Highlights from NASCO Institute

On Sunday we wrapped up our 44th annual Cooperative Education and Training Institute after four days of caucuses, workshops, roundtables, and even a virtual dance party. Despite holding NASCO Institute remotely for the first time this year, we were blown away by the deep sense of community held throughout the weekend. Here are some of our highlights:

"Choose Your Own Future" Keynote Panel

On Saturday, we held a panel centered around the conference theme "Choose Your Own Future," featuring Suparna Kudesia, Laurent Levesque, and Megan K. Quigley. Our panelists reflected on what cooperation means in this moment, and how we draw on the past and present to imagine new futures. Illustrator Will Santino pulled some key ideas from the conversation and created this graphic recording! You can watch the full panel conversation here.

Our fourth panelist Naomi Alexis wasn't able to attend due to a tech mishap. Learn about her work at It Takes a City child and elderly care cooperative here.

Cooperative Hall of Fame Ceremony

The Hall of Fame is a special opportunity to recognize the inspiring work that is happening every day in our communities. We find it increasingly important to celebrate the passion and commitment that keeps us all going, and our inductees this year truly embody that. NASCO is proud to welcome Janelle Orsi, Ira Wallace, April Kamen, and Kim Garmany into the NASCO Cooperative Hall of Fame. Learn more about their work in the cooperative movement here.

North American Co-op Tour

Historically, NASCO Institute has been an exciting chance for cooperators to visit new co-ops in other regions, see their spaces, and learn about how they divide labor and responsibilities. Because Institute was remote this year, we decided to bring co-ops right to our attendees with a video compilation of co-op tours across the U.S. and Canada. Ten co-ops submitted video tours of their houses and buildings and we compiled them into a video compilation. Watch the full thing here!

Post-Election Learning

With many NASCO members being based in the U.S. and the November election having just passed, we want to again name that the work of building and sustaining cooperative solutions is visionary movement work that requires us to both participate in and simultaneously build alternatives to the current socio-political infrastructure that exists today.

Aside from the collective inspiration that we're still glowing in after NASCO Institute, we've been recently inspired by a post-election teach-in hosted by PM Press and the Rad-Comms Network. Watch here.

In this post-election teach-in, we invite you to imagine and plot a revolutionary response to the U.S. Elections. Join Kali Akuno, Klee Benally, Shanelle Matthews, Adrienne Pine, and Marzena Zukowska as we demand much better than a return to the status quo!

NASCO
P.O. Box 166140
Chicago, IL 60616
UNITED STATES

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