Hometown Strategies for a Democratic Economy are locally focused projects or programs that human dignity groups are using to both build a strong community that can survive our new economic reality, and work towards the longer-term goal of making a democratic economy a reality.
Hometown Strategies are designed to expand our movement, connect together and build relationships for the long haul.
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At the ROP Annual Caucus in April, the self-reliant communities workshop tried to name "What does it mean to be ‘a resilient community?’ We listed at least 30 different elements — from living wage jobs to prosperity from within and from eliminating systems of oppression to disaster preparedness. The theme that emerged from each wonderful addition was interdependence. We decided to kick-off our series on Hometown Strategies for a Democratic Economy with that particular theme — interdependence & interconnectedness of people, communities & social movements is the undercurrent for all of the change that we are trying to create.
A useful tool for building your local resilient community is the first Hometown Strategy that ROP share over the next several months: The Common Security Club (CSC). The Common Security Club, often referred to as a Resiliency Circle, offers a vision beyond the troubled times and enables you to build the community that many of us are missing.
Often the communities that are closest to our homes, hearts and most related to our own power were deprioritized over the last few decades. Fortunately, for those of us who see every crisis as an opportunity, the CSC is a program that makes the problems clear, the solutions achievable and turns acquaintances into thoughtful friends.
The MacLeay Grange, friends of ROP in rural
- Learning Together: What is our vision of a healthy sustainable economy?
- Mutual Aid: What makes people secure? What can we do together to increase our ‘security’ on a local level?
- Social Action: Coming together, what can we do to reclaim our economy from the casino capitalists?
View and download the one-page resource sheet that will get you started.