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New Economy Roundup: Co-ops Challenging Capitalism, Wiyot Land Back, Free Palestine

Nov 30, 2023 | New Economy Roundup

This month, we’re talking about solidarity economy ecosystems in Dayton, New Orleans, and Seattle; the return of Wiyot ancestral lands, the shack-dwellers movement in South Africa, anticapitalism in Rojava, non-extractive lending, and more. We’re also expressing our solidarity and highlighting the connections between liberation struggles in Palestine, Congo, Haiti, and Atlanta.

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Co-ops Challenging Capitalism: This month, we’re taking a look at Cooperation Dayton and Cooperation New Orleans – two NEC members working to build local solidarity economy ecosystems rooted in the legacies of Black cooperativism and community self-determination. Hear from Co-op Dayton about how cooperation amongst cooperatives is key to surviving under capitalism, and how Co-op New Orleans is doing political education alongside non-extractive lending programs with the Black Liberation Co-op Academy.

Land Back in Northern Cal: You may have heard about the historic land back win in 2018 where Eureka, CA became the first US city to voluntarily give land back to its original stewards. But do you know about the generations of organizing by Wiyot people that secured this land return? Read about the full history of Tuluwat Island, and how the Wiyot tribe first organized to buy the land back, remediate the toxic soil, and restore the health of this sacred land. Then learn how NEC member Dishgamu Humboldt is working to continue facilitating the return of Wiyot ancestral lands, putting land in trust to create permanently affordable housing, worker cooperatives, and environmental and cultural restoration.

Mapping a Just Transition in Seattle: At the end of 2020, NEC member People’s Economy Lab convened about 20 Black, Indigenous, and POC community leaders to create a roadmap for a just transition to a regenerative economy in the Greater Seattle area. Out of that work, they’ve begun to create communities of practice that break down silos and build connections between local solidarity economy projects and infrastructure. Learn more about People Economy Lab’s process of mapping the extractive economy, and the regenerative projects and relationships that have grown out of it.

Art from left to right by: Victoria Garcia, unknown, NEC member Sol Underground.

We are like olive trees that our ancestors planted. We are unshaken. We are unmoved. We are undeniable. Stand with us in this promise. We promise, Palestine still promises, that we will all be free. — Noura Erakat

Solidarity with Palestine: November 29th marked the International Day of solidarity with Palestine. As a one-week temporary ceasefire comes to a close in Gaza, we stand with movements around the world calling for a permanent ceasefire and an end to the occupation. Hear how NEC members are showing their solidarity with Palestine, explore political education resources, and find ways to take action. We also encourage you to learn about the deep connections between liberation struggles in Palestine, Congo, Haiti, and Atlanta.

Collective Power in South Africa: Abahlali baseMjondolo, meaning “people who live in shacks” in Zulu, is a democratic social movement in South Africa with over 115,000 members who are fighting for land, housing, and dignity. Since 2005, the movement has “carried out land occupations, self-organized electricity and water connections, opposed evictions, and created kitchens, gardens and schools.” Learn more about Abahlali baseMjondolo in this great visual explainer by the Solidarity Economy Association and this interview with Abahlali baseMjondolo’s General Secretary Thapelo Mohapi.

Rojava Book Tour: The Emergency Committee for Rojava has announced an East Coast book tour for the recently published, “Anticapitalist Economy in Rojava” by Azize Aslan. The book looks in depth at the efforts to build an anti-capitalist economy in Rojava / North East Syria, while documenting the trial and error process of building a “social economy” rooted in communes, cooperatives, and self-managed factories. Join in at a stop on the tour near you: Dec 5 – Zoom/ Binghamton, NY Dec 6 – Baltimore   Dec 7 – NYC   Dec 9 – Philly.

Solidarity Economy: Non-Extractive Loans

PODCASTS & VIDEO

TOOLS & CURRICULUM

Follow us on Instagram — @neweconomycoalition — Where we’re talking about the connections between Stop Cop City and global struggles for liberation. Bonus – check out this beautiful new article by NEC staff member Julian Rose, which connects the deforestation of Atlanta to the gentrification and dispossession of Black folks with deep ties in the city (see page 90).

NEW LISTINGS!

Community Wealth Building Fellowship, Democracy Collaborative
Development & Grant Writing Associate, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
Director of Land Retention and Advocacy, Federation of Southern Cooperatives
Loan Fund Coordinator, New Economy NYC
Program Manager, Shareable
Real Estate & Finance Analyst, East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative
Request for Proposal for Feasibility, Marketing, and Business Consulting for Cooperative
Enterprise Startups in West Tennessee, Southeast Center for Cooperative Development
Social Ecosystem Program Director, New Seneca Village
Various Positions, Corporate Accountability

JOBS

Organizing Director, Firelands Workers United
Organizing Director, Surge (Deadline December 1)
Various Positions, Dream Defenders

U.S. OUT of Everywhere: Shut it down for life on earth.
On December 2, the 200th anniversary of the Monroe Doctrine, the Progressive International is calling for an annual global day of action against US imperialism. Join or organize a local action. (Dec 2)

Film Screening: Cincinnati’s Co-op Economy
Join the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives’ Union Co-op Council and Co-op Cincy for a special virtual screening of Works for All, a 30-minute documentary about Cincinnati’s co-op economy. (Dec 8 – Online)

Resist and Build: Journalism, Entertainment, and Literature
For the fourth installment of Art.coop’s “Art Worlds We Want” at CTHQ, we’ll be talking to organizers and activists in the world of journalism, media and entertainment who are not only resisting exploitative tendencies in these fields but actively building fairer systems for journalists, writers and entertainers. What lies beyond the status quo in journalism, media and entertainment? (Dec 9 – New York)

Community, Culture, Cooperation: Innovating Solutions to Economic Violence
Join this interdisciplinary symposium on community practices and solutions, including but not limited to cooperatives (worker, producer, consumer), ecologically sustainable practices, mutual aid, unpaid care work, multiracial organizing and others. These challenge our conventional understanding of economies and economic growth paths. We invite scholars, artists and community activists to present at the symposium. (March 8-9 2024 – Register by Dec 9 – Kansas City)

Black Women Workers of Peru Unite!
Meet the Black women building a cooperative and a movement to challenge the racism, patriarchy, and classism of domestic work in Peru. (Dec 13 – Online)

Facilitating Cooperation
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? To facilitate cooperation, you have to be able to pivot, be able to hear tensions and honor differences, and offer collective connection. Come to this free webinar to learn cooperative practices to improve your facilitation and learn more about Roundsky’s certification program. (Jan 17 – Online)

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 2024 – Washington, D.C.)

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