VISUALIZING THE VALUE OF THE SOLIDARITY ECONOMY

In 2026, an international symposium was held in Toronto on the topic of member owned institutions called ROSCAs. Below are the Sketch Notes of the event. All art created by Play Think.

Activists, artists, scholars, students and community leaders spoke to the harms and violence actively taking place against historically excluded people, who choose to organize cooperative institutions.

Worldwide informal cooperators exist everywhere. In this symposium we heard testimonials and empirical research results from Denmark, UK, US, Canada to Iran, The Gambia, Belgium, Kenya, Trinidad and Tobago to the Congo. We heard about why people and especially women choose informal financial systems.

What we know is that across geographies, cooperative institutions like ROSCAs exist below the surface. These institutions known as Susu, Chama, Chit, Hua, Equub are not illegal. FACT: ROSCAs are an ancient legacy of collectivity, kombit, and mutual aid handed down to every generation. Cultural economies show that there is an abundance of social provisioning and care.

Credts: Play Think (2026)