A Day in Maine to Get Organized and Energized to Sustain Local Economies

Our friends at Cooperative Maine are helping put together an inspiring one-day conference, "Creating and Sustaining Vibrant Local Economies in Maine" on March 22 (this Saturday), 9 AM-4 PM, Randall Student Center, Augusta. We like the goals for the day!

Goals for the Day

(1) What are Vibrant Local Economies in Maine now (find out what’s being done);
(2) What would vibrant local economies in Maine look like in the future (vision);
(3) Why is it important to have strong local economies?
(4) Learn the benefits of vibrant local economies;
(5) People leave at the end with action ideas/steps and energy to carry them out.

CDI staffperson Jessica Pooley will be in attendance to let people know about the work CDI is doing in Maine to strengthen local economies.

Support "Jackson Rising" Cooperative Conference in May

On Tuesday February 25th, 2014 Mayor Chokwe Lumumba unexpectedly passed away. The Jackson Rising: New Economies Conference (May 2-4, 2014 at Jackson State University) was intended to be one of the primary initiatives and vehicles of the Lumumba administration to build a more equitable and democratic economy in Jackson, MS. The organizers intend to fulfill this mission. On February 26, 2014 (after Mayor Lumumba's death) they were successful in having the Jackson City Council pass a resolution endorsing the conference.

Help make Jackson, Mississippi, a center of economic democracy where strong cooperatives along with other forms of worker owned enterprises and financial institutions will create jobs with dignity, stability, living wages, and quality benefits.

The Indiegogo campaign has been launched! They are seeking to raise $10,000 by March 15^th. Please check out the link below and distribute it far and wide. 

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/682754/emal/6396066

Lets help them achieve or even surpass their goal. - Jessica Gordon Nembhard

Educational Opportunity 2: for Boston-area small businesses

Check out this SBA Emerging Leaders Initiative, if you're interested in accessing training and mentoring to build your co-op. They suggest applicants have revenue of at least $400K and 3 years of operations. http://www.sba.gov/about-offices-content/2/3162/resources/790641

Educational Opportunity: Online Courses on Intro to Co-ops, Participatory Methods, and Worker Co-op 101

Did you know? The Toolbox for Education and Social Action is gearing up to offer some great online courses. They'll be starting soon: Intro to Cooperatives March 10-14, http://store.toolboxfored.org/introduction-to-cooperatives/, Popular Education Methods and Practices Tuesday evenings starting on April 8th for four sessions, http://store.toolboxfored.org/popular-education-methods-and-practices/, and Worker Co-op 101 April 16 and 17, five hours total over two nights, http://store.toolboxfored.org/worker-co-ops-101/. Can't wait.

Introduction to Cooperatives

Learn the basics of cooperatives, cooperative economics, and the practice of cooperation with everyday practitioners.

Co-op 101, Thursday 2/20, 6-8 pm, Jamaica Plain, MA

Tell your friends,
Tell your neighbors,
and definitely tell your co-workers!

Workshop: Introduction to Cooperative Business
Thursday, Feb. 20, 2014
6-8 pm
at the offices of Red Sun Press,
94 Green Street (2nd floor), Jamaica Plain MA.

Info and Registration here:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-introduction-to-cooperative-business-registration-10555450637


WORC'N members - if you'd like to host a Co-op 101 at your space, let
us know! Co-op 101 is on the third Thursday of most every month.

Please let Stacey know ahead of time if you will need interpretation!

Northeast Cooperative Council Annual Meeting March 27, 2014

NECC 65th Annual Meeting and Leaders Forum, CoBank Customer Meeting

The 65th NECC Annual Meeting and Leaders Forum, "Strategic Decision Making Through Tactical Leadership" and the CoBank Northeast Customer Meeting will be held March 27-28, 2014 at the Albany Marriott, Albany, NY. Selected topics for the Cooperative Leaders Forum include risk evaluation in a global economy, succession planning for cooperative boards and management, messaging for members, and enhancing critical decision making skills. Learn more about the Leaders Forum and CoBank Customer meeting at http://cooperatives.aem.cornell.edu/necc/index.php and register through CoBank, here: http://www.cobank.com/Events-Meetings/Customer-Meetings/2014-Northeast-Customer-Meeting.aspx. 

Training opportunities for worker co-ops coming up: finance & patronage webinars Jan 24, Jan 31, and Feb TBD

The US Federation of Worker Cooperatives is kicking off 2014 with a member webinar series on worker cooperative finances. Register today!

