This month we’re talking about everything from Black August to just recovery in Maui. Learn more about just recovery wins in Seattle, African Francophone resistance to imperialism, Ecuador’s historic referendum, and the power of quilombos. Make sure you scroll to the end for podcasts we’re loving, jobs, and events.

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Black August: Black August is a celebration of life, resistance, and Black Liberation movements that started in prisons; sparked by the murder of George Jackson by a prison guard in August 1971. The Black Solidarity Economy Fund, a working group at NEC, used this August to explore the praxis of police and prison abolition and being in solidarity with justice-impacted folks. You can follow our exploration by checking out our IG Live with Barred Business, following our new instagram account, and learning about the history of Black August with our timeline tool.

Just Recovery in Maui: From historic flooding to wildfires, the climate emergency is here and now, and disaster capitalists are out in full force. As Native Hawaiians and the people of Maui confront horrific losses from the Lahaina wildfires, they are facing land and water grabs by predatory investors. Support groups like Hawai’i People’s Fund in their demands for a just recovery that keeps Hawaiian land in Hawaiian hands.

Participatory Democracy in Seattle: The City of Seattle is currently running a participatory budgeting process where community members will submit proposals and vote on how $27 million of the city budget is spent. NEC member People’s Economy Lab submitted five proposals to support the solidarity economy, community wealth building, and community co-governance. If you’re a resident of Seattle, make an account and endorse your favorite proposals!  Learn more about participatory democracy initiatives across the country in our latest mini teach-in with Niki Franco.

Direct Democracy Win in the Amazon: Last week, Ecuador won a historic referendum (¡#SíalYasuní!) to ban future oil drilling in Amazon’s Yasuní National Park, becoming the first country to limit fossil fuel extraction through direct democracy. This vote set a crucial precedent in protecting the lives of people and our planet over profits. Hear about the monumental organizing efforts by Indigenous peoples and environmental defenders that led to this win. Lea un análisis en español aquí y escucha a les líderes que están encabezando esta lucha.

Hands off Niger: Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Niger to protest the threats of sanctions and military invasion by Western imperial powers. Following a military coup on July 26, Niger has been clear that they want French and US military forces out of the country, with neighboring countries like Mali and Burkina Faso showing steadfast solidarity with the Nigerien people. We stand with the peoples’ struggle for self-determination in Niger and join international partners in demanding an end to sanctions and foreign intervention. UPDATE: Learn about Wednesday’s military coup in Gabon and how it forms “part of a broader revolt against France and neo-colonialism in Africa.” 

Cross-border Solidarity & Taking Back the Land: The power of quilombos and the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Brazil have inspired grassroots movements worldwide. Hear lessons from Brazilian and U.S. organizers about the struggle for land reform and why we need shared strategy and solidarity across borders: “efforts to retake the land and rebuild our communities require us to internationalize class and racial struggles, since capitalism and agrobusiness have intensified exploitation and land grabs across borders.” 

We started our 2023-2024 Creative Wildfire cohort! 7 brilliant artists started collaborating with frontline climate and economic justice organizations, and during the following months, the artists will create art, receive political education, mentorship and funding to develop stories rooted in our liberatory values. Read our blog post for more information about this year’s cohort!

• Cleveland co-ops discuss community ownership
• Community Land Trusts in California Work to Create New Homeowners
• Cop City activists labeled as terrorists pay high price
• Debtors’ Unions, Reparative Public Goods, and the Future of Finance
• East Cleveland Residents Are Building A Closed Loop Economy
• Envisioning a New World Through Abolition Geography
• El Sereno’s Guerrilla Gardeners Sow Native Plants To Resist Gentrification 
• Eureka council OKs Wiyot Tribe’s plan to build affordable housing
• Guatemalans Celebrate ‘Democratic Spring,’ amidst Arévalo’s victory and troubled transition
• Laid-off Sierra Club Staffers: ‘We Can’t Give Up on United Fronts’
• Regenerative Farming: Tackling Racism with Rice
• Social Ecology & Environmental leadership in North and East Syria
• Solidarity Economy 101: The Kola Nut Timebank Story
• Taking The Student Housing Co-op Model Off Campus
• You Can Win Bold Climate Laws in Your State

PODCASTS

• Democratizing the Workplace with Ana Martina and Daniella Preisler – LIFT Economy
• How Hurricane Harvey Led To One Of America’s Biggest Land Trusts – Next City
• Land Back with David Cobb – The Response
• Time Banking and its Importance in the Solidarity Economy Space  with Mike Strode – LIFT Economy

TOOLKITS & RESOURCES

• People’s Budgets 101 – Participatory Budgeting Project
• Rojava: In memory of martyred leaders of the women’s revolution
• Still A Dream: Over 500 Years to Black Economic Equality – Institute for Policy Studies
• The Debt Fossil Fuel Trap – Debt Justice Collective

 

Follow us on Instagram — @neweconomycoalition — where we’re celebrating #MemberMondays and lifting up exciting news from our 150+ member orgs! Check out the latest highlight about Beloved Community Incubator’s work to decriminalize street vending as part of the DC solidarity economy.

NEW LISTINGS!

