In this extensive and beautifully done piece, author Kristian Davidek (u.a. ORF/FM4) writes about historical settler’s cooperatives, newer arts and culture coops, as well as a young generation of cooperativistas working together as a coop – even if their legal form might be a different one.

“The coop is not a silver bullet, but her principles are in line with the struggle for a more just society. Coops can be developed further, nationally and transnationally.”

He names Smart as one example of how coops can be a model for the future.

“This is not the end of the story, as we can see in initiatives such as Smart (which stands for: Sociéte mutuelle pour artistes). Its goal is to create dignified working conditions for artists, creatives and New Self Employed, since neither state nor market are providing them adequately.”

A strong plea for cooperative forms of work and economy! Read the full article here: Ahoi Comrades! (in German, also available as audio).

Published in the recently started online magazine period.