1. Definition, facts and opportunities

2. Social and Solidarity Economy: what comes to your mind?

3. The Social and Solidarity Economy: many different terms….
Social Economy
Solidarity Economy
Community Economy
Popular Economy
Social and Solidarity Economy
Social Enterprise
Social Economy Enterprises
Third Sector
Non-Profit Sector

4. … but common characteristics
recognize the primacy of people and work over capital
are built on the principles of solidarity, mutuality, reciprocity, cooperation and proximity
seek to simultaneously achieve social, societal, economic and environmental benefits
are based on voluntary participation, member empowerment and peoples’ commitment

5. The social economy gives prominence to a business model that cannot be characterized either by its size or by its areas of activity, but by its respect for common values.
European Parliament, 2009

6. Attempt of a definition
“The social economy is a concept designating enterprises and organisations, in particular cooperatives, mutual benefit societies, associations, foundations and social enterprises, which have the specific feature of producing goods, services and knowledge while pursuing both economic and social aims and fostering solidarity.”

7. Five Families Cooperatives Mutual societies Associations Foundations
Social
enterprises

8. Five facts on Social and Solidarity Economy
At the European level, the SSE represents approximately 10 per cent of all European companies (approximately 2 million undertakings) and 6 per cent of total employment
Many governments have recently approved innovative legislation and policy on the social economy (Brazil, France, Mexico and Spain). In Cameroon, Mali, Italy, South Korea and South Africa the issue is part of the ongoing debate on public policies.
Data (CEPES and LEGACOOP) shows that during the crisis started in 2008, the social economy sector has created new jobs in Italy, while in Spain it lost fewer jobs than in the traditional private sector (> Italian SC provide > jobs)
In Argentina, well over jobs have been saved through the establishment of 130 worker-owned “empresas recuperadas” .
Worldwide, there are cooperative societies with one billion individual member-households and 100 million employees. 1 2 3 4 5

9. Social Economy & Decent Work
Labour standards
Employment creation
Social protection
Social dialogue
… the concept: how the social economy is related to this decent work component
… examples: how concretely the social economy has advanced this component

10. Standards: the concept
Congruence between the objectives of standard-setting and the values of the social economy;
Social economy as subject of standard-setting: Rec 193; Rec. 204
Social economy as promoter of standards: see examples

11. Social enterprises and the quest for social justice in South Africa.
Standards: examples
Cooperatives and the fight against child labour in the cocoa industry in West Africa [C 182];
Village associations promoting the emancipation of indigenous people in Cameroon [C 169];
Social enterprises and the quest for social justice in South Africa.

12. Employment: the concept
Economies of scale and scope;
Innovation and creativity:
Access to markets, finance and inputs;
Diversification and division of labour.

13. Employment: examples Social cooperatives in Italy: 40,000 jobs;
Germany’s 320 shared service cooperatives support small businesses with a turnover of 490 bn €;
Coffee marketing cooperatives in Oromia, Ethiopia: livelihoods, jobs.

14. Protection: the concept
Social economy as one of three complementary strategies to implement the Social Protection Floor:
Broadening access to formal social security institutions;
Upgrading traditional systems of mutual social assistance;
Cash transfers.
Upscaling, modernizing and formalizing traditional systems.

15. Protection: examples
The tontines and rotating savings and credit associations;
The “mutuelles de santé” of West Africa;
The burial societies of Southern Africa;
Micro-insurance schemes for crop protection and risk taking.

16. Dialogue: the concept
The double nature of the social economy: business and association;
Bargaining power, voice and representation through joint action;
Propensity to establish horizontal networks and vertical structures;

17. Global organizations: ICA, WOCCU, ICMIF, AIM, COPAC, etc.
Dialogue: examples
The self-employed women’s association of India (SEWA): a hybrid between trade union and social economy organization;
The SYNDICOOP programme: organizing informal economy workers through joint trade union-cooperative action.
Global organizations: ICA, WOCCU, ICMIF, AIM, COPAC, etc.