January 24, 2014 = CAMP.coop Tutorial
January 31, 2014 = Worker Coop Finances 101
February 2014 = Patronage - Sharing & Comparing Models
Descriptions and registration information here: http://usworker.coop/news/member-webinar-series-coop-finances. 

This Saturday, 1/25, a screening of Shift Change documentary

Join us for the inaugural film in the Projections series, Word Up's winter series of film screenings with local filmmakers and neighborhood collaborators!

Ecomundo Cleaning & Word Up Community Bookshop / Librería Comunitaria 

present

SHIFT CHANGE

DATE: Saturday, January 25, 2014

TIME: 6 PM

LOCATION: 2113 Amsterdam Ave. @ 165th St.

WHAT: A screening of SHIFT CHANGE (69 min.), an award-winning documentary that tells the little known stories of employee owned businesses that compete successfully in today’s economy while providing secure, dignified jobs in democratic workplaces. 

***PLUS, members of Ecomundo Cleaning—a cooperative business based in Northern Manhattan and the Bronx—will present their own experiences forming a worker coop. Worker cooperative developers will also be present to discuss the process of forming a worker coop. 

ADMISSION: $5. (Reduced to $3 if you sign up for the Word Up CSB program as a Continuing CSB Member—wordupbooks.wordpress.com/csb.)

MORE ABOUT THE FILM:

Shift Change—a documentary film by veteran award-winning filmmakers Melissa Young and Mark Dworkin—tells the little known stories of employee owned businesses that compete successfully in today’s economy while providing secure, dignified jobs in  democratic workplaces.

With the long decline in US manufacturing and today’s economic crisis, millions have been thrown out of work, and many are losing their homes. The usual economic solutions are not working, so some citizens and public officials are ready to think outside  of the box, to reinvent our failing economy in order to restore long-term community stability and a more egalitarian way of life.

There is growing interest in firms that are owned and managed by their workers. Such firms tend to be more profitable and innovative, and more committed to the communities where they are based. Yet the public has little knowledge of their success, and the promise they offer for a better life.

Shift Change encourages support for employee ownership, and provides on-the-ground experience from a variety of enterprises and locations. 

*

ECOMUNDO CLEANING is a group of mostly women (and 2 men), from Upper Manhattan and the Bronx, who have formed a cooperative business in order to ensure ourselves decent wages and healthy work conditions. Ecomundo offers green cleaning services for homes, offices, and businesses in the New York Metropolitan area. 

WORD UP COMMUNITY BOOKSHOP / LIBRERíA COMUNITARIA is a multilingual, general-interest community bookshop and arts space in Washington Heights, committed to preserving and building a neighborhood in which all residents help each other to live better informed and more expressive lives, using books as an instrument of reciprocal education and exchange, empowering not only themselves, but their community. 

A program of Seven Stories Institute, Word Up is supported by the generosity of hundreds of community donors, as well as the funding for general operating support from the NoMAA Regrant Program, made possible by the JPMorgan Chase Foundation and the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation; the Medical Center Neighborhood Fund; and the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Ambulatory Care Network.

Film website: www.shiftchange.org

Ecomundo Cleaning: www.ecomundo.coop

Word Up Community Bookshop: www.wordupbooks.com

Facebook event: facebook.com/events/1394071100847825

Watch "To The Moon" trailer -- documentary on Co-Cycle

Co-Cycle was a brave and beautiful project to bike the U.S. visiting and learning about co-ops along the way. To the Moon is the documentary. CDI is proud to have helped out in small ways with both projects and congratulates these Amherst grads on a ton of good work. It's not over, though -- funds are still needed to edit and promote the film, and the Co-Cycle continues with a tour planned along the West Coast in 2014. Enjoy the trailer and see how you can participate!

1st Annual NYC Worker Cooperative Conference: Economic Democracy and Economic Justice, April 19

Economic Democracy and Economic Justice: The Tale of a New City

The New York City Network of Worker Cooperatives will hold its first annual conference of presentations and discussions about economic democracy and the road to economic justice.  

The conference will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2014 at CUNY Law School. The public is invited to a day of panels, group sessions, and lectures on workplace democracy, worker cooperative businesses, and the future of economic democracy in New York City.

Register at:

https://nycworker.eventbrite.com 

or in-person on Saturday, April 19.

