This week, Samuel Comé writes about the waste sorting cooperatives of Maputo, Mozambique and how they provide a necessary source of income for women in the country's capital. 

Then, the Valley Alliance of Worker Co-operatives presents their annual workshop series, this year focused on best practices for effective governance in worker co-ops. Members of several Alliance member co-ops share their processes for accountability and democratic decision making. 

And not many people have grabbed a ticket for our upcoming Poetry Slam fundraising event. Prices are on a sliding scale to fit every budget, so don't hesitate to pick one up and join us for an evening of sharing poetry. 

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Collaboration and Mutual Care

by Samuel Comé
Women in the cooperative earn between $100 and $150 monthly—modest amounts that keep 186 children in school and ensure minimally dignified lives, explained Yolanda Jorge, 39, the cooperative’s founder.

“We are not here just to separate plastic. We are creating a new way of living—one that restores our autonomy, supports our families, and shows that the economy can be built on collaboration and mutual care,” Jorge said.

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Effective Governance in Worker Co-ops

A workshop of best practices by and for worker co-ops

by VAWC
Topics include: Effective Meeting Design, Unlocking Productivity, Goal Creation and Task Assignments, Membership Agreements, and Collective Accountability.

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The cooperative media: independent, transparent and democratic

Voxeurop — As the first media outlet to be managed by a European Cooperative Society (SCE), Voxeurop was determined from the outset to place democratic governance at the heart of its business. In a cooperative, each member is entitled to one vote at the General Meeting, regardless of the share of capital he or she holds. Cooperative status also guarantees employees ownership of the publication for which they work, and gives them majority control. For Voxeurop, as for other cooperative media businesses, the purpose of their endeavour is not to generate profit but to serve a public interest: that of informing citizens...

2026 Equal Exchange Summit, June 12th

Equal Exchange — As we mark this 40th anniversary milestone, we do so amid real challenges: historically high coffee and cacao prices, unpredictable tariffs and trade policies, and increasing corporate consolidation in our food system. Join us for a dynamic gathering of farmers, worker-owners, customers, organizers, and partners as we reflect on four decades of impact, confront today’s realities, and chart the next chapter of our solidarity economy—because in a world that urgently needs alternatives, our movement matters more than ever...

Welcome to Ravenous: a new, worker-owned food culture site

Coop Exchange — We are a worker-owned co-op. We believe the best way forward for media and journalism is without generative AI, without VC money and investors to pay back, and without corporate overlords more concerned about posting endless profits than the actual writing that is supposedly their “product.” Instead, we will operate on a subscription model: you pay us directly for the work we make. You know, like how a business is supposed to work!

Co-op banking of the African diaspora has implications beyond finance

Co-op News — Drawing on decades of research and 443 interviews conducted in the Caribbean and Canada, Hossein’s book represents the experiences of an estimated 11,000 Rosca members. She describes her research as “unapologetically biased” toward the co-operative model,  especially co-ops that are informal, and specifically Black women co-operators, “who have been purposely sidelined and put down for what they do”...

 

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