The indigenous Bribri of Costa Rica believe that a sulá, an artisan, creates the soul of every human. Made of beautiful colors, we are each distinct compositions that originate from the same elements. The members of Sulá Batsú considered this story in 2005 when they named their cooperative. Based in Costa Rica, Sulá Batsú does not grow potatoes or build cars. Their goal is not a specific, touchable product. Rather this cooperative works towards the development and communication of knowledge. To be successful they need an employee team with abilities and an environment that honors and encourages individual talent. Much like the image of a soul being many colors that come together in harmonious beauty, the cooperative sees its members unite to support the efforts of their organization.
From climate change to internet usage to libraries, Sulá Batsú works throughout Latin America to help groups increase capacity and function more effectively. Geared towards social economic development, the cooperative is excited to facilitate the labor of socially conscious businesses.
Within their own organization Sulá Batsú engages individuals often excluded from discussions of change, technology and knowledge building. They focus on empowering women to participate in the cooperative. They also strive to provide space for the voices and ideas of young individuals entering the workforce.
Following this belief that such populations can contribute a great deal of conceptual knowledge, a group of young women thinking together constitutes the heart of Sulá Batsú's membership. Women and men, young and old, Sulá Batsú acknowledges the complexities of skill, the many colors, that form each employee. On an integral level, Sulá Batsú engages the cooperative model to enhance knowledge and communication.
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