complementary currency systems, a set of tools to facilitate
participatory certification of products and services and the creation of
channels of information, communication and consciousness-raising for
producers and consumers in order to facilitate responsible consumption.<br />
<br />
The project is aimed to all those people who believe that it is
essential to build a space for the exchange of goods and services under
the principles of Solidarity Economy. Many people have been working on
this idea and now it is time to make it more operational, more
accessible, so that we can all participate.<br />
<br />
The Network of Alternative and Solidarity Economy (<a href="http://www.economiasolidaria.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.economiasolidaria.org/</a>)
was born in 1995, and in December 2000 became a network of networks
that brings together regional and sectoral networks. REAS is born from a
need recognised by a set of entities with a long history of working in
economic development initiatives that try to respond to the challenges
of the social, economic and cultural integration of a part of the
population, especially the most disadvantaged, and they were aware of
the difficulties.<br />
<br />
The need to strengthen ties and generate different approaches, to
facilitate and support feasible and lasting alternatives, was the
trigger for the increasing coordination which ended in the creation of
the network. Legally REAS is a non-profit association, non-partisan or
religious one, expanding its activity throughout the Spanish territory.<br />
<br />
The Network is currently made up of more than 200 organizations that are
organised in regional networks. It interacts to the European and the
international level through RIPESS (Intercontinental Network for the
Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy).<br />
<br />
The social market has been a strategic key of the Alternative and
Solidarity Economy Network for more than five years, but now the
institutions and networks involved have enlarged, including the
following organisations: Ecologists in Action, Fiare Banking Ethics,
Coop57, ARC Insurance, Diagonal Newspaper, Fair Trade Ideas, Reas
Euskadi, Reas Navarra, Reas Aragon, XES, Reas Galicia, Reas Rioja, Reas
Madrid, Reas Murcia, as well as more than 80 entities which devote a
part of their human and financial resources to its development. </span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><b><img height="183" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/ariadne.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 183px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 275px;" width="275" /><br />
Pilot training program to ARIADNE</b> </span></span><br />
<br />
Project Contractor and Coordinator : Ecole Supérieure de Commerce et de Management de Tours-Poitiers (FR)<br />
Partners : Centre d'Economie Sociale, HEC Liège (BE), MAC-Team aisbl -
Pôle européen des coopérations multi-acteurs (BE), European Research
Institute on Cooperative and Social Entreprises (IT), Budapest Business
School - Budapesti Gazdasági Főiskola (HU), The Open University (UK),
Centre International de Recherche et d'Information sur l'Economie
Publique, Sociale et Coopérative – France (FR)<br />
<br />
After an intensive preparatory phase, the Hungarian Ariadne team has
successfully completed the pilot training from 23 May to 25 May 2012.
Almost 30 participants attended the course at a training centre in the
country near to Budapest.<br />
The participants represented the different segments of social economy in
Hungary: there were present managers from associations, cooperatives,
foundations and social enterprises. The meeting was opened by Prof. A.
Vigvari from the Budapest Business School and Prof. F. Silva (ESCEM)
also was present on the first day of the program. (Eva G. Fekete a
member of RIPESS EU CoCo gave a lecture on the first day of the
training, too.)<br />
The participants valued highly the modular approach of the training
program and enjoyed the interactive discussions. According to the
preliminary evaluation by the participants, a strong positive feedback
welcomed the structure and organisation of the 3-days program which was
assessed as really a professional one. The Hungarian Ariadne team is
exploiting the detailed evaluation of experiences and is prepared to
work on further developments of the training package.<br />
<br />
(Written by Thibault Cuénoud - ESCEM Monday, 04 June 2012 14:58)<br />
Forrás: <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=2415bd88cd&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.social-economy-training.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105:ariadne-pilot-training&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50</a></div>
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<br />
<div style="color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><img height="208" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/OPE.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 208px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 300px;" width="300" /><br />
OPE </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">The
Luxembourgish network Objectif Plein Emploi withdrew from the
collective dynamics of the Committee for Solidarity Economy because,
according to it, the governmental vision is focused rather on an
Anglo-Saxon vision of the SSE, which has not much to do with that
defended by OPE.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, OPE is going through a critical financial period,
which is the consequence of depending on governmental funding. Indeed,
the Luxembourgish Ministry of Labour and Employment covers about 56% of
the costs generated by OPE’s services for social inclusion. The Ministry
of Labour intends to streamline the funding granted by imposing a ratio
coach/coached that none of the OPE’s organisations have.<br />
<br />
We can see that the political and economic climate of solidarity economy
in Luxembourg is unfavourable to the vision defended by OPE, and will
bring about new forms and other ways of making the values of solidarity
economy develop in upcoming years.<br />
<br />
Gilles Dacheux<br />
Objectif Plein Emploi</span></span><br />
<br />
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<div style="color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">In France, the Solidarity Economy Movement is a player in the development of an economy which is on a roll.</span></b><br />
<br />
The French Solidarity Economy Movement (MES <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=5b7dabb0b0&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://le-mes.org/</a>)
develops national actions spread across the territories in order to
promote solidarity economy and foster the networking of its actors. It
benefits from an active commitment of its members, in particular through
thematic meetings, shared actions and a Board of Directors which meets
on a monthly basis.<br />
<br />
The 15h of September 2012, as a result of the meetings of the National
Union of Associations and Structures for Local Development (UNADEL),
which was co-organizer of the event, the MES held its General Assembly
in Marseille. It was enriched by a series of workshops, with the
following topics:<br />
<br />
• Bond the solidarity economy movement, make the MES visible in the territories, and create unity in the movement.<br />
• What alliances for social transformation? How to converge between the movements and what are the issues at stake?<br />
• Economic citizenship and public policy.<br />
<br />
It was the occasion for making the RIPESS known among the various civil society movements.<br />
<br />
The collective reflection within the MES is even more useful since it
aims to foster that which is carried out at the national level within
the framework of the commissions working on the future French law of the
SSE. Indeed, the governmental change in France has brought about the
creation of a Ministry responsible for social and solidarity economy.
Several delegates of the MES met the Minister Benoît Hamon on Friday
21th of September 2012 in order to defend both the role of the MES as
the leading network in the development of the SSE and its contribution
to the process of developing the different axis of the oncoming law. The
MES has in particular suggested that the perimeter of the SSE is
defined by a reference table of good practices related to democratic
governance, by giving priority to human’s interests rather than capital,
territorial cooperation and the creation of socially useful activities.
In a similar fashion, in the prospect of the creation of a public
investment bank, the MES recognizes the need to enhance the citizens’
commitment to general interest by taking specific tax measures like
"solidarity savings", which should be stable and non-analogous to
conventional savings mechanisms, so as to give a strong message to all
the actors and a recognition that the citizens’ commitment is supported
by the public authorities.<br />
<br />
Among the various thematic issues in which the MES is involved<i>, </i>the following are most prominent:<br />
• The development of the BDIS (database of economic and solidarity
initiatives) since 2009 in 7 French regions; more than 2500 initiatives
identified.<br />
• The implementation of solidarity platform for exchanges (PES) in the
regions of PACA and Auvergne to develop the internal market of the SSE
and cooperation between actors.<br />
• The creation of platforms for granting socially responsible
consumption (in response to the call for projects AVISE) in 3 French
regions (Midi-Pyrénées, Nord Pas de Calais and PACA).<br />
• The establishment of an international mapping of the SSE in
cooperation with 9 other countries within the framework of RIPESS
(ESSglobal).<br />
• The co-organization of the PTCE (territorial centres of economic cooperation) with the Lab of the SSE, CN-CRESS and the RTES.<br />
<br />
The MES participates in the RIPESS’s Board and wishes to strengthen the development of the European network.</span></span></div>
</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><b><img height="169" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/firenze.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 169px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 298px;" width="298" /></b><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Changing Europe – starting from Firenze (10+10)</b></span><br />
[Jason Nardi, Solidarius Italia]<br />
<br />
<i>Four days to meet, discuss, strategize, converge and share a common
roadmap and mobilisation at the European level: this is what Firenze
10+10 has been, a meeting 10 years from the first European Social Forum
of 2002. But different in many regards: not because there were less
people (at the end 4000 attended), but because the intentions and
outcomes expected were at a different level.</i><br />
<br />
Let's start with an analysis shared by many: in Europe we are living in a
particularly dramatic time, a real "state of emergency". Democracy is
being emptied out and we are assisting passively at post-democratic
processes at national and supranational levels. European leaders created
a "constitutional process" imposed from above - with the European
Semester, the Fiscal pact, Six-Pack - which has concentrated
decision-making on public policies and taxes in the hands of an
oligarchy of governments, technocrats and the ECB (European Central
Bank), who are in turn subject to the dictates of the financial markets.
The neoliberal agenda, the real cause of the crisis, not only is not
dead, but it seems to be in perfect health: it is using the crisis to
destroy social and workers rights and to further privatize the commons
and public services. Finally, the most incredible "propaganda operation"
of our time is in full swing: governments and the "Market" are trying
to make people believe that the public debt was caused by excessive
social spending and higher wages, when it is the financial sector that
caused the crisis - and the fiscal deficit in the European Union is the
end result, not the cause.<br />
<br />
A moment like this needs a strong social response: it is urgent to act
now, by joining forces, creating the conditions for a common social
response with a pan-European mobilization of citizens.<br />
<br />
During the four days, the Fortezza da Basso in Florence became a the
center of the "other Europe" movement, the Europe of solidarity,
democracy, commons, environment, social justice and against the
austerity policies and neoliberal agenda. The Europe of water as a
common good and of a non commodified society. The Europe for local and
solidarity economy, food sovereignity and defense of the territories
under attack by large and useless infrastructures.<br />
<br />
In Florence 10 +10, many different activists met: students and
precarious workers, various trade unionists (starting from the Etuc,
which assembles most of them), environmentalists and “no-tav” people
(against high speed trains under the Alps), women, migrants, etc.
