Building the Cooperative Movement in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast  

PART 1: Round Table and Open Discussion.
Participants will discuss and learn about economic development needs and cooperative development in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast; and explore ways to promote more cooperatives, particularly worker cooperatives, as part of the rebuilding process. Presenters who are representatives from a variety of sectors of the New Orleans community will discuss challenges and barriers, as well as opportunities for cooperative development. Local representatives will exchange ideas with participants on how the national worker cooperative movement can help promote and sustain cooperative development in the Gulf Coast.

In PART 2 participants will form a working committee to continue this work (promoting cooperatives in the Gulf Coast), and will be asked to create an action plan to implement the ideas discussed and maintain communication after the conference. Resources will be made available to activate a communication strategy (at the least). Members of the local community will be asked for input into the kinds of help and expertise that would be effective, ways to implement the ideas, and ways to stay in touch; as well as to remind us of the existing challenges and opportunities. This session will be an action session based on Part 1 (but all interested parties are welcome). Participants should be committed to figuring out ways to continue the dialogue and remain active in this issue in the future. This session may also end up being a follow up to the Showcase program on Friday June 20th, as well.

Jessica Gordon Nembhard is a university professor, scholar activist,
and co-op researcher, specializing in African American cooperatives,
urban cooperative development and worker cooperatives, cooperatives as
a community economic development and wealth bulding strategy, the
solidarity economy, racial wealth inequality, and popular economic
education. She is a member of the USFWC, Grassroots Economic Organizing
collective, the Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy, the
Solidarity Economy Network – USA, and the Federation of Southern
Cooperatives. Shakoor Aljuwani, director of the Homecoming Center of the Episcopalian Archdiocese in New Orleans, was formerly Executive Director of Cooperative Life in New England, and a cooperative Developer. Other presenters include: John Zippert (FSC/LAF); Andrew McLeod (Cooperation Works); Sakura Kone (Common Ground); Liz Davey (Office of Environmental Affairs, Tulane); Timolynn Sam (Neighborhoods Partnership Network); Darlene Wolnik (Market Umbrella); Vanessa Spinazola (Pro Bono Project), Khalil
Shahyd, Shana Griffin.