We’ve finalized the bylaws of the cooperative! They include our mission statement, points of unity, and details about how we operate. Check it out on the documents page.
Mission Statement
Cooperative 4 the Community is an Oakland-based, Oakland-focused cooperative for grassroots activists. Time and money constraints prevent many who most need it from being involved in community building. We break down these barriers by providing worker-owner opportunities that make civic engagement accessible to everyone.
Points of Unity
- Everyone Can Be an Organizer: anyone with compassion and care for their community can make a difference; we provide training, support, and opportunities to achieve that.
- Empowering Community: our work focuses on directly benefiting and supporting community organizations.
- Responsibility to City: as residents of Oakland, we have a responsibility to foster positive growth and engage with our neighbors.
- Cooperation Over Commodity: we build relationships based on trust and solidarity, recognizing shared success over individual success. Prioritize healthy relationships over measuring goals.
- Restorative Intention: historical and structural conditions have denied access to forms of participation; we center marginalized and disenfranchised groups to support diverse communities.
- Positive Impact: we trust those affected by our work (both inside and outside the cooperative) to determine what is positive on their own terms; we consider negative impacts of positive intentions. We consider future impacts alongside immediate ones.
- Valuing Collective Wisdom: each of us knows a little; together we know a lot. Decision-making and responsibilities are transparent to anyone involved. We keep ego out of decision-making.
- Always Curious: cultivate individual learning from new ideas and challenges, and share learning experiences with others. We celebrate effort and learn from mistakes.
- Embracing Conflict: conflict is inevitable; we engage issues regardless of how they surface. Conflict resolution requires two-way communication and active listening.
- Decentralizing Power: power is not a scarcity; sharing decision-making empowers us all. We are clear about delegating specific responsibilities, rotating leadership, and make space for examining interpersonal power dynamics.
- No Tolerance for Harassment and Discrimination