Economists from ten countries launched the European Network of
progressive economists; the coalition that unites 80 trade unions and
movements across Europe launched the AlterSummit (in Athens in June
2013) and many new networks have started working at a European level,
from the one on public debt to the one on financiarisation of nature.<br />
<br />
Now we have to look forward, to the next ten years, to imagine and build
the Europe that we want. Local pacts between communities of citizens
practicing solidarity economy in different forms together with virtuous
(or just “normal”) local authorities and institutions is the way to
construct from below, in a practical and effective way, another Europe.
Uniting the healthy social forces in our communities to create the
necessary critical mass to stop the spiral (financial speculation –
debt – austerity measures – impovershiment – recession – precariousness
and unemployment – conflict, which leads to the end of democracy) is
what we urgently need. And local pacts are a concrete answer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><img height="230" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/socialeco.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 230px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 230px;" width="230" /><br />
Social economy intergroup meeting</b><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Two visions of society were compared on the 6<sup>th</sup>
of September 2012 at the Social Economy intergroup reunion in the
European Parliament: that of the French Minister Benoît Hamon, supported
other speakers, and that of the representative of the European
Commission.<br />
<br />
<b>The position of the French government</b><br />
Benoît Hamon, French Minister responsible for Social and solidarity
Economy in the newly elected French government, has emphasised the
importance of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in the fight
against the crisis and unemployment and in favour of social cohesion. </span></span><br />
<br />
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 614px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Some figures concerning the social and solidarity economy in France for the period 2010-2011:<br />
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Cooperatives account for 23% of new job creations</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">6,7
% of the employees (about 2,3 million people) work within the social
and solidarity economy (associations, cooperatives, mutual insurance
companies) and account for 10% 13% of the GDP. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
<br />
He warned the audience against the liberal approach, stated that
alternative economic policies are possible and that the social and
solidarity economy should be supported for three reasons: </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It
provides services needed by the citizens to complement the State’s
action, but not as a substitute, as well as to fill existing gaps in the
market.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It creates lasting employment with fair wage scales</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It is the most innovative actor in the social field</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 614px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The projects of the Ministry in charge of the ESS in France are:<br />
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The creation of a public investment bank, were 500 million euros would be devoted to funding the social and solidarity economy.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The creation of 150.000 new jobs, many of which will be dedicated to the social and solidarity economy.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The development of a legal status common to all European mutual insurance companies.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The
introduction of specific clauses in public tenders that foster certain
methods of production, in particular with respect to social and
environmental standards </span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">To encourage the take-over of commercial societies by the workers themselves, turning them into cooperatives. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
He recalled that from an historical point of view the social and
solidarity economy was the last defence of the working classes against
distress. He mentioned three risks that need to be to avoided when
talking about social and solidarity economy: </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The
social and solidarity economy it is not a system of production carried
out by the poor and for the poor; nor does it act to repair a social
system.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Social business (green washing, social washing) are in no way related to the social and solidarity economy</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The social and solidarity economy it is not a marginal economy and can be very competitive</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
Lastly, he recalled that social and solidarity economy initiatives have
the very same difficulties in terms of funding and finding new markets
for their goods and services if they are to survive; the fact of being a
cooperative or an association does not prevent difficulties per se.<br />
<br />
<b>The other speakers</b><br />
Other speakers rallied to the positions expressed by the French Minister
Benoît Hamon. Ariadne Rodert (Sweden) from the European Economic and
Social Committee agrees on the fact that the cooperative and the
associative ways of production should be supported. Alain Coheur, the
president of the Social Economy Europe, underlined that social and
solidarity economy not only creates jobs but also qualified jobs. He too
does not recognise the social and solidarity economy within the social
business concept so cherished by the European Commission. Diana Dovgan,
from the European Confederation of Worker’s Cooperatives, Social
Cooperatives and Social and Participative Enterprises (CICOPA Europe),
the cooperatives have shown greater resilience to the crisis than
commercial societies, but this resilience is fading due to the lack of
support for the social and solidarity economy.<br />
<br />
<b>The relationship between the European Commission and the social and solidarity economy </b><br />
The relationship between the European Commission and the social and
solidarity economy is not flexible; at present they tend to collide. On
the one hand, there is the issue of the Social Services of General
Interest (SSIG) and the State aid. On the other is the issue of public
SSIG contracts. In both cases, the social and solidarity enterprises are
directly affected and request that their specific needs regarding the
rules of European competence be taken into account. And in both cases
the European Commission advocates that any particular device is foreseen
by the Treaty to help the SSIG. <br />
<br />
Pol Vidal – RIPESS Europe</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><img height="171" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/FAO_un.jpg" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 171px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 350px;" width="350" /><br />
In the corridors of the FAO</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: 14px;">Judith Hitchman<br />
Local Sustainable Development </span><br />
<br />
<br />
Although the Committee for Food Security reports directly to ECOSOC of
the UN General Assembly, it is housed in Rome, by the FAO. Reformed in
2009, it now includes the Civil Society Mechanism (<a href="http://www.csm4cfs.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.csm4cfs.org</a>),
the foremost and leading example of the increasing impact of civil
society within the UN institutions. The CSF itself was founded in, and
the brief is just what the name implies: to overcome food insecurity and
ensure that food is perceived as a human right.<br />
<br />
Urgenci is not only a member of the CSM, our representative is also a
member of the Coordinating Committee, representing the Consumer
Constituency.<br />
<br />
As such this is allowing Urgenci to now have increased input into policy
within the CSF. There now appears to be a very interesting window of
opportunity that is opening right now: the Director General, Mr. José
Grazia da Silva, in a meeting with the CSM Coordinating Committee
members emphasized the fact that not only does he wish to work more
closely with social movements, but that short distribution chains are
one of his particular concerns.<br />
<br />
Andrea Calori and I were subsequently approached by the strategic
projects coordinator at FAO to have a meeting with the leaders of the
Food for Cities (Andrea already works with them). The idea is to try to
link one of the 2013-14 projects that the Civil Society Mechanism has
identified as important (local sustainable production and responsible
consumption and short distribution networks, GMOs, agroecology and
seeds…) and get a major study by a High Level Panel of Experts on the
subject, prior to a decision box at the CSF on these subjects. This
would have strategic links to other areas of policy such as Food Price
Volatility (local food nets break with agribusiness and trade
speculation on food…), nutrition (over- and under-nourished people are
often flip sides of the same coin…), food waste, and especially urban
and rural solidarity. It also relates to access to land (the
implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Tenure voted
on in May this year by the CFS), and Community Land Trusts… Solidarity
economy networks at global level are clearly a source for identifying
what formal and informal solutions exist that support the sustainable
local and territorial development of food nets and connect urban and
rural solutions to food security and food sovereignty in the future.</div>
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/653153ae841fd11de66ad181a/images/transparent.gif" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; margin: 0; outline: none; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><img height="294" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/1fira_xes_0.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 294px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 200px;" width="200" /><br />
Catalan Solidarity Economy Fair </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Jordi Garcia </b><br />
Xarxa d’economia solidaria<br />
<br />
The Fabra i Coats space was too small. An estimated four or five
thousand people visited the Social and Solidarity Economy Fair organized
by the Catalan solidarity economy network in Barcelona on the 27<sup>th</sup> and 28<sup>th</sup> of October. <br />
<br />
There were 114 exhibitors, about forty activities were planned
(including lectures, panel discussions, workshops and entertainment),
and, above all, a warm and optimistic atmosphere prevailed and nourished
the meetings, vibrant conversations and passionate debates held in the
1500 square meters of that warehouse, a living memory of the nineteenth
century’s Catalan textile industry.<br />
<br />
The two major goals set up by the Catalan solidarity economy network
were efficiently met. The first one was to show citizens the full
diversity of the solidarity economy movement. The thousands of people
who attended the event, as well as the huge media coverage given
(television, radio, press, conversations in social networks ...), all
testify to this. The other one was of a more internal nature: to bond
the actors of the solidarity economy, whether they are cooperatives or
associations, whether they are focused on cooperative production,
responsible consumption, fair trade, ethical finance, or the promotion
of social currency, within the same family and demonstrate that they all
stand for the social and solidarity economy, an embryonic but tangible
alternative to capitalism.<br />
<br />
What were the keys to success? As usual, a variety of different factors
contributed. First of all, was the silent work of the Catalan
Solidarity Economy network over the years, participating in lectures,
organizing workshops, weaving complicity and sharing fights with other
social movements. Secondly, and there is no doubt about the fact that
the harsh economic situation to which we are subjected today,
increasingly deprives the capitalist economy of social legitimacy, and
forces people to look for alternative ways at both personal and
collective level to find solutions to mass unemployment and social
frustration. Finally, it also contributed to the success of the way in
which the event itself was designed: it was planned as a fair that
included a wide range of exhibitors, and the use of its own currency
throughout the meeting, the Ecosol, which undoubtedly was a huge
success, as the media reported.<br />
<br />
Now that the fair is over, the Catalan solidarity economy network is
facing the challenge of finding new stimulating ways to carry forward
all the energy generated by the event. The creation of a solidarity
economy network of producers and consumers exchanging among them through
the Ecosol ─a project called MESC (Catalan social market) ─ should
contribute to further structuring and expanding the sector.<br />
<br />
The Fair sets up a milestone for Catalan solidarity economy. It was
like the coming-out of a social movement that is configured as broad,
transformational and determined.<br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
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<img height="268" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/Lux_iness.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 268px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 188px;" width="188" /><br />
LUXEMBOURG</h4>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>The Minister of the solidarity economy </b></span><br />
Since 2009, Luxembourg has a Minister responsible for the solidarity
economy, within the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade. After a first
public conference in 2010, the Minister exposed the first “Action Plan
for the development of the solidarity economy in Luxembourg (PLES 2012).<br />
<br />
It defines 4 axes (Carry out an awareness campaign, Facilitate the
establishment of a Committee to bring together the sector’s actors,
Support solidarity entrepreneurship and set up a place of mediation).
