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In last week’s roundup, we talked about some of the exciting events NEC is a part of this coming week. We are highlighting systemic solutions to the environmental crisis at The People’s Climate Movement (PCM) as well as participating in The Majority’s “Beyond the Moment” campaign with the Movement for Black Lives for May Day mass mobilizations – find an event near you with this map. Read more below and let us know how you’re getting involved on Twitter – tag us @NewEconomics!
People’s Climate Movement (Be Part of the Solution!)
NEC is excited to participate in the People’s Climate Movement (PCM) solutions-focused events during this weekend of action. A number of NEC members and allies are holding powerful events pre-march. If you’re going to be in DC of NYC for PCM, try to check some of these out!
Friday, April 28th
- 2pm – 4pm: It Takes Roots Action: Mother Earth’s RED LINE on the Capitol Lawn
- 3pm – 8pm: Youth Convening in New York City
- 6:30pm – 9:30pm: Challenging the U.S. War on the Atmosphere: How We Fight Back at St Stephens Church in DC (Co-Sponsored by the Institute for Policy Studies, Codepink and NEC)
Stories from the Field
Growing Power: Healthy food access has long been at the forefront of struggles for low-income communities, rural and urban alike, but these three women are using community gardens as a means to not only improve community health, but take ownership of resources. Read about their work in the Bronx here.
Mutual Aid Networks: The Mutual Aid Network is an organization helping communities across the country set up and employ the practices of the solidarity economy. The network connects people find collaborators for personal, neighborhood-wide, or even city-wide projects. Read about how some communities are using their networks here.
Detroit’s Ecovillage: When Detroit resident Shamayim Harris decided she was tired of living on her blighted city-block, she took action and is now turning it into a solar-powered ecovillage. She bought several properties and is now converting them into sustainable community spaces for education, wellness, and economic development. Read more about the ecovillage here.
Solidarity Economies Abroad
Localizing Power: How did the residents of an English town take governance and the local economy into their own hands? When a group of residents in Frome, England became disgruntled with their government, they decided to form a coalition that has completely replaced every last city council member. This coalition’s platform is based on a rejection of traditional party politics and on bringing power down to the local level. Listen to their story here.
GO-UP: We’ve seen publicly-owned utilities rise in popularity through the years, but the strategy has yet to reach the transportation sector. Now, a group of train riders in England are working to develop the first co-operatively owned train operating company in the UK. Read about why they believe the co-op will benefit riders and communities here.
Cooperation in Syria: In the wake of the Syrian uprising, the Kurdish community of Rojava along the border of Turkey launched a social revolution to create a place of security, gender equality, economic cooperation, and a unique form of localized direct democracy. In a land where the Kurdish language and culture had been outlawed and rights of citizenship denied, the Rojava constitution establishes a polity based on inclusion and cooperation. Read about Rojava here.
Movement News
Climate Watch
- China is Encouraging its Citizens to Eat Less Meat — That Could Be a Big Win For The Climate
- The Free Market Won’t Stop Climate Change, But Its Failure is Inspiring The People Who Will
- How to Sell The Climate Movement? Wrap it in the Flag
- The Policy Weapon Climate Activists Need
Racial Justice is Economic Justice
- Solidarity Can’t Work Without Understanding That Blackness Has a Role in Every Struggle
- The Moral Burden on Economists
- Trying to Be a Proud Latina When People Prefer Whiteness—Even in My Mother’s Homeland
More Reads
- Descendant of Sitting Bull Condemns Violence & Violations at Standing Rock
- 4 Ways Trump’s Tax Plan Will Make the Trumps Even Richer
- We Need A New Economy, Not A New War
- Reminding the People of Their Power
- Judge Blocks Trump Effort to Withhold Money From Sanctuary Cities
- Public Banking Goes to Pot
- How to Turn Neighborhoods Into Hubs of Resilience
- Want to Rescue Rural America? Bust Monopolies.
- Banks Were Held Accountable to More Neighborhoods in 2016
Job Board
Social Media Manager, Fellowship for Intentional Community, Remote
Communications & Operations, Cutting Edge Capital, Oakland,CA
Development Manager, Shareable, San Francisco
Grassroots Organizer (Contract), Friends of the Earth, Flexible
Legal Director (and other positions), Demos, New York, NY
Program Coordinator, Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC, New York
Upcoming Events
Challenging the U.S. War on the Atmosphere: How We Fight Back
The Federal government is not going to do anything constructive about the climate crisis. Instead, they are busy rolling back whatever progress we have made. Join the Institute for Policy Studies and partners for a dynamic teach-in event that will be a prelude to the People’s Climate March (PCM) and explore concrete ways that we can fight back in our states, cities, and communities to advance a just climate agenda and to roll back the extractive economy. (Washington DC, April 28)
Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is proud to present Building the Green Economy, a panel discussion on the intersections of economic and environmental justice. Is a meaningful reduction in carbon emissions possible under capitalism? What are the political obstacles to a fair, ecologically-sustainable society? Confirmation of panelists is forthcoming, but look forward to academics, activists, and folks in between! (Washington DC, April 28)
Transformer Montreal: Disrupt and Democratize Our Economy
Transform Montreal convenes the people who are democratizing and disrupting our city’s economy and highlights inspiring democratic businesses from around the world. TM 2017 (2nd edition) is a bilingual, action-oriented conference where entrepreneurs, freelancers, activists, and cooperators share skills and deepen social and economic transformation. (Concordia University, April 29-30)
The Quest for Community Controlled Capital in the U.S
Starting in the 1960s, the convergence of community activism, philanthropy, and federal policy merged with Catholic women’s orders to help launch a network of thousands of institutions that invested tens of billions of dollars in low-income communities and the “unbankable” poor. Learn about these community-controlled financial institutions in a talk with Cliff Rosenthal. (NYC, April 28)
Presenters will kick off lively discussions about racial and economic justice organizing in NYC hosted by New Economy Project. Come share ideas, connect, and get involved. (NYC, May 5 – June 15)
On Saturday, April 29th, we will come together for one massive march to bring our demands to the streets of Washington, D.C. We will march for our families. We will march for our air, our water, and our land. We will march for clean energy jobs and climate justice. We will march for our communities and the people we love. And we will be louder and stronger than ever before. (Multiple Locations, April 29)
Beyond the Moment: Uniting Movements from April 4th to May Day
More than 50 partners representing Black, Latinx, the indigenous, LGBTQ, refugees, immigrants, laborers and the poor are collaborating for International Worker's Day, May 1, when they'll launch massive protests across the country. The action will go beyond moments of outrage, beyond narrow concepts of sanctuary, and beyond barriers between communities that have much at stake and so much in common. (Multiple Locations, May 1st)
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