Until recently, anyone who tried to browse our website on a handheld device was frustrated pretty quickly. 

Good news!  We made some improvements, and the website should now be navigable on your phone.

That means you can access the latest news, jobs, events, resources, and even find CCEDNet members near you (using our new member map), wherever you are.

Let us know what you think!

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This blog post was originally published November 19, 2014 by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development

In this update on the progress being made in putting social and solidarity economy on the UN agenda, UNRISD Research Analyst Marie-Adélaïde Matheï reviews its position in post-2015 debates and UNRISD policy and research activities.

As the outline of the post-2015 agenda becomes clearer, and sustainable development goals (SGDs) are defined, many actors now ask the question: how are we going to implement the new SDGs? Policy makers, the UN and civil society will soon have to identify existing regulations, forms of production and consumption and partnerships that espouse the ideal of sustainable development. Social and solidarity economy (SSE) has a lot of potential in this regard. Guided by principles of cooperation and democratic decision making, the production of goods and services by SSE organizations comes with explicit social and often environmental objectives. This makes SSE a fundamentally integrative and inclusive approach. However, in the debates over a post-2015 agenda, the potential of SSE has so far been overlooked.

But this is changing. Civil society organizations that have been advocating for SSE for many years now have access to platforms where their voices can be heard. The Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS), for example, is now forging closer ties with the Trade and Development board of UNCTAD. National laws regulating the field of SSE are becoming more and more common. France, for example, adopted a comprehensive framework law in August this year, which officially recognizes SSE and aims to strengthen networks of SSE organizations and spur cooperative type of entrepreneurship. Since the Social Enterprise Promotion Act came into effect in 2007 in South Korea, the government has put in place tax reduction and financial support mechanisms. As a result, many social enterprises have appeared on the market, and the field received tremendous interest from academia and civil society creating a vibrant SSE scene in South Korea.

The UN has been following a similar trend. The UNRISD conference on SSE held in May 2013 created a momentum of interest among like-minded UN officials, who set up a UN interagency task force dedicated to SSE in September 2013. The task force, which brings together 18 UN agencies, the OECD and four umbrella associations of SSE organizations, meets on a regular basis. UNRISD hosted the secretariat for the first year. A little over a year on, time has come for stocktaking. Thanks to two side events held during UN processes (the Open Working Group on SDGs and the Committee on Food Security of the FAO), members of the Task Force have pushed for a greater recognition of the role of SSE enterprises in sustainable development. The Task Force position paper, Social and Solidarity Economy and the Challenge of Sustainable Development, is another big step in that direction. Co-drafted by all the Task Force members and observers, it illustrates the potential for SSE in tackling eight major challenges of the 21st century: formalization and decent work, greening the economy, local economic development, women’s well-being, food security, health for all, sustainable cities and transformative finance. The task force is now planning future activities. We would like to establish UN-civil society dialogues around SSE to better grasp the needs at the grassroots. Another topic of interest, which will take the form of a second position paper, is the issue of finding financing for SSE organizations. Their practices of profit redistribution and democratic decision making are often at odds with the conventional banking system. UNRISD will be instrumental in the drafting of the paper and will provide necessary background research.

However, a lot more needs to be done. Among the priorities are developing programmatic work on SSE at the UN level and in partnership with civil society, and supporting the establishment of an enabling policy environment. In this regard, the Task Force offers a convenient platform. A great deal of hope is placed in the International Leading Group of the SSE concerning the policy aspect of SSE. The Group’s first meeting, facilitated by the Mont-Blanc Meetings, took place last September during the UN General Assembly in New York. The Leading Group brings together state representatives, UN officials and civil society actors. It now comprises governmental entities from France, Morocco, Ecuador, Luxembourg, Quebec and Colombia, but there are more states that actively promote SSE.

Not only states, but regional blocs are also showing greater interest in the issue. SSE is part of the working plan of almost all European institutions. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has been a catalyzer in this field, and the institution is now starting to look for initiatives beyond Europe. In this context, Sarah Cook made a presentation at an EESC conference in Brussels last October. And UNRISD will be represented during a working group organized by the Italian government as part of the European Presidency of the European Union.

Research, when it comes to public policies supporting SSE, is crucial. The UNRISD occasional papers series on SSE and the forthcoming edited volume analyse the pitfalls of ill-designed or top-down public policies. Common problems consist of instrumentalizing SSE as a poverty eradication tool or as a substitute for welfare provision. A policy and legal environment favourable to private companies might be disabling for SSE, in that they tend to favour efficiency over equity, managerial and hierarchical culture that ultimately undermine the democratic and inclusive potential of SSE and might result in mission drift for SSE enterprises. Co-construction of public policies involving practitioners is crucial to preserve the sector’s autonomy.

Thanks to its existing research, its active involvement in the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on SSE and close contacts with the civil society, UNRISD is well placed to pinpoint the pitfalls, to further evaluate the real potential of SSE and to tackle tricky issues such as the interactions between SSE and finance. We therefore hope to keep up our work in this field in 2015.

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Marie-Adélaïde Matheï, Research Analyst with UNRISD, recently achieved an advanced master degree in International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Antwerp (Belgium). Previously, Marie-Adélaïde obtained a master degree in Economics from the University of Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium), during which she took part in a university exchange programme with the Universidad de Chile. While in Chile, she focused on Solidarity Economy, currency design and Time Banking on which she wrote her master thesis. 

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The Canadian Women’s Foundation is welcoming applications from emerging and mid-career female leaders with a minimum of 3 years of management experience working in women’s economic development organizations. They are looking for candidates who want to step into more senior leadership positions within the women’s charitable economic development sector.

Specifically, they are interested in women who want to participate in women-centered leadership training to manage change, build the CED sector, support partnership development and become a force for change for women in Canada.

