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By Kenzie Love As in many other BIPOC communities, Indigenous people in Canada have a long history of co-operativism. As Mark Intertas and James Thunder note in their paper Indigenizing the Co-operative Model: “While the co-operative is a relatively new construct in the context of European history, Indigenous peoples exhibited the characteristics and principles of … Learning and Listening Will Help Canada’s Worker Co-op Sector Build Relationships With Indigenous Communities

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By Kenzie Love Co-operatives around the world employ 280 million people, comprising 10 percent of the world’s employed population, making for a significant if still comparatively small portion of the global economy. But co-operatives are also unevenly distributed globally, with worker co-operatives, at least, comprising a relatively small share of the Canadian economy (with the … Government Support Is Critical to a Strong Worker Co-op Sector

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By Kenzie Love Contrary to popular belief, the Chinese don’t actually have the same character for the word “crisis” as they do for “opportunity.” And yet this is an apt description of the situation facing the global economy. Crises of climate change, an ever-growing gap between the ultra-wealthy few and everyone else, racism and other … Three Reasons for Optimism About Worker Co-ops in 2023

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By Kenzie Love Democratic member control is a key co-op principle, and as the International Co-op Alliance’s guidance notes for the seven principles state,  “democracy is a simple concept: the governance or control of an organization by its members through majority decision-making.”  Compared to the autocratic decision-making that characterizes many traditional businesses, majority decision-making might … Sociocracy – a Compelling Governance Model for Worker Co-ops

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By Kenzie Love Advancing gender equality is a critical requirement for a more just and sustainable world, and the road towards this often begins in the workplace. Research shows that women who are empowered in their careers can also be more empowered in their homes and communities as a result. So given that worker co-ops … Worker Co-ops Have the Potential to Advance Gender Equality

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By Kenzie Love At the recent CMC (Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada) Congress in Calgary, delegates approved a resolution committing Canada’s co-operative sector to adopt the UN’s Race to Zero, a global pact which mandates signatories to achieve net zero in emissions by 2050 at the latest, and to commit to at least a 50% reduction … Co-ops Can Lead the Race to Zero

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By Kenzie Love The problems with the so-called “gig economy”, in which workers for Uber and other platforms carry all the responsibilities of being an employee while receiving none of the benefits, have been well-documented. The desire for an alternative to the enormous power of big tech is also readily apparent. But many of the … Platform Co-ops Offer an Alternative to Big Tech’s Monopolies

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By Kenzie Love In 1995, the International Co-operative Alliance set out to answer this question by adopting the Statement on the Cooperative Identity. Subsequently recognized by many governments and multilateral organizations, the Statement defines the cooperative business model, makes explicit the cooperative and ethical values on which it is founded, and sets out seven universal … International Co-operative Alliance Consultation a Chance to Define the Co-operative Identity

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