NCBA’s president and chief executive officer, Paul Hazen, played a large role in securing U.S. support for the resolution. Hazen, with support from cooperatives in Wisconsin, was able to get Senators Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, as well as Senator Benjamin Cardin of Maryland, to write a letter to the U.S.’s ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, supporting the resolution.

In the letter, the Senators wrote that “cooperatives are an essential part of the agricultural and financial fabric of the United States,” as well as the rest of the world.

Staff of the Senators have indicated that they believe Rice will support the resolution.

Source: NCBA ENews

I was positively surprised to see how big the NASCO Institute in Ann Arbor was, amazed to see so many houses from the ICC (Inter-Cooperative Council) in the city, and the general atmosphere in town during the whole Institute with more than 400 attendants. I was especially surprised because I come from Europe and we don’t really have anything comparable to Housing Cooperatives there. Most of the European states provide some sort of affordable housing options for youth; tertiary education is very cheap compared to American averages, or even free, and in some countries students get money from the government to spend on their needs (e.g., housing) while they are in college. There are also many subsided state housing options available, and those, who for political reasons choose not to participate or get involved with the state and the government, usually squat since there’s a long and rich tradition of this movement and since squatting is generally tolerated.

For these reasons, people in most European countries might feel that there is no need or space for co-ops in our societies. But are co-ops only about cheap housing? No, of course not! The co-ops are much more: they are a place where you can practice everyday democracy and live in a sustainable eco-friendly environment, a safe space for all genders, sexual orientations, faiths, ethnicities and ideologies, and, most importantly, a place where you can start building another world within your community. This is possible because in the co-ops we firmly believe that another world is possible and necessary. Intentional living is what makes co-ops special and different, and this concept is crucial to our movement.

I was also surprised to discover that beyond college students and young people in general, there were options for intentional community living for grown-ups, families with children, and retired people in the so-called Co-housing Communities. In Ann Arbor, we had the chance to visit and meet the members of two of them: Great Oaks and Sunward Co-housing. Co-housing is not just a “neighbor’s association” where people share common spaces like play-grounds or parking lots, but communities dedicated to creating a place where resources are shared, lives are simplified, and the Earth and the environment are respected. These are people who choose to not live isolated lives, but instead interact with others and be part of a community. It was very interesting to find out that those communities have been running smoothly for more than 30 years and have more than 100 members, ranging from babies to octogenarians, and there are several other communities like these ones in the US and Canada.

Attending the NASCO Institute was undoubtedly a very enriching and thrilling experience, and I’d like to share what I learned with people here at SBSHC, and also with people in Barcelona, where I’m from, when I get back home.

Isla Vista, CA
November 15, 2009

Related Links:

Sunward Co-housing: http://www.sunward.org/

Great Oaks Co-housing: http://www.gocoho.org/

Begin: 7:15 AM

1. Opening & Vox Populi [10 min's]
2. Agenda & Minute Approval [10 min's]
3. Board Membership Appeal [10 min's]
4. Eligibility Approval Request [10 min's]
5. Public Director Seat [10 min's]
6. Ballot Approval [20 min's]
7. Interim Report [20 min's]
8. Technology & Outreach Committee Introductions [10 min's]
9. Closing [10 min's]

Adjourn: 9:15 AM

Soon, I will post an article that Aina, a Newman co-oper, wrote on the cooperative housing system in Europe. I am also inviting all SBSHC Member-Owners to become authors and contribute their awesome articles here, so let me know if you’re interested.

Cooperatively yours,

Basel

P.s. Although I contest that “B…” has been my signature for years, I do admit stealing “cooperatively yours” from Emily. Well, stealing is the wrong verb; how about cooperatively borrowing?