Cooperativism & the Solidarity Economy

Cooperatives have been recognized globally as the most important agent in the construction of a new society and as key to the advancement of the new world envisioned in the World Social Forum. Both the United Nations and recent forums, such as the bi-annual Mont Blanc Meeting in France, conclude that the values and principles with which cooperatives and solidarity economy projects operate, make these movements a promising tool for emancipatory social movements.

Juan Gerardo Domínguez is closely involved in the cooperative movement in Mexico and internationally. Since 1990, he has worked with SCAAS-- Sociedad Cooperativa de Asesores para el Avance Social (Cooperative Advisors for Social Advancement)—an organization that has aided the formation of more than 100 cooperatives in 25 Mexican states in areas such health, community agriculture, recycling, handicrafts and fisheries. He has written extensively on cooperatives and the solidarity economy and has participated in numerous international meetings on the topic. He is also a member of the leadership committee of Mayfirst/People-Link, a technology cooperative with branches in the United States and Mexico.