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Dear Friend,
A reader recently summed up what we hope the Roundup is to you.
"It’s my little space of good news I make for myself.”
In this day of 24/7 news streams bombarding us with bad news about problems that can’t possibly be fixed (or so they say), the Roundup brings forward stories of solutions – some near, some far, and all worth considering.
For the past three years, we’ve sent a New Economy Roundup newsletter every two weeks. In that time, we’ve shared:
- 2000+ articles, stories, and resources
- 500+ events happening across the US
- 1000+ opportunities to work or volunteer in the new economy movement
Thanks to the Roundup, thousands of people have found inspiration, jobs and other ways to engage in the work of building an economy that works for all of us.
Despite the lack of coverage in corporate media, there is more happening today in this movement than ever before. Often our biggest challenge is deciding what doesn’t make it into each newsletter. It’s a great problem to have, because it means that our movement is growing and reaching more people.
That’s why the Roundup is important. It helps us see and learn from each other. It connects us to opportunities close to home and lessons from abroad. It inspires us to dream bigger and make bolder demands.
We couldn’t do it with you. Your contribution supports the time and labor that goes into each edition. Your gift makes it possible for us to produce the Roundup in 2020 and beyond. Give to NEC today.
Over the years, we’ve been blown away by the incredible feedback we’ve received from readers. When we started the Roundup in September 2016, we didn’t know whether it would be worth our time. We had a hunch that something like it was needed, but we didn’t know we’d still be here three years later, with our readership still growing.
Thank you for reading, sharing, and helping make news for our movement.
With gratitude,
Eli Feghali
Co-Director, New Economy Coalition
Stories From the Field
Transforming the Legacy of the Land: Land in North Charleston, SC that was given to formerly enslaved people in 1871 will now be developed into an affordable housing community land trust. Read about the $1.6 million dollar project. Meanwhile the Federation of Southern Cooperatives is working to sort out the complex issue of ‘heirs property” as Alabama descendants look to reclaim land clouded by legacy of Jim Crow.
300 Rural Artist from 25 States: NEC member organization, Springboard for the Arts, is using the arts to transform rural communities and the narratives that surround them. Check out this short video PBS made to recap Springboard’s Rural Arts and Culture Summit.
The Public Transit Evolution: While struggles over public transit develop across the country, continent, and world, many say free transit can’t or shouldn’t be done. Kansas City is doing it — this week they became the first major American city with universal fare-free public transit — others argue that free transit is just the beginning.
Rethinking the Holidays: What if instead of being required to pay for an expensive hotel or Airbnb to vacation, you could just find someone to switch houses with? A new platform co-op based in Barcelona aims to do exactly that. Check out the world’s social economy home exchange platform. While they build that, consider How to Avoid Amazon This Holiday Season.
Solidarity Economies Abroad
Global Demands for Climate Justice: Tens of thousands of people — including NEC allies from the Climate Justice Alliance — are taking to the streets at the Cumbre de los Pueblos in Chile and at the UN climate conference in Spain to demand urgent climate actions that centers indigenous and frontline communities.
From Bankruptcy to Cooperative: The Quebec government has come out in favour of a way to help save a regional media group from going under — turn it into a co-op. Read how workers at the media group may get a chance to manage themselves.
ILO adopts Abidjan Declaration: The International Labor Organization’s 14th Africa Regional Meeting in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire has concluded with the adoption of a new declaration calling for investment in decent job creation, the institutions of work and sustainable growth in order to achieve a human-centred future of work in Africa. Check out the recap here.
2020 Community Organizing Grants
NEC member organization the Peace Development Fund has opened their Community Organizing Fund for submissions through December 30th. The fund is for organizations with budgets under $250K that are Organizing to Shift Power; Working to Build a Movement; Dismantling Oppression; and Creating New Structures. Some examples include groups working locally on climate change issues; groups that have a genesis in Occupy, MeToo or the Movement for Black Lives, and collaborative peace initiatives led by women. Find out if your organization is eligible for the Peace Development Fund!
The Battle For Another World
This new report, put out by NEC member organization Institute for Policy Studies, argues that while the far right agenda has won the international narrative battle over the financial crisis, the battle of the climate crisis is now up for grabs. The construction of an intolerant, anti-democratic, unsustainable world can be stopped before it is too late. But it requires that the best of us regain the conviction that we must not just counter the new right, but instead we must rewrite the story. Read the report here.
Movement News
- A New Kind of Cooperative in Oakland Fights Against Speculative Development
- Are CLTs the answer to Chicago’s Large Lots Program issues?
- Berea College: Has a US university cracked student debt?
- One of the Country’s Largest Utilities is a Fiery Mess. How Can California Fix It?
- Could California’s Public Banks Finance a Statewide Green New Deal?
- Environmental Organizers Fighting Both the Climate Crisis and to Unionize
- How Worker-Owned Apps Could Help Reshape the Gig Economy
- New California Legislation Passes to Benefit Community Land Trusts
- Paper Genocide #1: The Barriers to an Accurate Count of Native People in 2020
- Paper Genocide #2: The Erasure of Native People in Census Counts
- The Fight to Secure Labor Rights for Exploited Prisoners
- This Town is Giving Families $500 a Month. The Results Are Remarkable
- Who Owns Your Grocery Store?
