A City Where Everyone Works, There Is No Police, And The Salary Is 1200 Euros. With virtually no police, crime or unemployment, meet the Spanish town described as a democratic, socialist utopia.
Unemployment is non-existent in Marinaleda, an Andalusian village in southern Spain that is prosperous thanks to its farming cooperative. GARD Pro Not Registered On the face of it, the Spanish town of Marinaleda is indistinguishable from any other in its region. Nestled in the picturesque Campiña valley, the surrounding countryside is made up of rolling green hills, miles of olive plantations and golden fields of wheat stretching as far as the eye can see. The town is pretty, tranquil and typical of those found in Andalusia, Spain’s poorest and most southerly province.
It’s also a democratic, anti-capitalist village whose mayor actively encourages shoplifting. In an interview after the event, Gordillo, the democratically elected mayor since 1979, said it was not theft, but a non-violent act of disobedience. “There are many families who can’t afford to eat,” he argued. Berlin 'borrowing shop' promotes the benefits of sharing. The most popular items in Berlin's first "borrowing shop" are the electric drills.
At least one of the local people who have registered with Leila – a little shop on Fehrbelliner Strasse, north-east of the city centre – seems to be continually fixing shelves or hanging pictures. But it's not worth buying that person their own tools, said founder Nikolai Wolfert. Second social bite coffee shop opens to help homeless and charities. But with a past blighted by time in prison, alcohol addiction and periods of homelessness split between Glasgow hostels, the 29-year-old spent four years struggling to find work.
Now, he's helping to launch Glasgow's second Social Bite store which opens tomorrow on Bothwell Street. The Multiple Benefits of Economic Localization. Local produce on display at farmers' market, Embarcadaro, San Francisco, California.
(Photo: Bob Shrader)Despite the negative impressions we get from the mainstream media, and the very serious consequences of global warming, I believe there is cause for real hope. There is a good possibility that inspiring human-scale solutions around the world can multiply and transform our political and economic landscape over the coming years. And it all starts with an increased awareness or consciousness. My experiences in numerous cultures over three decades, have revealed to me that most of our serious problems originate from a culture shaped by skewed economic priorities. Voices and Reflections of the Community Resilience and New Economy Movement.
This week PCI launches a new report, Weaving the Community Resilience and New Economy Movement: Voices and Reflections from the Field, based on a series of interviews and conversations with visionary leaders who are bringing to life a new economic vision with thriving, resilient communities at its heart.
Yes, There Is An Alternative to Capitalism: Mondragon Shows the Way. The Cleveland Model: How the Evergreen Cooperatives Build Community Wealth. Activists & National Authorities Create Regional Councils for “Communal Governance” in Venezuela. Mérida, 15th August 2014 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – Across Venezuela commune activists are creating regional Presidential Councils of Communal Governance in order to play an increased role in the management of local and regional affairs in conjunction with national authorities.
The development comes after President Nicolas Maduro travelled to the western state of Lara last month to install the first such council. The councils are meant to be made up of representatives of each commune in a regional state, in addition to representatives of national government institutions and social programs. According to the communes ministry, these councils will be conduits of consultation and debate in order to influence national executive decision making.
Soup Kitchen Looks Like a Cafe, Offers a Side of Dignity. By Good News Network Thursday, March 13, 2014 Inspired - General Enter Masbia's front door and you will be greeted by a smiling host, who’ll then show you to your table.
Moments later, an equally friendly server will offer you a hot and nutritious kosher meal, a fresh salad, and a beverage. The only difference between Masbia and other New York City restaurants comes at the end of each meal when there is no charge. That’s because Masbia—which means “to satiate” in Hebrew—is a soup kitchen for the hungry. The focus is on providing free and delicious meals to the hungry within a welcoming, cafe-style atmosphere. Mondragon: The Loving Society That Is Our Inevitable Future. Republished from ukiahcommunityblog.wordpress.com By Terry Mollner My first visit to Mondragon was in 1979.
I had been searching the globe for years for a Relationship Age society which was also fully integrated into the modern world. Owenstown – A Garden City of our time built on co-operative principles. Bill Nicol is the Project Director of The Hometown Foundation and Owenstown.
Bill has 30 years’ experience in planning, economic development and large scale urban regeneration having worked in two local authorities, three enterprise agencies and two public-private partnerships. Prior to taking up the post as Project Director for the Hometown Foundation and Owenstown, he was Head of Property for Scottish Enterprise, Director of Clyde Waterfront and CEO of a pathfinder Urban Regeneration Company.