Ethiopia's Utopian Experiment in Gender Equality

Cafe Euphoria in Troy, N.Y. operates on a cooperative model in which all employees are paid the same wage and are offered an ownership stake in the business. The company is founded on a social mission to create a safe space for trans and gender nonconforming people and promotes equity through a 3:1 sliding scale for its menu and thrift shop, with 94% of customers opting to pay the top-end price of the scale.

he Metro Atlanta Urban Farm has fed 25,000 families. The predominantly-Black city lacks access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables due to racist housing policies and grocery practices.

Citizens’ assemblies bring together a sample of the population that reflects the overall demographic composition. The group gathers in person or virtually, is generally compensated in some way, receives information from experts, and then deliberate together to craft policy recommendations for government officials. Several countries, like Ireland and France, have achieved success with this form of participatory democracy.

ROC USA helps residents of manufactured home communities form co-ops to purchase the property their homes are built on, giving residents more stability and control over where they live. The organization has helped create 312 manufactured home communities in 21 states since 2008.

The Chinese American Service League’s (CASL) Change InSight coalition surveys communities in more Asian languages to allow for more inclusive data collection, particularly among low-income AAPIs. Better data collection increases the visibility of the challenges under-resourced AAPIs face, allowing the CASL to launch social service programs to address challenges in the community, like food insecurity.

Sin Título started as a socially conscious clothing brand but has since evolved into a mutli-faceted brand that hosts mental health discussion panels and other events that aim to amplify marginalized voices and offer healing opportunities for the local Latinx population. One such event is their journaling series, the first of which, “Self Love Journal Club,” attracted about 100 people.

The Diné Naazbaa Partnership (DNP) serves Navajo Nation veterans, connecting them with food, medication, transportation and other necessities, as they’re more likely to be unemployed and far less likely to use or apply for VA services. The DNP has connected with about 1,228 of the 14,700 veterans on the Navajo Nation and has partnered with 370 groups to fund projects that provide housing improvements and emergency financial aid to veterans.

Giving Circles allow average people to make a larger impact with their philanthropy by pooling donations from members for larger gifts to chosen causes and organizations. Between 2017 and 2023, there were nearly 4,000 of these groups in the United States, with total donations totaling $3.1 billion.

Capitalizing on broad political-organizing pushes across the U.S., the United Farm Workers (UFW) union signed its first contract in New York, offering significant protections to about 150 orchard workers.

The South Side Queer Farmer Convergence provides culturally-affirming community gatherings that effectively reduce isolation, promote emotional healing, and foster mental wellbeing for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC farmers facing significant social stressors and discrimination.