This month we’re talking about how workers all over the world are organizing themselves everywhere from the streets to the back office. Read through to learn about the popular uprisings in Kenya and Kanaky, culturally informed plural economies in Bolivia, and employee stock ownership conversions in Baltimore.
Read through to learn how to become a New Economy Coalition member, toolkits, jobs, and events from our members.
Worker-Owned Co-ops Building Back Baltimore: Baltimore co-ops are a living example of the power of a solidarity economy. From worker-owned restaurants to cooperative housing, these democratically operated, worker-owned businesses show that a different way of working is possible: “the crucial part is that each person is going to get a say in what the business is doing.” Listen to this episode of The Real News podcast, for employee reflections on cooperative conversion, what it takes for workers to democratically run a business, and challenges with worker-ownership. To learn more about the cooperative movement, consider attending the Worker Co-op Conference organized by NEC member US Federation of Worker Coops in Chicago.
Housing Justice For All: SCOTUS is setting a harmful precedent with the Grants Pass v. Johnson Supreme Court ruling which allows states to incarcerate, fine, and ticket unhoused people for living outside. The answer to #EndHomelessness is simply providing people with permanent and affordable housing. Housing justice requires solidarity with our unhoused neighbors and strengthened networks for community care. Check out this anti-slumlord resource from NEC member, Smash Miami, for local legal aid, and homelessness prevention. Read this statement to learn how organizations around the country are responding to this fascist stance on housing insecurity.
Climate Change Catastrophe v. Co-ops: Carbon emissions are the leading cause of anthropogenic climate change and the Supreme Court just blocked the EPA from enforcing federal standards on businesses that pollute across state lines. This summer alone, 36 people across six west coast states have died due to extreme heat and the EPA says we can expect more deaths like these. Heat-related deaths are just one public health catastrophe related to environmental degradation. Black Lung is resurging in Appalachian communities, deepening the need for a Just Transition and enforceable clean energy standards that do not leave people behind. Follow the Rural Power Coalition blog to unlock how communities can secure affordable utilities and sustainable futures through energy cooperatives.
Ayni, Mita, Minca & Solidarity Economy: “Bolivia may be small, but when it comes to the solidarity economy, it plays an outsized role.” Learn about Bolivia’s plural economy, with Mwende Hinojosa, the Communications Director at the Sustainable Economies Law Center. The article explores how Quechua, Aymara, and Guaraní communities use rotating resource savings to keep kinship, mutuality, and self-determination at the forefront of community organizing and ancestral traditions.
Digital Organizing against Neoliberalism in Kenya: Gen-Z are using every corner of the internet to organize against the ongoing debt and tax burdens from the Kenya Kwanza government and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As illegal arrests, abductions and killings are perpetrated by the state, young Kenyans are taking to Twitter and Nairobi streets to change their conditions.They’re demanding an overhaul of neoliberal systems and the politicians that enforce them. A journalist on the ground writes, “people aren’t coming together based on their tribe, they are uniting to fight for specific issues that affect their daily lives, such as economic policies, government accountability and social justice.” Read this proposal to morph Kenya’s economy from one of austerity to a Pan-African solidarity economy.
Decolonization & France’s Anti-Fascist Coalition: The French election season is unfolding to be a case study on the possibilities of leftist coalition building against fascism. Last month, popular uprisings from Paris to Kanaky (New Caledonia) confronted bad pension reform and indigenous voter suppression. The resulting shock election produced a massive win for Emmanuel Tijbaou, a pro-Kanak independence MP, and a small majority for the leftist New Popular Front. Both represent a growing resistance to extractive policies in France, but have yet to affiliate with each other. Read the Vision 2050 statement from Rising Majority to learn more about the potential for a leftist coalition in the U.S.
Our membership application is open for the fall! 150+ members make up this multi-racial, multi-sector, cross class national organizing space! NEC members are the incubators, basebuilders, networkers and practitioners of regional solidarity economy ecosystems. They are building systems beyond their institution and are engaged in movements and activities that support & create conditions necessary for solidarity economies to emerge and thrive.
Learn more about our criteria on our website and indicate your interest by filling out this form. If you have any questions, feel empowered to email us at membership@neweconomy.net.
- Climate Solutions for the Future of Coffee
- House committee advances reckless bill that blocks life-saving silica standard
- Making State Enemies
- Twin Cities farmers markets owned and operated by people of color offer food, culture, community
- Technology Cooperatives In The Movement: Where Are We Now?
- We Must Fight Repression With Solidarity— Not By Replication Oppressive Logic
PODCASTS & VIDEO
Will the Revolution Be Funded? / Zac Chapman & Nairuti Shastry, This Is Hell!
This Part of Spain Has Won Rent Regulations U.S. Tenant Activists Can Only Dream Of, Shelterforce
A Culture of Possibility Podcast #41: Nati Linares on Artists and the Solidarity Economy, A Culture of Possibility
What These Walls Won’t Hold by Adamu Chan
TOOLS & CURRICULUM
Local Peace Economy, CODEPINK
Getting to know your Unhoused Neighbors, Imperfect Activist with Theo Henderson
Decolonising Economics UK, Nourishing Economics
Graphics for Palestinian Liberation, Artists for Radical Imagination.
