The City of Jackson hosts the Jackson Rising: New Economies Conference May 2-4 at Jackson State University. The conference focuses on ways to build the “City of the Future” today through the development of cooperatives and other forms of worker-owned enterprises, which are based on the principles of social solidarity, participatory democracy, and economic and social equity.
The conference focuses on the following objectives:
- Educating and informing the public about cooperatives; how cooperatives function; and how they benefit communities by highlighting existing models and best practices from existing cooperatives in Mississippi, the Southeast region and across the country.
- Fostering an interest in cooperative entrepreneurship to meet community needs.
- Promoting and encouraging public discussion and strategy development for creating the public policy infrastructure necessary in Jackson and the State of Mississippi to support various types of cooperatives.
- Strengthening and providing the resources needed to maintain existing cooperatives and credit unions in Jackson, and supporting the development of new ones in the city.
“With visionary leadership and strong community support, not only can we diversify and grow the economy of Jackson, but we can also make Jackson a model center of cooperative development across the nation,” said the Special Projects and External Funding Coordinator for the Mayor’s Office, Kali Williams.
The conference will be held at Jackson State University. The conference schedule is as follows:
– Friday, May 2nd 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
– Saturday, May 3rd 9:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
– Sunday, May 4th. 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration for the event is $25. Visit here for more information or contact Kali Williams, special projects and external funding coordinator for the Mayor’s Office.