The main actors of the third sector and of the social initiatives for
employment, as well as the mutual insurance companies, gathered in a
Committee which, under the aegis of the Ministry and under the
supervision of the Henri Tudor Public Research Centre, works to define
the identity of the social and solidarity economy, to develop articles
as a representative organization and develop an agenda.The network
Objectif Plein Emploi, which does not share the governmental outlook,
withdrew from this collective dynamic [see article by Gilles Dacheux].
The challenge is to enlarge this dynamic so as to take account of the
full diversity of the social and solidarity economy and particularly to
enhance the solidarity economy, even if it remains peripheral in the
country... The Ministry’s action comes with the scope of the European
Commission’s view, which consists of promoting social entrepreneurship.
It also supports a project to back up social and solidarity
entrepreneurial initiatives called 1,2,3 Go Social, in partnership with
Business Initiative a.s.b.l... It co-finances the ESF project of INEES
called Social Actors Training in Self-management for the Solidarity
Economy, and the ESF project of OPE called ACCES.lu focused on the
well-being’s indicators and on social cohesion which will result in a
national survey in 2013. The Ministry should give a little financial
help to allow the recruitment of a coordinator of what will be called
the Luxembourgish Union of the Social and Solidarity Economy. The
start-up is planned for the spring of 2013.<br />
<br />
Eric Lavillunière - INEES<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Soon a European network for solidarity economy training within the RIPESS Europe network</b></span><br />
With the Social Actors Training in Self-management for the Solidarity
Economy - FASAGES - based in Luxembourg, these are now 16 participants
who are part of this group which gradually builds up its collective
dynamics. Inspired by the methodology of Paulo Freire, whose views are
also shared by the Brazilian Centre for the Solidarity Economy Training
(CFES), the philosophy is to involve every participant in the design of
the education. The next topic which will be discussed (there are 6
modules in total over a year - cf. <a href="http://www.fasages.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.fasages.net</a>) is that of popular education and self-management, and then solidarity finance.<br />
At the same time, INEES has built a European network of popular
educators and/or training mediators, with all those who are involved in
the solidarity economy training, which knowledge is still to a large
extent to be built. Next scheduled meeting is on the 19<sup>th</sup> of December in St-Avold (in the greater Region, but on the French side) - If you are interested contact: <a href="mailto:delrio@inees.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">delrio@inees.org</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Agenda </span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<br />
<b>27-28 November 2012 in Toulouse</b><br />
12e Forum Regional de l'Economie sociale et solidaire<br />
<b><a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=80a685c079&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.adepes.org/-Forum-Regional-de-l-Economie-.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">28 November 2012 in Brussels</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Hearing of the European Parliament's Social economy intergroup</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">22-24 February 2013 in Vienna</span></span></b><br />
Congress for Solidary Economy<br />
<a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=48ca65ed4e&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.economiasolidaria.org/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>26-30 March 2013 in Tunisia</b><br />
World Social Forum<br />
<a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=40b9039881&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.fsm2013.org/registration</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Sándor Fazekas, the minister of Rural Development opened the „Rural Academy” in Mezőtúr</b><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;">[published by KIFESZ]</span><br />
</span><br />
The Ministry of Rural Development, the National Agricultural Advisor and
Rural Development Institute and the Hungarian National Rural Network
organized a meeting for professionals called „RURAL ACADEMY FOR THE
FUTURE OF RURAL AREAS” (Strategic directions between 2014 and 2020)
between 16-18 of October in the Municipal Education Center of Mezőtúr.<br />
The main goal of the meeting was to help the preparation for the next
planning period supported by the EU between 2014 and 2020 in the area of
rural development.<br />
Review the national results an difficulties in rural development, based
on emphasized professional aims and good practices., common
understanding of the rural development paradigms of the EU (locality,
sustainable development), learn the new opportunities in the methods and
new resources (e.g.: community planning, integrated funding).
Government officers, local mayors, rural development professionals,
researchers and project managers participated on the meeting. Eva
G.Fekete, the member of RIPESS EU Coco was one lecturer on the plenary
session.</div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><img height="172" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/ecosol.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 172px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 293px;" width="293" /><br />
Birth of the Ecosol, a currency that guarantees a responsible consumption</b><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">[published by <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=a7c6934dd7&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.economiasolidaria.org</a>]</span></span> </span><br />
<br />
During the Catalan Solidarity Economy Fair the Ecosol, the alternative
currency emitted by the Catalan solidarity Economy network, and
supported by the Foundation Stro (Social Trade Organisation), was widely
circulated.<br />
<br />
According to the website <a href="http://www.mercatsocial.cat/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.mercatsocial.cat</a>,
social currency networks are networks of people, organisations and
companies that exchange products, services and knowledge without using
the official currency (the euro). They use systems of internal balance,
created by the same network, that can be expressed in alternative
payment systems, both physical and virtual. In Catalunya this social
currency is called Ecosol.<br />
<br />
The movement of the social and solidarity economy has made the
articulation of these practices one of its strategic objectives, and
given it a name: the social market. The social market is a stable
network of trade in goods and services between cooperatives, responsible
consumers and ethical individuals who have invested, so that these
exchanges they can successfully meet a significant portion of their
needs.<br />
<br />
The basic principle of creating social markets is comprehensive
inter-cooperation, i.e. the participation of each organisation and its
members in the production, marketing, consumption and savings within the
social and solidarity economy. That is, all actors meet most of their
consumption needs within the solidarity economy, and focus the maximum
of their work and production within the solidarity economy, and invest
their savings in credit tools that have been developed within this same
alternative economy.<br />
<br />
The goal is to stimulate the social market trade as much as possible.
