Canadian CED Network

In response to the Province beginning consultations on a new Poverty Reduction Strategy, CCEDNet Manitoba prepared and submitted recommendations to comprehensively tackle poverty in Manitoba. These recommendations were guided by our member

created and endorsed policy resolutions.  The submission was sent to the Honourable Scott Fielding, Minister of Families, and the Honourable Ian Wishart, Minister of Education & Training.

In our submission, we highlighted several areas that are key to addressing the depth and breadth of poverty in Manitoba, including the incorporation of targets, timelines and multi-year funding agreements, using indicators that are co-created with community partners, expanding the practice of social procurement and social enterprise, and consulting with ally/partner coalitions.

The Province has extended their deadline for submissions until February 23, 2018. Poverty is a significant and complex challenge facing our province, and many voices need to be heard in order to create a poverty reduction strategy that is comprehensive and effective. We strongly encourage individuals and organizations to submit recommendations on what Manitoba’s strategy should include. Instructions for submissions can be found here.

To learn more, or to find out how you can use this document to draft your own poverty reduction submissions, contact Darcy Penner at d.penner (at) ccednet-rcdec.ca or 204-943-0547.

Click here to view CCEDNet Manitoba’s full Poverty Reduction Strategy Submission.

CCEDNet Manitoba Recommendations:

Targets and Timelines

  1. In developing a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy, the Province should include clear, outcome-based targets and timelines. These targets and timelines should be co-created with community stakeholders.

Co-Creating Indicators

  1. The Province has said it will release a new set of indicators which will measure progress on poverty reduction. These should be co-created with community members and the stakeholders affected by the policy and programming decisions.

Social Procurement and Social Enterprise

  1. Expand the practice of social procurement into new departments and diversify social procurement activities using a gender-based analysis (social procurement is currently limited to trades-work within Manitoba Housing).
     
  2. Initiate a new phase of the Manitoba Social Enterprise Strategy, emphasizing social enterprise development work, as well as supporting social enterprises to access purchasing from different levels of government and other institutions.

Multi-Year Funding Agreements

  1. Support community-led development by implementing multi-year funding agreements, to a maximum of five years, with community-based organizations doing community economic development work, thereby allowing long-term community thinking, planning and action.
     
  2. Create effective communication channels between the Province of Manitoba and community-based organizations, allowing agencies to provide feedback and make recommendations to policy and programming, as well as providing agencies with a year’s notice of renewal decisions, thereby ensuring that they have sufficient time to plan.

Support for Ally/Partner Coalitions

  1. In creating a poverty reduction strategy, the Province should look to and consult with the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba, Make Poverty History Manitoba and Barrier Free Manitoba to ensure that it is truly comprehensive and effective.
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AGM 2016You’re invited to CCEDNet’s 2018 Annual General Meeting (AGM)! Please block the following meeting date and time in your calendar now.

June 14
2:30pm Newfoundland, 2pm Atlantic, 1pm Eastern
12pm Central, 11am Mountain, 10am Pacific

This year’s AGM will repeat the success of the last three years by being entirely virtual and bilingual. Members will be able to make motions, vote and comment in English or French, all from the comfort of your computer. We hope you’ll join us this year!

AGM Documents

Meeting documents will be posted here as they become available.

In terms of background materials, you can consult CCEDNet’s by laws.

AGM Resolutions

We are no longer accepting resolutions online.

Board Nominations

Nominations are now closed. This year, there were four vacancies to be filled. Four eligible nominations were received, leading our Elections Officer to declare the candidates elected by acclamation. Meet the new board members! 

Registration is now closed

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bees working togetherThe Department of Employment and Social Development Canada launched its Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy Steering Group. This is an exciting time for the sector, as the group gears up for a year of consultation and planning for what will eventually be a national strategy.

Social enterprise is, of course, a hot-button issue for the sector. It’s complex and perhaps a bit contentious, intimidating and where policy is concerned, a tad impenetrable. Luckily, Canada is home to some valuable precedence. The province of Nova Scotia has undergone a fascinating and successful co-creation process that has been hailed nationally for its inclusive approach, one that focused on practitioners, and making room for their voices in the process. Common Good Solutions (CGS), a Nova Scotia-based social enterprise, and secretariat for the Social Enterprise Network of Nova Scotia, was central to this process.  Here, CGS co-founder and lead facilitator, Andy Horsnell, offers some lessons learned from their experience. 

