The Antigonish Movement should be remembered.

[rogerashton]

Few realized it at the time, but priests and fishermen were organizing around a powerful set of ideas that eventually became the “Antigonish Movement”—one of the most influential forces in the spread of credit unions and co-operatives in Canada and across the world.

The Antigonish Movement was established on moral ground created by diverse peoples. Sometimes co-operative principles meshed with religious convictions and sometimes not. Some participants were gladdened by the prospects of incremental change and integration, while others saw co-operation as a mistake.

Throughout history there have been capitalist, communist and cooperative ways to create wealth and foster economic growth. Since the middle of the 1700s, capitalism has become dominant. It does a great job in production, but it isn’t worth a damn in terms of sharing. In the 1930s, the Antigonish Movement tried to do something about this central problem. They developed strategies for group action, education, and the creation of producer and consumer co-operatives. Others in the world followed the same path.

https://www.opendemocracy.net/transformation/dan-macinnes/great-work-gets-done-by-good-people