Prout Research Institute

Choosing Economic Democracy
2024-10-11 09:00 - 15:00 (America/New_York) | NC
Choosing Economic Democracy: a community forum on Cooperatives, Local Economies, and Regenerative Agriculture.
Imagine a world where everyone has access to the basic necessities of life, where workers have a say in determining their wages and are empowered to lead democratic businesses, where food, energy, and wealth can be generated locally and circulated in the local economy first and foremost. Economic democracy seeks to empower all, especially historically marginalized communities.
By joining together in conversation we plan to identify common goals, opportunities for collaboration, and collective actions that can begin to shift economic power back to the hands of local people, and those most in need.
We hope to work with you to establish an economic democracy for Western North Carolina!
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Economic Democracy Training
2024-08-01 11:00 - 2024-08-06 13:00
Embark on a transformative journey at the Economic Democracy Training Program, a 5-day immersive experience hosted by the Prout Research Institute in Asheville, North Carolina. Through engaging workshops on cooperative development, leadership, and permaculture, attendees will delve into the principles and practices of economic decentralization and the pivotal role of cooperatives in fostering resilient, equitable, and sustainable communities.
Scholarships are available on a rolling basis, based on donations.
We look forwards to working with you towards a more resilient, cooperative, and sustainable future!
Best wishes,
The Prout Research Institute and Prout Alliance Team

Training for Economic Democracy: A conversation with the Training Team about this Aug 1st to 6th Immersive Event in Asheville, NC
2024-06-28 19:00 - 20:00
Economic Democracy is often mentioned as an essential element of an economy of the people, by the people, and for the people. However, it is not always clear what it entails and how we can become involved in materializing it. Join us on Thursday, June 27, at 8pm EDT for a free webinar to learn more about the upcoming Economic Democracy Training being held on August 1-6, 2024.
Organizers and trainers who will participate in the training will talk about their workshops and hands-on activities that will be taking place during the 6 day training program. They will talk about the theory and practice of economic democracy, the role of cooperatives in democratizing the economy, local food production including permaculture practices, and ways you can implement these ideas in your communities.
During this webinar, you will have the opportunity to:

Gain insights into the goals and aspirations of the Economic Democracy Training.
Get an overview of the training program, including its workshops, hands-on programs, collective activities, field trips, etc.
Learn about the Prout Research Institute, who is sponsoring the training, as well as the Progressive Utilization Theory (Prout) itself.
Ask questions and provide feedback on the upcoming training program.

Empowering Displaced Women through Community, Knowledge & Economic Independence
2024-06-22 11:00 - 12:30
1.5hr seminar including: discussion of PROUT perspective on women’s empowerment, conversation and inspiration with Didi, and brief art share.
*This event is open to people who identity as women.

Problems with Neoclassical Economic's Market System
2024-05-25 11:00 - 12:30
In this presentation we explore the neoclassical economic model of a perfectly competitive market. We challenge the foundational assumptions of the model and question whether it is logical or whether it is designed to adhere to the internal logic of neoclassical economics. Given the conclusions reached, we briefly query whether Prout could provide an alternative system.
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Presenter
Michael Zimmerman is a long-time Proutist whose interest in P. R. Sarkar’s economic and social philosophy spurred him to pursue graduate studies in heterodox and ecological economics, in retirement.
His 35 year career in healthcare finance included representing a broad spectrum of healthcare providers with a particular interest in smaller community based health systems. He has presented nationally and internationally – including Beijing, China and Singaraja, Bali. Michael is a board member of the Prout Research Institute of Asheville, North Carolina.
