Every so often, institutions become rigid and need to be revived, reformed, and reborn. When coops become institutional machines more than movements, it’s a sign that they must shake off their historical and bureaucratic calcification to continue evolving as a living movement.
Just as in our own lives, growth is never in a straight line; it is often three steps forward and two steps backward.
This feels like a good time to again inspire motivation “from the bottom up.” Rather than coming from those in power, the most effective and lasting change happens at the grass-roots level.
Being on the “edge of the inside” means not being dependent on the status quo.
What are the essential elements of the cooperative tradition? By asking right questions, one can attempt to clear away the rubble of unhelpful strategy, low-level thinking, abuses of power, and convenient truisms.