Making a Permaculture Mondragon Cooperative complex

Kirstie & Nicholas had an informal discussion with Professor Fred Freundlich of Mondragon University about the history and state of the worker-cooperative movement, and Mondragon in particular, in reference to establishing a global permaculture worker cooperative.

We came away from the meeting optimistic that our dreams of developing sustainability projects in a worker-cooperative framework can be realized.  The two systems have the potential to be mutually beneficial:  permaculture can contribute to the environmental sustainability aspects of Mondragon, and the economic and social sustainability aspects of the Mondragon cooperative can stabilize permaculture in the world (Gaia Permaculture). A permaculture worker-cooperative could research, develop and replicate the permaculture worker cooperative complex and create a truly sustainable future. A Gaia Permaculture Mondragon Cooperative Complex.­

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THE GIST OF IT

Our hopes for a global permaculture cooperative have been tempered by (1) our concerns that a global worker-cooperative cannot function profitably while embedded in the current global out-sourcing entrepreneurial culture, and by (2) our observations of the dysfunctional hierarchical relationships which predominate at established Permaculture farms in Australia
http://gaiapermaculture.com/projects/permaculturecooperative/blog/2009/07/17/mondragon-permaculture-cooperative/

plans http://gaiapermaculture.com
video http://Permaculture.TV

Photos of Mondragon Cooperative Tour http://permaculture.tv/?p=1056
Photos from Mondragon or Arrasate in Basque http://permaculture.tv/?p=1050