Authors : Chondros Panagiotis

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 3 - March

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/5n96ktbe

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/3j6mfx73

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26mar1061

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Abstract : This paper examines the historical phenomenon of the community-owned factories of Lesvos (19th–20th century), known as the “Machine of the Commons,” as an original and historically significant example of social and solidarity economy within the framework of the Greek communal institutions (koiná) of the Greek populations under Ottoman rule. These initiatives combined productive economic activity with educational and social contribution. Through the study of archival material, historical sources, and contemporary research, the article highlights the uniqueness of such ventures - found in places such as Lesvos, Chios, Kalymnos, and elsewhere - which operated according to principles of collective small-scale ownership, democratic management, and the reinvestment of profits for public benefit. The findings show that the community factories of Lesvos functioned as precursors to modern cooperative forms such as Social Cooperative Enterprises (KOIN.S.EP.), achieving at the same time economic sustainability, social contribution, and educational development. The study concludes by proposing ways in which this historical experience may inform contemporary discussions on alternative forms of organizing labor and the economy.

Keywords : Social and Solidarity Economy, Community-Owned Factories, Lesvos, Machine of the Commons, Communitism, Greek Commons, Lifelong Learning, Local Development, Collective Ownership, Social Cooperatives.

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