Eve is here. I have mixed feelings about the developments described in this article. On the other hand, it’s heartening to see so many initiatives emerging or growing in Chicago to help people suffering from economic or social adversity. On the other hand, the article begins by saying that the reason these efforts are expanding in scope and being informally coordinated is that they are hurting local economies that are not doing well (without housing cost relief) and social safety nets. This is an expected budget cut. And even though the organizations profiled here are grassroots, a billionaire-funded NGO decided it could help some of these (seemingly efficient) groups, and the final You have to wonder if you’re actually going to kick that group out.
This article describes the main benefits of these organizations. That means more flexibility than government bureaucracies. But when you put on your devil’s advocate hat, it doesn’t have to be this way. The United States has a punitive and coercive attitude toward the poor. Many systems have elaborate means-testing and other hurdles that assume economically disadvantaged people don’t want to work, and need to be monitored to ensure they don’t get more than they deserve. There is. For example, openDemocracy published an article highlighting examples of this practice in the UK. Plan to spy on disabled people’s bank accounts shows Labor doesn’t support change. Labor wants full access to scheme participants’ bank account data, despite the fact that disability benefit fraud is negligible.
I don’t mean to sound critical. Not only is mutual aid beneficial, but the growth of these networks helps build community and counter neoliberal fragmentation. But in a better world, they would complement other social safety nets. The alarming breakdown here is that they are about to become the front line.
As for the statement “it doesn’t have to be this way”, there is no inherent reason why aid programs should be designed and administered at the national level. The great American socialist Richard Nixon said that the federal government is better at collecting revenue than state and local governments, but better at knowing their needs and devising appropriate programs. Based on this idea, we introduced revenue sharing. Revenue Sharing controlled block grants and (IIRC) its only regulation was anti-fraud. President Ronald Reagan ended revenue sharing.
Written by Damon Orion, author, journalist, musician, artist, and teacher living in Santa Cruz, California. His work has appeared in publications such as Revolver, Guitar World, Spirituality + Health, Classic Rock, and High Times. Learn more about his work here DamonOrion.com. Creator regional peace economy
July 2024, Council Office of Financial Analysis (COFA) reported In Chicago, Illinois, the job market is depressed, multifamily starts are down, and single-family home prices are rising. The following month, the City of Chicago’s 2025 budget projections were released. projected The budget gap for the fiscal year is $982.4 million.
Budget gaps can often result in reduced funding for critical resources such as: social services and education.
Fortunately, Chicago has a number of solidarity businesses and mutual aid groups that can cushion the brunt of these situations. For example, community and neighborhood development organizations Reason for giving We provide education, school supplies, clothing and toys to children and families in need. non-profit organization high sight Provides scholarships and academic support to low-income high school students; Sol House Cooperative Its mission is to “provide affordable homeownership opportunities in Chicago’s northwest region for socially conscious people who want to share the responsibility of decision-making and property management within a cooperative enterprise.”
Daniel Ash of Chicago Community Trust talks about the effective change that “hyperlocal organizations” can bring about. said 2021 Leader, “These formal and informal networks centered around mutual aid are, by definition, more agile because of their size and scale…and when approached with a problem, they can help people in need. When you see it, it’s like an innate reaction to act now.”
ChiCommons Cooperative, a worker-owned collective. the purpose Online to “foster and grow a people-owned solidarity economy” map Comprised of more than 800 solidarity organizations, cooperatives, and related resources in the Chicago area. similar to new york sowing solidarity and nationwide Solidarity economy map and directoryChiCommons’ maps show viewers local apartment complexes, food co-ops, worker co-ops, credit unions, and other mutual aid-based groups. Users can search by co-op category, zip code, city, or neighborhood.
This map not only helps Chicago residents find communities and resources, but is also valuable to groups and individuals working on co-op development. Steve Ediger, founding co-owner and acting president of ChiCommons, said consulting and incubation services can use ChiCommons to learn “who’s in the Chicago co-op world and what they’re doing.” explains.
Maps also serve as local resources. Find.coopInternational solidarity map curated by Data Commons Cooperative.
Anyone interested in using the ChiCommons directory as a model for similar projects can access the source software on the developer platform. GitHub. “We’re willing to talk to people about what we’ve been doing and what experiences we’ve had with maps,” Ediger says.
From 2010 to 2012, Cultural Institute By creating this, we laid the foundation for the Solidarity Map. acceleration 77a list of organizations promoting sustainability across Chicago’s 77 community areas. In 2012, the Sharing Economy Hub was born. chicago time exchange In collaboration with Solidarity Economy News Source shareable Create a map of shareable resources in the Chicago area. In 2016, two ChiCommons worker-owners used data from Accelerate77, Shareable, and a list of other local solidarity groups to create an initial version of what would eventually become the ChiCommons Solidarity Map.
Shareable explaining the importance of solidarity economy state It states that it is “a global movement to build a world that centers people and planet, rather than maximizing private profit and limitless growth.”
The first version of ChiCommons’ map contained 400 to 600 entries, Ediger said. “There are cooperatives, and there are associated resource and solidarity organizations, including community gardens, farmers markets, urban forums, worker cooperatives, bicycle cooperatives, housing cooperatives, credit unions, mutual aid societies, and more. People involved in cooperative and solidarity ecosystems.”
service provider
In addition to the solidarity map, ChiCommons has created a communication platform. block share. “it is, last mile We provide internet service to underserved communities,” Ediger explains. Recipients of this service participate in ChiCommons Cooperative. consumer owner. Blockshare gives people individual servers and allows them to organize communities and “share garden crops, time, talent, tools, and vehicles with each other,” Ediger said.
ChiCommons website memo While the Chicago region is a “dynamic intersection of culture, commerce, and innovation,” it also “has traditional issues of inequality, disinvestment, and exclusion,” he said. Existing institutions have ignored entire geographic, demographic, and generational segments of our community, including access to technology and necessities. ”
Ann analysis A study by the University of Chicago’s Data Science Institute based on responses received between 2014 and 2019 found that while approximately 80% of Chicago households have internet connectivity, the city’s least connected communities We found that up to 40% of households lack internet access. “Most isolated households in Chicago live on the city’s South Side and West Side,” the study states.
collaborator
ChiCommons survives by providing paid business and technology services to small businesses, nonprofits, cooperatives, and solidarity organizations. For example, this collective designed and implemented all the technology needed for a grocery cooperative. wild onion marketThis includes computers, networks, internet connections, point-of-sale infrastructure, security cameras, and printers. ChiCommons also provides strategic planning and facilitation for future co-op founders.
Worker/owner Paul Bowman is developing a hotel reservation and management system. Madison Interpreter Cooperativedescribes his position at ChiCommons as “an opportunity to be directly involved in collaboration.” Worker and owner Alvin Walker says he enjoys the “opportunity to work with others in a non-hierarchical environment” and the autonomy that self-employment provides.
Ediger is one of about 35 residents of the sustainability-focused commune. GreenRise Intentional CommunityHe feels that the most rewarding aspect of his involvement with ChiCommons is the sense of community it provides. “What I love to do and what gives me energy is working towards a common goal with like-minded people,” he says. “I practice cooperation on a daily basis. I go shopping, go to the bank, and work at the co-op.
