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Catalyzing worker co-ops & the solidarity economy

Eastern Europe

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March 18, 2024

The Solidarity Economy in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia

Summary

On October 18, 2023, the Center for Global Justice lost at dear friend--the reknowned Russian marxist scholar/activist Aleksandr Buzgalin. In commemoration of his life and legacy, the Center is rebroadcasting his last program with the Center-- "The Solidarity Economy in Soviet and Post-Soviet Russia"--originally broadcast on May 30, 2022. Buzgalin, himself a left opponent of bureaucracy and authoritarianism, refutes in this talk a widespread myth about the former Soviet Union that depicts it as a monolithic totalitarian system devoid of social movements of any significance. Instead he presents a more nuanced picture by reviewing the little-known forms of workers’ democracy that existed in the USSR along with the general characteristic of post-soviet capitalism in Russia.

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March 14, 2024

An Interview with Ukraine's ReSew Coop

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ReSew sewing cooperative – Швейний Кооператив (Chveïniï kooperativ), exists politically and ecologically without bosses or subordinates and is united by the love of their work-sewing.

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March 2, 2023

Slovenia’s IMZ celebrates 10 years of citizens’ assemblies

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I spoke with representatives from The Initiative for Citywide Assembly (Iniciativa mestni zbor – IMZ) about the non-partisan, self-organized municipal assemblies in Maribor, Slovenia that has now been active for 10 years. IMZ shares its rich experiences, offering insights into organizing and facilitation, organizational structure and culture, community, diversity, intersectional activism, and more. 

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March 28, 2022

Pool Yourself Together

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Summary

Degrowth, as a form of resource reloca(aliza)tion through social action, should also be considered as not only an answer to climate change but a form of intrinsic social practice that is present in humankind.

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September 21, 2020

Doing What State and Market Cannot: The Visible Hand

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Summary

How a mutual aid network in Poland has provided for tens of thousands of people during the COVID-19 pandemic and what others might learn from their experiment.