Jessica Gordon Nembhard has been awarded the Oni Award at this year’s International Black Women’s Congress:

The Oni Award symbolizes the essence of all that is good in African People. The word ONI is taken from the Ife culture of Nigeria. It represents a spiritual force that protects the people.  A recipient of the Oni Award has been identified as someone who protects, defends and enhances the general well-being of African people. A recipient of the ONI is diligent, persistent and uncompromising. We like to think of her as our unsung heroine.

Read her recent article “The Cooperative Solution”:

Cooperative businesses are also stable, community-based business anchors: Cooperative businesses have higher survival rates than traditional corporations and small businesses after the first year of startup and after five years in business. In addition, evidence shows that cooperatives successfully address the effects of crises and survive crises better than other types of enterprises.

From the employment angle, cooperatives, especially worker cooperatives, create not just jobs, but high-quality jobs. They tend to lead their industries in wage levels and benefits. In addition, as owners of the business, worker-owners share in the surplus (or profits) of the enterprise. Many worker cooperatives provide annual dividends to worker-owners, which increase the compensation level and also symbolize the member’s ownership. They enable their owners to not only generate income, but accumulate assets—equity in the cooperative—promoting economic independence.

Read the full article here: http://www.shelterforce.org/article/3872/the_cooperative_solution/

Congratulations!