- Why These Hospitals Have Promised $700 Million for Affordable Housing and More
Podcasts of the New Economy
This special two-part edition of The Next System Podcast from NEC Member Democracy Collaborative features Clark Arrington, a pioneer in the cooperative movement, an innovative legal practitioner, and a leader in the movement for Black economic empowerment. He now works as general counsel for The Working World, an NEC member organization that provides creative, non-extractive financing and support for cooperatives. He is also well known in cooperative circles as the person who was instrumental in helping Equal Exchange grow from a small niche coffee roaster to a $70 million business. Arrington has an important and fascinating story to tell — listen in here.
Additional Listens:
Autumn Brown of AORTA Speaks on The Solidarity Economy
Cooperation Jackson & Sustainable Community Development
These Three Businesses Are Creating A Worker-Owned Economy in Detroit
NEC on The Web
What better gift this holiday season than helping to build a new economy? Through Dec 31st, get a FREE #FireTheBosses sticker with purchase of any item* from neweconomy.net/shop
*Note: the discount is applied automatically at checkout, but you do have to add a sticker to your cart for it to work
Job Board
Administrative Manager, Co-op Fund of New England – Watertown, MA – Deadline Dec 15
Assistant Program Manager, Soul Fire Farm – Petersburg, NY – Priority Deadline Dec 4
Bookkeeper/Consultant/Educator, A Bookkeeping Cooperative (ABC) – Brooklyn, NY
Climate Campaigner, Amazon Watch – Oakland, CA
Co-Director, US Department of Arts and Culture – Remote – Deadline Dec. 9
Communication Director, The Laura Flanders Show – Brooklyn, NY
Communications Director, Institute for Local Self-Reliance – Various Locations
Director, Divest Ed – Cambridge, MA
Director of Development and Finance, OPAL Oregon – Portland, OR
General Coordinator, Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC – New York, NY
General Manager, Recompose – Seattle, WA
Media & Storytelling Program Officer, Field Foundation – Chicago, IL
National Communications Coordinator, CCEDNet – Toronto, ON – Deadline Dec 15
Operations Coordinator, Democracy Collaborative – Washington, DC
President, New Media Ventures – Oakland, CA
Food Systems Program Officer, W.K. Kellogg Foundation – SE United States
Social Enterprise Manager, People United for Sustainable Housing Buffalo – Buffalo, NY
Supervising Producer, The Laura Flanders Show – Brooklyn, NY
Training and Movement Building Coordinator, Open Buffalo – Buffalo, NY – Deadline Dec 21
Various Positions, Action Center on Race and the Economy – Location is flexible
Various Positions, California Environmental Justice Alliance
Various Positions, Color of Change – New York, Washington D.C., Oakland, Los Angeles
Various Positions, Demos – New York, NY
Various Positions, Foundation for Intentional Communities
Various Positions, Groundswell
Various Positions, Groundwork Collaborative
Various Positions, Economic Opportunity Institute – Seattle, WA
Various Positions, Institute for Policy Studies
Various Positions, Mothers Out Front
Various Positions, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Various Positions, National Congress of American Indians
Various Positions, Project Equity – Multiple Locations
Various Positions, RiseBoro Community Partnership – Brooklyn, NY
Various Positions, Sunrise Movement – Multiple Locations
Various Positions, US Federation of Worker Co-ops – Philadelphia – Priority Deadline 13
Youth Education Director, Mass Ave Project – Buffalo, NY – Deadline Jan 1
Upcoming Events
Making Real a Green New Deal
The 2019 Co-op Power Annual Member Meeting and Sustainability Summit. Open to all Co-op Power members and supporters. RSVP here. (Dec 14 – Springfield, MA)
Social Justice Holiday Market
Join Mayday Space for a delightful indoor gathering of small vendors selling all things social justice-y… so you don't have to buy corporate crap for your loved ones, and can instead uplift local artists, makers, and community-led efforts. (Dec 14-15 – Brooklyn, NY)
Anatomy of a Failed Co-op: Lessons from Renaissance Community Co-op
Often, we learn more from our failures than our successes. In that light, Nonprofit Quarterly & NEC member organization the Fund For Democractic Communities bring you a vitally important story about a food co-op dream that fell short, a dream that was known as the Renaissance Community Co-op (RCC), and the vital lessons that were learned from that experience. (Dec 17 – Virtual/Online)
NOT FOR SALE Holiday Party
Five years ago, Holes in the Wall Collective had one of our most enduring events- a holiday party where no money was exchanged but everyone left with more then they came with. Over 100 Businesses, artists, 9-5ers and everyone in-between gathered and made merry. People still ask us about it and so this year, on our five year anniversary, they’re bringing it back. (Dec 19 – Brooklyn, NY)
Open Buffalo Sankofa Celebration
Sankofa is an African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana that can be interpreted as "in order to move forward, one must learn from the past." As Open Buffalo recognizes five years serving Buffalo, we will hold a Sankofa Celebration, so that we can reflect on the lessons learned, the victories won, and prepare for our collective work in the year to come. (Jan 9 – Buffalo, NY)
2020 Sharing Economy Global Summit
The Sharing Economy Global Summit is the most comprehensive source of education, networking and information sharing for the global sharing economy. It offers programming and resources from experts focused on trust and safety, digital identity, screening, payments and fraud prevention, data privacy and cybersecurity, compliance and regulatory, legal and insurance, product, technology and innovation. (February 5-6 – London, UK)
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