The development of the social market would not only improve the
viability of each of the social and solidarity economy initiatives, it
would be the springboard of an alternative economic system.<br />
<br />
The Circuit of Consumer Commerce (C3) is a methodology set up by the
Social Foundation Trade Organisation (STRO), a Dutch non-profit
foundation specialised in microfinance R & D. C3 is a digital
payment system (online and app) and paper tickets encourages commercial
cooperation between groups. When managing a virtual account system,
innovative opportunities appear. <br />
<br />
Further information is available on <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=d31ca6fe62&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.mercatsocial.cat</a> </div>
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><b>Newsletter n.3</b><br />
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November 2012 </h4>
<b>Editors:</b><br />
Jason Nardi (Solidarius Italia)<br />
Pol Vidal (RIPESS Europe)<br />
<b>Contacts:</b><br />
<a href="mailto:info@ripesseu.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">info@ripesseu.net</a><br />
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-44877280416665179002012-11-28T07:10:00.000-08:002012-11-28T07:12:53.575-08:00The News from Solidarity Economy in Europe - November 2012<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" id="yui_3_7_2_1_1354114136454_571" style="width: 600px;"><tbody id="yui_3_7_2_1_1354114136454_570">
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<b><span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">The solidarity economy... a project of society to be valued </span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">Even
if the European Union keeps on advocating for financial orthodoxy, it
now shows some flexibility towards a more human capitalism and (a
little) more concern with its effects on society. So does the
initiatives embracing the concepts of social responsibility, social
innovation, social entrepreneurship, and social business. The last ones
are booming and have totally mastered the art of communication with the
(very small) financial support from the classical companies and their
foundations. On the basis of "there is no more public money, long live
private direct redistribution" (and the tax benefits that goes with it).<br />
<br />
While these organizations are on top (of the media), and we cannot but
welcome these initiatives that promote social entrepreneurship,
solidarity economy and its older cousin, the social economy, struggle to
show the modernity of their initiatives which are not only focused on
improving their competitiveness on the market but to encourage the
social links, to create jobs and improve the well-being of the
communities in the territories. The social and solidarity economy is
largely based on values of the workers’ emancipation, collective
governance and economic democracy. More recently, they have also shown
real concern on environmental issues, the balance between North/South,
equity, social inclusion, etc. This is a tangible modern project for a
society where the free and undistorted competition should not be the
base of actions!<br />
<br />
We must therefore strengthen the visibility of our activities; bond them
in networks and set up strategies of inter-cooperation. This is what we
have started doing within the RIPESS Europe with our Executive
Secretary, Pol Vidal, who is going to meet the members in their
territories: to reinforce this approach and collect what their
aspirations and needs are, in order to be able to provide common
perspectives for the future, which will be focused on the territories
and will encourage us to work together. After a visit to Catalonia, it
will be the turn of the French region of the Midi-Pyrénées, then of
Hungary. Outcomes will follow in subsequent newsletters.<br />
In the meantime, good reading of this newsletter n°3, with a special focus on Luxembourg.<br />
<br />
Eric Lavillunière<br />
General coordinator of the RIPESS Europe</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><img height="225" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/reas_reas.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 225px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 224px;" width="224" /><br />
CROWDFUNDING THE SOCIAL MARKET </b><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">[published by <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=4112378f20&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.economiasolidaria.org</a>]</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">The 6<sup>th</sup> of November saw the launch of the crowdfunding campaign for the Social Market in Goteo.org (all information here: <a href="http://goteo.org/project/desarrollando-el-mercado-de-economia-solidaria" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://goteo.org/project/desarrollando-el-mercado-de-economia-solidaria</a>)<br />
<br />
The campaign’s goals are to:<br />
1. – Raise funds to further develop tools to help build the Social Market in Spain. <br />
2. - Promote the Social Market and its structures to different audiences.<br />
3. – Build synergy and cooperation between the various networks and
structures that make up the Social Market. Crowdfunding is a system of
funding through an internet platform, such as Goteo.org. All structures
or individuals can contribute, irrespective of whether they are or not
they are directly involved in building the social market.<br />
<br />
Funding raise will help support:<br />
• Web Development - 4000 €<br />
• Preparation, editing and inclusion in a database of the guide criteria for a social market (Social Balance) - 5000 €<br />
• Work coordination of Web content Konsumoresponsable.coop - 2200 €<br />
• Hosting - 1190 €<br />
<br />
Non-monetary contributions will be used to cover:<br />
• Website Development<br />
• Development of APP social currency<br />
• Administration expenses and communication<br />
<br />
We define the Social Market as a network of production, distribution and
consumption of goods and services that work on ethical, democratic,
ecological and solidarity principles, in a specified territory; it
includes both companies and other structures that are members of the
social and solidarity economy as well as consumers.<br />
<br />
This project aims to develop instruments and tools that will facilitate
inter-cooperation and mutual support between consumers, traders and
companies seeking to provide a global economic response to the different
challenges that we face as civil society.<br />
<br />
We also want to develop a web platform to provide information to
conscious consumers, participatory certification tools, development of
complementary currencies, meeting places between consumers and
distributors.<br />
<br />
The goods that are produced and distributed in the social market meet
three criteria: they are socially useful, environmentally sustainable
and have been produced fairly and democratically. We intend developing
participatory tools for certification.<br />
<br />
In addition to producing goods and services, we understand that the
social market is a tool that generates collective learning, social and
technological innovation, social relationships and innovative projects.<br />
<br />
The project consists of different tools for inter-cooperation between
the producers, distributors and consumers who are part of the project
and are organized within a legal framework. The most relevant features
are:<br />
<br />
1. The development of territorial structures for distribution and
consumption of goods and services produced according to social and
ecological principles. This allows ties between consumers and producers
to develop and helps foster communication and direct sales. These
regional networks will be organized as consumer cooperatives.<br />
<br />
2. The development of a distribution network that links social markets
in the different territories, offering goods that are common to all,
such as financial products, insurance, fair trade products, cultural
products or free software. To do this, the main tool is the site <a href="http://www.konsumoresponsable.coop/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.konsumoresponsable.coop/</a>,
an information platform on issues of responsible consumption and an
on-line site with extensive information on each of the products and
services offered.<br />
<br />
3. To promote the creation, development and consolidation of projects
and companies that promote self-development of people, access to
employment to those with fewer opportunities, respect for the
environment, commitment to the territory to which they belong and
cooperation, as principles of the economic and social activity.<br />
<br />
4. The development of innovative tools that allow us to explore
alternative economic ways to the current system, and which are
beneficial for social development. These include the development of
complementary currency systems, a set of tools to facilitate
participatory certification of products and services and the creation of
channels of information, communication and consciousness-raising for
producers and consumers in order to facilitate responsible consumption.<br />
<br />
The project is aimed to all those people who believe that it is
essential to build a space for the exchange of goods and services under
the principles of Solidarity Economy. Many people have been working on
this idea and now it is time to make it more operational, more
accessible, so that we can all participate.<br />
<br />
The Network of Alternative and Solidarity Economy (<a href="http://www.economiasolidaria.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.economiasolidaria.org/</a>)
was born in 1995, and in December 2000 became a network of networks
that brings together regional and sectoral networks. REAS is born from a
need recognised by a set of entities with a long history of working in
economic development initiatives that try to respond to the challenges
of the social, economic and cultural integration of a part of the
population, especially the most disadvantaged, and they were aware of
the difficulties.<br />
<br />
The need to strengthen ties and generate different approaches, to
facilitate and support feasible and lasting alternatives, was the
trigger for the increasing coordination which ended in the creation of
the network. Legally REAS is a non-profit association, non-partisan or
religious one, expanding its activity throughout the Spanish territory.<br />
<br />
The Network is currently made up of more than 200 organizations that are
organised in regional networks. It interacts to the European and the
international level through RIPESS (Intercontinental Network for the
Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy).<br />
<br />
The social market has been a strategic key of the Alternative and
Solidarity Economy Network for more than five years, but now the
institutions and networks involved have enlarged, including the
following organisations: Ecologists in Action, Fiare Banking Ethics,
Coop57, ARC Insurance, Diagonal Newspaper, Fair Trade Ideas, Reas
Euskadi, Reas Navarra, Reas Aragon, XES, Reas Galicia, Reas Rioja, Reas
Madrid, Reas Murcia, as well as more than 80 entities which devote a
part of their human and financial resources to its development. </span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #505050; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px; line-height: 150%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><b><img height="183" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/ariadne.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 183px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 275px;" width="275" /><br />
Pilot training program to ARIADNE</b> </span></span><br />
<br />
Project Contractor and Coordinator : Ecole Supérieure de Commerce et de Management de Tours-Poitiers (FR)<br />
Partners : Centre d'Economie Sociale, HEC Liège (BE), MAC-Team aisbl -
Pôle européen des coopérations multi-acteurs (BE), European Research
Institute on Cooperative and Social Entreprises (IT), Budapest Business
School - Budapesti Gazdasági Főiskola (HU), The Open University (UK),
Centre International de Recherche et d'Information sur l'Economie
Publique, Sociale et Coopérative – France (FR)<br />
<br />
After an intensive preparatory phase, the Hungarian Ariadne team has
successfully completed the pilot training from 23 May to 25 May 2012.
Almost 30 participants attended the course at a training centre in the
country near to Budapest.<br />
The participants represented the different segments of social economy in
Hungary: there were present managers from associations, cooperatives,
foundations and social enterprises. The meeting was opened by Prof. A.
Vigvari from the Budapest Business School and Prof. F. Silva (ESCEM)
also was present on the first day of the program. (Eva G. Fekete a
member of RIPESS EU CoCo gave a lecture on the first day of the
training, too.)<br />
The participants valued highly the modular approach of the training
program and enjoyed the interactive discussions. According to the
preliminary evaluation by the participants, a strong positive feedback
welcomed the structure and organisation of the 3-days program which was
assessed as really a professional one. The Hungarian Ariadne team is
exploiting the detailed evaluation of experiences and is prepared to
work on further developments of the training package.<br />
<br />
(Written by Thibault Cuénoud - ESCEM Monday, 04 June 2012 14:58)<br />
Forrás: <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=2415bd88cd&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.social-economy-training.eu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=105:ariadne-pilot-training&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><img height="208" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/OPE.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 208px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 300px;" width="300" /><br />
OPE </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">The
Luxembourgish network Objectif Plein Emploi withdrew from the
collective dynamics of the Committee for Solidarity Economy because,
according to it, the governmental vision is focused rather on an
Anglo-Saxon vision of the SSE, which has not much to do with that
defended by OPE.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, OPE is going through a critical financial period,
which is the consequence of depending on governmental funding. Indeed,
the Luxembourgish Ministry of Labour and Employment covers about 56% of
the costs generated by OPE’s services for social inclusion. The Ministry
of Labour intends to streamline the funding granted by imposing a ratio
coach/coached that none of the OPE’s organisations have.<br />
<br />
We can see that the political and economic climate of solidarity economy
in Luxembourg is unfavourable to the vision defended by OPE, and will
bring about new forms and other ways of making the values of solidarity
economy develop in upcoming years.<br />
<br />
Gilles Dacheux<br />
Objectif Plein Emploi</span></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;">In France, the Solidarity Economy Movement is a player in the development of an economy which is on a roll.</span></b><br />
<br />
The French Solidarity Economy Movement (MES <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=5b7dabb0b0&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://le-mes.org/</a>)
develops national actions spread across the territories in order to
promote solidarity economy and foster the networking of its actors. It
benefits from an active commitment of its members, in particular through
thematic meetings, shared actions and a Board of Directors which meets
on a monthly basis.<br />
<br />
The 15h of September 2012, as a result of the meetings of the National
Union of Associations and Structures for Local Development (UNADEL),
which was co-organizer of the event, the MES held its General Assembly
in Marseille. It was enriched by a series of workshops, with the
following topics:<br />
<br />
• Bond the solidarity economy movement, make the MES visible in the territories, and create unity in the movement.<br />
• What alliances for social transformation? How to converge between the movements and what are the issues at stake?<br />
• Economic citizenship and public policy.<br />
<br />
It was the occasion for making the RIPESS known among the various civil society movements.<br />
<br />
The collective reflection within the MES is even more useful since it
aims to foster that which is carried out at the national level within
the framework of the commissions working on the future French law of the
SSE. Indeed, the governmental change in France has brought about the
creation of a Ministry responsible for social and solidarity economy.
