Co-Cycle Visits Madison
On August 6th, a swarm of sweaty cyclists
descended upon CUNA Mutual Group's corporate headquarters in Madison,
Wisconsin, where they were welcomed by Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, as well as members of the press and leaders from
Madison's co-op community. For over two months, they had traveled by bike--from
San Francisco north to Portland then over the Rockies and on to the Upper
Midwest. The group of riders represented Co-Cycle, a youth-led, bike-powered
tour linking cooperatives across the United States. Through workshops, co-op
visits, and public events across the country, Co-Cycle hoped to educate
themselves on the cooperative model and facilitate connections with and between
cooperatives in the communities they visited.
 The idea for Co-cycle emerged from a group of students at Hampshire College. It
quickly spread to a larger group of students who have diverse academic
backgrounds and personal passions but overlapping interests in cycling and the
cooperative business model. Most importantly, they all shared a desire to learn
and teach others about why cooperatives are a useful model for addressing some
of the world's most complex social, economic, and environmental
challenges.
Co-Cycle's three-day stay in Madison included tours of ten co-ops, an official
proclamation from the City of Madison designating the week of August 6-10
Co-Cycle Week, and a lively farewell party with food, music, locally brewed
beer, and the signing of MadWorc's articles of incorporation.
Rider Riko Fluchel reflected on Co-Cycle's time in the Upper Midwest:
"The past few weeks
have been peppered with many busy but tremendous occasions: from seeing
all these cooperatives in one space together in multiple towns and cities as
they connect and organize; having the pleasure of presenting the United States
Federation of Worker Cooperatives’ endorsement of legislation to increase the
lending cap of credit unions to 27.5% to the Credit Union National Association;
and consequently, Mayor Soglin of Madison declaring August 6-10th
‘Co-Cycle Week’ in Madison. All of this this has given us a sense of
success—indeed, it is already so much more than we could have imagined when we
were planning and organizing throughout the fall and winter. We are giving
co-ops an occasion to talk to each other, organize together, and strengthen
themselves, each other, and therefore the overall movement. This is perhaps
best exemplified in Madison, where we witnessed the signing of articles to make
MadWorc, previously merely a network of cooperatives in Madison, into an actual
cooperative of cooperatives."
On September 1st, Co-Cycle arrived in Amherst, Massachusetts thereby completing
their 4,000-mile journey. A group of students from New York University
documented the ride and will be producing a film chronicling Co-Cycle's journey
and highlighting the importance of dedication, innovation, and teamwork in
achieving a thriving cooperative economy and ultimately a sustainable future.
For more information about Co-Cycle, visit http://www.co-cycle.coop
|
