Food First trip to Basque Country to Explore Food Sovereignty and Cooperative Production

BASQUE COUNTRY: Food Sovereignty and Cooperative Production

 March 22-30, 2014

Join Food First and experience the Spanish Basque Country, Euskal Herria, through the eyes of local farmers and activists while exploring food sovereignty and cooperative production.

Specially hosted by the Basque Farmers’ Union, recent honorees of the 2013 Food Sovereignty Prize, you’ll have the unique opportunity to learn how agriculture and food play key economic and social roles within Basque society by preserving important threatened traditions. Tour the renowned Mondragón worker-owned cooperative and stay in farmer-owned guesthouses and learn about the struggles and triumphs of Basque history while sharing delicious, local, cooperatively grown food.

We want to honor the US cooperative movement, and are offering a $100 discount to members of cooperatives. Just enter Coop2014 upon registering. We also provide partial scholarships through our Scholarship Program.

http://www.foodsovereigntytours.org/international-tours/basque-country/

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*Scholarships available for qualified applicants on a first-come, first-served basis.

*The trip prices reflect fair compensation for the many groups and individuals who contribute their time, energy and expertise to the delegations. Please see website for cost inclusions/exclusions.

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.

Help us make Co-opoly 2.0 Happen; Get Great Benefits in Return; Show off Your Co-op or Organization to 20,000 People

*Please forward widely!*

Dear friends and cooperators,

I wanted to reach out to you to let you know the exciting news that The Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA) is gearing up for Co-opoly 2.0. But, we need your help to make it happen. This game is entirely ethically produced (all in the US, primarily by other worker co-ops, and on sustainable materials), and so the cost is extremely high - as we're paving the road for ethical game production. Now, we’re turning to the co-op movement to help us raise funds for another run of Co-opoly, and we've lined up a bunch of amazing rewards for individuals and co-ops/allied organizations who make a tax-deductible contribution.

Our first pressing of Co-opoly is nearly gone; we’ve sold roughly 1,000 copies to people in 20 countries around the world. People who have played Co-opoly have given positive and enthusiastic feedback, confirming that Co-opoly is both a fun game and a powerful resource for building the cooperative community. That we have nearly sold out of Co-opoly in almost a year surpassed our wildest expectations, and having support from people like you made a sizable difference.

There are still many people who have yet to play Co-opoly, and so we plan to print 2,000 more games, which will reach 12,000 to 20,000 more people—from experienced cooperators to start-up co-op members, educators, families, organizers, and many others. Like when we launched, we are providing our individual supporters with amazing rewards. There's a whole other set of rewards for co-ops/allied organizations, too, such as being featured in the game, free copies of Co-opoly, your logo on the box, a custom version of the game designed for your co-op or community, being thanked in the instructions, and so much more. All of this could be seen by up to 20,000 people! And don't forget, thanks to CDI, all contributions are tax deductible!

Can you give today to take Co-opoly to the next level? Organizations can get these wonderful benefits, and individuals can receive these. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions. Thank you so much for your continued support. 

In cooperation,
Brian Van Slyke

P.S. Haven't played Co-opoly yet but want to give it a shot? You can buy it here!

Co-opoly's Second Printing Needs Your Support!

Dear cooperators and cooperative allies,

We, the Toolbox for Education and Social Action (TESA), a co-op based in Northampton, MA, are preparing to print the second edition of the hit board game Co-opoly: The Game of Cooperatives, and we need your help! 

Last year, we launched Co-opoly, and in ten months we have sold nearly 1,000 copies of our independently produced and marketed game to people all over the world. We are almost out of stock and are seeking contributions to help us print the second edition. In return, we’ll give you amazing rewards, benefits, and publicity. All contributions are tax deductible! 

Co-opoly has reached thousands of people around the world and has proven to be both a fun game and a powerful resource for building the cooperative community. Our game is also the first of its kind that we know of to be manufactured in accordance with sustainable and ethical business practices. While the game’s popularity thus far has been great, we need support to print the second edition. 