Several delegates of the MES met the Minister Benoît Hamon on Friday
21th of September 2012 in order to defend both the role of the MES as
the leading network in the development of the SSE and its contribution
to the process of developing the different axis of the oncoming law. The
MES has in particular suggested that the perimeter of the SSE is
defined by a reference table of good practices related to democratic
governance, by giving priority to human’s interests rather than capital,
territorial cooperation and the creation of socially useful activities.
In a similar fashion, in the prospect of the creation of a public
investment bank, the MES recognizes the need to enhance the citizens’
commitment to general interest by taking specific tax measures like
"solidarity savings", which should be stable and non-analogous to
conventional savings mechanisms, so as to give a strong message to all
the actors and a recognition that the citizens’ commitment is supported
by the public authorities.<br />
<br />
Among the various thematic issues in which the MES is involved<i>, </i>the following are most prominent:<br />
• The development of the BDIS (database of economic and solidarity
initiatives) since 2009 in 7 French regions; more than 2500 initiatives
identified.<br />
• The implementation of solidarity platform for exchanges (PES) in the
regions of PACA and Auvergne to develop the internal market of the SSE
and cooperation between actors.<br />
• The creation of platforms for granting socially responsible
consumption (in response to the call for projects AVISE) in 3 French
regions (Midi-Pyrénées, Nord Pas de Calais and PACA).<br />
• The establishment of an international mapping of the SSE in
cooperation with 9 other countries within the framework of RIPESS
(ESSglobal).<br />
• The co-organization of the PTCE (territorial centres of economic cooperation) with the Lab of the SSE, CN-CRESS and the RTES.<br />
<br />
The MES participates in the RIPESS’s Board and wishes to strengthen the development of the European network.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Changing Europe – starting from Firenze (10+10)</b></span><br />
[Jason Nardi, Solidarius Italia]<br />
<br />
<i>Four days to meet, discuss, strategize, converge and share a common
roadmap and mobilisation at the European level: this is what Firenze
10+10 has been, a meeting 10 years from the first European Social Forum
of 2002. But different in many regards: not because there were less
people (at the end 4000 attended), but because the intentions and
outcomes expected were at a different level.</i><br />
<br />
Let's start with an analysis shared by many: in Europe we are living in a
particularly dramatic time, a real "state of emergency". Democracy is
being emptied out and we are assisting passively at post-democratic
processes at national and supranational levels. European leaders created
a "constitutional process" imposed from above - with the European
Semester, the Fiscal pact, Six-Pack - which has concentrated
decision-making on public policies and taxes in the hands of an
oligarchy of governments, technocrats and the ECB (European Central
Bank), who are in turn subject to the dictates of the financial markets.
The neoliberal agenda, the real cause of the crisis, not only is not
dead, but it seems to be in perfect health: it is using the crisis to
destroy social and workers rights and to further privatize the commons
and public services. Finally, the most incredible "propaganda operation"
of our time is in full swing: governments and the "Market" are trying
to make people believe that the public debt was caused by excessive
social spending and higher wages, when it is the financial sector that
caused the crisis - and the fiscal deficit in the European Union is the
end result, not the cause.<br />
<br />
A moment like this needs a strong social response: it is urgent to act
now, by joining forces, creating the conditions for a common social
response with a pan-European mobilization of citizens.<br />
<br />
During the four days, the Fortezza da Basso in Florence became a the
center of the "other Europe" movement, the Europe of solidarity,
democracy, commons, environment, social justice and against the
austerity policies and neoliberal agenda. The Europe of water as a
common good and of a non commodified society. The Europe for local and
solidarity economy, food sovereignity and defense of the territories
under attack by large and useless infrastructures.<br />
<br />
In Florence 10 +10, many different activists met: students and
precarious workers, various trade unionists (starting from the Etuc,
which assembles most of them), environmentalists and “no-tav” people
(against high speed trains under the Alps), women, migrants, etc.
Economists from ten countries launched the European Network of
progressive economists; the coalition that unites 80 trade unions and
movements across Europe launched the AlterSummit (in Athens in June
2013) and many new networks have started working at a European level,
from the one on public debt to the one on financiarisation of nature.<br />
<br />
Now we have to look forward, to the next ten years, to imagine and build
the Europe that we want. Local pacts between communities of citizens
practicing solidarity economy in different forms together with virtuous
(or just “normal”) local authorities and institutions is the way to
construct from below, in a practical and effective way, another Europe.
Uniting the healthy social forces in our communities to create the
necessary critical mass to stop the spiral (financial speculation –
debt – austerity measures – impovershiment – recession – precariousness
and unemployment – conflict, which leads to the end of democracy) is
what we urgently need. And local pacts are a concrete answer.</span></span></div>
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Social economy intergroup meeting</b><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Two visions of society were compared on the 6<sup>th</sup>
of September 2012 at the Social Economy intergroup reunion in the
European Parliament: that of the French Minister Benoît Hamon, supported
other speakers, and that of the representative of the European
Commission.<br />
<br />
<b>The position of the French government</b><br />
Benoît Hamon, French Minister responsible for Social and solidarity
Economy in the newly elected French government, has emphasised the
importance of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in the fight
against the crisis and unemployment and in favour of social cohesion. </span></span><br />
<br />
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 614px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Some figures concerning the social and solidarity economy in France for the period 2010-2011:<br />
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Cooperatives account for 23% of new job creations</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">6,7
% of the employees (about 2,3 million people) work within the social
and solidarity economy (associations, cooperatives, mutual insurance
companies) and account for 10% 13% of the GDP. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
<br />
He warned the audience against the liberal approach, stated that
alternative economic policies are possible and that the social and
solidarity economy should be supported for three reasons: </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It
provides services needed by the citizens to complement the State’s
action, but not as a substitute, as well as to fill existing gaps in the
market.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It creates lasting employment with fair wage scales</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">It is the most innovative actor in the social field</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 614px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The projects of the Ministry in charge of the ESS in France are:<br />
</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The creation of a public investment bank, were 500 million euros would be devoted to funding the social and solidarity economy.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The creation of 150.000 new jobs, many of which will be dedicated to the social and solidarity economy.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The development of a legal status common to all European mutual insurance companies.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The
introduction of specific clauses in public tenders that foster certain
methods of production, in particular with respect to social and
environmental standards </span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">To encourage the take-over of commercial societies by the workers themselves, turning them into cooperatives. </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
He recalled that from an historical point of view the social and
solidarity economy was the last defence of the working classes against
distress. He mentioned three risks that need to be to avoided when
talking about social and solidarity economy: </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The
social and solidarity economy it is not a system of production carried
out by the poor and for the poor; nor does it act to repair a social
system.</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Social business (green washing, social washing) are in no way related to the social and solidarity economy</span></span></li>
<li>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">The social and solidarity economy it is not a marginal economy and can be very competitive</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />
Lastly, he recalled that social and solidarity economy initiatives have
the very same difficulties in terms of funding and finding new markets
for their goods and services if they are to survive; the fact of being a
cooperative or an association does not prevent difficulties per se.<br />
<br />
<b>The other speakers</b><br />
Other speakers rallied to the positions expressed by the French Minister
Benoît Hamon. Ariadne Rodert (Sweden) from the European Economic and
Social Committee agrees on the fact that the cooperative and the
associative ways of production should be supported. Alain Coheur, the
president of the Social Economy Europe, underlined that social and
solidarity economy not only creates jobs but also qualified jobs. He too
does not recognise the social and solidarity economy within the social
business concept so cherished by the European Commission. Diana Dovgan,
from the European Confederation of Worker’s Cooperatives, Social
Cooperatives and Social and Participative Enterprises (CICOPA Europe),
the cooperatives have shown greater resilience to the crisis than
commercial societies, but this resilience is fading due to the lack of
support for the social and solidarity economy.<br />
<br />
<b>The relationship between the European Commission and the social and solidarity economy </b><br />
The relationship between the European Commission and the social and
solidarity economy is not flexible; at present they tend to collide. On
the one hand, there is the issue of the Social Services of General
Interest (SSIG) and the State aid. On the other is the issue of public
SSIG contracts. In both cases, the social and solidarity enterprises are
directly affected and request that their specific needs regarding the
rules of European competence be taken into account. And in both cases
the European Commission advocates that any particular device is foreseen
by the Treaty to help the SSIG. <br />
<br />
Pol Vidal – RIPESS Europe</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><img height="171" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/FAO_un.jpg" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 171px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 350px;" width="350" /><br />
In the corridors of the FAO</span></h4>
