The Cooperation Proclamation
Our multi-talented Board Member Gala Milne recently wrote this article celebrating Vancouver-based cooperatives and the Co-Op movement in general for The Dependent Online Magazine. Check it out below and follow the links for the full article!
THE COOPERATION PROCLAMATION | FEBRUARY 28th | GALA MILNE
“I know I’ve already renewed my loan on this sander,but it’s just so good. I really want to take it out again.”
It’s 4 p.m. on Tuesday and we’ve just opened the library. Craig stands back from the counter, one hand crossed over his chest, the other up by his chin, looking down at the little angular sander with adoration. He blushes.
“See here how it has these gel pads so your hands don’t go numb?”
I’ve never witnessed such enthusiasm for a sander.
Of course, Craig doesn’t have to deal with the uncertainty of knowing whether or not he can rent this prized tool tonight. Simply, he could trek down a hardware store, put down some cash, and either buy or rent his beloved sander for days on end. Instead, Craig has prescribed to a different model of tool autonomy: the model of active participation, shared decision-making, and equal distribution of resources; the model in which collective values preside over profit; and the model wherein many of us have no earthly idea what we’re actually talking about:
The Co-operative Model.