A Little Background…

On April 2017, the Government of Nova Scotia released its Framework for Advancing Social Enterprise, outlining the “priorities and actions we will take in the coming years to create a thriving, sustainable social enterprise sector”. This Framework, created in partnership with the Social Enterprise Network of Nova Scotia, was a remarkable co-creation of over 20 provincial departments and sector organizations.

As you can see, the final Framework document and approach is built around the “Six Policy Pillars” which encompassed our strategy. These were originally developed by the Social Enterprise Council of Canada.

These pillars are:

  1. Increase enterprise capacity
  2. Enhance access to financing 
  3. Expand market opportunities
  4. Promote and demonstrate the value of the sector
  5. Create an enabling policy environment
  6. Build a strong social enterprise network

You can read about each of these pillars in some depth in the Social Enterprise Sector Strategy 2017.

The success of this process, and of seeing this strategy through, hinged on five key elements:

  1. Get the right people involved
  2. Develop a shared understanding
  3. Create an opportunity for everyone to contribute
  4. Timing is everything
  5. A genuine partnership is critical

Below, I briefly explain each of these elements.

1. Get the Right People Involved

Working with Kent Roberts, a director with the Department of Business, we identified a broad cross-section of stakeholders, drawn from the public and social enterprise sector. We took care to focus on enlisting people who were both close to the action, where the day-to-day decisions get made, and who were in a position to exert some influence on those decisions. This resulted in securing public sector and social enterprise representatives from over 20 organizations from across the province. While not every participant attended every working session, we ensured that we had the right people present for each discussion.

2. Develop a Shared Understanding of the Issues

In preparation for the working sessions to come, participants were provided with a comprehensive set of resources – reports, articles, etc. – to help inform them and give them all a common reference point for their discussions.  Our researchers compiled relevant documentation on each of the Social Enterprise Council of Canada’s “Six Policy Pillars” – those listed above, which are again: capacity building, access to finance, market development, enabling regulations, demonstrating value, and network development – into a binder that every participant received in advance of the first working session.

3. Create an Opportunity for Everyone to Contribute

Participants were brought together for three, half-day workings sessions, which were facilitated by Common Good Solutions to ensure things moved along, and that everyone had an equal opportunity to participate as a peer. Frank discussion was used to air different perspectives; “dotmocracy” was used to define the group’s consensus. An outside observer would have had difficulty knowing who was the new social entrepreneur and who was the senior director. This resulted in great, innovative ideas coming from all the participants.

4. Timing is Everything

The process played out over a time frame that allowed for reflection, but not so long as to feel drawn out.  Working sessions were spaced out over three weeks, one per week, which gave participants time to read up and prepare, and to reflect on the preceding session. But this was not so long as to lose the thread of the discussion from session to session.

5. A Genuine Partnership is Critical

Finally, this process would simply not have been possible without the close and collaborative working relationship between the Social Enterprise Network of Nova Scotia, representing the sector, and the Department of Business, representing the Provincial government. Each player helped the other to navigate their respective context, and to find the areas of overlapping priority and interest. This collaboration has continued on into the implementation of the Framework, which will be ongoing over the next 3-5 years.

Throughout this process, people remarked that it felt different from other consultations – more open, real, and grounded in what was possible. I think we all had a sense that this was an opportunity not to be missed and, thankfully, it all came together. Could this process be replicated elsewhere in Canada? We hope that it will. By following these five simple steps, I think there would be a good chance of success.

Originally Published via Imagine Canada on August 28, 2017

Andy Horsnell Andy Horsnell has worked in social enterprise throughout the USA and Canada for over 25 years, as a consultant, manager, and board member. He came home in 2010 and co-founded CGS in 2012, with the goal of transforming the role that business plays in creating thriving, prosperous communities.

