OlatuKoop ('olatu' meaning 'wave' in Basque) was founded in 2014 to encourage a "new wave of cooperative work". The reasons for setting it up included self-regulation, democracy in economics, transparency, social welfare and solidarity. The network has spread since then. The number of participants has more than doubled. Fourteen community companies are already members of OlatuKoop, along with a further twelve members (including ARGIA).

After spending a whole year strengthening internal structures and then reinforcing the network, further opportunities for participation were created, and work groups and committees were set up, along with a technical secretariat.

OlatuKoop has set up several cooperative projects during these years, for instance the social initiative programme KoopFabrika and the Batura project for making cooperative memory and economic transformation visible. It has also taken an active part in social markets and the Basque Country social calendar.

Moment for celebration: “Saretze Eguna” ('Networking Day') at Azpeitia

9th June was an important day for members of the solidarity economics network. Saretze Eguna was held at Sanagustin Arts Centre at Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa: a book about cooperative entrepreneurism was presented; there was a round table discussion about networking; several projects were presented; there was a comedy session; and a lunch party rounded the day off.

This article was translated by 11itzulpen; you can see the original in Basque here.