<span style="font-size: 14px;">Judith Hitchman<br />
Local Sustainable Development </span><br />
<br />
<br />
Although the Committee for Food Security reports directly to ECOSOC of
the UN General Assembly, it is housed in Rome, by the FAO. Reformed in
2009, it now includes the Civil Society Mechanism (<a href="http://www.csm4cfs.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.csm4cfs.org</a>),
the foremost and leading example of the increasing impact of civil
society within the UN institutions. The CSF itself was founded in, and
the brief is just what the name implies: to overcome food insecurity and
ensure that food is perceived as a human right.<br />
<br />
Urgenci is not only a member of the CSM, our representative is also a
member of the Coordinating Committee, representing the Consumer
Constituency.<br />
<br />
As such this is allowing Urgenci to now have increased input into policy
within the CSF. There now appears to be a very interesting window of
opportunity that is opening right now: the Director General, Mr. José
Grazia da Silva, in a meeting with the CSM Coordinating Committee
members emphasized the fact that not only does he wish to work more
closely with social movements, but that short distribution chains are
one of his particular concerns.<br />
<br />
Andrea Calori and I were subsequently approached by the strategic
projects coordinator at FAO to have a meeting with the leaders of the
Food for Cities (Andrea already works with them). The idea is to try to
link one of the 2013-14 projects that the Civil Society Mechanism has
identified as important (local sustainable production and responsible
consumption and short distribution networks, GMOs, agroecology and
seeds…) and get a major study by a High Level Panel of Experts on the
subject, prior to a decision box at the CSF on these subjects. This
would have strategic links to other areas of policy such as Food Price
Volatility (local food nets break with agribusiness and trade
speculation on food…), nutrition (over- and under-nourished people are
often flip sides of the same coin…), food waste, and especially urban
and rural solidarity. It also relates to access to land (the
implementation of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Tenure voted
on in May this year by the CFS), and Community Land Trusts… Solidarity
economy networks at global level are clearly a source for identifying
what formal and informal solutions exist that support the sustainable
local and territorial development of food nets and connect urban and
rural solutions to food security and food sovereignty in the future.</div>
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Catalan Solidarity Economy Fair </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b>Jordi Garcia </b><br />
Xarxa d’economia solidaria<br />
<br />
The Fabra i Coats space was too small. An estimated four or five
thousand people visited the Social and Solidarity Economy Fair organized
by the Catalan solidarity economy network in Barcelona on the 27<sup>th</sup> and 28<sup>th</sup> of October. <br />
<br />
There were 114 exhibitors, about forty activities were planned
(including lectures, panel discussions, workshops and entertainment),
and, above all, a warm and optimistic atmosphere prevailed and nourished
the meetings, vibrant conversations and passionate debates held in the
1500 square meters of that warehouse, a living memory of the nineteenth
century’s Catalan textile industry.<br />
<br />
The two major goals set up by the Catalan solidarity economy network
were efficiently met. The first one was to show citizens the full
diversity of the solidarity economy movement. The thousands of people
who attended the event, as well as the huge media coverage given
(television, radio, press, conversations in social networks ...), all
testify to this. The other one was of a more internal nature: to bond
the actors of the solidarity economy, whether they are cooperatives or
associations, whether they are focused on cooperative production,
responsible consumption, fair trade, ethical finance, or the promotion
of social currency, within the same family and demonstrate that they all
stand for the social and solidarity economy, an embryonic but tangible
alternative to capitalism.<br />
<br />
What were the keys to success? As usual, a variety of different factors
contributed. First of all, was the silent work of the Catalan
Solidarity Economy network over the years, participating in lectures,
organizing workshops, weaving complicity and sharing fights with other
social movements. Secondly, and there is no doubt about the fact that
the harsh economic situation to which we are subjected today,
increasingly deprives the capitalist economy of social legitimacy, and
forces people to look for alternative ways at both personal and
collective level to find solutions to mass unemployment and social
frustration. Finally, it also contributed to the success of the way in
which the event itself was designed: it was planned as a fair that
included a wide range of exhibitors, and the use of its own currency
throughout the meeting, the Ecosol, which undoubtedly was a huge
success, as the media reported.<br />
<br />
Now that the fair is over, the Catalan solidarity economy network is
facing the challenge of finding new stimulating ways to carry forward
all the energy generated by the event. The creation of a solidarity
economy network of producers and consumers exchanging among them through
the Ecosol ─a project called MESC (Catalan social market) ─ should
contribute to further structuring and expanding the sector.<br />
<br />
The Fair sets up a milestone for Catalan solidarity economy. It was
like the coming-out of a social movement that is configured as broad,
transformational and determined.<br />
</span></span></span></span><br />
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LUXEMBOURG</h4>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>The Minister of the solidarity economy </b></span><br />
Since 2009, Luxembourg has a Minister responsible for the solidarity
economy, within the Ministry of Economy and Foreign Trade. After a first
public conference in 2010, the Minister exposed the first “Action Plan
for the development of the solidarity economy in Luxembourg (PLES 2012).<br />
<br />
It defines 4 axes (Carry out an awareness campaign, Facilitate the
establishment of a Committee to bring together the sector’s actors,
Support solidarity entrepreneurship and set up a place of mediation).
The main actors of the third sector and of the social initiatives for
employment, as well as the mutual insurance companies, gathered in a
Committee which, under the aegis of the Ministry and under the
supervision of the Henri Tudor Public Research Centre, works to define
the identity of the social and solidarity economy, to develop articles
as a representative organization and develop an agenda.The network
Objectif Plein Emploi, which does not share the governmental outlook,
withdrew from this collective dynamic [see article by Gilles Dacheux].
The challenge is to enlarge this dynamic so as to take account of the
full diversity of the social and solidarity economy and particularly to
enhance the solidarity economy, even if it remains peripheral in the
country... The Ministry’s action comes with the scope of the European
Commission’s view, which consists of promoting social entrepreneurship.
It also supports a project to back up social and solidarity
entrepreneurial initiatives called 1,2,3 Go Social, in partnership with
Business Initiative a.s.b.l... It co-finances the ESF project of INEES
called Social Actors Training in Self-management for the Solidarity
Economy, and the ESF project of OPE called ACCES.lu focused on the
well-being’s indicators and on social cohesion which will result in a
national survey in 2013. The Ministry should give a little financial
help to allow the recruitment of a coordinator of what will be called
the Luxembourgish Union of the Social and Solidarity Economy. The
start-up is planned for the spring of 2013.<br />
<br />
Eric Lavillunière - INEES<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Soon a European network for solidarity economy training within the RIPESS Europe network</b></span><br />
With the Social Actors Training in Self-management for the Solidarity
Economy - FASAGES - based in Luxembourg, these are now 16 participants
who are part of this group which gradually builds up its collective
dynamics. Inspired by the methodology of Paulo Freire, whose views are
also shared by the Brazilian Centre for the Solidarity Economy Training
(CFES), the philosophy is to involve every participant in the design of
the education. The next topic which will be discussed (there are 6
modules in total over a year - cf. <a href="http://www.fasages.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.fasages.net</a>) is that of popular education and self-management, and then solidarity finance.<br />
At the same time, INEES has built a European network of popular
educators and/or training mediators, with all those who are involved in
the solidarity economy training, which knowledge is still to a large
extent to be built. Next scheduled meeting is on the 19<sup>th</sup> of December in St-Avold (in the greater Region, but on the French side) - If you are interested contact: <a href="mailto:delrio@inees.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">delrio@inees.org</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Agenda </span></h4>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<br />
<b>27-28 November 2012 in Toulouse</b><br />
12e Forum Regional de l'Economie sociale et solidaire<br />
<b><a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=80a685c079&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.adepes.org/-Forum-Regional-de-l-Economie-.html</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">28 November 2012 in Brussels</span></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Hearing of the European Parliament's Social economy intergroup</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">22-24 February 2013 in Vienna</span></span></b><br />
Congress for Solidary Economy<br />
<a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=48ca65ed4e&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.economiasolidaria.org/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>26-30 March 2013 in Tunisia</b><br />
World Social Forum<br />
<a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=40b9039881&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">http://www.fsm2013.org/registration</a></div>
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<img height="222" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/mezotur.jpg" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 222px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 227px;" width="227" /><br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>Sándor Fazekas, the minister of Rural Development opened the „Rural Academy” in Mezőtúr</b><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;">[published by KIFESZ]</span><br />
</span><br />
The Ministry of Rural Development, the National Agricultural Advisor and
Rural Development Institute and the Hungarian National Rural Network
organized a meeting for professionals called „RURAL ACADEMY FOR THE
FUTURE OF RURAL AREAS” (Strategic directions between 2014 and 2020)
between 16-18 of October in the Municipal Education Center of Mezőtúr.<br />
The main goal of the meeting was to help the preparation for the next
planning period supported by the EU between 2014 and 2020 in the area of
rural development.<br />
Review the national results an difficulties in rural development, based
on emphasized professional aims and good practices., common
understanding of the rural development paradigms of the EU (locality,
sustainable development), learn the new opportunities in the methods and
new resources (e.g.: community planning, integrated funding).