Our goal is to print 2,000 games, which will reach 12,000 to 20,000 people—from experienced cooperators to start-up co-op members, educators, families, organizers, and beyond. In return for your tax-deductible contributions, you can receive an array of benefits, such as being featured in the game; your logo on the box; free copies of Co-opoly; free advertising for your organization; and so much more! By helping us make this game available to more people and communities, you will also be spreading the word about your organization and mission. 

Visit our website to download the information kit and find out more details about our campaign to fund the second printing of Co-opoly. You can reach us by phone at 617-252-8799 or by email at contact@toolboxfored.org. We look forward to talking with you about Co-opoly!

New Report Highlights Role of Cooperatives Worldwide

PRESS RELEASE Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Contact: Supriya Kumar, skumar@worldwatch.org, (+1) 202-452-1999, ext: 510 Membership in Co-operative Businesses Reaches 1 Billion Co-ops offer democratic alternative to shareholder-owned businesses. Washington, D.C.----The United Nations has designated 2012 as the International Year of Cooperatives, providing a great opportunity to raise the profile of an important organizational tool for spreading human rights and equality worldwide. Membership in co-operative businesses has grown to 1 billion people across 96 countries, according to new research published by the Worldwatch Institute for its Vital Signs Online publication. Co-operatives, or co-ops, are a type of business characterized by democratic ownership and governance. They offer an alternative to the shareholder model of business ownership. Co-ops are governed by their members, who typically invest in the co-operative and have an ownership stake in it, as well as a voice in how the firm is run. Decisions are often made on a one-member, one-vote basis, so in many societies, co-ops provide a much-needed example of democratic governance amid otherwise inequitable conditions. Unlike more conventional businesses, many co-ops do not struggle financially, because of their emphasis on democratic governance. In 2008, the world's 300 largest co-ops generated revenues of more than US$1.6 trillion. "Co-operatives are low-profile but powerful economic actors," said report author Gary Gardner, a Worldwatch Senior Fellow. "If these businesses were a national economy, they would rank ninth in the world----ahead of the economy of Spain." Members of co-ops can use their collective power to fight for their common economic, social, or cultural interests: for example, members of a worker co-op might set working-hour limits and wage rates, while members of a financial co-op can access savings, loans, and other financial services that commercial banks might deny them. "Co-operatives can clearly play a key role in improving the quality of life of their members, particularly in countries where official protections for workers' or consumers' rights are not enforced," said Worldwatch President Robert Engelman. In industrialized countries, consumer co-ops vastly outnumber other types of co-ops; 92 percent of co-ops in the United States are consumer co-ops. But globally, nearly one-third (29 percent) of the largest 300 co-ops are agricultural. This could mean that farmers in a community share the use of tools and machinery to save on overhead costs, or that they use their collective strength to negotiate higher prices for their goods at market. In the financial sector, co-op businesses are valuable because they are a major driver of rural development, providing economic opportunities to the poorest sectors of many economies.Some 45 percent of the branches of financial co-ops are located in rural areas, for example, compared with 26 percent of branches of commercial banks. A 2010 World Bank report found that credit union branches account for 23 percent of bank branches worldwide and serve 870 million people, making them the second-largest financial services network in the world. Further highlights from the study: An estimated 7 percent of Africans belong to a co-operative, and their numbers are growing rapidly. The number of co-ops registered in Uganda, for example, grew 13-fold between 1995 and 2008----from 554 to nearly 7,500. Savings and credit co-operatives in particular are thriving in Africa. Co-ops can generate a meaningful share of economic output: 21 percent in Finland, 17.5 percent in New Zealand, 16.4 percent in Switzerland, and 13 percent in Sweden. In some countries, a sizable share of the population----up to 70 percent in Ireland----belongs to a co-operative of one sort or another. ### Notes to Journalists: For more information and for a complimentary copy of this report, please contact Supriya Kumar at skumar@worldwatch.org. About the Worldwatch Institute: Worldwatch is an independent research organization based in Washington, D.C. that works on energy, resource, and environmental issues. The Institute's State of the World report is published annually in more than 20 languages. For more information, visit www.worldwatch.org. # # #

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