Location: The Conference Center at the Maritime Institute (692 Maritime Boulevard Linthicum Heights, MD 21090)

Registration Deadline: May 25, 2012

Event Description:
The U.S. economy is sputtering along, creating new jobs at a rate that won’t get us back to pre-recession levels for at least another decade. An austerity program is shrinking the public sector, tearing apart the remaining social safety net and widening the racial economic divide. Meanwhile, the top 1% are riding higher than ever. The influence of big money in politics continues to grow and the 2012 elections will push such spending to obscene heights. Global trade agreements continue to spur a race to the bottom, economic dislocation and migration, and the inability to rein in too-big-to-fail financial institutions adds up to a frighteningly unstable and potentially catastrophic economic outlook.

Last fall, however, this doom and gloom scenario was pierced by the Occupy movement. The encampments, an increase in street heat activism and the brilliant reframing of the debate on the economy, from a focus on deficits and government spending to the 1% vs the 99%, has provided us an extraordinary moment in history. Although the persistence of extreme inequality, the opportunity for broad-based movement and significant social change has dramatically increased.

The role of education — not sound bites, but thoughtful reflection, analysis, and strategizing — is crucial to the success of the rejuvenated organizing and mobilizing that is taking place. We need to make sense of what’s happening and further challenge the dominant narrative that ignores the structures that systemically drive inequality. We need to create and unite behind a vision of an equitable, sustainable, and democratic economy. We need to establish the conditions for a democratic, multi-racial, multi-class progressive social change movement that can alter the established relations of power.

UFE’s Popular Economics Education Training of Trainers Institute explores these questions and gives participants tools for analysis that will inform and inspire action

Registration Information:
It is important that participants plan to attend the full Institute session in order to get the maximum benefit of the training, and preference will be given to those applicants who can make that commitment. Some materials, including a detailed agenda for the Institute and short readings will be sent to all registrants prior to the training to help participants prepare for the Institute.

The registration fee for this Institute is $500, which includes meals, room and board (double occupancy), materials and the TOT fee. (Transportation is NOT included.)

Scholarship Information:
We are committed to helping people figure out how to attend this Institute. We have limited scholarship funds to help defray a portion of the Institute fee for participants from low-income communities or from organizations with very limited resources. If you require financial assistance to attend this Institute, you may complete a scholarship request form after submitting this application and paying your deposit.

For more information, please click here.

Location: Northeastern University

The Center for Cooperatives & CED is sponsoring a 3 part speaker series with business leaders and cooperative developers to discuss the cooperative business model.  This series is cosponsored by the Faculty Center for Innovation and Excellence in Teaching.  Join us to learn more about cooperatives in New England and about the cooperative business model.

Contribute to the 2012 National Worker Cooperative Conference by submitting a workshop proposal. We will be accepting proposals until the 15th of December. Final decisions and notifications will be sent out by January 15th, 2012. For more information and to submit your proposal, visit our Workshop Proposal form.

For more information, contact Chris Clamp at c.clamp@snhu.edu or (603)644-3154.

Location: Boston, MA

This fourth national worker cooperative conference is a CELEBRATION of worker cooperatives, an INVITATION to the public, and a place of CONGREGATION for worker cooperative members and supporters….and it’s happening in 2012, the United Nations International Year of Cooperatives.

We’re creating a big tent for worker cooperatives, cooperative developers, policymakers, community organizers, academics, and others to come together to learn and be inspired by the powerful possibilities of cooperatives, worker ownership and workplace democracy.

The conference is open to the public. It is also a time for members of the US Federation to come together, share stories and skills, make friends and connections, and find ways to do business together.  Conference attendees will find a variety of hands-on practical workshops, opportunities for thinking about the bigger picture, several stimulating speakers, and of course — always — a good party!

Please join us in Boston to continue building this dynamic, powerful and pluralistic movement of worker-owners from around the country and the world.

We will provide Spanish translation as well as childcare.

Program Includes:

• Cooperative Development Intensive: As the economy continues to fail at creating jobs for working people, more communities are turning towards the idea of worker owned cooperatives to meet their employment needs. Join community organizations, worker co-op leaders and supporting organizations in a day-long exploration of the challenges and successes of worker cooperative development.

• Friday Night Keynote: Congressman Chaka Fattah from Philadelphia, the sponsor of the National Cooperative Development Act, will give our keynote address.

• National Conference: Saturday and Sunday will feature over 30 workshops on everything from practical business skills to movement-building discussions. In the spirit of the UN International Year of Cooperatives, we are also pleased to welcome several international guests, who will join us to share stories of their worker cooperative movements.

View the Session Schedule

Register before June 21st to reserve housing and meals!

For more details, please click here.

Time: 10:00am-3:30pm
Location: DHCD, 2nd Floor, Conference Rooms C&D (100 Cambridge Street,  Boston, MA 02114)

The MA Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will sponsor an additional 2012 session on HOME/HSF Program occupancy requirements, including steps necessary to collect resident documentation for compliance with Federal and State subsidy programs.

Topics will include eligibility criteria and verification steps, as well as how to serve households with Limited English Proficiency (LEP), implementing Conflict of Interest (COI) provisions, combining HOME/HSF with rental subsidies, Low HOME and High HOME rents, lease terms/prohibited clauses, FTHB compliance, preparing for monitoring visits, and ongoing reporting requirements.

This training is funded with DHCD’s HOME TA Grant from the U.S. Department of HUD. There is no charge to you but space is limited, so you must register. Please reserve your seat by emailing Joanlin Hsu at: Joanlin.Hsu@state.ma.us.

For more information, please click here.