Government officers, local mayors, rural development professionals,
researchers and project managers participated on the meeting. Eva
G.Fekete, the member of RIPESS EU Coco was one lecturer on the plenary
session.</div>
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/653153ae841fd11de66ad181a/images/transparent.gif" style="border: 0; display: inline; line-height: 100%; margin: 0; outline: none; padding: 0; text-decoration: none;" />
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b><img height="172" src="http://gallery.mailchimp.com/03927da9d90d290077378fdd2/images/ecosol.png" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: inline; line-height: 100%; min-height: 172px; outline: none; text-decoration: none; width: 293px;" width="293" /><br />
Birth of the Ecosol, a currency that guarantees a responsible consumption</b><br />
<span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: times new roman, times, serif;">[published by <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage2.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=a7c6934dd7&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.economiasolidaria.org</a>]</span></span> </span><br />
<br />
During the Catalan Solidarity Economy Fair the Ecosol, the alternative
currency emitted by the Catalan solidarity Economy network, and
supported by the Foundation Stro (Social Trade Organisation), was widely
circulated.<br />
<br />
According to the website <a href="http://www.mercatsocial.cat/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.mercatsocial.cat</a>,
social currency networks are networks of people, organisations and
companies that exchange products, services and knowledge without using
the official currency (the euro). They use systems of internal balance,
created by the same network, that can be expressed in alternative
payment systems, both physical and virtual. In Catalunya this social
currency is called Ecosol.<br />
<br />
The movement of the social and solidarity economy has made the
articulation of these practices one of its strategic objectives, and
given it a name: the social market. The social market is a stable
network of trade in goods and services between cooperatives, responsible
consumers and ethical individuals who have invested, so that these
exchanges they can successfully meet a significant portion of their
needs.<br />
<br />
The basic principle of creating social markets is comprehensive
inter-cooperation, i.e. the participation of each organisation and its
members in the production, marketing, consumption and savings within the
social and solidarity economy. That is, all actors meet most of their
consumption needs within the solidarity economy, and focus the maximum
of their work and production within the solidarity economy, and invest
their savings in credit tools that have been developed within this same
alternative economy.<br />
<br />
The goal is to stimulate the social market trade as much as possible.
The development of the social market would not only improve the
viability of each of the social and solidarity economy initiatives, it
would be the springboard of an alternative economic system.<br />
<br />
The Circuit of Consumer Commerce (C3) is a methodology set up by the
Social Foundation Trade Organisation (STRO), a Dutch non-profit
foundation specialised in microfinance R & D. C3 is a digital
payment system (online and app) and paper tickets encourages commercial
cooperation between groups. When managing a virtual account system,
innovative opportunities appear. <br />
<br />
Further information is available on <a href="http://ripesseu.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=03927da9d90d290077378fdd2&id=d31ca6fe62&e=e689b235b5" rel="nofollow" style="color: #0db297; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">www.mercatsocial.cat</a> </div>
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<td style="border-collapse: collapse; padding-top: 20px;" valign="top"><b>Newsletter n.3</b><br />
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<h4 style="color: #505050; display: block; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 0; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: left;">
November 2012 </h4>
<b>Editors:</b><br />
Jason Nardi (Solidarius Italia)<br />
Pol Vidal (RIPESS Europe)<br />
<b>Contacts:</b><br />
<a href="mailto:info@ripesseu.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">info@ripesseu.net</a><br />
<br /></div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-41345177133999697372012-11-26T12:37:00.000-08:002012-11-26T12:37:02.664-08:00Lessons for Building a Co-operative Movement <div class="panel-top clear-block">
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<span class="field-content"><a href="http://www.shareable.net/users/michaeljohnson" rel="author">Michael Johnson</a></span>
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<span class="field-content">11.26.12</span></span></div>
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<span class="views-field-created"><span class="field-content">From <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/lessons-for-building-a-co-operative-movement" target="_blank">Shareable.net </a></span></span><span class="views-field-nothing"><span class="field-content"></span>
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John Curl, author of <a href="http://www.pmpress.org/content/article.php?story=johncurl" target="_blank">For All the People: Uncovering the Hidden History of Cooperation, Cooperative Movements, and Communalism in America, 2nd Edition</a><br />
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<em>Below is my first post here at Shareable. I <a href="http://www.geo.coop/story/lessons-building-co-operative-movement" target="_blank">originally posted</a> it at my main blogging site, <a href="http://www.geo.coop/" target="_blank">Grassroots Economic Organizing Newsletter</a>. I plan on posting a series of interviews here as well as other things.</em><br />
<br />
<em><strong>Lessons for Building a Co-operative Movement</strong></em><br />
<strong>A GEO Interview with John Curl, Fall 2012</strong><br />
<strong>PM Press has released a second edition of </strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Curl"><strong>John Curl</strong></a><strong>’s 550 page history of “cooperation, cooperative movements, and communalism in America,” </strong><a href="https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=432"><strong>For All the People</strong></a><strong>.
In this interview GEO’s Michael Johnson talks with John about what is
new in the second edition, the surprisingly long history of
co-operatives here in the US, and what his history has to tell us about
building a 21st century movement for a co-operative/solidarity economy. </strong><br />
<strong>John’s life has been steeped in cooperatives. He has been a
member for over 30 years in the Heartwood Co-operative Woodshop in
Berkeley, CA, where he lives. He has belonged to numerous other
co-operatives and collectives. In addition to being a historian of
extensive research, he is a poet, woodworker, social activist, and has
even been a city planner. </strong><br />
<strong>Michael’s bio is </strong><a href="http://www.geo.coop/bios"><strong>here</strong></a><strong>. He is also co-writing a book on how worker co-operators in the </strong><strong><a href="http://valleyworker.org/">Valley Alliance of Worker Co-operatives</a> </strong><strong>are
harnessing the power of the co-operative difference. Janelle Cornwell
and Adam Trott, the VAWC staff person, are fellow co-writers.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<br />
<em><strong>The second edition of For All the People</strong></em><br />
<strong><em>MJ:</em></strong><em> John, let’s start with how the second edition of </em><a href="https://secure.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=432"><strong>For All the People</strong></a><em> differs from the first one.</em><br />
<strong>JC: </strong>The second edition has three additional pieces.<br />
1) A foreword by novelist and essayist Ishmael Reed.<br />
2) A new preface by myself that discusses developments of the last
four years. The first edition came out just as the economy was
collapsing into the Great Recession. In the second edition I discuss the
United Nations study which shows that worker cooperatives and all
cooperatives around the world have fared better than standard capitalist
corporations during these hard times. I discuss the reasons why the UN
declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives. I discuss the
limited equity cooperatives created through squatting in the urban
homestead movement in New York City. I discuss the Food Hub movement, a
spontaneous rural cooperative movement on a national scale. I discuss
the United Steel Workers Union’s partnership with Basque Spain’s
Mondragon International to develop manufacturing cooperatives in the US
and Canada. Finally I discuss the World Social Forum’s movement to
reclaim the world commons, and cooperative management of the commons.<br />
3) The second edition has an additional section of almost 100 pages
containing my in-depth investigative report on the rise and demise of
the Food System movement of the 1970s, focused on its two most
successful centers: the Bay Area and the Minneapolis Twin Cities. The
Food System movement was integral to the beginnings of natural and
organic food in the US. This movement was particularly revealing because
on the one hand it was a spontaneous grass-roots movement that arose in
many locations around the country, and also because in those two urban
centers it was entered into by small outside groups with ostensibly
radical ideologies, which tried to take it over, and involved government
undercover agents. Both of those entryist groups caused intense
internal strife that sped the movement’s demise in those locations. In
comparison I also discuss the movement’s rise and fall in locations not
affected by those small radical groups. I look at the successes and
shortcomings of that movement as a whole.<br />
<strong><em>MJ:</em></strong><em> "Entryist?"</em><br />
<strong>JC:</strong> Yes. A political group is accused of "entryism" when it enters into another group and tries to take it over or transform it.<br />
<strong><em>MJ:</em></strong><em> How well would the metaphor of “the
1%” and “the 99%” fit the story you tell of the ups and downs of
co-operative economics in the US?</em><br />
<strong>JC: </strong>Leaving the 99% metaphor aside for the moment, I would say that <strong><em>co-operative economics today can become an important option for about half the population</em></strong>,
those with more limited wealth or income. Co-operatives mean that
people with insufficient resources pool what they have in order to get
onto a more level economic playing field.<br />
Historically, the metaphor of “the 1% and the 99%” is redolent of the
decades after the American Civil War, an era of great social upheaval
and strife. Wealth was being consolidated into increasingly fewer hands,
while working people were becoming impoverished. American capitalism
was consolidating its domination of the country, and that was
emphatically opposed by the vast majority of the working population of
industrial workers and farmers. The two latter groups set up
organizations based in co-operatives, and at first challenged capitalism
on economic terms, trying to build counter institutions that they hoped
would supersede capitalism. When the plutocracy destroyed their
co-operatives, they made an effort to gain power though electoral
politics. This era culminated in the defeat of all the working people’s
organizations and the triumph of the “Robber Barons.” Nonetheless, the
era is filled with inspiring dramas of ordinary people daring to follow
their dreams, endeavors that still resonate with relevance.<br />
Today’s metaphor of “the 1% and the 99%” arises from the reality that
wealth in the US is quickly being redistributed again from a larger
number of people into the hands of a tiny elite. While large numbers of
people are increasingly impoverished and marginalized, a handful is
amassing power in the form of money and capital.<br />
<strong><em>MJ: </em></strong><em>I like the phrase you just used:
“the working population of industrial workers and farmers.” For two
reasons. First, we tend to forget that both groups have very strong
connections, which I am going to ask about later. Second, it’s
refreshing to hear them referred to beyond being an economic class
without that fact being brushed aside.] </em><br />
<strong>JC:</strong> Independent self-employed small farmers and wage
earners had a close relationship throughout the later 19th century.
