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Dear Friends of Solid State,
Our community is growing! This issue includes an introduction to six new cohorts accepted in our fall intake. You’ll also read about what’s new with existing cohorts like the Surrey Rainbow Project and City in Colour, get an update about our cross-Canada research project, learn about ways to get involved with events and fundraisers, and more. |
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Six new cohorts were accepted in Solid State’s new biannual intake process including Surrey STEAM Academy, Fresh TD, CultureLinks Co-op, a gaming studio, Curl Connect, and The African-Canadian Agricultural Producers Co-op. These groups were chosen based on their alignment with Solid State’s mission and values including, Their ability to create equitable, dignified, and needed jobs for racialized and migrant groups in Surrey, BC and the greater Vancouver area and, Their unique and diverse strategies in providing missing services to their communities.
Here’s more about two of these new groups with more features to come! |
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African-Canadian Agricultural Producers to Grow Culturally Appropriate Foods and Create Good Jobs |
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“Surrey is home to the largest Black population in British Columbia, with many residents of African descent. Our cooperative will benefit the community directly by providing access to culturally appropriate foods, which are often difficult to find…Food plays a crucial role in shaping people’s sense of belonging and cultural identity. Providing access to familiar foods can foster a deep sense of welcome and community connection.
The cooperative will generate jobs in farming, food distribution, marketing, and management, contributing to local food sovereignty and economic resilience. We aim to provide fair compensation and benefits, including health coverage, training, and personal development opportunities, with support from Solid State in designing an equitable model.”
The African-Canadian Agricultural Producers Cooperative (ACAPC) |
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CultureLinks Co-op Provides Translation Services to Create Cultural Connection and Sense of Belonging |
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“CultureLinks Co-op is a worker co-operative established by a group of internationally educated professionals, with the aim of bridging language barriers, fostering cross-cultural connection, and enabling newcomers to achieve their full potential in Canada. Our professional services offering includes translation, interpretation, multi-lingual event management, online and in-person communications solutions, and community-based language assistance services.” CultureLinks Co-op |
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Surrey Rainbow Project is Gaining Momentum |
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| Surrey Rainbow Project (SRP) is specifying their mission in visioning workshops with a goal to build community for the LGBTQIA2S+ in Surrey. Some upcoming projects include community building events and collective gardening. Stay tuned to see what’s next!
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The Black Arts Centre New Exhibition |
| The Black Arts Centre’s new exhibition opened last Thursday the 7th with a reception and live performance by Tati Au Miel. Within the Mould: Against the Grain is an intimate coalescing of lens-based works, schematics and sonic installation works from Tati Au Miel, Odartey Aryee, Deforrest Brown jr, and Isabel Okoro.
This show will be up from November 7th, 2024 to February 9th, 2025.
Visit BLAC at 10305 City Pkwy #105 Surrey, BC during open hours, Thursdays—Sundays 12-6PM |
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City in Colour Presents Projects at Local and National Conferences |
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| City in Colour Co-op (CiC) presented two huge projects at the Metropolis Conference in Vancouver this October. The projects were Growing Roots: Understanding Community Housing Needs of Refugee Populations in Surrey and Towards a feminist city of Surrey. Learn more about both projects here.
CiC we will be presenting Growing Roots at the 2024 Pathways for Prosperity Conference in Vancouver which takes place November 24-28.
“Growing Roots is a project that maps out the systemic barriers that hinder refugees and refugee claimants from securing adequate, affordable, and long-term housing in Surrey, while raising awareness about their housing situation.” City in Colour Co-operative
You can attend this conference virtually by registering below! |
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SSCI Projects + Collaborations |
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Solid State Attends Seed Commons’ Annual Co-op Gathering in Baltimore |
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Solid State staff Mario Cimet and Katrina Mugume flew to Baltimore last week to represent Solid State at Seeds Commons’ Annual Cooperative Network Gathering. Mario and Katrina got to meet co-ops like Water Bottle Co-op, a parent co-op to AFS and Rising, co-ops that renovate collapsing buildings to create good jobs and affordable homes, gradually transferring property equity to tenants.
Solid State successfully became part of Seed Commons’ network this year, a partnership which grants us access to a pool of communal capital which can be loaned out in non-extractive agreements to cohorts in our community.
“The current system of finance is programmed to extract profit despite the harm this inflicts on the people we care about and the places we call home. It is a system that reinforces historical racial inequities and threatens the health of the planet we all share.
That’s why we are creating something different: a cooperative network for non-extractive finance, one that advances workplace democracy and grows the capacity of communities to determine their own economic future, starting with the workers the current system excludes.” Seed Commons |
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Black and Racialized Co-op Development Across Canada: Research Update |
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We’re now in the middle of our longitudinal research project understanding the development of Black and racialized co-op development across Canada!
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This multi-year research project works towards an equitable and inclusive Canadian solidarity economy by better understanding how the co-op and social enterprise sectors can support Black and racialized workers and communities in their social and economic flourishing.
Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, the project engages four co-ops at Solid State, in addition to co-ops and social enterprises enlisted through Freedom Dreams Cooperative Education in the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, and New Dawn Enterprises in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
At Solid State, we’re thrilled to have four of our co-ops participating: Afiya Care Collective, Black School’d, The Cleaning Co-op, and GenConnect. We’ve spent the last year co-designing each of our project plans together, in addition to getting to know each other through guided community conversations.
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Solid State Housing Research Continues |
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As Solid State looks for long term solutions to our office headquarters, our research into stable housing for our community continues.
In an ideal new space, we hope to provide both affordable housing and facilities for worker co-ops and sister organizations; offering a base for the people and values at the heart of Solid State. Our unique community is informing this ideal with research that asks what specific cultural and economic attributes are most important to where we want to live and work.
Currently, we’re working closely with Empacta Developments Consultants to move the project forward, more updates to come! |
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Support for Family in Sudan |
| An important family in our community is fundraising for financial support in the face of the crisis in Sudan. Proceeds will go to essential food and medical needs, directly helping family members suffering in the Nuba Mountains. Please consider donating to help them reach their goal. |
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La Libélula’s Memorias para el Alma Art Workshops |
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La Libélula is hosting art and photography workshops in Spanish at the Black Arts Centre November 18 - 22.
Memorias para el Alma (Memories for the Soul) is a 5-session project led by Photojournalist Natalia Botero which uses photography to explore memory. Workshops will invite discussion of experiences, perceptions, and feelings, using art to express collective memory.
Women ages 18 and older are encouraged to register with priority given to refugees and refugee claimants.
The Black Arts Centre 10305 City Pkwy # 105, Surrey BC
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| Parents for Palestine Kids Market |
| It’s November and corporations are filling your feed with Black Friday deals that will only fill their own pockets. Instead, take your dollar and use it to make a difference! Join Parents for Palestine at the Kid’s Market on Saturday, November 16th at 11am - 4pm at 1803 E 1st Avenue.
All funds raised will be donated to urgent relief efforts in Lebanon and Palestine. Whether you are a new parent looking for pregnancy/baby essentials, or a parent trying to save money and shop consciously for your child/children’s needs, the Kid’s Market will have great quality items for you.
Bonus! Free face painting and hot chocolate will be available as well as lunch by donation. |
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Symposia’s Elevate Program |
| Symposia and PuSh International Performing Arts Festival are coordinating an emerging artist residency for IBPOC youth (age 16-24). Elevate 2025 consists of PuSh performances and workshops with a chance to work with mentors and professionals in visual and performing arts.
Young artists interested in performance, music, dance, theatre, and technical production are encouraged to apply!
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