portoguese

At this closing plenary, we reflect upon the congress and discuss ideas for the future. We start out with two presentations of the main results of the regional forum initiatives and the transformation forum. With four speakers from different backgrounds, we then shed light on various threads of the conference. Did we bring the different strands of solidarity economy together? What are limitations to spreading it further? How to better disseminate our solidarity practices and cooperative networking to improve our impact and influence ?

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 we strengthen the economic and political networks of people involved in the alternative economies of Berlin and Brandenburg?  How do we foster the development of a viable network for sustainable and solidarity economy, as a tangible alternative for the majority?  The Podium introduces the current networking activities, offers access to the various aspects of regional networks and gives a focussed overview of the regional themes and possibilities for exchange beyond the Congress.

The podium theme is the Solidarity Economy movement in Brazil. The development of the Solidarity Economy in Brazil grew out of the Forum on the Solidarity Economy, as well as the necessary political frameworks via the National Secretariat of Ministry of Labour.  The questions in this panel will focus on the organisational structures, networking and ability to realize and implement goals as well as political frameworks and look towards perspectives for transformation.

With this session, we invite scholars to share their experiences and to collectively think about possible avenues of cooperation, such as common calls for action and the formation of an international university network around the theme of building Solidarity Economies. Brazilian universities play an important role in incubating Solidarity Economy enterprises. Two university networks exist comprising around 40 universities each, which explicitly promote such incubation processes.

Austerity policies led to de-industrialization processes at the global level until committees were formed within trade unions that offered resistance by promoting workers cooperatives to take over their enterprises. There are each around 200 industrial enterprises under workers' control in Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. Also in the South of Europe austerity policy has led to de-industrialization and devastating unemployment rates. Takeovers require special training on multiple levels: political, legal, economic, social, psychological etc.