Featured Session
551. Conference Conclusions: a Plenary on Environmental Justice
Esteban Kelly, NASCO Education Board, CUNY Graduate Center
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, New Orleans Anti-Racism Working Group, NASCO Education Board
In this plenary, we will draw on the knowledge gained over the course of the weekend to brainstorm our role in the struggle for environmental justice. After hearing from a few panelists, we will hear reportbacks from participants who learned interesting things and came up with new ideas in their workshops about next steps for our co-ops, organizations, communities, and greater co-operative movement to strengthen our commitments to this work and better connect with others in the environmental justice movement.
511. Developing New Cooperatives Part V: Putting it All Together: The Business Plan
Emily Cheney , Santa Barbara Student Housing Co-op; Bloomington Cooperative Living alumna
Many potential co-operatives dissolve before they even get off the ground. Others find themselves in crisis when faced with expiring leases, financing deadlines, or a turnover in leadership. A cooperative business plan serves as a guide for the challenges ahead, and as a communication tool to attract new members, garner community support, and secure funding. This course will introduce the fundamental elements of business planning and how to tailor those fundamentals to fit the co-operative framework and your organization's unique identity. A written articulation of your co-operative dream is an important step in turning it into a tangible project. Organization is not empire.
512. Co-op as a Business Model
Kevin Edberg, Cooperative Development Services
The current economic environment is causing large numbers of citizens to re-consider the structure of our current capitalistic economy, and particularly to consider the cooperative model of enterprise. Because cooperatives are not the dominant business paradigm in our society, individuals often run into challenges in finding "best practices" for starting cooperatives, and in accessing trained assistance that can guide them through the process. In this session, we will discuss the various stages and phases involved with consumer, producer, and worker owned cooperatives, and where assistance can be obtained. (Note: Start-up of housing co-ops will not be covered, primarily because of the unique role of real estate development inherent in housing development).
521. Consensus Headaches: Rx for Meeting Moments That Are a Pain for Everyone
Laird Schaub, Fellowship for Intentional Community
What's your worst meeting nightmare? Yelling & screaming? Participants breaking down in sobs? Sarcastic jokes? Nobody saying a word? Everyone talking at once? How about having no idea how to make things better? We'll look at all these and more. Participants are invited to bring their own consensus horror stories; I'll provide the wooden stakes (and answers).
522. Don't Forget the Fun: Using Games to Train, Meet, and Build Community
kiran nigam, US Solidarity Economy Network, US Social Forum, former NASCO staff and Board member
So many meetings, trainings, and workshops forget that having fun is the best way to make a meeting fly by, to learn, and to build a strong community among housemates and co-op members. This workshop is designed to give you a bunch of tools, activities, and games you can incorporate into your member trainings and orientations, and your general house life to build community and enjoy yourselves. This is NOT a lecture or discussion-based workshop, we will be playing all workshop long. Included will be some popular education excercises.
531. Journey Through the Maze of Financial Ratios
Alan Robinson, College Houses
Financial ratios are an excellent tool to help monitor the overall health of an organization. This course will take a case study approach. Based on historical information from a real co-op, you'll learn what financial ratios are, calculate a set of ratios, identify areas of financial weakness, and create a plan of action to address the problems. Then we'll compare your recommendations to what really happened. Along the way you should be able to identify which ratios you can take back and use at your co-op.
532. Problem Members
Daniel Miller, NASCO Properties, Sasona Coop, Pacifico Coop
Do you have problem members at your coop? Would your "problem members" say the same about you? What makes a "problem member"? This workshop uses hypothetical situations to avoid the horror stories and focus on different solutions coops can use to come to terms with challenges in the membership.
541. Radical Mental Health on Campus and in the Community through an Anti-Oppression Lens
Annie Robinson, The Icarus Project
Angel Adeyoha, The Icarus Project
Living on campus is often the first experience folks have with living in community. Often the services offered at college perpetuate the sense of alienation and promote problematic binary definitions of mental health experience (you're either "normal" or "crazy"). Campus Icarus groups, like The Icarus Project, recognize the multiplicities of mental health experience and strive to maintain a community that regards mental diversity as something to be respected and even rejoiced in.
We will explore ways to promote safer spaces on campuses and in our communities: by coming together, sharing our personal stories, giving and receiving support. We'll also talk about how to foster a forum for change - a space where anyone can come to challenge and reform the social categorization of psychic "sameness" and "difference".
551. Conference Conclusions: a Plenary on Environmental Justice
Esteban Kelly, NASCO Education Board, CUNY Graduate Center
Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, New Orleans Anti-Racism Working Group, NASCO Education Board
In this plenary, we will draw on the knowledge gained over the course of the weekend to brainstorm our role in the struggle for environmental justice. After hearing from a few panelists, we will hear reportbacks from participants who learned interesting things and came up with new ideas in their workshops about next steps for our co-ops, organizations, communities, and greater co-operative movement to strengthen our commitments to this work and better connect with others in the environmental justice movement.
