🤝Cooperation in Conflictual Times: Can We Reimagine a Different Way Forward?

Can Cooperation Outperform Competition? 🤝We live in a world of increasing division—politically, socially, and economically. But what if there was another way?I recently attended a thought-provoking talk by Bernard Harcourt at the University of Toronto - Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, exploring an alternative model of governance: cooperatism—a system where collaboration, not competition, drives decision-making.💡 Key takeaways that stuck with me: 🔹 Cooperatism challenges our default economic model, advocating for democratic self-governance in businesses, communities, and even policy-making. 🔹 It’s not a utopia—some of the most successful financial institutions (think Desjardins, Crédit Mutuel, and Mutual Farm) are structured as co-ops. 🔹 Moving from a punitive paradigm (low investment in prevention, high spending on crisis response) to a cooperative one could redefine healthcare, education, and justice. 🔹 Is cooperation always possible? I raised this question during the event—comparing Gandhi’s nonviolent resistance to the Black Panthers’ community-driven self-defense. Can cooperation thrive in an inherently conflict-driven world?This discussion left me with additional thoughts: ❓ Can a cooperative model scale without being exploited? ❓ How do we fund parallel systems while transitioning from competition to collaboration? ❓ Would cooperatism limit individual mobility—trapping people in a system they helped build?Cooperatism is already at play in parts of our economy—but could it be the future of governance and business?📩 Read my latest newsletter where I unpack these ideas, my questions to Bernard, and my own reflections on how cooperatism could work (or fail). What do you think—is competition essential, or could cooperation build a stronger, fairer society? 👇 Let’s discuss!#Cooperatism #PublicPolicy #EconomicTheory #FutureOfWork #Leadership #Governance #InnovationPeggy Van de Plassche is a value creation strategist and senior advisor with over 20 years of experience in private equity, financial services, healthcare, and technology. She works with investment firms, boards, and C-suite leaders to accelerate portfolio company performance, drive operational transformation, and unlock long-term value. Peggy specializes in the execution of complex value creation plans—spanning capital allocation, digital enablement, transaction advisory, and leadership alignment. Her work consistently bridges strategy and implementation, helping investors and operators maximize EBITDA and enterprise value. A founding board member of Invest in Canada, she also brings deep expertise in public-private partnerships and institutional capital deployment—critical levers for competitive advantage in today’s global landscape. Her clients have included BMO, CI Financial, HOOPP, OMERS, GreenShield Canada, Nicola Wealth, and Power Financial. Learn more at peggyvandeplassche.com.#privateequity #privatemarkets #alternativeinvestments #investing #investments #invest #venturecapital #investor #entrepreneur #digitaltransformation #ai #exit #tech #technology #finance #financialservices #healthcare