Good For Quebec, What About The Rest Of Canada
NDP Works to Rescue Social Economy Initiative from Conservative Cuts. The little understood social economy, flourishing in Quebec and Europe with its community-based co-operatives, credit unions and grassroots businesses, came under Parliament scrutiny Tuesday as the NDP works to reverse a $39-million cut to its programs.

No new social economy articles found today. Did you find any? Email me at: solbcics@uvic.ca

Challenges for Venezuela's Revolution
Michael Lebowitz, professor emeritus of the department of economics at Simon Fraser University, is a director of the Centro Internacional Miranda (CIM) in Caracas, and author of the newly published book Build it Now: Socialism for the Twenty-First Century. He was interviewed by Coral Wynter and Jim McIlroy for the Australian newspaper Green Left Weekly.

Wolfville co-op offers easy terms
A Wolfville co-operative lends a virtually unknown foreign business US$40,000. The company has seven years to pay it back at seven per cent interest per year, not to mention a year's grace. If it can't pay, the co-op will gladly accept tea bags. Members aren't crazy, just committed to their philosophies as a fair-trade dealer.

Students hop on 'bicycle bursaries'

Finding a solution
Whether you see it or not, homelessness is a problem in Merritt. Patrick Lindsay, general manager of the Community Futures Development Corporation in Merritt, believes they should be using their social economy program to address this issue. Last week he proposed this to the board and they agreed. “They concurred that our mandate would fit into working on a problem like this,” he explains. “Homelessness is a problem. You can see it everywhere if you look.”

Premier showcase for B.C. artisans

Tortillas dished up with heart and soul: Co-op founded 30 years ago, Maria, 84, starts work at 2 a.m.
Morning comes early for Maria, a worker at the Tortilleria. The 84-year-old woman is always the first to arrive. Her shift begins at 2 a.m., when she pulls out bowls of flour and water and starts to make the first of hundreds of tortillas that will be served in the co-op that day.

Importance of rural Alberta recognized with new fund
A new fund is set to invest $100 million in rural Alberta over a three-year period in the hopes of stimulating growth and development. The Rural Alberta Development Fund announced it was open for business on Monday, Oct. 23, and is now accepting applications for community led projects that promote growth, prosperity and quality of life in rural areas of the province.

Nattivak’s self-reliance wins praise from QIA
Qikiqtarjuaq’s Nattivak Hunters and Trappers Association and their self-reliant approach to community economic development won lavish praise last week from the Qikiqtani Inuit Association. ”If you need our support in any manner, we are here to help you. We support self-reliance for our people,” said Thomassie Alikatuktuk, QIA’s president.