french

We invite those players involved in the sector, who want to administrate local and regional authorities in the interests of the residents and who promote solidarity, regional and alternative economic cycles.  We want to be inspired by good practice.  The goal of the event is to  show, by means of good practice, how solidarity economy enterprises and the community can profit from collaboration.

Living well and working well, how do we fare with work as the basis of individual socilization in light of disaffection, unemployment, burn out etc on one hand and on the other the constant development of the productive forces and global/digital networking of society’s labour?  How can people, existence and work be reconciled again?  How can work be returned to the self determined, co-operative activity which people actually created in the first place?

After some opening words by the organisers and a keynote by Paul Mason under the title „Capitalism is dying – What next?“, a panel discussion will engage with the role and strategic relevance of three transformational dimensions:
1.) Practice (concrete alternatives, solidarity economy) – from niched initiatives to widespread recognition
2.) Regime (economic and political structures and institutions): How can the global transformation towards an ecologically and socially just economy and politics be achieved?

How do the EU institutions promote “the spread and strengthening of the social economy as key driver of economic and social development in the European Union”, in line with the EU 2020 strategy? EU parliament’s Social Economy intergroup states that “social economy is able to bring innovative solutions for social cohesion and inclusion, job creation, entrepreneurial spirit, growth and the promotion of active citizenship“. Although some work has been made during the last Parliament’s and Commission’s mandates, a lot still has to be done.

What is the relationship today between Social Solidarity Economy actors and the political landscape? Where do old and new political parties stand with regards to alternative economic approaches and practices and their promotion? How is the European Parliament moving, beyond the social business and green economy approach? Is it possible to create new spaces of political dialogue between political institutions and grassroots solidarity economy networks and initiatives to promote the development of SSE both at the European and at the local level?

The year 2015 will be crucial to define the orientations and means of implementation of the international development agenda. What are the opportunities and challenges for Social Solidarity Economy (SSE) actors to scale up the recognition of SSE’s contribution to sustainable development?