A mutual aid movement in the US?

This post at SolidarityEconomy.net reminded me of the movement, in Italy in the 1800s, to create "mutual aid societies." These self-help organizations were the cradle of both the cooperative and labor movements in Italy.

Though the US does have a mutual aid tradition of its own, the dominant form of representation in civil society, at least in the 20th century, has been the advocacy model, as opposed to self help, or self-management.

Even organizations, like labor unions, are advocacy organizations. We're used to joining together, paying dues and electing, or hiring, someone else to represent our interests.

In northern Italy, on the contrary, people banded together to more effectively represent their own interests: to educate and train themselves to run for office, manage businesses, labor unions and cooperatives.

No delegation. All self-management.

This tradition is still particularly strong, in Italy, in the cooperative movement, small business association and labor movement.

There is some evidence that this is changing in the United States. Recent developments include the, above mentioned, Common Security Clubs, the Evergreen Cooperatives in Cleveland and the Freelancer's Insurance Company in New York (I'm a board member!).

When people start thinking about representing their own best interests, and see the market and profit as tools--not ends in and of themselves--that's when you begin to see a real paradigm shift.