It all started back in 2012 when I led a workshop called “Design Your World” at the Occupy Camp in Totnes, Devon, U.K. The workshop aimed to focus our shared vision. We all knew Occupy was losing momentum, but we wanted to continue our social gatherings on the land, feed ourselves, make decisions by group consensus, and take back the power to meet our own needs. At that time I already had two or three years experience of growing squash and really valued squashes as a very tasty, nourishing food that stores at room temperature for months. Squashes and pumpkins are great because they’re easy to ..read more

In dedication to safeguarding digital privacy and community solidarity, Shareable has joined a coalition of over 25 mutual aid organizations, steered by digital rights champions Fight for the Future and Color of Change, to call on Congress to scrutinize and preempt the surveillance of activists.  This action is in direct response to allegations that Atlanta officials have misused PayPal data to impose racketeering charges on members of the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. With deep roots in the civil rights movement, this fund stands as a historic pillar of community support, dating back over a c ..read more

A skillshare is the quintessential Sharing Economy creation. It’s a simple concept: People gather in a large space like a school or community center and teach each other classes on topics they’re passionate about—like salsa dancing, stock investing, and bike maintenance. Classes occur simultaneously in multiple spaces throughout the day, and no topic is out of bounds. It’s local, educational, and free. In the spirit of encouraging the spread of skillshares in as many places as possible, I’ve written down some of the most critical, ordered steps we took to create Somerville Skillshare from scra ..read more

The land trust movement in the United States has gained notoriety over the past 30 years mainly for its role in environmental conservation. Known as land conservancies, these non-profit organizations—such as The Nature Conservancy—acquire land in what is known as “fee simple”, in order to conserve natural resources by protecting land from development. A lesser-known type of organization, a community land trust (CLT), uses similar legal tools in a very different way to accomplish very different objectives: the preservation of affordable housing; avoidance of gentrification; and building of comm ..read more

From small towns to large cities throughout the country, a significant shift towards workplace democracy and equitable wealth sharing is gaining momentum. At the forefront of this movement are worker-owned cooperative businesses, where employees work and share ownership and decision-making. Observing the transformative impact of such cooperatives, from home care agencies to pizzerias, breweries, and bakeries, U.S. Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY-16), and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) have introduced the National Worker Cooperative Development and Support Act (HR 7221 ..read more

If you’ve ever found yourself on the phone with a customer service representative telling you it would cost more to fix your electric tea kettle than to just buy a new one, you are well acquainted with the concept of “planned obsolescence.” The good news is that people across the world are getting wise to the intentional design flaws hoisted upon us by clever manufacturers eager to sell more products, and they are coming up with new and creative ways to salvage perfectly usable things. Repair Cafés are not only great events to get your vacuum, waffle iron, or lawn mower fixed, but the very nat ..read more

From triple-bottom-line businesses and B Corporations to co-ops and shared ownership ventures, there are dozens of movements working with various paces and priorities toward a more just economy. But what does it look like when an economy is truly designed to serve people and the planet first? This was the question posed at the inaugural Just Economy Summit hosted by Institute for Ecological Civilization (EcoCiv) and the California Wellbeing Economies Coalition (CWEC) in Sacramento (the state’s capitol). The first weekend of March brought together dozens of organizations and activists working t ..read more

At a moment when the world is awakening to the clear and present need to transition our energy system, a hopeful light gleams from the rural landscapes of America. The Rural Power Coalition (RPC), a diverse alliance of US advocacy groups serving rural communities from Alabama to Alaska, has taken another step forward with the release of “Power to the People: The Story of Rural Electric Cooperatives.” This animated short film that premiered today during the annual PowerXchange Conference in San Antonio, Texas, is not just a tale of the past; it’s a clarion call for a greener, more equitable fut ..read more

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it caused cataclysms that cascaded throughout healthcare, public transport, delivery services, and food systems. In doing so, it laid bare an ugly truth of the U.S. economy: Although certain services are essential, the humans who provide them are disposable—even sacrificial. While many people were able to work from home, others—compelled by the nature of their employment—were given three choices: Put their lives on the line, be financially crushed, or both. While the dominant U.S. economic system operates on this principle of persistent financial coercion, there ..read more

Amid a wave of threats against libraries, the American Library Association and others fear the suit challenges freedom of information. Last March, the Internet Archive was forced to curtail its lending of e-books following a judgment against the digital library in a lawsuit coordinated by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). In a celebratory press release, AAP president Maria A. Pallante attempted to draw a contrast between the Internet Archive and “the thousands of public libraries across the country that serve their communities every day,” whom Pallante thanked. But, in December, mo ..read more