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    Platform co-ops posts

    You can help develop non-corporate digital tools to support collaboration between community groups

    Are you sick of having to always use corporate software, that uses your data to track your activities, to try to sell you things, and who knows what else? Read more

    Ways Forward co-operative conference is back: Manchester, Oct 20-21

    This year the Ways Forward conference – an in-person event – focuses on how we can work together to address the climate emergency. Read more

    Help build the co-operative sector via the Co-op Data Club

    Leo Sammallahti explains the Co-op Data Club – a new venture to promote the co-operative sector. At the moment, the Co-op Data Club is about building a solid network of co-ops, and later, individuals will be able to join in. If you’re part of a co-op, please consider joining. Read more

    Are power hierarchies inevitable in human society?

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 25-Oct-2020 | 5

    Just to be clear, I’m only talking about institutional, power hierarchies here, not hierarchies based on beauty, knowledge, intelligence, ability, respect etc. Those hierarchies are inevitable, of course, and life would probably be quite boring without them. Read more

    Disillusioned with the parliamentary route to a better society? Here’s an alternative.

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 26-Jan-2020 | 8

    Before the election in December, I had a ‘lively debate’ with a friend – an old-school Labour supporter and Corbynite – who was trying to convince me that the only way that we can have an effective social safety net is by voting in a genuinely redistributive party, taxing the rich properly and spreading wealth… Continue reading Disillusioned with the parliamentary route to a better society? Here’s an alternative. Read more

    Become one of the first movers in a new, collaborative economy: Open Credit Network Alpha launch

    Lowimpact.org are working with Open.coop to build a new, co-operative, moneyless, mutual credit trading system for the UK, with a view to joining many similar schemes around the world to create a new global trading system, that requires neither banks nor interest. The point of this article is to invite you, if you own or… Continue reading Become one of the first movers in a new, collaborative economy: Open Credit Network Alpha launch Read more

    Networking small businesses and co-ops to replace corporations: Micky Metts on the new economy

    Micky Metts of Agaric | 11-Aug-2019 | 2

    This is part 2 of a conversation with Micky Metts of Agaric – a co-op in Boston, Massachusetts that provides online tools for other co-ops. Part 1 is here. I told Micky about some of the meetings and discussions we’ve been having in the UK with people working to build ‘new economy’ infrastructure, like community… Continue reading Networking small businesses and co-ops to replace corporations: Micky Metts on the new economy Read more

    A strategy for challenging the giant corporate platforms: Duncan McCann of the New Economics Foundation

    We talk about a strategy for challenging the giant corporate platforms in Part 2 of an interview with Duncan McCann, who’s working on a platform co-op alternative to Über in Brighton. Read more

    Reflections on the CTRLshift gathering – an emergency summit for change

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 16-Jun-2019 | 0

    The stated aim of the annual CTRLshift gathering (that took place in Stoke-on-Trent recently) is to bring key people together to talk about practical steps to help shift power away from central government and multinational corporations, to communities and individuals. Well, you had me at ‘decentralisation’, so I went along. Read more

    A ‘Transcender Manifesto’ for a world beyond capitalism

    Dil Green shares a Transcender Manifesto for groups to develop networks of transcendent social relations for a world beyond capitalism. Read more

    The barriers to growing the co-operative economy: Graham Mitchell of CoTech, part 2

    In Part 2 of our interview with Graham Mitchell of Co-Tech, we talk about growing the co-operative economy and the barriers we might face. Read more

    Building a co-operative train line: Alex Lawrie of Go-op

    Alex Lawrie of Go-op | 17-Feb-2019 | 2

    An interview with Alex Lawrie about his attempts to launch Go-op, a co-operative train line linking south west England with the Midlands. Read more

    How I hitch-hiked across the Atlantic to visit US co-ops: Cath Muller of Radical Routes

    Cath Muller of Radical Routes | 10-Feb-2019 | 0

    Today I’m talking with Cath Muller of Radical Routes, Cornerstone Housing Co-op and Co-operative Business Consultants. This is part 1 of our conversation, about her visit to Catalan co-operatives, and hitch-hiking across the Atlantic to visit US co-ops. Read more

    How the viable system model (VSM) can help build a new economy: Trevor Hilder of Web of Wealth

    Trevor Hilder of Web of Wealth | 20-Jan-2019 | 1

    Dave Darby interviews Trevor Hilder of Web of Wealth, who is a specialist in Stafford Beer’s viable system model (VSM). Read more

    Can we build a platform co-op to challenge Über? Interview with Duncan McCann of the New Economics Foundation

    Dave of Lowimpact.org / Noncorporate.org talks with Duncan McCann of the New Economics Foundation (see video below), about platform co-ops. Duncan is starting a taxi platform co-op called Faircab, to challenge Über. Read more

    The coming crash, and why co-ops are so important: Mark Simmonds of Co-op Culture

    Mark Simmonds of Culture Co-op | 02-Dec-2018 | 2

    Mark Simmonds gave us some free advice that saved us hundreds of pounds when we were setting up as a workers’ co-op. We talk about his work, and get deeper into the philosophy of co-operation.  Read more

    Is technology the problem? Conversation with Dave King of Breaking the Frame and the New Lucas Plan

    Dave King of Breaking the Frame | 14-Oct-2018 | 16

    This is a conversation between Dave Darby of NonCorporate.org and Dave King of Breaking the Frame and the New Lucas Plan. Dave (K) is opposed to the ‘technocracy’ that he describes as the root cause of environmental destruction and lack of democracy. Read more

    Co-operative smartphones are coming: Nithin Coca interviews the chair of KDIM Co-op

    Nithin Coca of Nithincoca.com | 25-Jul-2018 | 3

    You can get yourself a co-operative phone and broadband provider – the Phone Co-op. But you can’t get a phone made by a co-operative – not in the UK, anyway. Nithin Coca reports from Indonesia on a co-operative in Jakarta producing low-end, cheap phones for their home market. Read more

    Public debate on capitalism: what happened and what I learnt

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 22-May-2018 | 9

    You may remember that I was invited to take part in a public debate in London recently (see here) about whether capitalism is ‘the best system for a sustainable future’. I was asked to deliver the ‘no’ position. Read more

    Campaign launched to build a ‘new economy’ through a practical programme of workshops, mentoring, and live crowdfunding

    We talk about making ‘communities stronger’ and creating a ‘fairer economy.’ But these approaches are still struggling to significantly impact our society and economy Read more

    There’s a crash coming – a slap from Mother Nature. This isn’t pessimistic; it’s realistic.

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

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