Publishing|Creative Co-op Group Join

"Competition has been shown to be useful up to a certain point and no further, but cooperation, which is the thing we must strive for today,begins where competition leaves off."
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Founded on the principles of private initiative, entrepreneurship and self-employment, underpinned by the values of democracy, equality and solidarity, the co-operative movement can help pave the way to a more just and inclusive economic order"
 ~ Kofi Annan

It's essentially about meeting human need, not human greed.  People can even compete together in a way that benefits the many equally rather than the few unequally. Co-operatives are the way it's done.

Let's explore how we can employ cooperative ways -- including official, structural "co-ops" -- to recreate the publishing and other creative industries.

This is THE YEAR to embrace a cooperative approach as the norm, rather than the exception.

The United Nations has established 2012 as The International Year of Cooperatives.

"So what exactly are cooperatives? What differentiates them from other forms of business? What are the advantages of cooperatives for members and communities in general?

Cooperatives are business enterprises owned and controlled by the very members that they serve. Their member-driven nature is one of the most clearly differentiating factors of cooperative enterprises. This fact means that decisions made in cooperatives are balanced by the pursuit of profit, and the needs and interests of members and their communities.

Cooperatives take many forms and operate in all sectors of society. Most share a unique set of principles which keep them attuned with their member-driven characterization."  from the UN IYC website