“You never change
things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model
obsolete.” – R. Buckminster Fuller
Right now,
community leaders, advocates, and every day citizens across the U.S. are demonstrating
how the growing Solidarity Economy/New Economics movements present a viable
solution to our intertwined, systems-level crises of ecology, economics, equity,
and democracy. They are discussing the
ideas – yes, but more importantly they are creating
the better world that many of us envision and know is possible. All the while they are armed with the
knowledge that their work is tied to something larger than their project or
organization, something with global depth and strength, and a long and rich
history – a so-called “solidarity economy”.
So
what is the Solidarity Economy? What do
we mean when we say “a new economics”? Distinguishing itself intellectually
from both Keynesian and neo-classical growth-based economic thinking on one
side, as well as, the pessimism of eco-Marxist type thinking on the other side,
the solidarity economy seeks a more radical system-level change toward a
political economy that is increasingly green, inclusive, appropriately-scaled
toward the local, restructures the nature of ownership, and considers outmoded
and destructive, both economic growth and capitalism. Solidarity Economy promotes economic
structures that put people and planet before profits and makes true, strong
democracy a real practice in everyday peoples’ communities and workplaces. It is an economic alternative(s) that democratizes
wealth and ownership; builds truly-resilient community; and is just and
equitable to all. A solidarity economy
is not a rigidly defined prescription for an alternative to the current system,
but a range of alternative economic models, each challenging traditional forms
of the ownership of wealth, and each prioritizing principles of justice and the
democracy.
It is
very likely that you are already connected to a project or idea that is growing
the solidarity economy. Currently 130
million Americans are members of some kind of cooperative enterprise, and 13
million Americans work in an employee-owned company.[i] Historian and new economy-advocate Gar
Alperovitz believes this is a signal that we may be in the midst of a profound
transition toward an economy characterized by more democratic structures of
ownership, one that shares the values and practices of the Solidarity
Economy.
What
connects the diverse initiatives of the Solidarity Economy movement is a set of
shared values and a shared identity through these values. In his contribution to Solidarity Economy I:
Alternatives for People and Planet, Ethan Miller describes these
shared values this way:
“While articulated by numerous solidarity
economy networks with different words and nuances, clear commonalities can be
seen. Cooperation and mutuality are
emphasized above unfretted competition.
Individuals and collective well-being are prioritized over profit and
financial accumulation. Economic and
social justice (or equity) are seen as key priorities. The responsibility to work towards ecological
health is a core focus. Robust democracy
at all levels of society and organizations, placing people and communities as
the active agents of their own lives.
And finally, these values are articulated with a strong emphasis on
diversity and pluralism – recognizing that there is no ‘one way’.”
The
historical roots of solidarity economy are deep. Growing from its early theoretical conceptualizations
during the Spanish Civil War, in the mid-1930’s, the idea of solidarity economy
by the mid-1990’s had developed into a social movement with powerful economic
networks and a shared research agenda throughout Latin America, Europe and
Canada. The first Asian Forum on
Solidarity Economy was held in 2007 in Manila, and the U.S. Solidarity Economy
Network was born the same year with the first U.S. Social Forum in Atlanta,
Georgia.[ii] The concept of solidarity economy does not
arise from one political tradition, nor does it present a unique new economic
blueprint, rather it seeks to spread a common economic rationality of
cooperation and solidarity, and, for those seeking economic transformation, a model
for connecting and strengthening already-existing alternative economic forms. Solidarity economy advocates a transformative
approach to economic activism.
With capitalisms’ failings becoming
more palpable to a growing number of frustrated and awakening Americans every
day; global warming bearing down on us (with only more hellish conditions
anticipated in the decades to come); and political scientists from revered
academic institutions declaring plutocracy the political system in the U.S., it
begs the question: if we believe another
system is possible, what exactly will it look like, and will it be ready? It will be ready if we take the knowledge and
practices that work and implement them now.
To get started, check out the
Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland, Worcheter Roots Project in Worchester, Massachusetts,
the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network, the Wellspring Collaborative, or the
Community-Wealth.org organization – a clearing house for resources and examples
of real democratic, community-based economic development. Most importantly, take the inspiring things
you learn about being done all around the country and the world, and copy
them! Make them work for your community. Get out and do it, build it, replicate
it. Stand on the shoulders of the change-agents
and alternative economic-thinkers that came before us. Diffuse out!
