Co-op Conversations
The Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives' (CCSC) Co-op Conversations is a monthly online gathering for co-operative sector professionals to learn from others in the field and exchange information in a casual setting. The CCSC believes that the best learning is peer-to-peer, and casual conversations across different organizations are what break old thinking patterns, make new connections, and generate fresh perspectives. Each Co-op Conversation will be held during lunch hours (Saskatchewan time) on the first Wednesday of the month.
Co-ops and Universities: Some More Reflections featuring Dr. Brett Fairbairn
Over its 40 years as a research centre, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC), its fellows and its co-operative partners have often grappled with a simple but existential question: what is the place of co-operatives in a university environment? In this Co-op Conversation, CCSC fellow and Thompson Rivers University president (and former University of Saskatchewan Provost) Dr. Brett Fairbairn will reflect on and revisit his answer to this question in his 2016 publication, “Co-ops and Universities: Some Reflections.” At the time, Dr. Fairbairn argued that co-operatives and universities could enjoy a productive relationship, pointing to the overlap in their respective missions (service to the public) but also cautioning about the importance of each party recognizing and respecting the other’s identity, constraints, and functions. But does the argument still hold? With some high-profile failures in recent years – Mountain Equipment Co-op and more recently the B.C. Tree Fruit Co-operative – and with Canadian universities struggling under funding and other pressures, should we be thinking about the relationship differently and if so, how? Join us in person or virtually (details below) to hear Dr. Fairbairn’s updated reflections and to share some of your own in the interactive portion of the event.
Biography
Dr. Brett Fairbairn is the President and Vice-Chancellor of Thompson Rivers University. From 1986 to 2018, Brett was a core member of the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives (CCSC), where he served as director from 2000 – 2004 and again in 2015. He has been researching co-operatives for over 30 years and published over 80 publications in the areas of co-operative history, governance, and leadership, and he continues to serve as a research fellow at the CCSC.
Event Details
Date: September 4, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 PM (Saskatchewan Time or Central Standard Time)
Where: In person at the Diefenbaker Canada Centre or on Zoom
File: Download Event Poster
You can read Brett's original publication via the following link: https://usaskstudies.coop/documents/books,-booklets,-proceedings/co-ops-and-universities-final.pdf
Past talks can be found here: Past Co-op Conversations.
MacPherson Talk
The 9th Annual MacPherson Talk featuring Morris Altman
Democratic Organizations as the Engine of Equitable Economic Growth featuring Dr. Morris Altman
Conventional theory argues that organizations that embed democratic decision-making – such as co-operatives – are inefficient relative to other corporate forms because of associated governance costs such as slow and cumbersome decision-making. In this year’s MacPherson Talk, Dr. Morris Altman challenges this conventional view by arguing that democratic governance actually increase productivity through improved working conditions and wellbeing. Dr. Morris Altman will present recent research to support his argument and provide examples of the importance of embedding democratic principles within an organization.
About our Speaker
Morris Altman is the Dean of the University of Dundee School of Business and Chair Professor of Behavioral and Institutional Economics and Co-operatives at the University of Dundee. He is an Emeritus Professor at the University of Saskatchewan and a research fellow at the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives.
Fredeen Lecture
The Fredeen Lecture is hosted annually and features the research of the most recent recipient of the Hartley and Margaret Fredeen Scholarship in Co-operative Studies. This scholarship is offered annually to a student who is conducting research on co-operatives, either entering or continuing studies in a master's or doctoral program at the University of Saskatchewan.
The 2023 Fredeen Lecture (featuring Sarah Firby)
Community-Centered Funerary Care: The Growing Presence and Impact of Funeral Co-operatives in Canada featuring Sarah Firby
Over the last 50 years, the co-operative movement has gained traction in the Eastern Canadian funeral industry, providing vital services to communities under a governance structure focused on transparency and local ownership to a vulnerable customer base. The discussion will focus on how the co-operative model is presented in the “death care” sector and the benefits experienced through this business approach. In so doing, it will explore the remarkable growth and impact of funeral co-operatives in Quebec and Ontario, where the co-operative movement has the largest presence in the industry. The presentation will conclude with a discussion on the role provincial policy and culture can play in the adoption of the co-operative model in unique industries.
Presented by Sarah Firby, Recipient of the 2022 Hartley and Margaret Fredeen Scholarship in Co-operative Studies
Sarah Firby is a recent graduate of the Graduate Certificate in Social Economy, Co-operatives and Non-profit Sector (GSECN) program and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the Johnson Shoyama School of Public Policy. Firby has worked, volunteered, and been a member of the Saskatchewan co-operative sector for 10 years with a passion for the unique benefits the model provides to communities.
Past lectures can be found here: Past Fredeen Lecture.
Special Talks
The Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives hosts additional periodical public lectures featuring topical research and visiting scholars. Below you can find our most recent special talk and an archive of special talks we have hosted in the past.
The Case for Universal Basic Income featuring Dr. Karl Widerquist
The Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, Saskatoon Poverty Reduction Partnership, Community-University Institute for Social Research, and Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy cordially invites you to the upcoming public talk, “The Case for Universal Basic Income” featuring Dr. Karl Widerquist.
In this public talk, Dr. Widerquist will introduce the simple (yet radical) premise that a small cash income, sufficient for basic needs, ought to be provided regularly and unconditionally to every citizen. Dr. Widerquist discusses how Universal Basic Income (UBI) functions, showing how it differs from other redistributional approaches. He will summarize the common arguments for and against UBI and presents the reasons for believing it is a tremendously important reform.
About our speaker
Dr. Karl Widerquist is Professor of Philosophy at Georgetown University-Qatar, specializing in distributive justice. The Atlantic calls him “a leader of the worldwide basic income movement. Dr. Widerquist just released his new book, Universal Basic Income: Essential Knowledge.
Past talks can be found here: Past Special Talks.
Co-operatives in a Time of Crisis
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian Centre for the Study Co-operatives launched the "Co-operatives in Times of Crisis Conversation Series", which asked leaders in co-operatives, big and small, how they were making use of their co-operative structure to address the challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.
Jen Budney, Professional Research Associate, the Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and former Chair, the Spadina Early Learning and Childcare Co-operative
Past talks can be found here: Full Series Conversation.