First Forum on Solidarity and Social Economy in Bruxelles

Am 28.01. findet das erste Forum Solidarische und Soziale Ökonomie auf EU-Ebene statt. Aus dem Solikon2015 ist ein Zusammenschluss aus Netzwerkenden entstanden, der sich der Region Berlin-Brandenburg widmet. Bereits im Vorhinein des Kongress gab es einige Zusammenkünfte unter dem Stichwort Regionalvernetzung Berlin-Brandenburg. Gefestigt hat sich die Gruppe auf dem Workcamp Wirtschaftswandel (kurz www2015) an der Hochschule für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde im November 2015. Hier entstand neben konkreten Projekten in der Region auch der Verein "das kooperativ", der sich der Unterstützung solidarischer und dezentraler Regionalentwicklung widmet. Einige Vertreter*innen des Zusammenschluss fahren nun am 28. Januar nach Brüssel, um die Region zu vertreten, gemeinsame Projekte vorzustellen und konkrete Forderungen an die Politik zu formulieren. Unsere kurze Vorstellung in englischer Sprache:

Network Post-Solikon2015 - activities of SSE initiatives in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg
 
We are a network of people and initiatives that come together in different constellations to promote diverse activities and projects of alternative economy (such as solidarity economy, economy for the common goods and contribution economy among others). The network arose out of the alliance of projects and persons organizing and supporting the Week of Change and Conference on Solidarity Economy and Transformation in September 2015 (short: Solikon2015) in Berlin in cooperation with the Forum Solidarische Ökonomie e.V. Kassel (short: Forum SÖ*), das kooperativ and other initiatives and people of Solidarity Economy and related movements.

Specific projects finished or in progress coordinated:

• Week of Change - with tours to more than 80 practitioners and projects of alternative economies in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg (in 2015 with almost 1000 visitors) in summer 2016 - www.solikon2015.de/wandelwoche
• Workcamp Economic Change (Workcamp Wirtschaftswandel, www2015) - at the Universitiy of Sustainable Development in Eberswalde, Brandenburg, 20th-22nd of November 2015 with more than 40 activists of alternative economics living in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg - www.solikon2015.de/region
• Workcamp Economic Change (Workcamp Wirtschaftswandel, www2016-1) - at Projekthaus Potsdam, Brandenburg, 11th-13th of March 2016, continuation of first specific projects of the www2015 that are for example:
• Decentralised Logistics - Formation and development of decentralised logistics in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg with the focus on CO2 efficiency and alternative transport vehicles such as cargo bikes in cooperation with the cooperatives and companies Velogista, Fahrwerk, Fairmondo, Gekko and others
• Common agricultural property - alternative models of property in the agricultural use of land supporting regional food sovereignity and decentralised and sustainable economics, in cooperation with agriculturists, Mietshäuser Syndikat Berlin-Brandenburg, Network on Solidarity Agriculture Berlin-Brandenburg, Bündnis Junge Landwirtschaft, Ökonauten eG, Kulturland eG, Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft, BioBoden Genossenschaft and others
• Science and best practice - connecting alternative economical practices and science; organization and support of events and content-based, methodological concepts, as well as specific projects promoting the integration of alternative concepts on economics, living and education in the disciplines of research institutions and universities; interlacing research and specific and practical needs of Solidarity Economy projects and initiatives in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg; in cooperation with Alice-Salomon University Berlin, Technical University Brandenburg and the University for Sustainable Development Eberswalde
• Public Relations and Education - enhancing visibility of existing and emerging initiatives, circles and projects of alternative economics and activating supporters in politics, churches, universities, workers unions, NGO's (...) in the region of Berlin-Brandenburg by organizing events like the Week of Change, work- and barcamps and fares of critical consumption; mapping of existing projects and activities in collaboration with imwandel.net and Projekthaus Potsdam
• Direct Import - import and direct distribution of food starting with fruits and olive oil from small organic farms, cooperatives and networks. So far from Sicily and Greece, perspectively also from countries of the Global South
• In progress: research on opportunities and influences as well as requirements for developing models of an Economy of Contribution (Beitragsökonomie) for supporting self-administrated and regional-based structures that contribute to the empowerment of social, economical and political discriminated persons.

Our motivation

Facing  pressing global  challenges  like starvation  and  unjust  distribution of ressources,  climate change  and  species extinction  we see  an important  strategy to face those problems  in  the  regional  support  of a different kind  of  economies  -  as  developed, tested and  practiced  in some  cooperatives,  solidarity  agricultures,  collectives  and  informal contexts  partly for a long time and  under various names. We want to strengthen  these  projects,  initiatives  and individuals,  collaborate and network with and for them and enhance visibility and encourage  start-ups in this field.  We want to  contribute to overcome the logics of profit-making and exclusion within the dominant economic system,  towards the logics of  "the good life  for all".

Contact:

Forum Solidarische Ökonomie e.V.  I  Giuliana Giorgi  I  g.giorgi@t-online.de I www.solidarische-oekonomie.de/  I  phone: +49-30-39494591

das kooperativ e.V. - unterstützung dezentraler und solidarischer regionalentwicklung  I  Andreas Teuchert + Maria Schmidt  I  region@solikon2015.de  I  www.solikon2015.de/region  I  phone: +49-30-61652466

More Information on the EFSSE: http://efsse.org/