Building an Inclusive Movement: The Role of Politics and Principles 

Are worker cooperatives "political?" Is "politics" inherent in what a co-op is? Are co-ops anti-capitalist? Can we change the world simply by being a worker-owner, and is it enough? Can we, or do we want to include a "Big Tent" strategy that's big enough to encompass groups whose principles we may disagree with if they can work together for the cooperative common good? Where do we close the tent? Republicans? Racists? What are the principles that govern our work and how do they relate to the larger world? We'll look at race politics and gender politics in America, the meaning of alternative economic organizing through the Solidarity Economy Movement and practical issues to consider when co-ops take "political" stands. Finally, we will explore how we as individuals can make our own selves and our co-ops more conscious and deliberate in what we do to live by our principles and to change the world and being more inclusive of the dispossessed by doing more education and outreach to all sectors of society in some way, and aligning ourselves with the global peoples' economic self sufficiency, ecological and liberation movements.

Ajowa Nzinga Ifateyo, Ethan Miller and Jim Johnson are all co-editors of Grassroots Economic Organizing newsletter. In addition, Ajowa, who lives in D.C., is a member of USFWC, several boards including the Democracy at Work Institute and the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy; Ethan, who lives in Maine, works with the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network; and Jim Johnson is a worker owner in the Sligo Computer Services of Takoma Park, MD, just outside of D.C. In addition, Jim previously spent many years working in a cooperative natural food store.