Principles

Voluntary and Open Membership: CCN is a voluntary organization, open to all persons within our geographic boundaries and willing to accept the principles and responsibilities of membership, without racial, gender, social, religious or economic discrimination.

Democratic Member Control: CCN is a democratic organization controlled by its members, who actively participate in setting CCN’s policies and decision making. Members serving on boards, committees and as staff are accountable to the collective membership. Members have equal voting rights (one member, one vote).

Member Participation: Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the resources of CCN. Financial and material resources are the common property of CCN. Members are stewards of the commonly held resources and will allocate resources in support of activities approved by the membership.

Self-organization: CCN involves both collective effort and individual development. Cooperation “is the development of the individual not against others but with others.” Democratic control means participation in decisions, operations and the ongoing development of the skills needed by members. There must be clear information available on CCN’s processes, operations and systematic training of members to aid in organizing themselves and with others.

Autonomy and Independence: CCN is an autonomous, self-help organization controlled by its members. It may enter into agreements with other organizations or share resources from external sources, but only on terms that ensure democratic control by its members and that maintain its autonomy and independence.

Education, Training, and Information: CCN will use its resources to provide education and training for its members and the wider community, so they can contribute effectively to the development of their communities' collective and cooperative projects. It will also inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperation and solidarity economics.

Internal Cooperation: Internal cooperation within CCN exists on many levels among individual members, groups of members, affiliated organizations, collectives, and co-ops, with the goal of democratic stewardship and governance of the commons.

External Cooperation: While maintaining local autonomy, CCN and its members and affiliates will serve their communities most effectively and strengthen the solidarity economy movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures that share common principles.

Social Transformation: CCN is an instrument for social transformation. Democratically organizing and empowering the structurally marginalized sectors of the working class, to build worker organized and operated cooperatives and collectives, will be a catalyst for a community and commons grounded in equity, cooperation, worker democracy and sustainability.