What the world needs now is a new type of financial institution – “an investment union” – to finance localised business projects, writes Oscar Kjellberg. “It should help promoters plan their projects and then find outside investor-partners in return for a share of each project’s income rather than its profits. [...]

The United Nations has declared 2012 to be International Year of Co-operatives (IYC) highlighting the contribution of cooperatives to socio-economic development, in particular recognizing their impact on poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. The UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/64/136 encourages all member States, the United Nations and all relevant [...]

Months after starting production in China, the Mondragon cooperative Cikautxo group, which develops and manufactures parts and groups in polymer materials for different applications, has just bought a 50% stake in the Indian tubing manufacturer Taurus Flexibles Pvt. Ltd located in Pune. The new company resulting from this alliance, “Cikautxo [...]

Watch a video summary of the 2010 Mondragon Annual Report.

Carl Davidson of Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism tells the story of the Mondragon Cooperatives at the 2011 Left Forum. SOURCE Carl Davidson on Mondragon at the 2011 Left Forum (American Worker Cooperative) Carl will also be speaking in Texas on 8 September. SOURCE Third Coast Workers Coop

Jeffrey Hollender, who describes himself as a leading US authority on corporate responsibility, sustainability and social equity, visited the Mondragon coops recently and has posted a series of articles on his website. In his first article, Hollender explains the basic “people before profits” principle of Mondragon. “I’m compelled to start [...]

The California city of Richmond has embarked on a program to help promote the growth of co-op businesses to create job opportunities and provide avenues to create stable incomes for unskilled and hard-core unemployed residents.

John Medaille, who is co-editor of The Distributist Review webzine, and an adjunct instructor at the University of Dallas, explained to ZENIT what’s missing in current economic theory and why distributism deserves renewed appreciation.

The Green Party mayor of Richmond, California, a city of 100,000, Gayle McLaughlin is visiting Spain to investigate the Mondragon cooperative model.

John Curl reports on a conference of worker coops at Berkeley.