As we witness the first days of the new administration, the US Solidarity Economy Network (USSEN) stands united with a robust ecosystem of organizations and networks committed to defending our communities while advancing economic democracy.
The Trump administration’s systematic reshaping of federal agencies reflects a long-term strategy aimed at consolidating corporate and state power. This approach, rooted in decades of planning by right-wing movements like those originating at Mont Pelerin, has sought to dismantle safeguards protecting working people and the environment while strengthening the influence of capital and corporate interests. These efforts, which include globalization, the weakening of national economic sovereignty, and prioritizing private profit over public good, have caused widespread disruption and pain. Like any authoritarian populist project, they gain and maintain power through a combination of rigging the system for their benefit and disinformation about what they are doing and the impacts of their actions. While the right has not fully succeeded in dismantling government institutions, they have shifted resources to serve corporate elites at the expense of our communities. Understanding this strategy is crucial as we work to mount an effective resistance and build the just alternatives that our world urgently needs.
At its core, this moment represents a crisis of capitalism—a system that depends on unlimited economic growth on a finite planet, driving inequality, exploitation, and environmental destruction. The relentless push to reduce labor costs and wages in order to boost profits for owners is matched by falling rates of profit, creating a perpetual cycle of instability. These dynamics unfold within six interconnected historical contexts:
1. Class society: The broader historical trajectory of 10,000 years of class society, where wealth and power have been concentrated in the hands of a ruling class at the expense of the many.
2. Settler colonialism: The systemic seizure and enclosure of Indigenous land and ocean—once stewarded in common—alongside the genocide and removal of Indigenous stewards, fulfilling capitalism’s requirement for unlimited growth and resource extraction.
3. White supremacy and anti-Blackness: The construction of racial hierarchies to create a hyper-exploitable class of laborers, with anti-Blackness at its core, enabling economic systems to thrive on profound racial exploitation and inequality.
4. Imperialism: A global manifestation of the capitalist system, where corporate and state entities coordinate to dominate land and populations solely for the purpose of capital accumulation, exploiting both human and natural resources on an international scale.
5. Social movements: The rise of increasingly organized and effective social movements challenging systems of exploitation and oppression.
6. Climate and ecological crises: The urgent crises of climate catastrophe and ecological collapse, driven by a system that prioritizes profit and growth over the health of our planet.
These interrelated contexts shape the crises we face today, underscoring the urgent need for systemic transformation and a solidarity economy rooted in justice, sustainability, and collective liberation.
We also recognize that to build a new world, we must contend with the repression of the old one. Movements for economic democracy have long been targeted by state repression, surveillance, and criminalization, as well as vigilante violence. From the struggles of militant labor organizers to Black liberationists, Indigenous activists, environmental defenders, and abolitionists, history shows that the State is not a neutral actor but a defender of the status quo. The investigation, prosecution, and intimidation of activists serve to disrupt movements, isolate participants, and criminalize struggles for freedom. Yet, our movements have proven time and again that principled action and uncompromising solidarity can overcome these attacks.
USSEN affirms a stance of noncooperation with state power when it seeks to undermine our communities, movements, and shared values. This includes resisting surveillance, criminalization, and any attempt to weaken the transformative potential of our work. We recognize that our health, safety, and liberation depend not on their courts, their cops, or their cages but on the strength of our networks, our love for each other, and our collective power to meet the needs of our communities.
We recognize this moment as a concerted effort to consolidate corporate and state power at the expense of working people, BIPOC and other oppressed communities, and the environment. Yet, we enter this moment equipped with strong networks, proven models for resistance, and a clear vision for building alternatives.
The solidarity economy framework offers a transformative vision for systemic change. Grounded in principles of solidarity and cooperation, equity across all dimensions (race, ethnicity, gender, class, etc.), social and economic democracy, ecological sustainability, and pluralism, it seeks to put people and the planet first. Unlike conventional economic systems, the solidarity economy views the economy as embedded within natural and social ecosystems and governed by inclusive practices and institutions. This is not a distant ideal—the solidarity economy already exists in practice, offering concrete, scalable alternatives to the status quo.
Through the solidarity economy framework, we can connect and amplify the strengths of each organization, enterprise, community effort, and network to catalyze collective action and transformative change.
Our movement offers concrete alternatives to the crisis of capitalism outlined above:
- Community land stewardship removing land and housing from the speculative market
- Worker-owned cooperatives providing economic security
- Democratic governance models giving people real voice
- State and regional networks demonstrating the power of reciprocity and collaboration between efforts
- International solidarity connections sharing successful strategies
May 2-5, 2025, hundreds of organizers and activists will gather in Atlanta for the Resist & Build Summit. This gathering, along with other major convergences throughout the year, will strengthen our collective capacity to respond to current challenges while building alternatives.
We call on our members and allies to:
- Join us in Atlanta (May 2-5) to strengthen our collective response
- Support and connect with state solidarity economy networks
- Share and implement practical solutions to immediate needs
- Build deeper connections across our existing networks
- Engage with international allies through upcoming gatherings
The solidarity economy movement exists precisely for moments like this. Our strength lies in our connections – from local to global, from resistance to construction. USSEN commits to:
- Defending vulnerable communities while building alternatives
- Sharing successful models and strategies
- Supporting emerging state networks
- Building collective power through our networks
- Strengthening international solidarity
The path forward requires both resistance and construction. Our existing networks and upcoming gatherings provide the foundation for this vital work. Together, we have the tools, networks, and vision to meet this moment with transformative power.
In solidarity,
US Solidarity Economy Network
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