Eligible candidates must be able to demonstrate emerging leadership through their existing employment, community involvement or volunteer work. Candidates must also have a high level of proficiency in English, both written and spoken.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation is looking to create a culturally and geographically diverse cohort of women who represent diverse communities, opinions and interests.  Consideration will be given to women from diverse backgrounds including Aboriginal (First Nations, Métis, Inuit), Black women and women of colour, rural or northern women, immigrant women, and women with disabilities.

The Canadian Women’s Foundation Leadership Institute is a multi-year pilot project undertaken in partnership with the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. 

Applications are due on or before Monday, January 5, 2015 at 5 pm, EST.

Read more

Apply now

As this program is demanding in nature, applicants and their organizations need to ensure that participants have the time and capacity to participate fully.  In addition to participating in the residential learning and distance learning components, the 25 candidates are expected to demonstrate increased leadership potential within their organizations and apply their learning on the job.  Throughout the program, the leaders are also expected to assess their participation and reflect on their learning experience.

Orientation Webinar

The Canadian Women’s Foundation is hosting an orientation webinar on Monday, November 24th, 2014 at 12:00 pm EST, for anyone wishing to apply. Learn more >>

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The 2014 International Volunteer Cooperation Organisations (IVCO) conference was held October 19-22 in Lima, Peru. Forum, a global network of organizations involved in international volunteering, co-organised IVCO 2014 with Uniterra, the largest Canadian volunteer program, which is co-managed by CECI and WUSC. Simultaneously, Uniterra held an International Seminar from October 13-25. On Wednesday October 22, these two events were joined with all Uniterra participants attending the IVCO conference.

One of the highlights of IVCO 2014 was a videoconference with Amina J. Mohammed, Special Advisor of the Secretary-General on Post-2015 Development Planning, streamed from the UN’s headquarters in New York. A Q&A period followed that sought to address the place for international volunteering in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Amina J. Mohammed during her videoconference

Most international civil society organisations have taken part in the Post-2015 process for SDGs. Likewise, Forum has advocated a formal recognition of international volunteering in the future SDGs. A Lima Declaration was adopted at the event concerning international volunteering and the future SDGs.

Many interesting discussions and debates took place over the course of IVCO 2014, in particular on the importance that most OECD countries, including Canada, place on the involvement of the private sector. A general consensus seems to exist that working with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is not an issue, since this is already the practice. Important issues arise, however, when working with large multinational corporations.

A few speakers mentioned that about two thirds of corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs are a failure. Many corporations have such programs to “look good” and are not real commitments. Some corporations do better. For example some corporations incentivize staff to become personally involved in the volunteer sector. These corporations understand that volunteer experience can enrich the capacities of staff while helping people in less advantaged situations.

One of the issues where there appears to be no consensus is the involvement of mining companies in international development, most of which happen to be headquartered in Canada. Some would unequivocally say no to signing an agreement with such corporations. Others seem more flexible, making decisions based on how committed the mining companies are to help communities and preserve the environment. However, I did hear one clear trend emerge. “We will not have partnerships with mining companies, but with the communities where mining companies operate.” This might mean, for example, helping communities to set up businesses that hire people locally to provide maintenance and/or food services for staff of the mine. As we heard during the Uniterra seminar, a business like this was created in Burkina Faso with the help of the Uniterra programme. The business is led by a group of young people and serves different mining regions in the country. A similar company exists in the Abitibi region of Quebec, providing machinery maintenance to the mining industry.

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Uniterra Seminar

The IVCO 2014 program during the Seminar included a workshop on the Social Solidarity Economy (SSE), in which CCEDNet, a Uniterra partner since 2005, played a speaking role. This was an occasion to share with approximately 25 workshop participants the efforts being made to ensure that the SSE is incoprorated into the Post-2015 SDGs. The workshop also highlighted the work of two organizations: Tikonel from Guatemala which works with 1,700 indigenous producers to improve their livelihoods; and Red OEPAIC, a network of people producing and marketing handicrafts in Bolivia.

The Uniterra Seminar on October 22nd included participants from all countries (13) that will be involved in the 2015-2020 Uniterra program (funding approval confirmation is expected in the next 2-3 months). Unfortunately, our friends from the Mali network (RENAPESS; they have attended CCEDNet conferences in the past) were unable to attend because of visa problems. The Seminar was a great occasion for all participants to learn about the future program since it will be much more focused on economic and enterprise development than the first two programs (2004-2009 and 2009-2014).

Volunteer involvement of CCEDNet members will be important during the 2015-2020 program since as CED practitioners, and often specialists, we will better “fit” within the new priorities. However, practical challenges still exist. As the word suggests, to be a “volunteer” implies a leave of absence from salaried (or consultant) jobs. Not many CCEDNet members have the capacity to undertake this, except for sometimes very short missions (a couple of weeks of vacation time or unpaid leave).

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Nepalese delegation with Yvon Poirier (L to R)
Sagun Bista, CECI; Meena Pokhrel, Nepal
Agricultural Cooperative Central Federation;
Keshava Koirala, CECI

However, those that do volunteer will have their expenses covered. For some, longer missions (e.g. 1-2 years) can also be a great way to learn new skills, new languages, etc. We have the expertise, but how to actually find the capacity for volunteer work is an important question.

The IVCO conference and Uniterra meetings were a great opportunity to meet new people and to renew links with people from previous meetings. One such opportunity was the delegation from Nepal. While this was my first meeting with these three individuals, we share friends met in previous occasions. I look forward to renewing many of these connections in future international gatherings.

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Yvon Poirier is Chair of CCEDNet’s International Committee and Secretary of the Board. He has a long history of involvement in the labour and social movements in Québec and Canada and has been very active in the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS). He represents the CDÉC de Québec in CCEDNet.

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