Date: Saturday, April 19, 2014

Time: 9 am – 5 pm

Location: CUNY Law School, 2 Court Square, Queens, NY 11101

Directions: E/M/G/7 to Court Square

Admissions: $5 - 25

Please contact info@nycworker.coop or 646.363.6311 with questions.

Collegiate Conference on Cooperatives in Minneapolis/St. Paul

Calling Young Farmers: Conference on Co-operatives

Every February students attend the Collegiate Conference on Co-operatives. Sponsored in part by the CHS Foundation and CoBank, the event attracts participants from across the country to the hotbed of co-operation, Minneapolis/St. Paul. The annual conference features presentations by cooperative leaders from all across the spectrum, and it is beneficial to both beginning students and to those with some previous co-op education. This year it takes place on February 13-16.

"Our own history is so closely tied with the cooperative movement," said National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson. "Farmers Union has a strong commitment to providing co-operative education not only to our members, but also to the general public, and especially to young people."

New England Farmers Union will send four members to Minneapolis for this year's conference (expenses paid). If you, your child, or someone you know is a college student or is under 25 and interested in co-operatives in agriculture, please let us know.

Come to the 2013 New York Cooperative Summit

Registration for the New York Cooperative Summit is now open
www.newyorkcooperative.net

The New York Cooperative Network will hold the second annual New York Cooperative Summit in Syracuse on Saturday, September 28th.  The event will feature expert speakers and presentations that will educate and inspire members of the cooperative movement, from experienced practitioner to new enthusiasts.  

Connect with the leaders of New York’s cooperative movement.

The 2013 Summit features new breakout sessions, opportunities for discussion and engagement with cooperators close to home, and keynote addresses from prominent thinkers and doers.  Learn more about the presenters and panels:  

• Featured Speaker: Richard Wolff, Democracy at Work
• Featured Speaker: Brendan Martin, The Working World
• Featured Speaker: Esteban Kelly, New Economics Institute
• Technical Assistance: the Democracy at Work Network
• How to: Legally Organizing Your Cooperative
• Panel: What's Next for Grocery Cooperatives?
• Panel: Community Finance and Economic Justice
• How to: Cooperative Startup -- with Noemi Giszpenc of CDI, and Stuart Reid of Food Co-op Initiative
• Panel: Worker Cooperative Incubation
• Panel: Agricultural Cooperation in New York
• Panel: Cooperative Housing
• Tour: Eat to Live Food Cooperative

Summit Details

Date and TimeSaturday, September 28, 2013
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (EDT)

LocationSouth Side Innovation Center
2610 South Salina Street
Syracuse, NY 13205
See map

More informationnewyorkcooperative.net
facebook.com/NYCooperativeNetwork
newyorkcooperative@gmail.com

Call for Co-op Academy Mentors! Worcester Roots project, fall 2013

Call for Co-op Academy Mentors!

Experienced Co-operators Needed!

This fall, Worcester Roots Project, in collaboration with Solidarity And Green Economy Alliance (SAGE), CDI and Boston Center for Community Ownership is holding the very first Co-op Academy: "Concept to Co-op (CtC)"! CtC is a comprehensive training and mentorship program that gives present and prospective member-owners the knowledge, resources, tools, and connections to start their own business and become part of a national cooperative movement. 20 sessions over 10 weeks will include in-depth, personalized, and participatory trainings on incorporation, finance, market analysis, group development, and much more.

We believe that the best way to learn how to start your own cooperative business is to work closely with someone who has done it before, who knows the pitfalls and the potential, the challenges and the rewards. That's why we are calling for those with experience either with cooperatives or small business development to join us in supporting these budding, community-minded entrepreneurs in realizing their
dreams.

Mentorship means:

Being paired with a small group working to make their co-op business idea a reality or to transform an existing business or project into a cooperative.
Committing to a minimum of five evening sessions (in person or by phone/video conference) between September 16 - November 20, where you will go over the progress the group has made so far, advise them on next steps, connect them with relevant resources, and share what you've learned from your own experiences (fifteen hours total).
After they have completed the CtC Academy, holding six monthly sessions, either in person, online, or by phone. Help to check their progress, troubleshoot problems, explore new avenues for development, and advise them on their direction (6 hours plus 4 hours misc for a grand total of 25 hours over 6 months for the full mentorship commitment).

