We’re very excited to share the Mapping Our Futures: An Economics and Governance Curriculum of the Highlander Center for Research & Education in Tennessee.

This curriculum –shaped in part by Highlander's work with United for a Fair Economy and other movement organizations–  explores our economic and governance systems through a participatory community based process, to build knowledge and share solutions that promote community, equity and healthy communities. We base this work on values and principles developing around the world with work for a social solidarity economy as well as our own deeper experiences with communities across the Southern and Appalachian United States.   We hope you will use these sessions, adapt them to your own communities and share back ideas and challenges in our work to build a more just world.

Download our 1.5 hour,  3 hour, or 1  day version:

1.5 Hours – A dip into our experiences with Economics and Governance and exploring Beautiful Solutions from around the world

3 Hours – Delve into our experiences with Economics and Governance, mapping our communities, and exploring Beautiful Solutions from around the world

1 Day – Developing relationships, delving into our experiences with Economics and Governance and our families, mapping our communities, and exploring Beautiful Solutions from around the world

We also have longer two- and three-day versions available for a deeper process within communities – contact the Highlander Center if you want to know more.

Acknowledgements

Highlander’s work with the US Solidarity Economy Network, the Center for Popular Economics, United for a Fair Economy, and our partnership with Beautiful Solutions have shaped this curriculum. We also want to recognize the contribution of 15 brilliant educators, organizers, developers, and economists doing transformative economy and governance work in the South and beyond who helped create this process. Special thanks to all the participants who tried out versions of this curriculum and gave feedback, including rural and urban community groups, unions, and cooperatives from Alabama, Boston, Kentucky, Mississippi, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Tennessee.