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In this week’s roundup, we’re talking about healthcare platform co-ops, the impact of community owned land, and more.
Plus, we are hosting a Reddit AMA (ask me anything) about tech democracy tomorrow, Friday September 1st at 1:00 pm EST as part of #NowWeOwn. Join us and ask experts and activists anything how communities can take back their internet from monopolies like Comcast and Verizon. Read more about it below.
Healthcare Meets Platform Coop:United Health Workers West — a 150,000-member strong nurses union in California— has launched the NursesCan Cooperative. Nurses Can is worker owned platform co-op to provide on-demand, at-home care to patients. You can read how they did it here.
#NowWeOwn Our Power: In 2011, the energy utility in the Highland Park, MI of Detroit reposessed 1,000 streetlights leaving the community literally in the dark. Residents launched a crowd-funding campaign to put in a solar street light. They have since turned into the organization Soulardarity an NEC member and cooperative of residents working to install 200 street lights around the neighborhood. Check out their work in this video
Levying Land Trusts: As an East Baltimore neighborhood aims to revitalize itself, citizens are working to create a community land trust that will keep housing affordable for residents in perpetuity. Read how residents, the mayor, and surrounding neighborhoods are working to balance development and equity here.
Avocado Co-op: The avocado has gotten a lot of attention lately. But how do avocados get to stores? What's behind their pricing? Check out this story, from NEC member Equal Exchange, of an avocado co-op of 22 growers in Michoacan, Mexico and how they operate in the industry.
The Commons City: The city of Ghent in Belgium has over 500 urban commons projects— a ten-fold growth in the amount of community initiatives in the last ten years. Despite its small size, the city has projects ranging from a land trust to community owned energy. Red about some of their projects here.
“We, the people of the Gulf South and the Global South, stand united and firm we need a just transition for the sake of the life and livelihoods of our communities, our cultures and our ecosystems. We will no longer stand to be a sacrifice zone for this country, we demand justice and equity.”
— Another Gulf is Possible supports a just transition on the Gulf Region. In response to Hurricane Harvey, they are providing resources, mobilization, and frontline-to-frontline recovery. Learn how to help here.
Movement News
- Why the #DefundDAPL movement is about more than divesting from Wall Street
- Race and Class Are the Biggest Issues Around Hurricane Harvey and We Need to Start Talking About Them
- Now Comes the Uncomfortable Question: Who Gets to Rebuild After Harvey?
- As Hurricanes Bear Down, Tribes Act Quickly to Build Resilience Plans
- National Radio Project : Staying Rooted: Community Focused Economic Models, Cooperative Housing, and the New Economy Coalition
Multiple Positions, Transform Finance (New York)
Programs Director, Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (Remote)
Democracy at Work Network Coordinator, US Federation of Worker Co-ops (Remote)
Campaigns Strategist, Coworker.org (Flexible)
Program Manager for Local Business Conversion Initiatives, Democracy at Work Institute (Remote)
Cooperative Developer, Center for Family Life (New York)
Executive Director, Alternatives for Community & Environment (Roxbury, Mass.)
Development Manager, Participatory Budgeting Project (New York)
Field Director Position, Resonant Energy (Boston)
Fellow, Pisces Foundation (San Francisco)
Manager, Samamkaya Yoga Back Care & Scoliosis Collective (New York)
Senior Editor/Producer and Supervising Producer, Laura Flanders Show (New York)
We help Communities Take Back their Internet, AMA
Join New Economy Coalition, and speakers from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Next Century Cities, and RS FIber Co-op for a Reddit AMA on community-owned broadband and competing with monopolies. (Online, September 1, 1pm EST)
Social Justice Through Economic Resistance
This conference will examine how economic resistance tools have been used successfully to achieve greater justice and equality and how they can be applied to the particular challenges of the 21st century. Together, we will create a learning community with an increased understanding of how boycotts, strikes, divestment, and similar tactics can be effectively used within our commitment to a nonviolent, spiritually grounded social change strategy. (Pennsylvania, September 21-24)
Highlander’s 85th Homecoming Celebration
In September, Highlander will be celebrating 85 years of cutting edge social justice work in the South and Appalachia, and the countless people who have contributed to our legacy. As we celebrate the stories of yesterday, we will also analyze the current moment and the imaginative strategies and hopes for tomorrow– join us as we celebrate our legacy and share the hopes of what's to come. Bring lessons from the frontlines. (New Market, Tennessee, September 22-24)
Worker Cooperative Startup Webinar
The Democracy at Work Institute hosts this monthly webinar to for groups and people at the very early stages of their worker cooperative project. The webinar describes key steps toward getting off the ground, and where problems often occur. It includes chapters on building your group's democratic capacity, business, and environment of support, in a participatory conversational format. Attendees are offered 30 minutes of free consulting after the webinar from the Democracy at Work Network. (Online, September 1, 3pm)
View all NEC member events on our website »
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