Dear Colleague,

Earlier this month, The New York Times featured an article about the work of The Democracy Collaborative’s Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN), highlighting how this growing collaboration of 45 health systems is shifting the healthcare field to invest in addressing one of the root causes of poor health: economic insecurity. The article features quotes from myself and Director of Healthcare Engagement David Zuckerman, as well as leading voices in the field and local residents at the heart of these anchor strategies. The work of HAN was also recently featured by Grantmakers in Health and in an op-ed in OtherWords. Later this winter, HAN will be collaborating on Modern Healthcare’s Social Determinants of Health Symposium, which brings together many of those working on drawing the connections between systemic inequity and health outcomes. The symposium will take place on December 3rd in Detroit, Michigan. Learn more about the symposium agenda and speakers, and register here.
 
I am pleased to announce two new TDC fellows: Dominic T. Moulden joins as a Senior Fellow for Community Organizing & the Democratic Economy in the African and Latinx Diaspora. Dominic, who brings a deep history of community organizing in Washington, DC, will help to map the existing landscape of community organizing groups and enterprise developers who are advancing the movement for a democratic economy. This information will help to inform us on how best to support the growth of a democratic economy from the perspective of the grassroots. Dr. Obery Hendricks joins as a Distinguished Senior Fellow for Faith, Power, and the Democratic Economy, and will advance our work around engaging faith leaders, and outlining the role that religion, faith, and theology can play in shifting the public’s moral imagination about the political economy. 
 
In September, The Democracy Collaborative co-sponsored this year’s The World Transformed festival, which occurs alongside the UK Labour Party’s annual conference. Among the panels TDC helped support were several on community wealth building as well as a panel on municipalism featuring Kali Akuno, Debbie Bookchin, Frans Bieckmann, Elif Sarican, and Osman Baydemir. We also co-hosted an event with local Councillors and others interested in community wealth building, which included Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government and Communities Andrew Gwynne, North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll, Islington Cabinet Member Asima Shaikh, Preston City Council Leader Matthew Brown, and Sarah McKinley, TDC’s Director of European Programs.
 
During their conference, the Labour Party announced a number of exciting new policies, many related to TDC’s work on democratizing ownership and control. Read a piece from Research Director Thomas Hanna and Policy Associate Peter Gowan on Labour’s backing the concept of Universal Basic Services in Tribune Magazine. On this side of the Atlantic, Senator and Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders recently released a plan for “Corporate Accountability and Democracy” which includes a proposal for Democratic Employee Ownership Funds. Read more below and in The Washington Post, Vox, The Guardian, CNN, the New Republic, the Huffington Post, and Jacobin.
 
The recent power outage crisis in California⁠—due in part to PG&E’s failure to maintain adequate and safe infrastructure⁠—has highlighted the many shortcomings of profit-driven, investor-owned utilities. Co-Manager of Climate & Energy Programs Johanna Bozuwa recently published a piece in The Nation outlining the need for a new energy model based on public and community ownership, a resilient grid, and renewable energy. Read more about the opportunity for public ownership in response to energy crises like the PG&E shutoff in Vice and In These Times.

Sincerely,
Ted Howard
President and Co-Founder,
The Democracy Collaborative