Hi guys, I'm new here. My name is Lee and I live in Blackpool, England. I'd like to tell you a little bit about me and why I decided to start a cooperative.
All my life I have been sad, every time I heard about war or famine it would me deeply, even as a child. I remember so many times saying to my role models "it's not fair" and always received the answer "life isn't fair". "life isn't fair", what kind of justification is that? am I just supposed to accept that my life is going to be full of disappointments?
As I got older I became more and more cynical about the world, I lost faith in God and I'd had enough. I decided that if I was unhappy with the world, I should try and change it, rather than just complain about it.
I didn't have a clue how I was going to start or even what I wanted to achieve. I started learning as much as I could, I learned about business, science, psychology and world politics. I got totally wrapped up in conspiracy theories and my mind was all over the place so i enrolled on a Tai-Chi course. I improved my diet, attended tai chi classes and mediated as much as I could.
After a while of researching I came across the "Ubuntu Movement", Ubuntu is a system of contributionism rather than competition, it's aim is for us to live in a completely moneyless society. I watched end-less on video's on Youtube about Ubuntu and other moneyless societies and I was HOOKED.
I've never felt such euphoria in my life, I couldn't sleep at night, my brain was felt like it was in over-drive. I loved the idea of a moneyless society but I still didn't know how to progress. In the Uk we have a company called "the co-operative", it is a supermarket, a bank, funeral directors and a few other services. I first heard about the co-op when I was about 15 and I loved the idea of it, owning a part of a business.
So, after a few sleepless nights, I decided I was going to start a co-operative of my own, one that's just for the city I live in. Owned by the people that live in the city and that will always be owned by the people living in the city.
So, this is how and why I decided to start a co-operative. I'd like to end by quoting my favourite proverb.
" A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
