National networks/federations of solidarity economy
In the West meeting today we discussed that sharing resources (bylaws, manuals, organizational websites, case studies, etc.) in English about how national networks have been or are being created. Please feel free to contribute to this thread!
Miguel Yasuyuki Hirota Wed 17 Mar 2021 6:07PM
As far as I know, the following are active national networks (in respective language):
Xarxa d'Economia Solidária (Catalonia)
REAS (Spain)
REDPES (Portugal): Sofia Pereira can add more info.
RACTES (Senegal)
社会的連帯経済を推進する会 (the Association of Promoting SSE in Japan, quite close to GSEF)
한국사회적경제연대회의 (Korean Social Economy Solidarity Congress)
But there should be more networks. I'd like to ask those who belong to the above networks to explain a bit about these groups so Cheyenna can understand better.
Irene Sotiropoulou Wed 17 Mar 2021 6:19PM
In Europe there is this network, you probably you know it https://esen.ios.edu.pl/el/
jordi estivill Wed 17 Mar 2021 8:25PM
The XES(Xarxa EConomia Solidaria ) of Catalonia was created in 2001. We organize in Barcelona the foundation congres of RIPESS Europe(2011) and the last world social forum(2020). We have 500 colective members. A general assembly and a executive comitee and also work comitees on diferent issues (Training,. communs, feminim, ecology,...) We published two colections of books and we celebrate a summer school. Also we create a Map for to see the situation of our iniciatives in Catalonia and every year we organise a big fear (20. 000 persons). We are member of AESCAT the catalan platform of social and solidarity economy (Cooperatives Mutualities, Associations,), We are recognised by 40 local councils and the Catalan goverment. We published a manifesto on 15 measures that local councils can aply if they want to promote solidarity economy
Cheyenna Weber · Wed 17 Mar 2021 4:59PM
In the US we have two organizations that function as solidarity economy networks or federations for the whole country: New Economy Coalition (NEC) and US Solidarity Economy Network (USSEN). NEC has a defined structure and democracy that is undergoing revision, and USSEN is an appointed Board of Directors and does not have a defined membership. We have other national groups that focus on a particular sector, like the US Federation of Worker Cooperatives. We also have some municipal federations such as the Cooperative Economics Alliance of NYC or the Philadelphia Area Cooperative Alliance. All of these organizations are relatively young.
Many of us involved in these federations/networks have been studying the le chantier de l'économie sociale in Quebec, FBES in Brazil, and groups like the International Cooperative Alliance. It would be incredibly helpful to hear more examples and how groups have navigated the inevitable political issues that arise as we seek to cooperate across cultures and as groups with different access to funding and power.