Written by Rob Brown, Business Ownership Solutions Program Director The coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic collapse has only made a bad situation worse, exacerbating economic inequality, racial disparities in employment, wealth and health, and the precarious livelihoods of poor
Worker Cooperatives benefit the many, not the few
Learning is a Matter of Life and Death
Written By Executive Director, Noemi Giszpenc The fifth cooperative principle is Education, Training, and Information. This may seem like a milquetoast, quiet principle, but it’s not. Would slaves have risked their lives to learn to read if education was optional?
PPE Donations Initiative: Concern for our friends and cooperation with our peers
Written by Emmy Anderson, Cooperative Business Developer With great concern for our staff as the COVID pandemic intensified, CDI’s Executive Director, Noemi Giszpenc, took a strong stance early on by promoting a culture of safety in our organization and urging
Enough is enough is enough already
Written by Noemi Giszpenc, Executive Director As I’m writing this, it’s June 1, 2020 — the first day of hurricane season — and I’m wondering, what’s it going to take? The Amazon burned, Australia burned, Paradise burned. Minneapolis and L.A.
Get Up, Stand Up. We Can Be Silent No More.
Our nation is hurting. We are hurting. As we mourn the lives lost to police brutality and the injustices people of color have historically faced and continue to experience, we encourage you to uplift anti-racist organizations and check-in with your
Emergency Food Response in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine
Emergency Food Response in Lewiston-Auburn, Maine CDI has been involved in the Lewiston-Auburn (L-A) Emergency Food Response since mid-March. We have been able to support efforts of collaboration and communication, and we have witnessed the courage and enthusiasm of a
COVID-19 Tragedy in Maine and #BetterTogetherFund
COVID-19 tragedy in Maine and #BetterTogetherFund Donate to the #BetterTogether Fund Today Written by Julian Rowand, NEROC Cooperative Development Specialist The global pandemic has been difficult for us all. Living and working in cooperative communities lends itself to the mutual aid
What is Essential?
What is Essential? Written by Noemi Giszpenc, Executive Director There are so many answers to this question. Air, water, sun, food, shelter are essential. And so many are denied them. Safety, stability, security are essential. And so many are denied them.
Local Foods in Cooperation
In celebration of Earth Day, Cooperative Development Institute and Cooperative Maine Business Alliance presents New Roots and Legacy in Tenant Harbor, the first two videos from our Local Foods in Cooperation video series. These two co-ops are creating jobs, preserving