18. The social economy: a pioneer
Green jobs and environmental protection;
Fair and equitable trade;
Local identify and local products;
Slow food;
Social finance;
Corporate social responsibility.

19. The Social Economy as a Bridge
Between informal and formal
Between rural and urban
Between local and global
Between society and governments
Between individuals and society

20. SSE Academy
It is an interregional training opportunity gathering practitioners from all around the world, to share their experiences and meet leading SSE specialists.
ILO Regional Conference on SE, Johannesburg (South Africa) 2009
First Edition of SSE: Turin (Italy) 2010
Second Edition of SSE: Montréal (Canada) 2011
Third Edition of SSE:
Agadir (Morocco) 2013
Fourth Edition of SSE:
Campinas (Brazil) 2014
Objectives
Contribute to a better understanding of the concept of Social and Solidarity Economy
Discuss the relevance of SSE as a new development alternative and how to relate it to ILO’s Decent Work Agenda
Strengthen the impact of SSE through the creation of a community of practice
At the end of the academy, the participants will be able to:
A high level capacity building programme on social and solidarity economy was proposed by more than 200 practitioners on the occasion of the ILO Regional Conference on Social Economy held in Johannesburg, in October This proposal was then further discussed during the ILO task force meeting on social economy in February The ILO task force members agreed to support an annual “Social Economy Academy” whose first edition would be organized in October 2010 by the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC ILO).
The ILO Social and Solidarity Economy Academy (SSE Academy) is an interregional training opportunity gathering practitioners from all around the world, to share their experiences and meet leading SSE specialists.
have a better understanding of the different areas where the SSE can play a role (employment creation, social protection, social dialogue, innovation, environment, green jobs, informal economy, local economic development, etc.);
refer to SSE legal and policy frameworks from around the world;
identify the key features of an enabling environment for an effective SSE;
refer to experiences of successful SSE initiatives from different areas of practice;
make use of tools and approaches to effectively promote SSE and take actions within the context of such initiatives.

21. SSE Academy
It is an interregional training opportunity gathering practitioners from all around the world, to share their experiences and meet leading SSE specialists.
Fifth Eidtion, Johannesburg (South Africa) 2015
Sixth Edition of SSE: Puebla (Mexico) 2015
Seventh Edition of SSE: San José (Costa Rica) 2016
Eight Edition of SSE:
Seoul (South Korea) 2017
Nineth Edition of SSE:
Luxembourg 2017
Objectives
Contribute to a better understanding of the concept of Social and Solidarity Economy
Discuss the relevance of SSE as a new development alternative and how to relate it to ILO’s Decent Work Agenda
Strengthen the impact of SSE through the creation of a community of practice
At the end of the academy, the participants will be able to:
A high level capacity building programme on social and solidarity economy was proposed by more than 200 practitioners on the occasion of the ILO Regional Conference on Social Economy held in Johannesburg, in October This proposal was then further discussed during the ILO task force meeting on social economy in February The ILO task force members agreed to support an annual “Social Economy Academy” whose first edition would be organized in October 2010 by the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC ILO).
The ILO Social and Solidarity Economy Academy (SSE Academy) is an interregional training opportunity gathering practitioners from all around the world, to share their experiences and meet leading SSE specialists.
have a better understanding of the different areas where the SSE can play a role (employment creation, social protection, social dialogue, innovation, environment, green jobs, informal economy, local economic development, etc.);
refer to SSE legal and policy frameworks from around the world;
identify the key features of an enabling environment for an effective SSE;
refer to experiences of successful SSE initiatives from different areas of practice;
make use of tools and approaches to effectively promote SSE and take actions within the context of such initiatives.

22. OUR “COLLECTIVE BRAIN” ON SSE OUR WEB SITES RELATED TO SSE
More information on SSE initiatives
OUR “COLLECTIVE BRAIN” ON SSE
OUR WEB SITES RELATED TO SSE