Solidarity Cities Reading Group

Solidarity Cities: Confronting Racial Capitalism, Mapping Transformation by Maliha Safri, Marianna Pavlovskaya, Stephen Healy and Craig Borowiak.

Held at the People’s Place, Borderlands Cooperative

On Monday evenings August– November, 2026, 7-8:30pm (see schedule below)

This reading group aims to bring together interested locals to read and think together about the alternative futures of Footscray. The book Solidarity Cities draws on research with cooperative networks in three different sized American cities, drawing out the possibilities for cooperation, democracy and inclusion towards establishing alternative foundations for social and economic justice.

Readers will discuss one chapter per session (link to PDF of book above), guided by preparatory resources and questions (see this doc) to help draw out the possibilities, understand the limitations, and imagine how these principles and practices may be able to be taken up in Footscray. Notes from the sessions will contribute to the People’s Plan for Footscray.

It is hoped these sessions will:

· Offer locals concrete ideas about how solidarity economies and cooperative communities across race, class and gender complexities can operate;

· Encourage dialogue and imagining towards these possibilities in Footscray and surrounds;

· Build solidarity networks across different segments of the community in Footscray;

*Note: this is the day before Melbourne Cup public holiday and may be changed if the group decides this is best.

Questions or further information please contact Sophie on sophierudolph@hotmail.com