From Kerala via Argentina to Bologna, platform cooperatives are thriving (and providing solid pathways to the good life)
From Platform.coop
We have had the platform cooperative movement on our radar for some time now - one potential organisational form for a CAN structure. But we were blown away by the vitality and diversity of projects collated in the latest newsletter of the Platform Cooperativism Consortium (PCC). Rather than cherry pick, we thought it was obvious to lay out their full menu below - and encourage you to subscribe to their newsletter.
Platform Cooperatives “Made in Mondragón”?
Sain Lopez beautifully describes her journey from Columbia to the Basque Country and reflects on Mondragon's accomplishments and woes in the process of considering platform co-ops. Available in Spanish and English.
Argentina, Meet CoopCycle!
Denise Kasparian follows the introduction of CoopCycle in Argentina. Read it in Spanish or English.
The Overlooked Value of the Social Economy
Adriane Clomax asks how the effects of different social economy models are determined? It is essential to have a method for determining this value in order to ensure oversight and policies that protect and include vulnerable and frequently overlooked groups, she argues. Read it here.
Kerala Plans to Launch 4,000 Platform Co-ops to Upskill Unemployed Youth
Mohit Dave will support the mission of the Kerala Development Innovation Strategy Council to create a knowledge-based economy in Kerala. Read about it here.
Beyond NFTs: How Can Artists Own Their Work With Distributed Technologies?
Victor Barcellos demonstrates that Web 3.0 is not the sole liberator of the arts. He is beginning his research into Brazilian alternatives. Learn more.
How You Can Help to Preserve Billions of Photos
As she develops the Flickr Foundation, George Oates is curious about models that combine diverse organizational arrangements, non-voting members, multiple stakeholders, long-term care, and kind governance. Read more and get involved.
Can Cooperatives Defeat Digital Coloniality?
T.O. Molefe examines the responses of cooperatives to digital coloniality in order to comprehend what co-ops are doing in response to this issue, as well as what they can do. Read his post.
Saving the Socials: What If We Tried a Multipronged Approach?
Trebor Scholz and Sadev Parikh consider a variety of potential responses to acquisitions like Elon Musk's. Read it here.
What Are Blockchain-Based Platform Cooperatives?
Philémon Poux writes that despite cooperatives providing a time-tested system for participation, member-based governance, and an alternative to extractive capitalism, the link to DAOs still needs to be researched. Read his blog essay.
Why Your City Should Care About Data Cooperatives
"People are experts in their own lives, and that expertise can be channeled through cooperative data projects to solve problems that matter," writes Katya Abazajian. Read her post.
Is Bologna on the Verge of Becoming the Italian Co-op Valley?
Pietro Ghirlanda calls on municipalities to foster an innovative environment by explicitly supporting cooperative digital experiments and providing the resources that entrepreneurs require. What can your municipality do to promote ethical digital entrepreneurship. Read his blog essay in English or Italian.
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