Saturday, November 6 | 10:15 am - 11:45 am
111. Co-ops & Community Development: Bridging the Gap
Steve Dubb (moderator); Dan Apfel, Stephanie Guico, Emily Ng, Holly Jo Sparks
In this panel, participants will discuss common forms of community economic development -- such as community land trusts, community development corporations, and community development financial institutions. Each form of community economic devleopment will be detailed, as will intersections of these organizational forms with the group equity cooperatives that make up NASCO's membership. Areas of discussion will include how to build coalitions with these potential allies and ways to pursue careers in community organizing and development work.
121. Mapping Co-operation From Sea to Sea: Exploring Co-ops in North America
Erin Hancock, Sarah Pike
This sessions offers an overview of co-ops in North America. This session is helpful for people who want to learn more about the plethora of activities that employ the co-op model throughout North America and get a feel for the co-operative landscape.
122. Rural, Small Town and Urban Connections
Elandria Williams
This workshop will look at how cooperative enterprises and organizing happens in rural, small towns and urban communities and how to increase the connections in our local areas and beyond. If we are going to change the economic systems it must happen across the sectors and geographies. We will look at some examples of how those connections have been made and come ready to share about the work that you do and any successes, challenges or questions that you have. This workshop will be popular education based.
131. Using Community Mapping to Build New Coops
Lincoln Miller, Sabrina Sideris
Board members of the Boulder Housing Coalition will talk about the ongoing process to map community strengths and needs in the quest to create more affordable, cooperative living opportunities in Boulder, Colorado. Having created two successful coops under the BHC umbrella, the board is now looking to expand and find a third house or property to purchase and to provide more affordable living opportunities in Boulder. We will talk about the ways to use community mapping to identify future residents, leaders in the community, organizational partners, funders, and architects. We hope that our road map from conception through project completion will help other coops and affordable housing providers expand their properties and communities.
141. Theater of the Oppressed: Theater for Cooperative Communication and Problem-Solving
Morgan Andrews
Communication is the key to cooperation, but sometimes things break down. When we communicate, people's individual histories, needs and desires are not always heard. In group conversations, louder voices sometimes silence quieter ones, people's power and privilege potentially puts up barriers, and the momentum of the majority can steamroll the experiences and opinions of the minority. Using tools from the Theater of the Oppressed, this workshop offers a voice for everyone. Group games, human sculptures, and simple role-plays offer an arsenal of techniques that work beyond the language of words and illustrate the moments of frustration, miscommunication and liberation in our lives.
142. WE CAN DO THIS | Applying Transformative Justice in Cooperative Communities: A Case Study in Addressing Sexualized Violence
Jenna Peters-Golden, Beth Blum, Bench Ansfield
Transformative Justice is a radical philosophy that views individual justice and collective liberation as interdependent when addressing violence in community. This approach is an alternative to the state's punitive system, which perpetuates cycles of violence. As Philly Stands Up, we work with perpetrators of sexual assault to support them in ending patterns of abuse. In this workshop we will discuss how cooperative communities can apply transformative justice practices when responding to violence. We will look at the processes Philly Stands Up uses to hold perpetrators of sexual assault accountable for their actions as an illustrative case study. We will also go over key elements of establishing a community response to sexual assault, while honing in on helpful and relevant strategies to create more productive, healing and empowering spaces.
151. Best Practices: Member Education and New Member Orientation
Kim Penna
Education is the key to a happy, healthy co-op. When members know how their co-op functions and their role in their house and the cooperative movement as a whole, they are more likely to fully participate in the community. Join us for a participatory workshop that covers the nuts and bolts of engaging your members from the beginning of their co-op journey with tools for effective orientations and ongoing education. Presenters from small and large co-op systems will guide you through popular education techniques concerning effective orientations, anti-oppression education and building a strong foundation for ongoing cooperative education. The magic of this workshop will happen when the participants are invited to share their best practices on this topic.
152. Common Feast: Kitchen Management, Cheap Meals, and Meeting the Needs of Your Co-op Crowd
L. Amelia Raley
Learn how to feed your co-op a hearty meal with organic and local ingredients for $1.75 per person. Ashley Asmus and L. Amelia Raley, authors of "Common Feast: 26 and Vegan" zine, are members of House of Commons vegetarian co-op in Austin, Texas. Topics will include: menu planning, kitchen management, the ethics of eating, community outreach, and of course, yummy food. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the zine.
161. Power Dynamics and Leadership in Cooperative Groups
Laird Schaub
While meetings are meant to be equally accessible to all members, the reality is they are not. This workshop will examine why power is unbalanced, and what a group can (should?) do to level the playing field. Not everyone is equally comfortable speaking in front of the whole group; not everyone finds rational discourse their strongest suit; not everyone can sit still for a three-hour meeting. We'll map the differences between "power over" and "power with" and discuss what groups can (must?) do to adopt healthy models of cooperative leadership.
162. How to Make Your Community's Zoning Code Co-op Friendly
Adam Porton, David Sparer, Jeff Bessmer
While it probably ranks low on the consciousness most coopers, ensuring you have the zoning approval to build new housing coops is a crucial step in cooperative development. In fact many communities have zoning codes that explicitly prohibit more than five unrelated people from living in one "dwelling unit," effectively making coops illegal! In this workshop we will discuss how you can obtain case-by-case zoning permission to start a new coop in your area. We will also talk about how you can work to make coop friendly zoning language a permanent part of your city's zoning code, paving the way for broader coop expansion in the future. To illustrate these concepts we will use the Madison, WI coops' recent efforts around zoning as examples.
171. Developing New Cooperatives Part I: Getting Organized for Small Co-ops
Michael Gregor, Mark Fick
So you've decided to start a co-op and don't know where to begin. Or maybe you've already started organizing, but aren't clear on next steps. This course provides an introduction and overview of the co-op development process. From building a solid core group to closing on a building, we will address the key steps that will get your project on its feet and moving forward.
172. Developing New Cooperatives Part I: Getting Organized for Expanding Co-ops
Jim Jones
Your co-op has been around for a while, and you'd like to expand. What do you have to do to make that work? What to the lenders want? How can you buy directly from the owner? What kind of cash will you need? How will expanding impact our overhead? We'll look at these questions and more!
173. Organizing Community Affordable Housing Cooperatives: Lessons from the Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative or 10 Things to Consider when Organizing Cooperative Housing
Ajowa Ifateyo, Patricia Kinch
The Ella Jo Baker Intentional Community Cooperative, a limited equity cooperative in Washington, DC, organized in response to gentrification in the Columbia Heights neighborhood. The 15-unit co-op was conceived as housing for social activists, and a model that others wanting to preserve affordable housing could follow. However, it took seven years to close on the property, and by the time we did, many members were demoralized. What are the lessons around funding and fundraising, recruitment, education, governance, conflict resolution, diversity and active community- and relationship-building to emerge from the 11-year organizing process?
