Solidarity Economy Shorts is a podcast collaboration between New Economy Coalition and Cooperative Journal Media. Tune in for more stories at Cooperative Journal Podcast & find the podcast at your favorite streaming platform. 

Solidarity Economy Shorts are conversations with frontline organizations and individuals that are putting solidarity economy principles into practice and using different strategies to build an economic system where communities are meeting their own needs outside of capitalism. 

Cooperate Western North Carolina weaves cooperative economics and ecological design to nurture a regional-scale mutual aid network to meet community’s basic needs with trust at the foundation. In this episode Ebony speaks with the founder Zev Friedman. We discuss the relationship between regeneration in natural and human cooperative ecosystems, how they are practicing regional mutual aid through models like bulk purchasing and savings pools, conflict as an opportunity transformation, finding the balance between relational trust building and practical work, and tools for shifting from individualism to a collective way of life.

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Important notes & links:
Cooperate WNC
WNC Food Coalition: Regenerative food system coalition in Western North Carolina
Asheville Nuttery: cooperatively run nut processing facility in Asheville, NC
Community Purchasing Alliance: a network of local cooperatives that leverage the buying power of community institutions through bulk purchasing in Washington D.C.
Silver Run Forest Farm: Co-founder Jonathan McRay teaches organizers about the process of conflict systems
Transformative Justice Collective: community group based out of Oakland, CA working to build and support transformative justice responses to harm and violence

Credits:
Episode Music by MADlines
Podcast collaboration between New Economy Coalition and Cooperative Journal Media (@cooperativejournal).