2012 is the International Year of Co-operatives. It is also a year when capitalism itself is in crisis. Scientists and academics point to increasingly dangerous levels of climate change and habitat destruction, Europe and America are facing their worst economic problems for a generation, and social movements around the world - such as 'occupy' - are calling for sweeping reforms.
Do co-operatives offer an alternative model of social organisation which could address some of these key issues? Or do they simply offer another way of organising businesses within a predominantly capitalist economy? What changes need to happen for co-operatives to become the dominant business model?
The essay prize are designed to encourage co-operators around the world to write, think and share ideas on this subject in a common space during a year when co-operatives are already higher up in people's consciousness.
ESSAY PRIZE
Is there a co-operative alternative to capitalism?
• Do co-operatives offer an alternative model of social organisation which can address some of the core problems within contemporary capitalism such as global inequality, unsustainable resource depletion and climate change? Or do they simply offer another way of organising businesses within a predominantly capitalist economy?
• What would the world look like if - as some early co-operators aspired to - co-operatives grew to gradually replace private businesses across every economic sector? Would it be much the same? Would it be somehow transformative or utopian?
This essay prize invites you to contribute your ideas on one or more of these key questions. We are looking for contributions of between 2,000 to 6,000 words and submissions need to be made by October 5th 2012. The essay prizes will be announced and awarded at the Co-operatives United World Festival in Manchester (Oct 29th to Nov 3rd). A range of prizes are on offer, and winning entries may be featured in magazines, books and other publications (see below).
The goal of the Essay Prize is to encourage reflection, generate interest and to share ideas on this subject through the following outputs:
• Extracts from some of the best entries will be published on this website as they come in.
• Publicity around the Prize Awards in November.
• Ethical Consumer magazine and Co-operatives UK publications are keen to publish high quality contributions following the awards in November.
• The plan is that winning entries to the Essay Prize will feature in 'The co-operative alternative to capitalism?' a book to be published in 2013 by New Internationalist Co-operative under its World Changing imprint.
ESSAY PRIZE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. By submitting an essay to the competition, entrants confirm that they are the sole author of the essay and that it is an original work.
2. Entries must be in English but may be from contributors anywhere in the world.
3. Essays must be of no more than 6,000 words (including footnotes and tables) and supplied as a word document attached to an email sent to rob [at] ethicalconsumer.org. The accompanying email must contain the full name and address of the author and a word count for the essay. We will acknowledge receipt of your entry within 7 days.
4. The prizes are as follows:
- 1st Prize - £1,500
- 2nd and 3rd Prizes - £500
- 4th and 5th prizes - £200
5. Please use footnotes and not endnotes. References in the style of the APA please.
6. Entrants grant Ethical Consumer, Co-operatives UK and New Internationalist Publications a non-exclusive license to reproduce the entry or extracts from the entry in partner publications.
6. It is anticipated that the essay prizes will be announced and awarded at the Co-operatives United World Festival in Manchester (Oct 29th to Nov 3rd). If the winner is unable to attend, the prize will be accepted on their behalf by a member of one of the partner organisations.
7. Ethical Consumer, Co-operatives UK and New Internationalist Publications reserve the right to use the name and photographs of the prize winners for publicity and marketing purposes, unless the prizewinner specifically notifies the partners otherwise.
8. The deadline for entries is 12.00 noon on Friday October 5th 2012.
9. The award of the prizes will be decided by a panel of judges selected from partner organisations and currently include Ed Mayo from Co-operatives UK and Rob Harrison from Ethical Consumer. Judges will read versions of the essays from which the authors names have been removed. The award of the prizes lies solely within the discretion of the judges and the judges decisions are final.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
For submissions: via the online entry page (to open July 16th)
Website: http://www.ethicalconsumer.org
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