We are looking for people who have:

• Started their own cooperative
• Have started their own (non-cooperative) business
• Have worked in cooperative development
• Have extensive experience in finance or small business development

Additional skills desired include:

• Knowledge of small business law
• Experience with other kinds of cooperatives: credit unions, energy, housing, producer or marketing
• Experience working with small groups
• Interpersonal skills / ability to meet people where they are
• Experience with marketing, branding, or sales

Mentorship is a powerful and rewarding experience, an opportunity to walk people through the process of discovering themselves as creative agents in a new, compassionate economy. In addition, Worcester Roots is fundraising to make compensation possible on a case by case basis.

Join us in making the economy of tomorrow a reality, today. Please contact us if interested in being a mentor, or with any questions.
Asa Needle, Coordinator of Outreach and Education, Worcester Roots Project, asa@worcesterroots.org c: 774-242-2842

reRoute: Building Youth and Student Power for a New Economy, July 19-21, New York City

Announcing reRoute: Building Youth and Student Power for a New Economy

This summer join a diverse new generation of practitioners and organizers from across the US and Canada to share strategies, tools, and stories about our work creating a solidarity economy from the ground up in our communities and on our campuses. reRoute: Building Youth and Student Power for a New Economy will bring together under-40 activists dedicated to systemic change for three days, July 19-21 at New York University. 

The event is sliding scale and scholarships are available. Housing deadline is June 12th. You can learn more at www.neweconomicsinstitute/reroute or by emailing cheyennaweber@neweconomicsinstitute.org.

Full convergence program TBA but confirmed panels and workshops include:

*Pathways to a New Economy

with David Woods, Institute for Responsible Investment; Maliha Safiri, US Solidarity Economy Network; Alexa Bradley, On the Commons; Ed Whitfield, Fund for Democratic Communities, moderated by Atlee McFellin, Symcenter

*Making a Living in the New Economy

with Elandria Williams, Highlander Center; Farah Tanis, Black Women's Blueprint; Jessie Reilly, TimebanksNYC; Juliet Schor, Boston College, moderated by Joshua Stephens, NYC-based co-op developer

*Financing a New Economy

with Deyanira del Rio, Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project; Steve Wong, the Working World; Lauren Ressler, Responsible Endowments Coalition, moderated by Kenneth Edusei, SolidarityNYC

*Teaching and Learning a New Economics

with Renaud Girac, University of Quebec; Brian Kelly, US Society for Ecological Economics; Olivia Geiger, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, moderated by Keith Harrington, New School

*Success Stories from the New Economics Institute Campus Network

with Sachie Hopkins Hayakawa, Swarthmore Mountain Justice; Marcie Hawkins-Smith, North Carolina Student New Economy Coalition; Joel Williams, the Oak Tree Spokane; David Porinchok, Northern Arizona University Action Research Program, moderated by Farhad Ebrahimi, The Chorus Foundation

Fossil Fuel Divestment and Beyond – Responsible Endowments Coalition

Possibilities For Participatory Budgeting – Participatory Budgeting Greensboro

Food Justice and The New Economy – CoFED and Mariposa Food Co-op

Building Political Power for a New Economy– SolidarityNYC/Philadelphia 

Co-op Alliance

Can The Economics Curriculum Be Reformed?  Lessons From Activists In France and Quebec – PEPS / Horizons Economiques

Universities As Anchors For A Sustainable And Just Food Economy – Real Food Challenge

Mapping The New Economy – Shareable/Data Commons Project/Solidarity NYC

How To Start A Worker Co-op – Cooperative Development Institute

Non-hierarchical Staffing Structures – North American Students Of Cooperation

Bringing Solidarity Home: creating alternative housing economies through 

cooperative living – NASCO

Timebanks From New York to California – Timebanks NYC/Bay Area Community Exchange

Cooperative and Democratic Leadership--AORTA

We'll also be offering solidarity economy tours of Brooklyn on Friday.

Webinar: Improving Your Cooperative’s Annual Meeting

Please forward this information on to all of your cooperative contacts and/or state council contacts.

Please join us for a FREE Webinar!

“Improving Your Cooperative’s Annual Meeting”

When: Thursday, June 13, 2013

4:00-5:00 pm ET/3:00-4:00 pm CT/2:00-3:00 pm MT/1:00 pm-2:00 pm PT

https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/cooperatives (Enter as guest.)

