大象传媒

For more than a decade, we at 大象传媒 Magazine have written regularly about something we call the 鈥渘ew economy.鈥� Readers will recognize the worker-owned cooperatives, local food initiatives, and alternative ways of measuring wealth that have been hallmarks of our reporting on this topic. But if someone cornered you in the bulk foods aisle and demanded to know what, exactly, the new economy is, what would you tell them?

New Economy Week will have plenty going on offline as well.

The answer, it turns out, is up for debate. Even among the thinkers and organizers most invested in the term 鈥渘ew economy鈥濃�擥ar Alperovitz and Chuck Collins come to mind鈥攙igorous debates and conversations are going on all the time about what it is, where it should focus, and how to make it spread.

To focus that discussion, the New Economy Coalition, a nonprofit organization that supports more than 100 member groups, has set next week aside as the second annual 鈥�.鈥�

Monday through Friday, the days will be packed with online panels, local events, and writings. The coalition has picked five juicy questions about new economy issues and sent them to its members to see what they think. We鈥檒l be curating their responses each day from Monday to Friday. You can find links to all five days here (we’ll be updating the page with articles and links daily).

And New Economy Week will have plenty going on offline as well. The activities range from multi-day conferences such as 鈥淲ho Owns Vermont?鈥濃�攚hich will explore alternative ownership models in that state鈥攖o more intimate gatherings like happy hours celebrating October鈥攐ur 鈥渘ational cooperative month鈥濃�攊n San Francisco and Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, several hundred inventors, entrepreneurs, activists, and organizers will gather in Detroit for the 鈥溾�� conference to discuss topics like the financing of community-owned projects, the way cooperatives are portrayed in the media, and the role of local food production.

鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping that people will become inspired and empowered,鈥� said Mike Sandmel, the New Economy Coalition鈥檚 manager of coalition engagement, 鈥渘ot just to oppose our unjust and unsustainable economy, but to take part in building something better.鈥