New Economy Gains Traction

An excellent summary of organizations and ideas that are contributing to a new economy – based on cooperatives, wealth sharing, and conservation of resources – appears in both The Nation (June 13, 2011) and Yes! magazine online (www.yesmagazine.org/new-economy/the-new-economy-movement). It is written by Gar Alperovitz, professor at the University of Maryland and co-founder of the Democracy Collaborative, which is assisting Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland and other ventures. Included in the survey and analysis by Alperovitz are trends and institutions such as B Corporations, worker and consumer cooperatives, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). It is a useful and thought-provoking look at how many organizations and alliances are attempting to break out of the destructive pattern of business as usual and growth-oriented capitalist enterprise, while creating jobs and businesses that enhance local resilience and respect resource conservation.