the solidarity economy

In this episode of Upstream, we’ll explore a phenomenon that has existed throughout centuries both within and alongside Capitalism wherever and whenever and relationships have been based on reciprocity, sustainability, and democratic governance as opposed to competition, exploitation, and blind profit-maximization. We’ll learn of the origin of it’s name. And about how it is strengthened and enlivened by countermovements and during times of crisis. We’ll follow the presence of economic solidarity throughout the history of particular marginalized community in the United States, celebrating the courage of African American cooperative thought and practice. We’ll then paint a picture of a modern solidarity response to economic austerity and debate the role of the state. And finally, we’ll dream about the potential of this alternative system as part of a larger paradigm shift in the face of ecological peril and plan for what it will take to grow the Solidarity Economy to global prominence and serve as a movement of movements.

Featuring

Michael Ventura - Co-author with James Hillman of We've Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy – And the World's Getting Worse, columnist of Letters at 3AM with the Austin Chronicle

Caroline Woolard - Artist & organizer whose work explores intersections between art and the solidarity economy

Michael Lewis - Soildarity economy researcher; Co-author of The Resilience Imperative

Pat Conaty - Research associate Cooperatives UK, Co-author of The Resilience Imperative

Jessica Gordon Nemhbard - Professor of Community Justice and Social Economic Development, author of Collective Courage: A history of African-American Cooperative Economic Thought & Practice

Biba Schoenmaker - Co-Founder of Broodfonds Makers

Stuart Field - Founder of Breadfunds UK

Jos Veldhuizen - Member of Broodfunds, Amsterdam

This episode is presented in partnership with STIR Magazine's Winter 2017 Issue on Solidarity Economics

Get your copy here

Music

Robert Raymond (witchdreammasion bandcamp)

Lanterns (lanternsss.bandcamp.com)

Chris Zabriskie (chriszabriskie.com)

Jörgen UNOM JG (unomjg.nl)

Many thanks to Bethan Mure for the background/cover art.