The Big Idea Presented to the CWCF Conference, November 2005 By Hazel Corcoran And Greg O’Neill Two of the “Big Idea Collaborators”

TBI Backgrounder  September 11 th –The Co-operative reaction  BCICS Conference –The collaborators  The Collaboratory Approach  The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation –But first….

The Problem Statement: Liberal Capitalist Economics - The Monster that’s eating the world  Growing Economic Disparity; Chronic Poverty and Underdevelopment  Environmental Degradation  Erosion of Social Safety Net  Political Paralysis

The Wave of Resistance  G8 Demonstrations  The Growing body of creative opposition –Books –Documentaries –Music – Live Aid, etc.  Being against or being for

Co-operatives - A third way –An alternative to both Liberal Capitalism and State Administration –Local, small-scale, democratic organizations –Linked to regional, national and international networks –Not well known or understood

A Role For Government?  Does Government want to tackle this monster?  Can Government defeat the monster?  What can government do? –Create an environment in which the Co- operative alternative can flourish and challenge the monster (Little Dot Co-op)

The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation  This is one little step –“The longest journey begins….” Our Vision is: the creation of a Co-operative Commonwealth in which each person’s needs are met, and each person’s gifts are Shared within a framework of democratic co-operative enterprise.

The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation  A Federal Non-Profit Corporation  Three Members –Hazel Corcoran –Mark Goldblatt –Greg O’Neill

The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation Our Objects   organize and facilitate literary, musical and other educational, festivals, pageants and other cultural events that showcase cultural products promoting Cooperative ideals;   provide financial support by whatever means to those involved in the creation of cultural products that promote the Co-operative ideal; and   engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the laws of the Canada which is necessary to give effect to the objects here specified.   Why????

The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation Plan A  Creation of a CD  Transfer of copyright to the BIRF  Promote and Sell the CD And then…

The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation The Co-opalooza A Co-operative event Passionate speakers Entertaining musicians Co-operative Trade Show Co-op Activist Training Tent

The Big Idea Rainbow Foundation It’s Been Done Before  Civil Rights Movement  Anti-war Movement  Quebec Independence Movement  Anti-Apartheid Movement  Equal Rights for Women Movement

The Bigger Idea To develop an innovative co-op entity that engages co-ops, co-op developers, co-op activists and other individuals and organizations who share the co-op vision. Over To Hazel….

Why I am Doing This

Greening Established Co-ops  The VanCity Example  Revitalizing the Spirit of the Founders  Serving the Whole Community  Living the Principles –The fundamentalist Co-op Gospel  The Calgary Conspiracy

Popularizing the Movement: through Popular Culture  Music (e.g., Sea of Trouble, the Big Idea song)  Web sites: emmett.ca/bigidea; ecodema.org, worldproutassembly.org  Art work (see next three slides for examples)  Films: e.g., The Take  Spokespeople  Books  Workshops & Study circles  Organizers

“Co-operation seeks to plant the flag of peace, fraternity and solidarity in every country on the globe.” 1913, Grace Beauzeville

Quotes - Toward an Economy based on Hope, on Love “We have another story to tell – and that story is a hopeful, radical, and inspiring one, where people work together, as the Regina manifesto proclaimed, in the service of ‘supplying of human needs and not the making of profits.’” (Avi Lewis, May, 2005)

Ché Guevera “At the risk of seeming ridiculous, the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.”