Co-op Development Specialist, Center for Community Wealth Building
Cooperative Coach, CFNE
Digital Equity Coordinator, Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Director of Community Engagement, NASCO
Director of Movement Partnerships, Thousand Currents
Financial Manager, Indigenous Environmental Network
Grants Consultant, NYC NOWC
Program Officer, Disability Frontlines Fund, Third Wave Fund
Temporary Communications Contractor, Climate + Community Project
Various Positions, Carolina Federation
Various Positions, Land Justice Project
Various Positions, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
Various Positions, Urban Homesteading Assistance Board
Various Positions, Urban Tilth
Various Position, Urgent Action Fund
2023 Municipalism Cohort Fellowship, Municipalism Learning Series

JOBS

Development Director, Critical Exposure
Executive Director, Center for Story-based Strategy
Instructor/Coach (occasional), Social Movement Technologies
North America Campaign Lead / Senior Campaigner, Social Movement Technologies
Various Positions, Groundswell Fund
Various Positions, Jobs with Justice
Volunteer Managers, Movement Generation

Part of the Solution Festival
Join Barred Business for a celebration of community-led public safety centering justice-impacted youth in Atlanta. The P.O.T.S. Festival is Barred Business’s way of addressing the challenges that poverty and mass incarceration bring to our community & taking steps toward creating a stronger, more equitable society. (September 2 – Atlanta)

Black is Essential: Preserving and Honoring our Value in the Workplace
The impact of racial capitalism on Black workers is profound and multifaceted, encompassing economic, social, and political dimensions. Yet our work is essential! We have been crucial in driving economic growth and prosperity in the face of persistent racial discrimination and barriers. So join us this Black Labor Day as we call attention to just how essential Black workers are! (September 4 – Online)

Fall Co-op Academy Intensive
RiseBoro is offering an 8-week Co-op Academy Intensive from October to November in Brooklyn, NY that will introduce participants to the basic building blocks of forming and launching a worker-owned food-based business. This new 8-week format emerged out of a desire to give folks the opportunity to learn the basics of cooperativism before committing to a full incubation experience with them. Join for an info session this September. (September 6 – Online)

​​BIPOC Disability Justice Summit: Our Presence is Our Power
This session celebrates BIPOC culture and the disability experience as an asset for community and workplace design. Learn tips and tools to create transformative solutions for underserved communities. This session will provide attendees with the knowledge and skills necessary to embrace the intersections of culture and innovation. (September 6 – DC)

Governing Power: Movement Strategies in the US and the Global South
Around the world, people pushed to the margins are organizing together to win power in government and the economic institutions that shape our lives. From Brazil to Minneapolis to Washington state, hear from three leaders who are utilizing co-governance strategies to build a more equitable and just future for all. (September 12 – Online)

Communities of Practice Session for Co-op Curious Visual/Graphic Designers
Join PACA for their next Community of Practice session. It will be tailored for co-op curious visual/graphic designers, as well as other visual artists who do similar work. The topic will be: “How do you, as a visual designer with anticapitalist ideals, navigate doing work largely used for marketing?” (September 14 – Online)

Imaginal Cells of Solidarity Economy: Politics and Policy
This webinar series on The Imaginal Cells of the Solidarity Economy will showcase the myriad ways that solidarity economy practices are providing models and pathways to build a more cooperative, democratic, equitable, and sustainable world–one in which many worlds fit. (September 19 – Online)

Highlander Center’s 91st Homecoming: Foundations for the Future
Every September we bring together hundreds of movement families from around the globe who join for fellowship, learning and strategizing, singing and dancing, and deepening relationships over a meal, a beautiful view of the mountains, or in the quiet moments the Hill provides. (September 19 – In-person)

Black Panther Maroons carry on Community Service in Tanzania and Beyond
NESAWG’s next Sankofa Series webinar will feature artist, founder of the Kansas Black Panther Chapter, healer, and community leader…Mama C! (Sept 20 – Online) 

Advancing Justice: A Transformative Movement Approach to the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund Implementation
Join the Regenerative Economies Network for a webinar to learn about a transformative approach to non-extractive lending that will catalyze lasting community impact and integrate grassroots solutions into the implementation of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. (September 21 – Online)

Self-Governance and Money Conference 2023
Join Sociocracy for All for their summit is a platform to connect, share and learn from the collective wisdom of leaders and consultants who are trailblazing this shift in their respective fields. We aim to uncover innovative solutions and best practices that help in strengthening the alignment between purpose and people in self-organized workplaces. (September 28-29 – Online)

The Assembly of Black Possibilities
The Assembly of Black Possibilities is an assembly in Boston, MA that brings together working-class individuals, Black and Indigenous communities, people of color, and translocal solidarity economy practitioners. The opening reception is happening at Grace by Nia, and our featured topic is Funding Black Futures. (October 2-3 – Boston)

Organizing for Freedom: How Beyond the Bars is challenging the carceral system in Miami
Join Beyond the Bars to learn and celebrate the success, challenges, and lessons from their organizing campaign! Come listen to and celebrate their stories and experiences of reclaiming their voices and power. Explore the lessons learned from their outstanding organizing journey. (October 4 – Online) 

Southern Unity for Racial Justice & Equity (SURJE) Summit
Set against the backdrop of a culturally rich and soulful city, we will come together as a call-to-action for the mobilization of a just equity ecosystem and unite in the spirit of restoration; exploring Memphis and its offerings. Within the scope of Racial Equity, special topics include: Energy, Health, Growth, Youth Leadership, and Opportunity. (October 5-7 – Memphis)

People Power for Public Power
As new local public power campaigns are waged all over the country, we need a sustained network of organizers sharing knowledge, skills, resources, and wins. We hope that this retreat will connect local public power campaigns across the country, share knowledge across our movement on strategy, targeting, policy, and power building. (October 19-22 – Maine)

2023 Union Co-op Symposium
Co-op Cincy presents its 6th biennial Union Co-op Symposium, which will focus on combining the best of the co-op and union movements to forge a new economy rooted in connection. Activities will highlight equity, labor, community wealth-building, and care for the earth and ourselves. (October 20-21 – Cincinnati)