Building Local Power Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Last month, the Biden White House released its National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics. ILSR’s Julia Spector joins Building Local Power to discuss how the leading advocacy of ILSR and allied organizations led to community composting becoming a featured component of the national strategy, and how far we’ve come since we aired the 2019 episode of Building Local Power entitled “Why Scale Matters in Protecting the Climate and How Composting Can Help.” 



Julia explains how the strategy’s goals — reducing methane emissions and increasing organics recycling with an emphasis on the importance of local and decentralized composting — are met by being mindful of how scale matters in tackling climate change, creating jobs, and building resilient local food systems. Following this introduction, we replay the conversation from the “Why Scale Matters” episode of Building Local Power for a deeper dive into the topic, highlighting the progress from unrelenting advocacy to integrate community composting into federal policies, ultimately showcasing how local power can drive substantial environmental and social benefits.

In 2019, we aired an episode titled "Independent Musicians and the Antimonopoly Movement," which explored the impact of industry concentration on independent musicians. We are resurfacing that episode in light of recent news that the Department of Justice is suing Live Nation for hindering competition following its 2011 merger with Ticketmaster. 



ILSR’s Ron Knox joins us to explain the lawsuit's two main points: Live Nation and Ticketmaster's monopolization of the industry and their use of power to exclude rivals and prevent competition. As Ron explains, the lawsuit signifies a major shift in government policy and underscores the importance of collective action among fans, workers, and small business groups in tackling corporate concentration and monopoly power. The 2019 episode details the impact of concentration on independent musicians and how we can rebuild our media ecosystem to make it equitable. You can find that post and episode here. 

Veteran journalist, Harry Jaffe, reflects on his four-decade career dedicated to covering some of Washington D.C.’s stories, emphasizing the crucial role of local reporters in holding public officials accountable and keeping communities informed. Harry, founder of Spotlight DC, a nonprofit supporting investigative journalism, underscored the challenges facing local media amidst economic pressures and shifting consumer habits. He lamented the decline of resources allocated to local coverage, citing the closure of institutions like DCist as a significant loss for the community.



Harry is hopeful that Councilmember Janeese Lewis George's Local News Funding Act, which proposes allocating $11.5 million in direct funding to media outlets that are chosen by DC residents, will potentially reshape the landscape of local news coverage. Harry’s message resonates beyond the Beltway, urging communities everywhere to support the journalists dedicated to telling the community’s stories.

In 2000, Uwe Brandes moved to Washington, D.C. to join Mayor Williams' administration with a bold vision to transform the Anacostia River waterfront, one of the nation’s most polluted rivers at the time. Uwe spearheaded a participatory planning process that was and still is far too rare, actively involving communities and stakeholders directly impacted by the revitalization efforts. He adeptly translated these community conversations into comprehensive urban planning documents, which were subsequently codified into the city's comprehensive plan. These documents now serve as the guiding framework for D.C.'s investments.

Today, Uwe is a distinguished professor of urban planning at Georgetown University. He continues to influence D.C.'s development through his roles on various committees and initiatives, ensuring that community-oriented and community-led principles remain at the forefront of the city's growth.

Arriving in the nation's capital in the mid-90s, Gina Schaefer found herself drawn to Logan Circle, a neighborhood that had been scarred by the riots following Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Inspired by the community's resilience and potential, Gina embarked on a mission to fill a void in the neighborhood, starting with the establishment of her first Ace Hardware store. Gina's vision always extended far beyond commerce. Recognizing the importance of community involvement, she actively engaged with local residents and organizations to understand their needs and aspirations. She made it a priority to hire individuals from the local community, including those facing barriers to employment, such as former inmates and individuals in recovery. 

Recently, Gina initiated an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) to gradually transfer ownership of their business to their employees. This transition not only empowers workers but also gives them agency over their own lives and financial futures.

For additional resources visit: https://ilsr.org/building-local-power/

In 1974, in Washington D.C., amidst a backdrop of economic turbulence and social unrest, the seeds of the Institute for Local Self-reliance were sown. David Morris, Neil Seldman, and Gil Friend, driven by a shared vision of community resilience, founded the Institute in a townhouse in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. Their goal was to demonstrate that our economies and environments can thrive when rooted in community cooperation and mutual aid. Fifty years later, in the face of prevailing national norms promoting centralization, ILSR continues to challenge the status quo through research, advocacy, and grassroots organizing, promoting a framework of decentralized production, responsibility, and authority.

For additional resources visit: https://ilsr.org/building-local-power/