Scale up! Let’s create a
checkerboard of solidarity economy initiatives across the map. We’ve had a lot of the rhetoric of
“revolution”, “systems-change”, and “occupy”, and we’re long over-due for the
action – the actual designing, building, materializing of the new system.
Thanks to decades of brilliant writing,
organizing, and experimenting by others who came before us which contributed to
the concept of the Solidarity Economy and social transformation, we know enough about the core principles of
what the new system should look like to go out and ‘just do it’. It’s already
being done! And that’s critical,
because in these urgent times, the ideas need to be ready.
As Richard Wolff said in his
keynote at the 2013 Left Forum: “(what
has changed) is not the song, or how we sing it, it’s the American audience
that suddenly finds this music interesting.”
Capitalism as a system is now in question like never before, presenting
opportunities we did not have before.
We do not know what will be the issue
or event that finally outrages average Americans enough to move thousands to
the streets en mass for long enough to build and sustain a real resistance
movement. We do know the age
demographics of this country have never been riper for it.[iii] Perhaps we have already begun a series of
tipping points, creating cracks in the system which will eventually lead to its
collapse, ushered in, no doubt, by the horrors of climate change. Either way, the alternatives models of going about our lives need to be visible and
ready.
More than that, the specifics of
the next system or systems need to be working for people, demonstrated and vetted,
as much as possible. It’s time more of
us move past rhetoric and theory and begin to build the new economy, the new
politics, and develop the types of communities and relationships that are
required for our survival.
The Solidarity Economy/New
Economy paradigm is not perfectly worked out – debate on key issues and
challenges is ongoing, but examples of it are being implemented in communities across
North America. The number of groups and
projects that identify their work as part of the Solidarity Economy movement is
growing every day. Projects that fit
under the “umbrella” of the Solidarity Economy include: participatory budgeting projects, worker,
producer, and consumer cooperatives of all types, alternative currency
projects, direct democracy initiatives, time banks, employee stock ownership
plans (ESOPs), community development credit unions, resource libraries,
community land trusts, and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, just
to name some of the more common forms.
These grassroots economic
initiatives already exist, but are too often ignored by the media in favor of
stories about the, supposed rebounding of the dominant growth-based
economy. If you begin to look for them,
you’ll be amazed at the richness, diversity, and sheer numbers of these types
of efforts across North America.
If there isn’t alternative
economic activity happening in your community, perhaps you should consider
changing that. When you do, recognize that
the work is done in connection with a new economic paradigm; with the
Solidarity Economy. Mutual recognition
around shared values is vital to movement building. But don’t stop there. Reach out to build
collaborative relationships with others working on efforts in your city or
region. Scaling up through collective
capacity and collective action is critical for all of us. Building these new economic and social
realities, making them visible and tangible, will only make it more apparent to
anyone paying attention that the old model is obsolete, and a better world is
possible.
Examples of Solidarity
Economy Mapping Initiatives:
- The Global Transition to a New Economy (Mapping a Green and Fair World): http://www.gtne.org/
- Solidarity NYC: www.solidaritynyc.org
- Green Solidarity Efforts in Worchester, Mass: https://worcestergreensolidarityeconomy.crowdmap.com/
- Philadelphia Mapping Project: http://cborowiak.haverford.edu/solidarityeconomy/mapping-initiatives/philadelphia-mapping-project
[i]
Gar Alperovitz, What then Must We
Do? Straight talk about the Next
American Revolution, March 2013.
[ii]
Ethan Miller, “Solidarity Economy Key Concepts and Issues”. Published in
Kawano, Emily, et al (eds.) Solidarity
Economy I: Building Alternatives for People
and Planet. Amherst, MA: Center for
Popular Economics. 2010.
[iii]
According to Census Bureau information, 22-year-olds are the most
represented age group in America, followed by 23-year-olds and then
21-year-olds. In fourth place are
53-year-olds, born at the tail end of the Baby Boom, 1961. www.news.msn.com,
May 23, 2014.
Contributed by Jeanine Cava
@JeanineCRodgers 
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