The democracy collaborative

The Democracy Collaborative: A Research and Development Lab for the Democratic Economy

The Democracy Collaborative is a research and development lab that focuses on building a democratic economy. The organization was founded in 2000 by Gar Alperovitz, an American historian, political economist, activist, and writer. The Democracy Collaborative is based in Washington D.C., but it has a national reach.

The mission of The Democracy Collaborative is to create sustainable and equitable communities through the development of new economic models that prioritize people over profits. The organization believes that the current economic system is broken and unsustainable, leading to inequality, poverty, environmental degradation, and social unrest.

To achieve its mission, The Democracy Collaborative works with community organizations, policymakers, businesses, universities, labor unions, foundations and other stakeholders to develop practical solutions for transforming local economies. Its approach involves three main strategies: research and analysis; field-building; and policy advocacy.

Research & Analysis

The Democracy Collaborative conducts rigorous research on various aspects of the democratic economy such as community wealth building; employee ownership; public banking; renewable energy; land trusts; cooperatives etc. It publishes reports on its findings which are available for free download from its website.

Field-Building

The Democracy Collaborative also engages in field-building activities such as convening conferences/workshops/seminars/webinars where experts share their knowledge about different aspects of the democratic economy. It also provides technical assistance to communities interested in implementing democratic economic models.

Policy Advocacy

Finally ,the democracy collaborative advocates for policies at all levels of government that support the growth of democratic economies such as tax incentives for employee-owned businesses or public banks etc.. It also works with policymakers to draft legislation that promotes these policies.

Impact

Over the years ,the democracy collaborative has made significant contributions towards building a more equitable society through its work .It has helped establish several successful initiatives across America including:

1) Evergreen Cooperatives - A network of worker-owned cooperatives based in Cleveland Ohio which provide jobs to low-income residents while creating wealth within their communities.

2) Community Wealth Building Network - A national network dedicated to promoting community wealth building strategies.

3) Next System Project - An initiative aimed at developing alternative economic systems capable of addressing global challenges like climate change or income inequality .

Conclusion

In conclusion ,the democracy collaborative is an innovative organization committed towards creating sustainable communities through developing new economic models .Its work has had significant impact across America by helping establish successful initiatives like Evergreen Cooperatives or Community Wealth Building Network .Through continued research ,field-building activities ,and policy advocacy it will continue making strides towards achieving its vision for a more equitable society built upon principles of democracy,equity,and sustainability .