Unfortunately, progressive thinking about economic transition (known as the new economy movement) rarely reflects on where wealth in white communities came from, and where it still resides. Without this, wealth extraction from indigenous, black and people of colour communities will continue to persist in emerging and future economic systems. This is despite the fact that a great deal of (often unpaid and unrecognised) work is being done in the solidarity economy by minoritised genders, black people, people of colour, and people from working-class backgrounds.
Decolonising Economics is a collective working to build a solidarity economy movement that is rooted in racial justice principles. Their work is a continuation of the legacies of resistance led by BIPOC and marginalised communities globally. The collective emerged in response to the white dominant analysis and practice of the mainstream “new economy” movement, and is committed to both the transformation of these strategies towards a just transition, alongside an investment in the leadership of BPOC
What will the project try to achieve?
Decolonising Economics aim to establish themselves a worker co-operative, developing themselves alongside a community of other BIPOC led organisations through a Cooperative Development initiative, that they will lead through intergenerational partnerships through 2021-2022. They will seek to provide movement infrastructure for emerging BIPOC solidarity economy initiatives across the UK, and establishing a collective organising and governance structure that centers these initiatives to support the design and delivery of future programmes.
Specifically, Decolonising Economics aim to:
1. Run a Cooperative Development programme for BIPOC leaders of solidarity economy initiatives that supports these initiatives to thrive within a healthy movement ecosystem
2. Train facilitators to deliver workshops on Racial Capitalism, exploring the historic roots of wealth in whiteness, and how this influences structural inequalities today.
3. Work alongside other solidarity economy organisers to continue to create a movement infrastructure that enables partnerships and collaboration to be strengthened across BIPOC led initiatives.
Who might be interested in this project?
This project may be of interest to any organisation that is committed to exploring the relationship between structural racism, the racial wealth gap and the colonial history of the economic system. Specifically through research, advocacy and organising that contributes towards; just transition strategies, new economy initiatives, or building the solidarity economy.