Creating Solidarity Economies – Ruby Van der Wekken

Ruby Van der Wekken is a member of RIPESS, a network committed to promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy, as well as Oma Maa, a Finnish food co-operative based on community-supported agriculture (CSA) as well as ecologically and socially sustainable food production methods. Ruby works both at the cooperative's community farm and with the development of the co-op, with a personal background in the global justice movement, and advocacy for solidarity economies and the commons. In this interview for the Planet Local Voices series, Ruby describes the work of Oma Maa, and how it exemplifies both solidarity economy and commons principles for fairer, more just and sustainable economies. She also emphasizes the importance of local ownership of the economy, and the need for supportive laws and genuinely democratic governance to enable such alternatives to flourish and spread.

To watch the video of this series, visit: Planet Local Voices interview series.

The music for this series is ‘Pines and Violet’, by Sky Toes.