solidarityNYC

Today, I received a blueprint for creating economia solidaria, here in North America. Anywhere in North America, even here in the United States of America. How do I know such a program based on grassroots economics justice can even work here?
Let me tell you how I know: It's been working in New York City since the late 1970's. Three decades, and counting, is a sure sign of success. Caroline Woolard, who created this kickstarter project, took a good look around at the flailing economy all over this great country and decided that the way to help was to film the success stories at hand. With the kickstarter funds in hand, she and two other leaders of the Solidarity Economy in New York City have created a video documentary which introduces the viewer to six different aspects of people working together for a greater good.
The first video is of an intentional community - reminiscent of the communes of the 1960's, but not a drug culture. As explained by Michael Johnson, the community profiled here (Ganas) consists of seventy-five inhabitants of eight houses. The residents share all incomes, share all expenses, share all ownership of property. The keyword is share. That doesn't mean they don't have some personal possessions, but everything of worth belongs to all. Ten core members help guide the flow of money, but these are ten people of Ganas, not of some outside group.
They must be doing something right. The community has been together, and growing in number, on Staten Island since 1979.
The Park Slope Food Co-Op, also founded in the late 1970's, is located in Brooklyn. Joe Holz, its general manager as well as a member, talks in the video about the operation, from staffing to shopping. Again, don't think hippies and dirty root vegetables...that is definitely not the case in the two food co-operatives highlighted in this segment. Here, foods and other goods are purchased, distributed, and sold democratically by the very consumers of the goods. Even the workers at the stores are a rotating schedule of members who volunteer their time!
Wondering about how to handle money? Credit Unions, member-owned, member-operated, with all monies made channeled right back into the community of members. Deyanira Del Rio, the Chair of the Board of Directors at the Lower East Side People's federal Credit Union in New York, highlights the ordinary aspects of this business begun in 1986. Sure, the name makes it sound rather limited in scope...until you realize the members are drawn from the large pool of people who "live, work, volunteer, worship, or attend school in Manhattan Community Board 3 (Lower East Side) and Manhattan Community Board 10 (Central Harlem)". Wow.
But no worries if there is no money; trade is available. Through use of a barter network, goods and services receive agreed-upon "values" which can then be exchanged. Caroline Woolard's group, OurGoods, is a collection of artists working together to obtain the materials they need by utilizing the services they can supply. The group is fairly new, as it originated in 2009, but the concept goes back many years in the history of mankind. (Consider the interactions between the first foreign settlers in this country and the natives already well-versed in the the resources available.)
Another means of helping a community of specialists, like artists, is through a worker co-operative. In this video, the specialists are health providers with a wide variety of services. Third Root Community Health Center is owned and controlled by its members and has been serving Brooklyn since 2008. Talesh Priscilla Pascual Lopez shares the philosophy of the center: good health for all people, regardless of income. Apparently, that way of doing business works.
Another group looks to make a direct impact through political channels. Community Voices Heard, based in Harlem since 1996, uses the concept of participatory budgeting to improve the lives of those in the neighborhood. Ann Bragg, a board member of the group, discusses how it works in the video. Apparently, the city of New York is going to be incorporating the group's methods to make a better city for all.
Isn't that the dream of grassroots organizations everywhere? To serve as a working model of the success possible through community and sharing?
Everyone has a vote; everyone's vote matters. Isn't that the goal of democracy?