Coming together in an economic crisis: Common Security Clubs and the Solidarity Economy

Though the title sounds more like a right wing militia, common security clubs are emerging now doing whats necessary to build a truly grassroots movement for economic and climate justice in this country: bring people together to discuss their shared economic hardships and how they can collectively address these problems (a key idea of community organizing). According to a recent article published in Alternet, these entities were "born out of work done in the last few years by people struggling with overwhelming indebtedness." and those involved "focus on what they can do together to increase their economic security and press for policy changes."

Their functions are the following:

1) Learn and reflect
Through popular education tools, videos, Bible study, and shared readings, participants increase their understanding of the larger economic forces on our lives. Why is the economy in distress? How did these changes happen? What are the historical factors? How does this connect to the global economy? What are the ecological factors contributing to the changes? What is our vision for a healthy, sustainable economy? What are the sources of real security in my life?

2) Mutual aid and local action
Through stories, examples, Web-based resources, a workbook, and mutual support, participants reflect on what makes them secure. What can we do together to increase our economic security at the local level? What would it mean to respond to my economic challenges in community? How can I reduce my economic vulnerability in conjunction with others? How can I get out of debt? How can I help my neighbor facing foreclosure or economic insecurity? Can I downscale and reduce my consumption and ecological footprint and save money?

3) Social action
The economic crisis is in part the result of an unengaged citizenry and government. What can we do together to build an economy based on building healthy communities rather than shoring up the casino economy? What public policies would make our communities more secure? Through discussion and education, participants might find ways to engage in a larger program of change around the financial system, economic development, tax policy, and other elements of our shared economic life.

These are the kind of conscious raising sessions that have been crucial building blocks for previous social movements such as the women's liberation movement of the late 60s and 70s and the civil rights movement. But more importantly Common Security Clubs give people a chance to engage in these large scale and quite complex economic issues on a more personal and local basis.

Also these groups serves a larger purpose for creating an alternative economic model (a solidarity economy) as the article points out:

These clubs are also one of many building blocks that can move us toward a “solidarity economy” that affirms our true interconnection with one another. Coming together is a way to remind ourselves of the abundance we have, the wealth of our relationships and networks, and the mutuality of our economic security

The Solidarity Economy is defined generally by the Center for Popular Economics as an

alternative development framework that is grounded in practice and the in the principles of: solidarity, mutualism, and cooperation; equity in all dimensions (race/ethnicity/ nationality, class, gender, LGBTQ); social well-being over profit and the unfettered rule of the market; sustainability; social and economic democracy; and pluralism, allowing for different forms in different contexts, open to continual change and driven from the bottom-up.

This economic model emerged in Latin America during the mid 1980s and has gained roots in countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Spain which "embraces a plural and cultural view of the economy as a complex space of social relationship in which individuals, communities, and organizations generate livelihoods through many different means and with many different motivations and aspirations—not just the maximization of individual gain" under capitalism. This has manifested organically and from the grassroots in a variety of forms such as community land trusts, worker cooperatives, participatory budgeting utilized in Brazil and Venezuela, social enterprises, ecological villages, community development corporations and urban community agriculture. social currency and ESOPs (employee stock ownership plan). All of which exist in the US as well as around the world.

Major organizational proponents of this alternative economic model in the US include the The US Solidarity Economy Network, and the Grassroots Economic Organizing collective.