That was before the age of corporate farming, and the overwhelming
majority of farmers were very small. Today it’s still hard to make a
living as a small farmer, and many of them have another job on the side
these days, so most still know what it’s like to be a wage worker.<br />
But, as you state, “the 1% and the 99%” is a metaphor. Those are not
really statistics. The numbers are there to make certain points, and
bear no relationship with any statistical class analysis. The concept of
class in the US is subjective, tricky, and constantly changing. To
imply that there are two economic classes in the US, the 1% and the 99%,
is to muddy up the waters very badly, rather than shedding light where
it is sorely needed. Does the 98th percentile have more in common with
the upper 1% or the lowest 20%? Compare the metaphor of “the 1% and the
99%” with Romney’s metaphor of “the 47%.” If 99% were really opposed to
the 1% seizing the wealth, then this could not possibly continue; but in
fact a much larger percentile than 1% actually support it and just want
to get in on the action. There are a lot more shameless predators out
there than just 1%. To grossly underestimate the strength of the
opposition seriously weakens you.<br />
<em><strong>The long history of co-operatives in the US</strong></em><br />
<strong><em>MJ:</em></strong><em> One of the most interesting discoveries for me in reading <strong>For All the People</strong>
was how early on co-operatives and worker co-operatives emerged in the
US, even before 1800. Does this reflect something special about our
history or just how integral cooperation is in human life?</em><br />
<strong>JC: </strong>Both. Cooperation is the basis of human society.
However, most societies today have been deformed and oppressed by small
authoritarian groups for a very long time. But the dynamics of
cooperation do not die, because they are so essential to a decent life. I
would say <strong><em>cooperation is the norm because it can be suppressed but it cannot be destroyed</em></strong>.
The essential concepts of cooperation are instinctive to most people,
particularly when they are young. Look at the way kids get together in
the park and organize a game. Or groups of musicians get together
regularly as improvised cooperatives. Or young parents form play groups
for their kids. In all of these situations people spontaneously
self-organize activities based on freedom, direct democracy, and a
general equality. <strong><em>Many people only experience cooperation outside of their work lives</em></strong>,
in their private lives, with family, friends, and associates. But
cooperative instincts always remain there inside the human condition
like seeds waiting for the right conditions. When an oppressive society
reaches a dead end, a new generation rejects the dying husk and
reinvents its world, and that creative act is always based on mutual aid
and cooperation.<br />
<strong><em>MJ:</em></strong><em> Before you go on to your answer to the second part of the question—that is, </em><em>how
cooperation has been an important part of American history—I want to
challenge you a bit on your saying “most societies today have been
deformed and oppressed by small authoritarian groups for a very long
time.” It touches an issue that is very central to how we strategize as a
movement. </em><br />
<em>Basically, I find that thinking about oppression is a very tricky
thing. Frequently we assume that it is the “oppressors” that cause
oppression. Some very acute thinkers like Paulo Freire in his classic
“The Pedagogy of the Oppressed” argue very strongly </em><strong>that oppression is a joint project of the ‘oppressor’ and the ‘oppressed’</strong><em>.
And it would seem that every liberation movement—civil rights, gays and
lesbians, women, etc.—is essentially the story of people empowering
themselves by not accepting the role of the ‘oppressed.’ </em><br />
<br />
<em><b>Read more <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/lessons-for-building-a-co-operative-movement" target="_blank">here</a>.</b> </em>Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-4831971717656029132012-11-26T07:19:00.003-08:002012-11-26T07:19:48.068-08:00 Worker Cooperative Loan Fund Launches November 27th<pre>November 23, 2012
For immediate release
Contact: Wayne Landers or Stephanie Hervey at
<a href="https://npomail.electricembers.net/webmail/src/compose.php?send_to=outreach%40richmondcooploans.net" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">outreach@richmondcooploans.net</a>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7172133683313541209" rel="nofollow">(415) 240-8738</a>
A new source of small loans is now available for Richmond businesses
operating as worker cooperatives. This is part of an effort to
encourage job seekers and entrepreneurs to band together and create
their own workplaces. From 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November
27 the Richmond Worker Cooperative Revolving Loan Fund (or Richmond
Co-op Loans for short) will host an informational briefing for
interested parties and the media. The event will take place at the
offices of Richmond Main Street, 1000 MacDonald Avenue, Suite C.
Everyone is welcome.
The new non-profit fund is designed to meet a specific hurdle in
starting worker owned businesses. Securing financing for new
cooperatives can be challenging. A number of local business resource
people will offer brief presentations on both these challenges and the
unique advantages of the cooperative business model. Neil Helfman,
attorney and a founding member of Richmond Co-op Loans, will outline
opportunities offered by the co-op model. Several members of local
co-ops will report on their businesses. Randall Shores, business start
up and turn around specialist with the Small Business Development
Center, will cover resources for business owners, many of them free.
And welcoming all the participants will be Richmond Mayor Gayle
McLaughlin, with her vision of worker co-ops adding to the local
business climate and strengthening a growing sense of community.
“In addition to finding people who want to start co-ops we are also
very interested in talking to Richmond business owners who may be
thinking of selling their enterprises,” according to Richmonder Jayma
Brown, another founding member or Richmond Co-op Loans. “For instance,
a local business person thinking of retiring may have thought about
selling the business to the employees but doesn’t know how to
investigate that possibility. We’d like to help and make sure those
Richmond jobs are retained.”
Specifics about applying for loans, as well as general information
about cooperatives, will be available at the meeting. For more
information visit <a href="http://www.richmondcooploans.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1353943014_0">www.richmondcooploans.net</span></a>
Light refreshments will be served, catered by Liberty Ship Cafe, an
emerging Richmond cooperative.
Worker cooperatives follow the seven cooperative principles: voluntary
and open membership; democratic member control; member economic
participation; autonomy and independence; education, training, and
information for members and the public; cooperation among cooperatives;
and concern for community.
What: Launch of Richmond Worker Cooperative Revolving Loan Fund
When: Tuesday, November 27, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Where: Richmond Main Street, 1000 MacDonald Ave, Suite C, Richmond</pre>
Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7172133683313541209.post-39926984038583734782012-11-22T09:13:00.002-08:002012-11-22T09:14:35.451-08:00Shareable's Future Hangs in the Balance <div class="panel-top clear-block">
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<span class="field-content">11.21.12</span></span></div>
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Dear Shareable reader,<br />
I'll get right to the point: <b>Shareable may not be able to continue our work.</b><br />
Shareable is a non-profit. We’re in the final year of a foundation
startup grant from SHIFT. But the foundation will only continue to
support Shareable if we diversify our funding. So we’re turning to you,
our readers, to crowdfund Shareable’s future.<br />
<b>The foundation has generously agreed to match reader
contributions 2-for-1. For every dollar of your tax-deductible
contribution we'll receive two more! </b><br />
To access this matching grant, we need to raise $10,000 from readers
like you by December 31. You can select your level at the right.<br />
<br />
<b>Here's the case for why you should support Shareable's work now.</b><br />
Sharing can help us save money, use resources more wisely, and
strengthen local economies. It can also help us create a better world. A
world where the commons is restored and celebrated. A world with more
community and less social isolation. One where people can create lives
with more meaning, purpose, and <i>fun</i>.<br />
<b>That’s the positive vision that Shareable is working to spread.</b><br />
I think you’ll agree that over the past three years Shareable has
been a constant promoter of sharing. We’ve published practical guides
for people and communities who want to share more, helped to shape
public dialogue about sharing, and offered inspiration to the movement.<br />
Earlier this year we asked our readers why they read Shareable. Our
readers said that we are a consistent source of inspiring and helpful
information. As one reader put it:<br />
<blockquote>
“The greatest things that humans do to overcome their problems together and make their lives better, they are on Shareable.”</blockquote>
Your contribution will support a small organization with a big
impact. In 2012, Shareable published over 775 stories about sharing that
reached tens of millions of people through our site, the media, and our
distribution network. We helped get stories in NBC Nightly News, Sunset
Magazine, Los Angeles Times, and on TV and radio stations. Our <i>Share or Die</i>
contest and book reached millions of people, with stories from young
people, for young people, about how they’re using sharing to deal with
today’s economic challenges.<br />
With your support, in the year ahead we will:<br />
<ul>
<li>
Overhaul the web site to help you connect to sharing events and resources in your community</li>
<li>
Produce more how-to guides – one of the top requests from our reader
survey. Our guides can help you and others save thousands of dollars.</li>
<li>
Provide more support to people who host sharing events and actions in their community</li>
<li>
Expand our readership by publishing more stories about the sharing economy – another top request in our reader survey</li>
</ul>
<b>I’d like to introduce you to Cindy Wineburgh.</b><br />
Cindy is an unemployed widow from Frankfort, Indiana who reads
Shareable. In August she contributed $10 to support Shareable, despite
her financial challenges. As she wrote:<br />
<blockquote>
“I cannot find work here in my hometown…and I don’t think
it’s because there’s no money. It’s that there’s no consciousness of
sharing here – yet! … but we’re working on it, with Shareable’s help!”</blockquote>
I share Cindy’s story for two reasons. First, Shareable’s stories
help real-world people. Second, everyone can help, and we have
contribution levels for every budget.<br />
<b>To keep our work going, we need your support.</b><br />
We can only access the $20,000 in matching funds with your support. So, pick your level and support Shareable’s future today!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #741b47;"><u><b>Click here now to <a href="http://www.shareable.net/blog/shareables-future-hangs-in-the-balance" target="_blank">give</a></b></u>.</span></span><br />
<br />
Thank you in advance for your support.<br />
Neal Gorenflo<br />
Publisher of Shareable<br />
<br />
P.S. There's a limited time to <b>have your tax-deductible contribution matched 2-for-1</b>. Please help crowdfund Shareable today! We’ll send you your <b>thank-you gifts</b>, plus the best part is knowing that you're supporting Shareable’s future.</div>
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Mira Lunahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09741129554303883384noreply@blogger.com0