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This week we’re talking about a just transition to a new economy in post-coal Appalachia, how Black Lives Matter Louisville is organizing around housing in Kentucky and exciting new data from the US Federation for Worker Cooperatives & Democracy at Work Institute based on their first national study of the worker cooperative experience.
Stories From the Field
Solving What Comes After Coal: A few days ago President Trump warned the Tennessee Valley Authority to tread very carefully in their decision to shut down a Kentucky-based coal power plant. The TVA stonewalled him – a win for the climate. But what might the future hold for the plant’s workers? NEC member organization, Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED), runs a New Energy Intern training program for lifetime coal industry workers to earn a living in the new energy industry. Their work was featured in Fortune Magazine in this excellent video feature as well as their recent congressional testimony to the House Committee on Natural Resources' Energy and Mineral Resources.
Indigenous Environmental Network Responds to the Green New Deal: Whose ancestors were the original stewards of this land we seek to restore? What do they ask of us? Who will listen and act? Reading IEN's GND response is a first step.
Healing Through Our Economy & Redistribution: Are we building personal control or communal capacity? Are we building separation or synergy? Are we building domination or democracy? NEC’s new board member (meet them all) Kate Poole shares her experience learning about NEC member organization, Resource Generation, and how it led her to building investment portfolios with racial and economic justice at their core. Read about the reckoning she calls for in GreenMoney.
L.A. Turns to Community Land Trusts for Affordable Housing: With so-called “affordable” units coming with price tags as high as $700,000, the East L.A. Community Corporation is working to take land off the market via Community Land Trusts and preserve it for the use of POC working-class community that lives there. Listen to NPR’s interview with Roberto Garcia, one of ELACC’s organizers.
Solidarity Economies Abroad
Sharing Cooperative Understanding From New York to Japan: This past October in New York City, NEC member organization CEANYC, hosted representatives from the Seikatsu Club. The Japanese consumer cooperative, founded to empower women and redefine post war economic practices, has now grown into an incredible model with 340,000 members spanning 32 cooperatives in 21 out of the 47 prefectures in Japan. NEC member organization, Shareable recently featured their work
The Financial Secret Behind Germany’s Green Energy Revolution: In the face of criticism that the Green New Deal cannot be financed, what lessons can be learned from Germany’s transition? Hint: public investments in infrastructure and jobs programs are not new. Read more about the resurrection of public financing.
Resistance and Renewal in Mexico: The work that the Unión de Cooperativas Tosepan, in Puebla, Mexico, has done creates a "holistic, sustainable, locally and democratically controlled economy rooted in the indigenous culture and knowledge of the Sierra Norte – a source of dignified livelihoods and ecological security, and a viable alternative to the distress-migration suffered by so many other communities.” Read more on the Economics of Happiness blog of NEC Member, Local Futures.
“All About The Workers” National Study
Now—for the first time—we have national data about the experience of workers within democratic, worker-owned firms including thousands of anecdotes, and numbers on the growth of employee-ownership, too. The Worker Co-op Census was carried out by NEC member organizations, Democracy at Work Institute and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives alongside their partners. Watch the webinar where they break down the survey results. Interested in starting a worker cooperative? Start here.
Black Solidarity Matters
In the face of continued segregation, gentrification and unequal access to housing, the Louisville chapter of Black Lives Matter has organized around buying houses for transient families and low-income single mother households. “The Black Lives Matter (Louisville program) essentially functions like a co-op, supported by funds the organization raises. Contractors, other professionals, and community volunteers donate their talent, time, and work to make it all possible." More in YES Magazine.
Movement News
- There’s Now an Official Green New Deal. Here’s What’s In It.
- Young People Really, Really Want A Green New Deal
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal Should Nationalize Utilities
- ‘There Is No Such Thing as a Nonracist’
- Participatory Budgeting Project’s Scoping Toolkit
- Democratizing Finance: Community Development Financial Institutions Movement
- The Misadventures of an Idealistic Restaurant in Cut-Throat New York
- Uptown Soon Home To Country’s First Woman/Refugee-Owned Clothing Co-Op
- “Alexa, Drop a Bomb”: Amazon Wants in on US Warfare
- 20 Social Change Books to Read in the New Year
- Power of POP: The Case of the Cultural Influencers
- By Every Means Necessary: Southern Progressives Are Shaking Up Politics
- Why Fight For Higher Taxes on the Rich Even When The U.S. Government Sucks
- Capitalism vs. Socialism Is a False Choice
- Breaking Out of the Domination Trance
- Transnational Institute: State of Power 2019
- Sandusky, Ohio, Swaps Out Columbus Day for Election Day as a Paid Holiday
- These Artists Want Black People to Sleep
- Team Human: A Place Where It’s Easier To Be Good With Nathan Schneider
NEC on The Gram
Follow NEC on Instagram – @NewEconomyCoalition – where we’re sharing NEC member organization, Cooperative Food Empowerment Directive (CoFED)’s Black History Month contest. Nominate your fav Black-led coop for a chance to win Equal Exchange chocolates!
