In this age of globalism — where rivers of capital move silently through borderless economies, sourcing at the lowest cost and charging back to society its costly externalities – we are adrift on a raft of our own making. Firms today excel at what neo-classical economists and governments have been cheering them on to do since the mid 30’s: make investors richer and the economy will be better for it.

But somewhere along the way, communities got left behind. Economic bullies have captured the flag. The question now is: how do communities take it back?

As the theory and examples presented in this paper suggest, stakeholders, unfettered by hierarchical systems and supported by a cooperative infrastructure, seem to have a natural instinct to cooperate. This fosters relationships that, in the presence of common purpose, create networks. As Dr. Sonja Novkovic, SMU, suggests, when networks are complex — bringing together differing perspectives and resources — and when systems are democratic and open-­‐ended, the potential exists for unplanned adaptation, innovation and entrepreneurship. This is particularly true when led by cooperative champions who present a vision of a public good that elicits strong buy-­in.

Under these unique circumstances, innovation blooms like wildflowers in a meadow -­‐ with unexpected bursts of colour and in unanticipated places. And, like the wings of a butterfly, many small actions have resonance on a much wider scale, creating the co-­‐operative framework for an adaptive, community-­‐focused process that – properly harnessed – can deliver the dignity and security of a sustainable future.

For more on this go to the Cooperative page of this website.