Most cooperative bylaws require an annual meeting. Your annual meeting can be a routine formality or it can be your major promotional event that stimulates good will and membership understanding. OnThursday, June 13 from 3:00-4:00 pm Central Time (CT), the eXtension Cooperatives Community of Practice, in conjunction with USDA Rural Development Cooperative Programs and various state Cooperative Councils, will host a free webinar on improving annual meetings. Cooperative managers, employees, board members, and other stakeholders involved with planning and implementing your annual meeting are invited.

A panel of experts from various cooperative industry sectors will give their perspectives on how to improve your annual meeting. All of the speakers will take part in a discussion session responding to your questions as well discussing timely topics, including:

*     What is the best venue and format?

*     How to fill the room with active members!

*     How to create a culture of excitement!

*     Classic annual meeting mistakes to avoid!

Panel: David Swank, CEO, Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Stillwater, OK; Brian Ingulsrud, Vice President of Administration, American Crystal Sugar Company, Moorhead, MN; Tommy Engleke, Executive Vice President, Texas Agricultural Cooperative Council

Moderator: Phil Kenkel, Bill Fitzwater Cooperative Chair, Oklahoma State University

Webinar Link: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/cooperatives (Enter as guest.)

Participants who pre-register by contacting phil.kenkel@okstate.edu will receive a copy of the presentation material and discussion summary.

NCBA Legislative and Advocacy Update: June 4

Legislative and Advocacy Update Tuesday, June 4, 2013 • 12 - 1 pm, Eastern Join NCBA CLUSA President and CEO Mike Beall and Capitol Hill professionals as they discuss cooperative legislative matters and current issues in Washington. With Congress working on important legislation such as tax reform, the farm bill and the appropriations process, now is the time to get updated on issues that are important to you, your cooperative, and your community. During this update, learn what NCBA CLUSA is working on legislatively to advance the cooperative business model within Congress, the White House, and the federal government. Update Areas Overview of the current work in Congress and the Administration USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program consolidation proposal Development legislation: “Creating Jobs Through Cooperatives Act of 2013” Food Co-op eligibility for SBA programs Credit Union legislation including the “Member Business Lending” bill Tax reform and how it affects cooperatives including credit unions FEMA housing cooperative disaster funding eligibility Moderator R.L. Condra - Vice President of Advocacy, NCBA CLUSA Panelists Mike Beall - President and CEO, NCBA CLUSA John Weinfurter - Vice President, Government Relations, Witt | O'Brien's John Harsch - Director, Government Relations, Witt | O'Brien's John McKechnie - Partner, Total Spectrum Who Should Attend Cooperative developers, representatives, and volunteers Members of community service organizations Other groups/individuals that support the co-op movement and are interested in learning about cooperative legislative matters

Register for Free Like Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Visit Our Website

About NCBA CLUSA The National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA) is the national association for cooperative businesses providing cross-sector education, support and advocacy helping co-ops thrive across a variety of sectors. For nearly 100 years, our mission has been to develop, advance and protect cooperative enterprises demonstrating that cooperatives are a better business model for advancing economic and social impact. For the last 50 years, we have supported cooperative development globally through our CLUSA international program.

Donate to the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy! $2500 matching grant opportunity

By now, I hope that you're aware that the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy--the high-energy, information-packed biennial eastern region worker co-op conference--will be held at Drexel University in Philadelphia July 26th-28th.

In order to make a grant match, we're raising money in amounts of $100 or less from individuals, co-ops, and organizations.  Fund 4 Democratic Communities, a nonprofit in Greensboro, NC, has committed  $2500 for the conference if we can match that amount.  To do this, we need as many people as possible to pitch in at http://s.coop/workercoop on Razoo.com.  

ECWD's nonprofit fiduciary is EDINA.  If you'd prefer to send a check, make it out to EDINA/ECWD 13 and mail it to ECWD / 463 Lincoln Place #126 / Brooklyn, NY 11238-6201.

If you know of others who may be willing to help with this, please forward this information to them.  

For information on the conference and to register, go to Eastern Conference For Workplace Democracy | Growing our Cooperatives, Growing our CommunitiesDrexel University in Philadelphia, PA July 26-28 2013

Mary Hoyer

ECWD Advisor

Amherst, MA 

mhoyer22@comcast.net

The Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy will be held from July 26th-28th at Drexel University in Philadelphia PA. This year’s theme “Growing Our Cooperatives, Growing Our Communities” will examine strategies to maximize growth and development inside of cooperatives and in the cooperative movement while maintaining cooperatives’ democratic values. 

