Open Coop Development Agency

Discussion

As proposed by Henry Tam:

"I’m thinking that the priority should be given to the setting up of some form of Open Coop Development Agency – it could be a stand-alone or a federated network with existing pro-Open Coop groups and institutions as supporters.

Scale is important, but we know that effective coop federation can give us big organisational clout while retaining accountability to small autonomous units. And what would OCDA do? From your report and other writings colleagues have produced, I would say an 8-point programme:

1. Promote and provide learning on why and how open cooperatives should be set up and developed.

2. Provide coop business angels to give advice (on a voluntary basis; funded by a central body supported by members’ contributions; or a fee on terms agreed with the advice-receiver).

3. Arrange low cost loans/investment.

4. Arrange cooperatisation of non open coop businesses (arranging for discussions/voting sessions, lending money to workers to take over the business).

5. Work with political parties to secure commitments to pro-open cooperativist policies.

6. Negotiate with local and national govt to set up community owned trusts, and other appropriate policy actions.

7. Adjudicate/mediate between multi-stakeholders.

8. Safeguard open coops from sell-outs or unprincipled takeovers.

If these elements are already covered by a range of organisations, then joining them under a much higher profile umbrella would itself give impetus to maximising their synergy (1 is certainly the raison detre of Synergia!).

Historically, if we look at the development of social democracy in Sweden in early 20th century, or the rise of the New Right in the US in the 1970s/1980s, the key change came from the establishment of organisations that are dedicated to drive hitherto disparate movements and fragmented forces into a common mutually-reinforcing change programme." (email 2/2015)

More Information

• why we need Open Cooperatives: Why We Need a New Kind of Open Cooperativism for the P2P Age

• in-depth rationale: From the Communism of Capital to a Capital for the Commons