Executive Director, Cooperative Fund of New England
Editor in Chief, YES! Media
Storytelling Director, Mijente
Colorlines Audience Engagement Manager, Race Forward
Digital Coordinator, Resource Generation
Senior Digital Campaigner, Demand Progress
Women Changing Transit Mentorship Program, Transit Center
Loan Administrator, Shared Capital Cooperative
Communications & Cooperative Developer, Center for Family Life
Northwest/Central Vermont Housing Cooperative Specialist, Cooperative Development Institute
Policy Officer, International Co-operative Alliance
Education Director, CoFED
Communications Director, New Florida Majority
Executive Director, Power Shift Network
Program Assistant, Coro New York Leadership Center
Half-Time Project Steward, LA Coop Lab
Program Director, San Francisco Rising
Cultural Organizer, Highlander Center
Various Positions, People’s Food Co-op
Member Services Manager, Riverton Community Housing
Co-Coordinator, Liberation School South
Assistant Editor, Economics Hub, openDemocracy
Policy Director, Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont
Program Administrator, People’s Hub
Director of Grassroots Partnerships, Thousand Currents
African Diaspora Partnerships Manager, Thousand Currents
Development Director, Rethink
Upcoming Events
Northeast Organic Farming Association 37th Annual Winter Conference
The NOFA Vermont Winter Conference is a highlight of the winter for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders and enthusiastic eaters. Please join us—and 1,200 of your fellow organic food enthusiasts —for three days of learning, inspiration, good food, great conversation, and community building. (February 16-18 – Burlington, VT)
New Economy Coalition Boston Cooperative Board Game Mixer
While our country’s public officials struggle to collectively govern the country, we invite you to test your own capabilities to collaborate and solve seemingly intractable problems!
We've been hearing that the Greater Boston new/solidarity/cooperative economy community could use more space to build relationships and trust. But instead of simply talking shop, we’ll be flexing our cooperation muscles by playing board games together (featuring a few made by NEC member organization TESA Collective) (February 17 – Boston, MA)
Platform Co-ops – Solving the Capital Conundrum
Cooperatives UK and Nesta are delighted to invite you to the launch of their joint research paper “Platform Coops – Solving the Capital Conundrum”. Join for an informal gathering of practitioners and champions from across the sector. They will discuss the research findings and share a new programme of work to establish new funding models for platform co-operatives in 2019, supported by Open Society Foundations. (February 19 – London, UK)
30 Years in 60 Minutes: The Story of Quebec’s Social Economy
Join Nancy Neamtan, ex-CEO of the Chantier de l’économie sociale, to hear her synthesis of the history of the Quebec social economy movement, based on her personal experience that began in the mid-80’s in the Southwest of Montreal and continues today through her on-going involvement in the social economy movement in Quebec and internationally. (February 19 – Webinar)
Clifford Rosenthal on Democratizing Finance
Join Next City for another event in their online seminar series, this time with guest presenter Clifford Rosenthal, author of “Democratizing Finance: Origins of the Community Development Financial Institutions Movement.” (February 20 – Webinar)
A Just Transition for Indigenous Communities: Building Energy Infrastructure
In this webinar, Dan Rosen and Brett Isaac of Navajo Power, a Public Benefit Company, will describe the company's model for developing renewable energy infrastructure on Native American tribal lands so as to maximize the economic benefits to the communities where the infrastructure is located. (February 20 – Webinar)
PolicyLink: Fair Housing and the Right to Return
This webinar will draw on the knowledge and experience gained through implementing successful fair housing campaigns in Portland, Oregon and New Orleans, Louisiana. Please join Dr. Lisa Bates and Cashauna Hill as they share the successes, challenges, and lessons learned in their efforts to use to fair housing laws to ensure that residents facing displacement are afforded the right to remain in their respective communities. (February 20 – Webinar)
Hone Your Message and Work with the Media to Get It Out
If the new political reality has you itching to speak out in the media, this session is for you. Hosted by NEC member organization, the American Sustainable Business Council, learn best practices from the frontlines. (February 21 – Webinar)
Solidarity Is A Verb: Why Worker Cooperatives Should Build Connections to Social Justice Movements
Join USFWC's Racial & Economic Justice Council in conversation about why it's important for worker cooperatives to be connected to social movements. We'll also have worker owners present their experiences and concrete strategies for workplaces to connect and support with social movements. (February 25 – Webinar)
Understanding the Global Rise of the Far Right
This interactive workshop will support your understanding of historic processes, as well and provide insights into our current global realities. Through a comparative analysis, we will examine how the far right in power has sought to challenge democratic institutions. We will explore the use of technology in right populism and the role of racism, gender violence, and xenophobia in constructing far right ideology. (February 26 – Webinar)
Divest/Reinvest Boston: Boston City Council Hearing
Join NEC Members Center for Economic Democracy, Boston Ujima Project, 350.org, their partners, Boston residents and community organizers at the Boston City Council hearing on 'Pension fund disclosure, socially responsible investment, and reinvestment,' as they lead the way for Boston city officials to DIVEST from Systems of Harm and Injustice and REINVEST into Our Communities and Our Futures. (February 28 – Boston, MA)
How Will We Build an Equitable Economy in New York?
Join us for an evening of conversation with Boston Impact Initiative Fund Co-Founder Deborah Frieze and New York City community organizers from CAAAV and the New Economy Project. They’ll share some real talk about projects that can reduce the racial wealth gap, even amidst political realities in Albany and City Hall. And you can bring your questions about what building an equitable economy looks like. (March 4 – New York, NY)
March Sociocracy Leadership Training
Sociocracy Leadership Training (SoLT) is an innovative training program where you can experience what sociocracy feels like by doing it. SoLT consists of 14 two-hour meetings over the course of 9 weeks. SoLT is Sociocracy for All’s favorite training, and it prepares you to be part of a sociocratic organization. This is an online sociocracy class, i.e. all the meetings and training happen online in video conferences. (March-May – Webinar)
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