Solidarity Economy

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Solidarity Economy
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Definition

• An alternative economic framework to that of
  neoliberal globalization
• Grounded in solidarity and cooperation
• Promotes social and economic democracy, equity in
  all dimensions (e.g. race, class, gender...) and
  sustainability.
• It is  pluralist and organic in its approach,
  allowing for different forms and strategies in
  different contexts.

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Community Development Corporations
Franklin County Community Development Corporation
business incubator including an up to code food
production center
Dudley St. Neighborhood Initiative, Boston
shining example of community taking control of
economic development.
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Social Enterprise
Nuestras Raices Holyoke, MA
Shared-use kitchen
Mi Plaza Restaurant
El Jardin Bakery
Centro Agricola
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Social Enterprise - Urban agriculture
Nuestras Raices, Holyoke, MA
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Urban agriculture
Zenger Farms, Portland, OR Immigrant Market
Garden Land is reserved for immigrant families to
grow vegetables that are common in their country
of origin but are either unavailable or too
expensive to buy in the U.S. They grow food for
themselves and for sale at the local farmer's
markets.
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Urban agriculture
The Food Project Boston, MA The Food Project
works with youth in immigrant communities to grow
a community of youth and adults from diverse
backgrounds who work together to build a
sustainable food system.
Ethiopian Catering business
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Community supported agriculture
About 10 percent of CSAs in the U.S. are operated
by nonprofit organizations, such as food banks.
Nonprofit CSAs provide work and training for the
unemployed, fresh produce for the food bank, and
a venue for other local farms to sell products.
Food Bank of W. Mass.
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Community Land trusts
Athens Land Trust
Goals Affordable Housing
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Community Land trusts
Conservation
Athens land trust
Neighborhood revitalization
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Social/Local Currency
Art used in Berkshire, MA local currency
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Participatory budgeting
Participatory Budget assemblyin Santo André, SP,
Brazil (2003)
The participatory budget of Icapui, Brazil. The
left column reads, where the money comes from.
the right one, what the money is spent for.
Below it says,When the administration is
transparent, everything works smoothly.
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Green building
Solara 56 affordable housing project in Poway,
California. Hydronic space heating and
photo-voltaic panels produce nearly 100 percent
of the project's electricity, significantly
reducing tenants' utility costs and making these
units even more affordable.
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Eco-village
Gaviotas, Colombia - A huge mural painting of
what Gaviotans have already accomplished, and
their vision for the future. Note airship in the
background.
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Eco-village
This micro-hydro power plant generates
electricity from a one-meter water drop.
Gaviotas, Colombia research center biodiesal
production
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Eco-village Gaviotas

• Reforestation Gaviotans have discovered that
  their pine forest can produce twice as much resin
  as any other resin-tapping forest in the world.
  Tree tappers normally use sulfuric acid when
  making incisions, but Gaviotans use an enzyme
  that appears to be beneficial for the trees. The
  use of mycorrhiza fungus on the roots of the
  trees may also contribute to their productivity.

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Ecological production

• ZERI - Zero Emissions Research Initiatives is a
  global network of innovators working within a
  common vision that views waste as a resource and
  seeks solutions using nature's design principles
  as inspiration. 

Traditional beer production
ZERI beer production
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Ecological design - Biomimicry

• Termite inspiration - Eastgate Building in
  Harare, Zimbabwe. Inspired by termite towers in
  Zimbabwe that use ventilation shafts to keep
  their homes at a constant temperature of 87
  degrees F, while outside temperatures fluctuate
  between 34 to 104 degrees. The Eastgate building
  doesnt need an air conditioning system. In the
  first five years alone, the building saved its
  owner 3.5 million in energy costs.

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ESOPs Worker ownership

• 9225 ESOPs with 10 million workers
• Better wages, benefits, investment, outsourcing,
  jobs and profitability.

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Worker cooperatives
Womens Action to Gain Economic Security (WAGES)
- Bay Area, CA In the Bay Area, immigrant women
have taken control of their work life by creating
worker-owned green cooperatives that provide
non-toxic house-cleaning services.
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Worker Co-ops

• Co-operative Home Care Associates (CHCA)
• Jobs Created Over 550 jobs for low-income
  African-American and Latina women, many of whom
  were on welfare.
• Wages average 8/houramong the industrys
  highest
• Benefits individual health insurance, paid
  vacation and sick time
• Worker turnover less than 20 a year, compared
  to an industry average of 40-60.

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Mondragon Cooperative

• 100-150 cooperatives, including manufacturing
  service providers, a bank, a research and
  development institute, a chain of supermarkets,
  its own social welfare system, schools, housing,
  occupational training and an education center for
  members
• 20-25,000 worker-owners (3 of the Basque
  regions workforce).
• Number one business group in the Basque region
  and is fifteenth in the ranking of Spanish
  companies.
• Survived 12 years of recession (1974-1985) with
  no layoffs and virtually no business failures.
  Throughout its history it has had three
  enterprises fail.

Fagor Arrasate assembly plant, part of Mondragon
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Cooperatives
International Co-operative Alliance ICA has 220
member organisations from 85 countries,
representing more than 800 million individuals
worldwide.
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Craft cooperatives
Somali Bantu Womens Co-operative, San Diego, CA
Womens Textile Co-operative, Minneapolis, MN -
preserves Somali cultural art tradition. Older
women pass on skills to younger women.
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Agricultural Cooperatives
Federation of Southern Cooperatives
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High road education
Austin Polytech, Chicago high school training
for high skill jobs, management ownership