In a darkened room ten strangers nap in easy chairs. They lie back, pant legs and sleeves rolled up, snoring gently. Needles dot their skin. They are receiving health care. The same scene repeats in more than 200 community-based acupuncture clinics all over the U.S. In 2002 partners Lisa Rohleder and Skip Van Meter had […]
People’s Organization of Community Acupuncture
The purpose of the Peoples Organization of Community Acupuncture is to create a stable and sustainable economic foundation for the delivery of affordable acupuncture, and to establish and maintain structures to that end. POCA is a Cooperative owned by patients, acupuncturists, students, community acupuncture clinics, and their supporters, that organizes collective investments of time, energy, […]
Symbols of hope – remembering Japan 1 year on
The word for rice in Japanese is gohan. Its also the word used in Japan for meal. The best reflection of rices value in Japanese society is that it was once used as a form of currency. In their bid for greater self-sufficiency the members of the Hikari Jigyodan workers cooperative in the far south […]
Walking 1700 kilometres to get justice
The march lasted 73 days and crossed 1700 kilometres. A group of landless Lumad – indigenous peoples from Higaonon ancestry – set out from Sumilao to the Philippine capital Manila in late 2007 catching national popular attention. The seriousness with which the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo eventually treated this protest was revealed in its finally […]
PANAW Sumilao Multi-Purpose Cooperative
Inspired by the farmers of Pecuaria, the Sumilao farmers fought, non-violently, for more than two decades to get their land as part of agrarian reform programs. Firstly they staged a 28 day hunger strike in front of government reform offices. Ten years later they marched for 1700 kilometres from the south to the capital Manila […]
Paying for your land with your life
When the Spanish conquistadores landed at the southern end of Luzon island in 1576 they set about colonising. Their haciendas and encomiendas marked the beginning of landlessness for millions of Philippine people. More than 400 years later a Philippine farmer called Pablito Dante set in train a series of events which would finally see agrarian […]
Pecuaria Development Cooperative (PDCi)
After the People’s Power Revolution which ousted Ferdinand Marcos a group of landless farmers in the north of the Philippine islands formed a cooperative. In spite of the agrarian reforms introduced by the government of the day, they still had to fight to get back on their ancestral land and their leader was murdered as […]
Japan Worker’s Cooperative Union
JWCU represents and unites worker cooperatives throughout Japan. Each worker cooperative is owned and democratically controlled by the worker-members and dedicated to creating jobs to promote the well-being of communities through associated work of the members and community residents. Our businesses include: social services, building maintenance, environmental services, food and agriculture, inter-coop contracts. Since the […]
60 Years In The Making
BRREA HISTORY In the beginning, there was no distribution system to the rural consumers. The big utilities did not believe it was financially viable. REA’S were then formed out of a necessity to bring electricity to rural consumers. The early farmers, progressive and determined, formed your Cooperative REA and built their own Distribution System. Once […]
Co-operative schools make banana splits
Students from co-operative schools had a tasty start to Fairtrade Fortnight, making banana splits during a banana-videoconference at the same time as learning about the difference Fairtrade and co-operatives make to producers in the developing world. Before they created their delicious banana treats, participating students, from co-operative schools across England, were introduced to banana producer […]