We're pleased to announce that GEO will be publishing a quarterly journal of the cooperative and solidarity economy movements! For a monthly donation of $10 or more, you'll receive a collection of our best articles from the website, as well as original pieces from GEO writers, four times a year. Perfect for co-op development centers, libraries, researchers, and co-op fans of all varieties. 

Now back to your regular newsletter.

This week, residents of Venezuela's Palmarito Commune share the story of their community's long practice of solidarity, cooperation, and resistance as they've made their livelihoods on the shores of Lake Maracaibo.

Then Luis Razeto writes about  the power of "cooperative integration" to expand the co-op movement, and presents some thoughts for improving intercooperation in chapter 13 of Cooperative Enterprise and Market Economy.

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A Story of Resistance and Renewal: The Palmarito Afro-Descendant Commune (Part I)

by Chris Gilbert & Cira Pascual Marquina
"Our history is one of resistance—first against enslavement, later against criollo domination—and out of that came a community capable of standing on its own. Life here has always been defined by fishing and by our cultural practices with African roots."

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Cooperative Enterprise and Market Economy: Chapter 13

by Luis Razeto Migliaro, transl. by Matt Noyes
Cooperation starts from the principle that through association, individuals can realize better results in those activities that alone would require great effort with less chance of success. It would follow that the broader range of action that can be obtained through cooperation among distinct cooperatives can only expand the operational possibilities of each one. In fact in every country where the cooperative movement has reached a certain degree of development, it has given rise to processes of integration, through the building of second and third level cooperatives, and through the constitution of representative associations (federations, confederations, etc.).

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Local co-ops are vital community institutions

Edible Vermont — To learn more about these vital community institutions, I sat down with Erbin Crowell, executive director of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association, or NFCA, and a member of Board of Directors of the National Cooperative Business Association. He shared a fountain of information about the intriguing history— and inspiring power—of the co-operative movement in the United States and beyond...

4 Governance Challenges from Co-op Leaders

Co-operatives First — A classic governance problem is whether the board is able to hold management accountable. The board (known as the ‘principal’) is supposed to oversee the co-op’s management (called the ‘agent’). The problem is that the board tends to have less experience and industry knowledge than the managers, and isn’t present for the day-to-day activities of the co-op...

Build Together Thrive Forever: Creating an Employee Owned Future

Discovered Hiring (YouTube) — What happens when a small crew of “hippie carpenters” grows into a nationally admired, employee-owned company that changes lives, families, and communities? In this inspiring episode, Fletcher sits down with John Abrams, founder of Abrams+Angell, formerly of South Mountain Company, who spent 50+ years proving that business can be both profitable and profoundly people-centered...

Grant and Scholarship Opportunities from CDF

Cooperative Development Foundation — Did you know that the Cooperative Development Foundation has been building the capacity of the cooperative business community since 1944? CDF provides grants for cooperative development and education every year. We could be supporting your co-op work! Check out the opportunities below and save the date for exciting events we are hosting in the new year...

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New on our YouTube Channel

The Problem with the USFWC Worker Co-op Conference

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