The cooperative movement has existed in Palestine since the early 20^th century. The movements have suffered the consequences of successive layers of administrative controls and changes: the British mandate, the Egyptian/Jordanian Rule, Israeli occupation, and the Palestinian Authority, progressively weakening cooperative societies. This decline was worsened by a donor-driven model that led to an aid-dependent economy.

In our global context where social and economic injustices are ever-growing, some regions and countries succeeded to place dignity and social value at the heart of work and wealth, through a different model of economic organizing: cooperatives.

Are cooperatives a good model for a steadfast Palestinian economy? What are Palestinians today thinking when we talk about “cooperatives”? Why are women cooperatives the most successful in Palestine? What are the challenges faced today to develop perennial and successful structures?

Hiba Al-Jibeihi, a distinguished graduate of Birzeit University-Palestine, is the fundraising unit officer at the Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the largest agricultural development institution in Palestine. As a researcher and academic, she has made contributions in various fields, primarily management, organizational behavior, innovation and creativity, and gender. Her research focuses on linkages among feminist theories and management. She subscribes to Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, which dethroned all previous feminist theories, paving the way for a humanity that does not traffic in postulates. In partnership with researchers from the University of Cologne in Germany, she is currently working on a research proposal to build a new concept of innovation, itself far removed from postulates. Her motto in life is “create something from nothing.” She believes that young people of all backgrounds are the main engines of radical change in developed and developing societies. Therefore, she strives to achieve justice for young people, especially those of them who are deprived, and she wishes to see them united in the face of all who stand in their way, including capitalist societies that stratify and exploit their capabilities for the sake of others who have no capacity, passion, or energy.

هبة الجبيهي، خريجة جامعة بيرزيت بامتياز، ومنسقة وحدة تجنيد الاموال في اتحاد لجان العمل الزراعي، أكبر مؤسسة زراعية تنموية في فلسطين. بالاضافة الى كونها باحثة واكاديمية، لها مساهمات بحثية عديدة في مجالات أهمها الادارة، والسلوك التنظيمي، الابداع، والنوع الاجتماعي. ركزت في ابحاثها على الربط ما بين النظريات النسوية والادارة متبنية نظرية جودث بتلر للاداء الجندري التي تهز عرش كافة النظريات النسوية السابقة ممهدة لخلق بشرية لا تؤمن بالسلمات. تعمل حالياً على مقترح بحثي لبناء مفهوم جديد للابداع بعيد ايضاً عن المسلمات بالشراكة مع باحثين من جامعة كولونيا – المانيا شعارها في الحياة “اخلق من اللاشيء شيء”، تؤمن بأن الشباب بكافة فئاتهم وقدراتهم هم المحرك الرئيس وأساس التغيير الجذري في كافة المجتمعات المتقدمة والنامية، ولذلك فهي تكافح من أجل تحقيق عدالة تنصف الشباب وخاصة المحرومين منهم وتوحدهم في وجه كل من يقف عائق في وجههم بما فيها المجتمع الرأسمالي وما يتمخض عنه من طبقية واستغلال لقدرات الشباب لحساب من لا قدرة ولا همة ولا طاقة لهم.