What is Cooperation Denton?

Cooperation Denton is a communalist network in Denton, TX, working to build dual power via decentralization, social ecology, solidarity economy, and intersectional feminism. These four "points of unity" are the pillars of our organization, so let's get into exactly what we mean by them.

Decentralization

Planning and Decision making is distributed and/or delegated away from a central, authoritative group/location.

Social Ecology

The theory of the relationship between ecological and social issues. Key principles being: Interdependence, Decentralization, Renewal of Citizenship, Liberating Technology, Direct Democracy, Dialectical Naturalism and a social vision of work.

Solidarity Economy

A wide range of economic activities - from worker cooperatives to community supported agriculture - that aim to prioritize social profitability instead of purely financial profits.

Intersectional Feminism

Understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities (e.g., gender, sex, race, class, sexuality, religion, disability, etc.) combine to create unique modes of discrimination and privilege. (Wiki link here)

Dual Power = People Power

So that's all good stuff we can hopefully agree on, but what exactly is dual power, why do we want it, and what are we supposed to do in order to build it? Dual power is basically just a nice, portable phrase for the power that we as people have the capacity to cultivate in parallel to existing (and when appropriate, in opposition to) institutions such as globalized capital markets. From community gardens to communal housing, there is no limit to what we can accomplish if we work together, block by block, to build alternative institutions to the status quo that is failing us everywhere.