Mondragón, a Basque cooperative - VPRO documentary - 2012

Original title: Mondragon's Miracle
Backlight is staying in the Basque village of Mondragón, where the majority of the population works in cooperatives. All employees are also co-owners and together they decide on the company policy. Even in today’s harsh economic climate, this approach is successful. Mondragón manufactures high-grade technological products and is now the seventh largest company in Spain, a multinational with branches all over the world.
While the global crisis grimly continues to wreak havoc all around us and criticisms are heaped on the neoliberal model, the UN declared 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives. Boards, authorities and economists are keen to establish a model that functions properly and is above all internationally competitive. Mondragón is always used as an example and is flooded with visitors from all over the world. The American government is currently facing the choice whether to privatise General Motors again after salvaging it in 2008. Its future is causing heated debate. One idea is not to float the company but convert it into a cooperative.
Backlight investigates the cooperative model in times of crisis. How firmly is this model anchored in society? Are notions like solidarity, participation and self-support generally accepted? Backlight follows some of the key people.
Originally broadcasted by VPRO in 2012.
© VPRO Backlight March 2012
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Credits:
Director: Kees Brouwer
Co-director: Maren Merckx
Research in Basque, Spain: Maialen Arratibel Garcia
Camera: Jacko van ‘t Hof
Sound: Kees Brouwer
Editor: Arno Ouwejan, Calten Houwing
Re-recording mixer: Mark Meewis
Color grader: Xandra ter Horst
Producer: Mariska Schneider
Commissioning editors: Henneke Hagen, Jos de Putter
English, French and Spanish subtitles: Ericsson.
French and Spanish subtitles are co-funded by European Union.

[@aitchdouble-ubanger204]

This is what the American Left should do. We keep making the mistake of trying to use government when government is inherently right wing.

[@timothyLucasJaeger]

I agree. I'm thinking of starting a discussion group at my local library on employee owned cooperatives (along with consumer coops and credit unions). Any other thoughts on how we can get/keep this movement rolling?

[@XxLIVRAxX]

@@timothyLucasJaeger Considering the Mondragon experience the banking coop should the first step, as financial capital and expertice becomes available seed capital and financial consulting for other coops could help them increase their rate of survival and growing sustainable

[@Hodoss]

This is fascinating. We need to do more of this in France, instead of letting our economy get plundered by unscrupulous capitalists.

[@asiersanz8941]

The basque culture (by the way, the oldest of Europe) has in its psyche deeply rooted a concept called AUZOLANA. It means to work together, to cooperate, to share and trust each other. That's why cooperatives use to be so succesful in Euskal Herria/Basque Country and we all have some kind of experience related to that kind of economic and social model.

[@vprodocumentary]

Wow, that's nice to know! Thank you for the insights.

[@Mrjmaxted0291]

Do you need to speak Basque to join Mondragon or any other cooperative? I'm enamoured with this system of organising work. I might like to be a part of it.

[@felicetanka]

Thank you father José Maria Arizmendiarrieta.

[@SorrelBigmin]

Fascinating stuff ! I hope the message of community spreads

[@bhooshify]

can you please put the translation captions at the bottom. it's really disorienting :((((

[@vprodocumentary]

Hello, we are aware of this technical issue and we're trying to get it fixed as soon as possible. We hope you could enjoy the documentary nonetheless.

[@sagargadhia6423]

awesome as always .... you know you are going to have a good time when you hear the music at the start with the word vpro written in the background !

[@vprodocumentary]

Thank you! Feel free to share our programs with your friends!

[@jerrytai9524]

thanks for sharing :)

[@VictorHugo-bi8wi]

Basques are truly fascinating people, just by watching the Basque Skyline it looks more like Switzerland than Spain and they speak a language so unique that sounds more like Chinese than any European language. It is interesting to point out that socialist-like experiments are proven to work better among homogenous groups, in the case of Mondragon most of their members are conservative, Catholics and most importantly BASQUE NATIONALIST. It's ironic because socialist normally condemn nationalism, but in reality people by instinct tend too feel more solidarity and cooperate more within their own ethnic-national group.

[@vprodocumentary]

The basque also make amazing food! haha! Thank you for your comment, you have a point there indeed. Maybe the basques redefine the border between nationalism and tight community?

[@shway1]

why are subtitles at the top of the video? im used to reading subtitles at the bottom.

[@vprodocumentary]

Hello, we are aware of this technical issue and we're trying to get it fixed as soon as possible. We hope you could enjoy the documentary nonetheless.

[@Xenophrenia]

so ... all your descriptions are in English - but the documentary isn't?

[@vprodocumentary]

Hello, We provide English, spanish and French subtitles on all our videos. Just click the wheel icon at the bottom of your video player and you'll then be able to select the subtitles you want to have.

[@Xenophrenia]

vpro documentary was hoping for at least dubbed - I find it heard to read and pay attention to what's happening in the video at the same time ... consider it a suggestion? ;-)

[@vprodocumentary]

Helle Xenophrenia, We are not planning to dub our programs at the moment, but we take note of your sugggestion. We just started subtitling our programs in 3 languages so we could become more accessible to our international audience. We understand it might be difficult to focus on both the subtitles and images at the same time, but it is possible to get used to it, by watching more of our subtitled videos. :) Joke aside, we hope you enjoy our programs. Best regards

[@ihseneng]

mantap

[@psychopathichomosapien]

parenting goal, i'm gonna send my kids to study to their university one day

[@alextrezvy6889]

Is this video exists on english?

[@vprodocumentary]

Hi Alex, you can put on the English subs in CC!

[@alextrezvy6889]

@@vprodocumentary thanx.

[@brunopolovic1]

subtitles on the bottom!

[@vprodocumentary]

Hello, we are aware of this technical issue and we're trying to get it fixed as soon as possible. We hope you could enjoy the documentary nonetheless.

[@kaidshajrah1]

english version please.

[@vprodocumentary]

Hello, We provide English, spanish and French subtitles on all our videos. Just click the wheel icon at the bottom of your video player and you'll then be able to select the subtitles you want to have.

[@kaidshajrah1]

vpro documentary thanks, I realized that I left my comment. Excellent documentary by the way. Keep up the good work.

[@ouss]

capitalist of the world UNITE

[@juanche978]

"Mutualists of the world UNITE"