Thank you for your interest in the International Comparative Labor Studies (ICLS) Cooperative Study-Practice Group (2024)! All interested parties are welcome to join no matter where you are in your cooperative journey. Our group has two (2) components: (1) Study; and (2) Practice. We will meet regularly (you will choose the day, time, duration, and cadence) at the Ke'nekt Cooperative (1492 Ralph David Abernathy Blvd Suite A, Atlanta, GA 30310). Materials and resources will be provided to each participant.
Study
The Mondragon pioneers in Basque, Spain sowed seeds of solidarity by utilizing community education as an organizing tool that blossomed into an enduring economic and political symphony. This foundational step is a testament to the power of thoughtful deliberation and knowledge-sharing, laying the groundwork for sustainable development and community empowerment, mirroring the Mondragon model's transformation from humble classrooms to a global cooperative beacon.
Practice
Although we welcome individuals regardless of their subject matter expertise, project interests, and business aspirations, 2024's Cooperative Practice will focus on the opportunities to establish a Black College Apparel Cooperative. We are poised to launch a revolutionary initiative aimed at reshaping the narrative of HBCU apparel. Our proposition is to create an Atlanta University Center Campus-based Cooperative Incubator, ensuring that students not only celebrate their heritage through fashion but also become stakeholders in its business aspect.
Our premise is that cooperative economics, employee ownership, and/or alternatively-owned enterprise (AOE) models are both underutilized, and underreported, strategies in predominately-Black communities across the United States. It is well-documented that Black Americans have always shared, bartered, organized, and worked together. Imagine if these values, customs, practices, and exemplars were more popular as well as modernized to fit today's cultural purposes.
Our goal is to undertake this work in the Atlanta University Center (AUC) and surrounding neighborhoods. Our "North Star" is an inclusive economy that features cooperative economics, sustainability, and TransAfricanism. We want to institutionalize a program at Morehouse College that decentralizes wealth, respects our environment, and fosters the independence of Africans and people of African descent.
Together, we will facilitate an experiential learning group that explores the intersections between socio-economic models and an aesthetic approach to art, architecture, and education. We will co-design a unique blend of cooperative economics, entrepreneurial design, and innovative labor organizing.
