More than 115 people attended the Solidarity Economy on June 17, 2014.
Speakers
Dr. Edgar Cahn
Dr. Cahn is a Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of the District of Columbia School of Law and an Ashoka Fellow. He is the founder of TimeBanking, a currency that rewards decency, caring and social justice in use in forty states and thirty four counties; Racial Justice Initiative (utilizing a novel legal theory to dismantle structural racism in juvenile justice and child welfare). Dr. Cahn is also the co-founder of the National Legal Services Program in the War on Poverty at Antioch School of Law and the Time Dollar Youth Court of Washington DC of the National Homecomers’ Academy (enabling those returning home from prison to define themselves as community builders)
Dr. Christine Gray
As an author and former ED of TimeBanks USA, Dr. Gray’s interest and passion is systems change, for which she sees TimeBanking as a powerful tool. Her leadership roles include the 2007, 2009, 2011 international TimeBanking conferences. Her book, The Tribal Moment in American Politics: The Struggle for Native American Sovereignty (2013), is a study of American political development and change.
Prof. Craig Borowiak
Craig Borowiak is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Haverford College. He received a B.A. in Philosophy from Carleton College and a Ph. D in Political Science from Duke University. He joined the Haverford political science faculty in fall 2004. Trained in political philosophy and political economy, his teaching and research interests focus on globalization, democratic theory, transnational civil society, critical cosmopolitanism, the history of political economic thought, and alternative economy movements.
Esteban Kelly
Esteban Kelly has been an important leader in solidarity economy and cooperative movements for over 15 years, especially elevating food justice, worker co-ops, youth, and cooperative education. He is Lead Organizer for the New Economy Coalition (formerly the New Economics Institute); a nonprofit that has convened over 100 organizations to build a just economy that serves people, place, and the planet . Esteban is a founding member of AORTA (the Anti-Oppression Resource and Training Alliance), a worker co-op that provides facilitation, education, and consulting for organizations who advance social justice and the solidarity economy.
Ariel Morales
Ariel Morales is a community organizer at the Women’s Community Revitalization Project (WCRP). He further supports the solidarity economy as a board member of the Mariposa Food Coop.
WCRP is a non-profit organization committed to social and economic equity for low-income women and their families. WCRP develops affordable housing, provides supportive services, and advocates for policy change. WCRP also started the Community Justice Land Trust and has been advocating for policies to support the growth of community land trusts in Philadelphia. Part of that groundwork has been winning a fair, accountable and transparent land bank through the Campaign to Take Back Vacant Land.
Bertha Sarmina
Bertha Sarmina is the Director of Microlending at Finanta, a nonprofit community lender that promotes the growth and economic expansion of diverse Philadelphia communities through the infusion of capital and the provision of business consultation services and homeownership counseling.
Bertha joined FINANTA in 2010 with over 20 years of experience in the non-profit and humanitarian sectors. Her vast experience includes building organizational capacities, developing and implementing effective stakeholder-driven programs, and creating micro-finance products for women and minorities. Bertha developed and currently oversees FINANTA’s ROSCAS Program, in addition to providing technical assistance for business clients. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana, and a Master’s in Fine Arts from the Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
Elizabeth Frantz
Elizabeth Frantz is Credit Analyst at The Reinvestment Fund, a community development financial institution (CDFI) that has invested $1.3 billion in housing, community facilities, supermarkets, commercial real estate and energy efficiency projects. Elizabeth supports loan underwriting for community development real estate projects, specializing in supermarkets and affordable housing.
Prior to TRF, she worked in affordable housing advocacy and policy research in Chicago, IL. She has a Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of Pennsylvania and is an active member-owner of Mariposa Food Co-op, participating in the Mariposa’s Finance Committee.