Cooperation and Cooperatives:
From Just Getting Along to
Forming Enduring Institutions

March 15, 2026

Discussion Questions

These questions are just to start and aid discussion. Please skip around in the list, indulge diversions, and let your discussion develop naturally.

How did you learn to cooperate with others? What were your most formative cooperative experiences?
Are humans inherently cooperative?
Have you ever been a part of a formal cooperative? (retail cooperatives like the former Mountain Equipment Co-op or the Co-op grocery store chain, Co-operative housing communities, Artist or craftsperson co-operatives, etc).
How can we build new cooperatives in the era of mega-corporations?
What is the right balance between competition and cooperation? (economically, organizationally, personally).
Have you encountered people who argue all human endeavours should be organized like competitive businesses? What do we miss when we apply competition models to charities, educational institutions, research organizations, religious groups, families, and other societal groupings?
Can political entities in Canada learn to cooperate more while also maintaining their differing policies?
What did you think of the video below on the cheese cooperative in Italy?
What barriers to informal cooperation do you encounter? How can we overcome those?
What will help Canada be successful in expanding its cooperation with other nations in response to the decay of our former cooperation with the United States?

Material listed here is intended to enhance discussion. The inclusion of these materials is not an endorsement of their authors or the organizations publishing them. We encourage you to fact check any claims made in these materials.

Why some Canadian companies are turning their workers into owners instead of selling to the U.S.