Who We Are
Mechanism works in collaboration with communities and manufacturers to cultivate production ecosystems that increase local resilience and well-being.
We're a home for people and organizations whose ideas and actions are laying the foundation for local economies that honor the interdependence of people, place, and planet, while strengthening community identity and resilience through making, manufacturing and production.
Mission
Production ecosystems, shaped by the ingenuity and imagination communities bring to solving their own challenges, can steward shared resources, secure family-sustaining work, build economic stability, and empower workers and their families with real ownership and voice. Built in true partnership with place, they let communities provide for themselves, today and for generations to come.
Mechanism collaborates with communities to build the foundation where people, place, and production sustain each other.
Vision
We envision a world where production is relocalized, guided by equity, care, shared stewardship and ingenuity, in order to transform our economy into one that strengthens communities, sustains local identity, restores balance with natural systems, and fosters resilience for generations to come.
Today’s global economy is driven by the relentless manufacturing of goods without regard for real need or long-term well-being. This focus on profit above all else has led to widespread inequality, social division, escalating climate impacts, and the depletion of essential natural and social resources, such as affordable housing, civic infrastructure, and cultural exchange.
We no longer believe lasting community resilience can occur without new systems and conditions.
For all communities to have a chance at long-term stability and the room to build something new, the purpose and ownership of production has to shift. As Mechanism, we are committed to developing, testing and spreading the ideas and strategies to make that shift happen.
Now is the time to re-localize production ecosystems. Mechanism works with communities to translate this vision into concrete plans that meet local needs, strengthen resilience, and connect to a broader network of shared practice
This work is already underway. Makers and small manufacturers around the world are proving, in practice, what's worth preserving and building on. We can see it in efficient use of materials; repair and reuse; regionally sourced inputs; quality, family-sustaining jobs; technologies that expand opportunity for workers rather than displace them; and strong supply chains built on quality, relationships, integrity, and trust. These high-road practices fortify local economies while reducing exposure to volatile global markets and climate disruptions.
At the heart of this work are our values: humility, care, and shared stewardship, rooted in the people and communities we serve.