Cooperatives and Socialism

This book demonstrates that the cooperative model is based on principles essential to building a more just and democratic society. It is argued that this is the best economic reform alternative to neoliberal capitalism and authoritarian socialism in Cuba, and that this model can also radically transform other economies around the world.

Crises of classical socialism and global capitalism are leading many to re-examine an alternative system based on workers' self-directed cooperatives. Its concepts and realizations are building hopes and concrete plans for progressive change in Cuba and beyond. Camila and her co-authors excellently explore this important, historic project.

Richard D. Wolff, Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, author of Democracy at Work

This impressive collection of essays, by Cuban and non-Cuban thinkers, could not be more timely both for Cuba, which is in the process of restructuring its economy, and for most of the rest of the world, which, given the seemingly intractable crisis of global capitalism, should be doing the same. These essays are infused with both realism and hope.

David Schweickart, Professor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago, author of After Capitalism

A most important collection of seminal essays on the role of cooperatives in the capitalist and socialist development process. It provides a series of theoretical and analytical probes into a critically important development issue and a window into an ongoing debate on how best to adapt the Cuban model to the 21st century.

Henry Veltmeyer, Professor of Sociology and International Development Studies at Saint Mary's University (Halifax, Canada), author of Plantation Economy in the Age of 21st Century Globalisation

ELIENE DOS ANJOS interning at the Instituto Universitario de Economía Social y Cooperativa, Universidad de Valencia, España and is a member of the Perola Negra association, which advises solidarity enterprises in Bahia, Brazil ANDRÉS RUGGERI directs the 'Open Faculty' Extension and Study Program on worker-recovered enterprises and is the author of various books and articles on worker-recovered enterprises DARIO AZZELLINI Researcher and Professor at the Institute of Sociology at Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Austria LARRAITZ ALTUNA GABILONDO Professor of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences and researcher at the LANKI institute of cooperative studies at the Universidad de Mondragón, Basque Country, Spain LUIZ INÁCIO GAIGER teaches at the Universidade Do Vale Do Rio Dos Sinos, Brazil. He coordinates the UNESCO Department of Labor and Solidarity Society, is a member of the Screening Group in Solidarity and Cooperative Economy, and is one of the coordinators of the Network of Latin American Social and Solidarity Economy Researchers JULIA GAMBINA is Professor of Political Economy at the Faculty of Law at the Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Argentina. President of the Foundation of Social and Political Research (FISYP) and member of the executive board of the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) ARMANDO NOVA GONZÁLEZ Professor and Researcher at the Centre for the Study of the Cuban Economy (CEEC), University of Havana, Cuba AITZOL LOYOLA IDIAKEZ Professor of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences and researcher at the LANKI institute of cooperative studies at the Universidad de Mondragón, Basque Country, Spain ALCIDES LÓPEZ LABRADA was Vice Minister of Agriculture from 1995 to 1997 and 2005-2010 to oversee the cooperative sector and Havana Agriculture Ministry representative from 1998-2005. She has also held the posts of Director of the Agriculture Ministry Training Center, advisor to the Villena Revolución Agricultural Polytechnic Institute, and professor of Economy at the University of Havana HUMBERTO MIRANDA LORENZO holds a doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Havana and is an Assistant researcher and member of the Latin America Group: Social Philosophy and Axiology (GALFISA) of the Institute of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment of Cuba, also Assistant Professor, College of Charleston, USA and works with the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center, Cuba EMILIO RODRÍGUES MEMBRADO Professor of Economy at the University of Havana, Cuba BENJAMÍN NAHOUM Technical director of the Department of Technical Support of the Uruguayan Federation of Mutual Aid Housing Cooperatives (FUCVAM). He teaches Architecture at the Universidad de la República, Uruguay and acts as advisor to Latin American social movements and technical organizations HENRIQUE NOVAES Author of O Fetiche da tecnologia a experiencia das fábricas recuperadas (2010, 2ª Edição) and teaches at the Universidad Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Marília, Brazil AVELINO FERNÁNDEZ PEISO Professor at the Universidad de Cienfuegos, Cuba and founder of the National Union of Cuban Jurists JESÚS CRUZ REYES Professor of Political Economy at the University of Havana, Cuba, and has organized international seminars on cooperatives GABRIELA ROFFINELLI Researcher with the Foundation of Social and Political Research (FISYP) ENERITZ PAGALDAY TRICIO Professor of the Faculty of Humanities and Education Sciences and researcher at the LANKI institute of cooperative studies at the Universidad de Mondragón, Basque Country, Spain IÑAKI GIL DE SAN VICENTE A Marxist, first published in the late 1970s, he prioritizes electronic, free and public publishing, and has posted his writing with free access on dozens of web pages HELEN YAFFE Author of Ché Guevara: The Economics of Revolution