The Good Life, Italian Style

[marmar]

from OnTheCommons.org:



The Good Life, Italian Style
Emilia-Romagna, a hotbed of cooperatives, boasts one of the highest standards of living in Europe

By Kevin Karner





The Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, home to such renowned companies as Ferrari and Ducati as well as the world’s oldest university in Bologna, boasts one of the highest living standards in all of the European Union and one of the lowest unemployment rates. It also has the strongest cooperative economy in Europe, with employee co-operatives representing 30% of the GDP and involving 57% of the population.

Employee owned cooperatives are most prevalent in retail, construction, agriculture, housing, manufacturing and social services like care-giving. While the state still serves as regulatory authority and the facilitator of institutional funding, production and distribution of services remains decentralized and market driven. This balance has provided the people of Emilia Romagna with 30% higher per capita income than the rest of Italy, without reliance on corporations that may have otherwise undermined the local economy

This uniquely cooperative based society has come to embody what academics call the Emilian Model, a modern case study of a solidarity economy connected by values of economic democracy, participatory governance, social capital and institutional stability.

The cooperative tradition in the region has been fostered by the predominance of Socialist and Communist party officials in what is called Italy’s “Red Belt”. Cooperatives have also long been encouraged by the Italian government. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://onthecommons.org/good-life-italian-style

[TomClash]

1. Rec!

Good article.

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Love Italy!

[southernyankeebelle]

5. La bella vita. I have such great memories during my childhood living

in Italy. My relatives have own a building that houses the whole family on each floor. We would go to the beach everyday and go spear fishing. Then in the evening we would go out and have fun with our friends. What a wonder life.

[gateley]

7. How wonderful for you that you have those memories --

what an experience! :hi:

[gateley]

6. Me, too! My fantasy is to live in Venice, but after just reading

a Grisham novel which took place in Bologna, and seeing this article, I may change my destination. Hell, it's a fantasy so I'll have a place in both locations -- I'll let you know where to visit as soon as I'm settled. :7

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Great. My plan (in 2013, if the US dollar can stay afloat) is to spend summers in Ireland and

winters in Italy.

[supernova]

3. Great article

Thanks for sharing.

I wish we had that mentality here. Perhaps if our economy does collapse, people will reevaluate their priorities.

[IronicNews]

4. I particularly like the line "without reliance on corporations that may have otherwise undermined..

...the local economy. Cause that is was they do!