In addition to the a full slate of workshops, discussions and panels and on cooperative mechanics, development and finances from expert developers and worker-owners from across the country this year’s conference will feature workshops such as: 

•Planning for Development: Strategic Planning and Goal Setting in the cooperative context 

•Scaling Democracy: Transitioning between structures to maintain workplace democracy 

•Changing States: Moving from “maintenance” to development in an established cooperative 

March 15: Co-op info session in Worcester, MA

CO-OP ACADEMY
INFO SESSION
FRIDAY, MARCH 15th
3:00PM
at the WORCESTER PUBLIC LIBRARY, Saxe Room
3 Salem St Worcester,MA 01608
Delicious food will be served!
Free and open to the public.

Childcare and interpreting available upon request (RSVP with request by March 7th at www.WorcesterRoots.org)

- Key topics include:

• What are the different kinds of co-ops?
• What are the principles of co-ops?
• How do youth get involved in co-ops?
• How do you get funding and training to start a co-op?

REGISTER HERE / REGÍSTRASE AQUI

FULL CO-OP ACADEMY INFO HERE.

October is Co-op Month: Events in Maine

October is Co-op Month

Each October, cooperatives all across America celebrate the role, accomplishments and contributions of our nation's cooperatives. Cooperative Maine will once again be sponsoring events and raising awareness about co-ops.  

Cooperative Maine is a network of co-op advocates around the state,
promoting support for existing cooperatives and encouraging the
creation of new ones. These can be consumer (such as co-op food
stores), producer (farmer or craft), worker (such as Fedco Seeds),
housing (several in Maine and now the purchase of mobile home parks
by tenants), electric (Eastern Maine Electric Co-op), and credit unions.

The annual celebrations play a key role in promoting cooperatives to
co-op members, the public and policy makers. Through a combination of
media outreach, member education, and interaction with policy makers,
co-op month events help raise the visibility of cooperatives as a way
of creating democratic workplaces.

Research shows that when consumers know a business is a cooperative
or credit union (which are financial cooperatives), they are more
likely to do business with it. And with consumer trust in co-ops
topping investor-owned companies, promoting a business as a
cooperative is a win-win proposition.

In Maine, there will be a variety of events taking place during the
month and stretching into the beginning of November, including Credit
Union Week, October 14-20, film showings, forums, concerts, and more.

For more information about Co-op Month and a directory of Maine
cooperatives, email info@cooperativemaine.org or go to
www.cooperativemaine.org.

EVENTS:

October: Co-op Month, with events highlighting cooperatives in Maine
throughout the Month. Cooperative Maine, 525-7776.

October 14-20: Credit Union Week celebrated by credit unions
throughout Maine. Credit Union Day will be on October 18. For local
events for more info: Jon Paradise, Maine Credit Union League,
jparadise@mainecul.org.

October 18: ""I Am" film shown in conjunction with Co-op Month, time
TBA, Public Library, Rockland. Good Tern Cooperative, 594-8822 or
teishagoodtern@hotmail.com.

October 21: "Concert for Cooperatives" performance w/Emma's
Revolution, 7 PM, First Congregational Church, 22 Tenney Hill, Blue
Hill. Blue Hill Co-op, 441-2785 or hearme@natisp.com.

November 1: "Building a Stable Economy Right in Your Own Community"
presentation/discussion, 6:30 PM, Public Library, Bangor. Cooperative
Maine, deborahhawkins!@gmail.com.

"Fixing the Future" documentary screenings July 18

In Fixing the Future, public media star David Brancaccio (of Marketplace and NOW on PBS) visits locations across America that are attempting a revolution: the reinvention of the American economy. By featuring communities using sustainable and innovative approaches to create jobs and build prosperity, Fixing the Future inspires hope and renewal amidst economic collapse. The film highlights effective local practices such as: community banking, local business alliances, time banking/exchange, worker cooperatives and local currencies. Following the film will be an exclusive onscreen discussion panel featuring Bill McKibben, Majora Carter, Mike Brady and David Brancaccio.


In each screening location, local groups working on implementing grassroots solutions to the economic crisis will facilitate a discussion and brainstorming session. 


Screenings are being held on Wednesday, July 18 in:

• Worcester, MA, co-sponsored by Worcester Roots (buy tickets)
• New York, NY, sponsored by the NYC Network of Worker Cooperatives (buy tickets)
• Portland, ME, co-sponsored by Hour Exchange Portland, Local Sprouts Co-op, & others 

...and loads more locations throughout the Northeast and the U.S. Find a screening near you!