Recently Miles Dadfield, Co-op News digital editor asked in a posting that the co-operative "sector talks the talk on social justice, but how does it work in practice?" He explored Joan S Meyers publication " Working Democracies: Managing Inequality in Worker Co-operatives (2022 ). In essence, Meyers concluded from her detailed study of two North Californian worker co-operatives "that worker co-operatives can resist the naturalization of inequality" but acknowledged that they "face questions around equality, ownership, power and identity"
Miles rightly pointed out that worker-led models are "touted as a counter force" to large private Corporate bodies and increasingly becoming worthy of profiling in the mainstream press. Returning to Meyers, Miles was absolutely right to highlight her discovery that "almost all of the members of both Co-operatives shared similar levels of personal and family education, family wealth and occupational prestige, and 'class cultures'". My question is, when looking at the Co-operative sector itself here in the UK, does systemic racism exist?
My starting point is why, according to Kate Whittle, Convener of the recently formed Solifund Cooperative Anti-Racism Group (CAR) there are so few members of minoritized groups to be found throughout the sector including worker co-operatives when there were significant numbers of Black and Asian co-operative workers and development workers back in the 1980s? Even the very terms and labels we use, including "people of colour" or BAME raise important questions about how we think about racism.
I have, since becoming a member of CAR, thought a great deal about my use of terms, my assumptions and presumptions and especially about my personal and professional relationship with race and racism.
The Anti-Racist Organisation: Dismantling Systemic Racism in the Workplace
This subheading is the title of a recently published book by Shereen Daniels, Chair of the African Diaspora Economic Inclusion Foundation and Managing Director of HR Rewired. I read it in the context of Cooperative businesses and services and found the blurb's claim that it is "an unflinching and practical take on the modern-day impact of systemic racism in the working world pulls no punches" was no hype. It has had a profound effect on me as I reflect on the Cooperative sector.
The focus of these reflections helps me to develop a suitable narrative for exploring and discussing Racism within the Co-operatives and especially Worker Coops, including multi-stakeholder Co-operatives in which I have been involved for several years. My presumption is that we are not immune from racism in practice or behaviour and can be informed by this book. The challenges in my view must be seen in the context of the very International Values and Principles underpinning Co-operatives.
Daniels's aim is to develop awareness, ask difficult questions, how " tokenism became the answer" and "move beyond conversations". In addition, she explains where anti-racist leadership starts in terms of defining meaning, starting from where we stand and argues for a four Factor Model which is specific.
1. Recognise the Problem
2. Analyse the Impact
3. Commit to Action
4. Empower for Change
It is a book that, in the words of Daniels does not " pander to whiteness or seeks to make the subject palatable for decision-makers. It isn't one that gently cajoles leaders into action..creating a smooth path, risk-free to racial equity."
Racism is a " system that divides, even those of us who share the same ethnicity ( Head down - get on with it)"! "Racism...Not Diversity, Not Inclusion, Not Belonging".
I take the liberty of inserting the word "Coop" in place of "workplace" to a narrative that is taken directly from page X1V
- Coops who create environments that mirror the unequal, inequitable aspects of society is inhumane
- Coops that ignore the lived experience of colleagues because they are a minority is inhumane
- Coops having systems and policies in place that reward behaviour that excludes people because of their skin colour is inhumane
We need to ask ourselves whether Co-operatives here in the UK is too white and too homogeneous? Over the years of attending Co-operative events and Conferences, including annual Congresses, the members are mainly white and indeed regardless of gender, the same.
Co-Creation - Co-operation?
Daniels stresses when discussing co-creation, that rather than telling people what to do we need to develop a foundation that helps us to explore and ask better Questions. The Cooperative movement and commonwealth are founded on its Values and Seven Principles of Cooperation. Some argue that this is our very ethical basis and indeed brand eg #The Co-operative Way.
For readers unfamiliar with those Values and Principles and maybe thinking that a Co-operative is nothing more than "Carrots and Coffins" put simply these are our Values:
- Equality
- Responsibility
- Solidarity
- Community
Co-operatives are owned and controlled by their members. It exists to serve them. Membership is open and voluntary for those willing to take the responsibility that comes with it. Co-operative leaders or developers seek to protect these Values and are guided by the Principles of:
1. Membership: Members own, control and benefit
2. Democracy: Every member has one vote and an equal say, no matter how much money they put in.
3. Finance: Members pool their resources and together they democratically control capital and decide what to do with its profits
4. Independence: Co-operatives are not beholden to anybody, whether investors, government or other organisations. It is an independent business and/or service owned and controlled by its members
5. Education: A co-operative provides its members and staff with the training needed to run a high-performing business and educate the wider public about co-ops
6. Co-operation: A co-operative aims to work with other co-operatives to support the wider sector
7. Community: As well as benefiting its members, a cooperative works in a way that benefits society or the environment. Here I would add to address social injustice and exclusion.
It should again be emphasised that these do not, in and of themselves, protect a Cooperative business (or even the Movement itself at a national level), from being or becoming a racist organisation. Certainly, the notion that all our hundreds of thousand UK members are anti-racist is nonsense. We need to ask ourselves, individually and collectively how best we can we lay the foundation for asking "uncomfortable Questions" in the context of our ethical business and narrative? Daniels is helpful.
- Defining what our vision looks like
- How honest are we with ourselves and the Team(s) we lead about the anti-racist journey?
- How committed are we to move beyond "low hanging fruit" and instead prioritise and invest in programmes that make a difference for those with the most impact?
- How willing are we to confront systemic racism and discrimination within our organisation and wider ecosystems?
- How comfortable are we to prioritise colleagues, suppliers, partners, members and external stakeholders who don't look like us?
[Adapted directly from Shereen Daniels ppxxi]
It must be emphasised that Daniels's book is about leaders, especially white leaders!
Raising Awareness
We need to understand the Coop data available (or not) with regard to black members, workers and those with managerial responsibility. Does even Sociocratic decision-making address racism and get close to asking "uncomfortable questions? In addition, what is the evidence of Tokenism"?
Daniels's professional background is in Human Resources and readily points out that there is a gap with regard to HR/Organisational Board level approaches. She concludes that "suddenly promoting or hiring black people are not the answer. There is more to it than that". There are so often approaches which do not mention how the organisation their black workers or customers are thinking and feeling. She continues......
No mention of what it is like to live, work, and play in a society that accepts racial inequalities and inequities.
Little recognition of the inherent power and privilege afforded to "leaders" who could objectively debate and discuss a course of action according to convenience, comfort, ease and affordability
[ Part two of this blog will look at Anti -Racist Leadership within Worker and Multi-Stakeholder Co-operatives and Define Meaning using Daniels's as our guide]
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