Affordable Housing Loan Officer, Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
Associate, Grant Operations, Peterson Foundation
Campaign Manager, Rent-Regulated Housing, GOLES
Campaign Organizer, Right to Counsel, NYC Coalition
Communications Manager, Pratt Center for Community Development
Community Organizer, New York Communities for Change
Development Coordinator, Common Justice
Development Manager, Food Connect
Development Manager, Sweet Freedom Farm
Digital Strategist, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Director of Development, Communities United for Police Reform
Director of Development, Westchester Community Foundation
Director, Los Deliveristas Unidos
Donor Organizer, North Star Fund
Education Director, CoFED
Employee Ownership Research Project Consultant, Project Equity
Executive Director, Stonewall Foundation
Families Organizing Coordinator, Justice Committee
Field Organizer, 18 Million Rising
Finance Coordinator, Adhikaar
General Staff Member, Midnight Kitchen
Human Resources Manager, Resource Generation
Interim National Director, BYP100 (Black Youth Project 100)
Land Policy Associate Director, National Young Farmers Coalition
Lead Case Manager, Damayan
Membership Coordinator, Resource Generation
Various positions, Al Otro Lado
Various positions, Association for Neighborhood & Housing Development
Various positions, Black Alliance for Just Immigration
Various positions, Borealis Philanthropy
Various positions, Brooklyn Org
Various positions, CAAV
Various positions, Columbia County Sanctuary Movement
Various positions, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley
Various positions, Community Voices Heard
Various positions, Florida Rising
Various positions, Grand Street Settlement
Various positions, GROW NYC
Various positions, Highlander
Various positions, Hot Bread Kitchen
Various positions, Kite’s Nest
Various positions, Make the Road NY
Various positions, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Various positions, New Settlement
Various positions, New York Immigration Coalition
Various positions, North Star Fund
Various positions, RaisingHealth Partners
Various positions, Red Hook Initiative
Various positions, Sanctuary for Families
Various positions, Showing Up for Racial Justice
Various positions, Treatment Action Group
Various positions, Working Families Party
Office Coordinator, New Economy Project
Organizing Director, Climate Defiance
Organizing Director, YA-YA Network
Program Officer, Grantmaking and Capacity Building, Ms Foundation
Property Services Director, NASCO
State Director New York, Children’s Defense Fund
Syracuse Electoral Organizer (Temporary), VOCAL-NY
For more opportunities, check out this job board from NEC member Post Growth Institute and this one from the U.S. Federation of Worker Coops!
Power of the Membership: How to Engage Your Members for Endorsements
You’ve built a strong member base to drive progressive change, so what’s next? Join Mo Manklang of the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives to learn how to meaningfully engage members in political candidate and platform endorsements during this election season. Shifting away from a purely transactional model to a collaborative one, Mo will show us how to center members in the candidate endorsement process and strengthen relationships along the way. Learn how to forge stronger relationships with your base while amplifying your organization’s political impact. Don’t miss out on this invaluable opportunity to elevate your member engagement strategies – secure your spot now! (July 17 – Virtual)
2024 Research Tools for Organizers Training Series – Billionaires and Other Powerful People
There are now more than 700 billionaires in the United States alone. This training dives into billionaire power in our age of accelerating inequality and tools for researching the wealth, influence, and networks of billionaires and other powerful individuals like corporate executives. (July 18 – Virtual)
Community Care Clinics for Disabled & Chronically Ill Movement Folks
An ongoing community care peer support space aimed at expanding possibilities around how we live and work as disabled and chronically ill people. Register with PeopleHub.org (July 23 – August 8 – September 10).
9th National Conference On Community and Restorative Justice
Join us in this defining moment as we envision, explore, and take action to ensure community and restorative justice principles not only survive but thrive within our own lives, families, and communities, and as we reimagine the systems and structures that underpin our society. By joining together, we will create impactful connections, enable the exchange of ideas and knowledge, and provide experiences that inspire tangible change. Together, we have the capacity to establish a legacy that is inherently restorative, leaving a profound and enduring mark on our world. (July 29 – Aug 1 – Washington, D.C.)
Cooperative Changemakers: A Community Power Fellowship
Join this 10-week training for cooperative entrepreneurs and advocates driving positive social and economic change in Buffalo. Cooperative Changemakers aims to activate and empower those interested in joining and contributing to Buffalo’s growing cooperative community. This fellowship will foster collaboration, knowledge sharing, and the development of skills essential for building democratic power in our communities. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with local cooperators and develop actionable plans to bring their visions to life. This fellowship starts September 4th and comes to a close on November 13th. (Apply by August 1)
Community Conflict Resilience
Join Loving Practice for their month-long care-centered workshop series. During this workshop, participants will learn about the key ingredients to conflict resilience and how they can help us build supportive communities and movement spaces. (August 8 – Virtual)
2024 Worker Co-op Conference
Get ready to immerse yourself in WCC24! Explore our dynamic lineup of insightful sessions, engaging workshops, and opportunities to foster relationships. Join us as we celebrate the flourishing momentum of worker ownership and the resurgence of workers’ rights organizing in the United States. (Sept 12-14 – Chicago)
Facilitating Cooperation: Embracing Complexity and Navigating Uncertainty with Collective Power
What does it take to facilitate a meeting and be able to address the complexity and the unexpected while moving your work forward effectively? How do you set up a flow for your team to listen and adapt as a facilitator? Come to this free webinar to learn cooperative practices* to listen in your facilitation, engage your team members and self, and align the collective. (Sept 15 – Virtual)