Cooperative Development Institute: Northeast Center for Cooperative Business

In the tradition of the New Orleans second-line parade, the Coopalooza National Second-line Committee is organizing a cross-continent second-line parade to celebrate and educate about cooperatives all the way up the Mississippi, starting in New Orleans, passing through
Baton Rouge, LA
Jackson, MS
Memphis, TN
St. Louis, MO
Chicago, IL
and arriving at the U.S. Social Forum in Detroit in June 2010.

Join their Facebook page, where you can join discussions such as the one below:

Economists are saying the nation's economic recovery looks to be a jobless one- -
We believe through uniting the nation's growing worker cooperative movement, we can create our work and jobs--own our own labor and economic production activities. We'd like your thoughts and ideas. What has worked for you and your community?

More background from Erin Rice, one of the main organizers:

A Second Line is a traditional New Orleans celebratory dance/parade. (Watch a youtube video.) We are planning on riding the Amtrak from city to city. We will stop and dance and have a show and talk about cooperatives. Every stop will have a second line parade, then a concert that evening, then a co-op workshop the next day. The main band involved, Rhythm Conspiracy, is a musicians cooperative.

This project will combine a lot of historical, musical and cooperative elements. It has been some time since the historical musical corridor of the Mississippi has been really utilized. Plus there are many, many people from the Katrina diaspora who will hopefully participate. It will be fun and all friends in all cities will be welcome!