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Emmanuel Bertand-Gauvin​The Board of the Canadian CED Network (CCEDNet) is pleased to announce that Emmanuel Bertand-Gauvin​ has been named Director for a term ending at the 2018 Annual General Meeting.

Emmanuel Bertrand-Gauvin is the person in charge of the Business Women Services at the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development Commission (FNQLEDC, cdepnql.org).

The objective is to mobilize women and interested parties and to accompany them in the implementation of strategies that will make a difference in diversifying economic opportunities.

More generally, his work seeks to optimize the local, regional and national resources to help improve the living conditions of First Nations people.  Consultation, mobilisation and innovation are the key issues.

The First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development CommissioHe has worked for the Makivik Corporation in Nunavik (makivik.org).The Corporation mandates ranges from social economic development to improved conditions of Nunavik Inuit. He also worked several years for a nonprofit Publishing company.

He has a Master’s Degree in Economic Anthropology, specializing in the practices of pension fund managers and more generally on the redistribution of wealth. 

Learn more about Emmanuel and other Board members

Board membership is open to all CCEDNet members, with at-large Director positions elected each year.  If you are interested in joining the Board, contact us or watch for the annual call for Board nominations, which is usually sent to members in February. 

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The Government of Manitoba is looking for a service provider to deliver its first social impact bond (SIB) that will help children and families who are in contact, or at risk of being in contact, with the child welfare system. Government will select a service provider from among those that submit their ideas for a first year landmark SIB. Please complete the application found below and submit the completed form to this email address  by 5:00 p.m. CST on January 16, 2018.

Submissions will be weighted on a four-point scale and the highest scoring applicants will be invited to an interview. Further information can be found on the application form below. Service providers that are not selected to deliver the landmark SIB may wish to apply under future calls for submissions.

Visit here for more information and to open the fillable pdf form.

Find out more about social impact bonds and some of the concerns with this approach here.

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A Silent Transformation2017 was a tough year. Growing precariousness, widening economic inequality and a political system that seems to abet these destructive trends may leave one feeling disillusioned and uncertain of the future. But another reality is taking shape all across Canada: in the face of these severe challenges, communities and individuals are co-operating to meet their needs collectively. As the conventional economic model fails vast sections of the population, economic democracy and the co-operative model emerge as critical. A Silent Transformation is a film about the hopeful and radical vision of co-operation.

When the filmmakers – Simon Brothers, Luke Mistruzzi, Anton Smolski and Mark Preston – started on this project three years ago, they were surprised to find no contemporary films about the role that co-ops play in the Canadian economy. As they soon discovered it is a rich and thriving landscape. A Silent Transformation focuses on co-operation in the Province of Ontario where farmers’ markets and coffee roasteries, movie theatres and credit unions are just a few examples of a myriad of innovative community self-help solutions. In places like London, Guelph, Toronto and Campbellford the seeds of economic democracy and global solidarity are sown.

A Silent Transformation is an autonomous and independent project made possible by crowdfunding and the support of institutional stakeholders like the Atkinson Foundation and Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada. AST covers many topics, from the history of co-operation to business conversion to the fight against gentrification. The film is modular in structure so it is easy to isolate sections for short screenings on these topics. Whether you are an educator, co-op practitioner or community organizer, A Silent Transformation can be used to spark a much needed conversation about establishing economic democracy and making 2018 the year of hope and transformation!

Book a community screening through A Silent Transformation website (www.asilenttransformation.ca) or by getting in touch with the filmmakers at .

To see if a screening crops up in your town ‘like’ A Silent Transformation on Facebook!

Featured co-ops and other organizations:

*The opinions expressed in blog posts are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of CCEDNet

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ccednet-manitobaOn Wednesday, November 22, the City of Winnipeg unveiled its 2018 Budget. It passed a Council vote on Tuesday, December 12. See CCEDNet Manitoba’s pre-budget consultations submission here. Most of CCEDNet Manitoba’s policy priorities for the City of Winnipeg are administrative (such as a social procurement or living wage policy), so they don’t get clearly reflected in budget. However, crucial issues for communities related to our policy priorities are directly affected by this budget.

Housing

Safe and affordable housing is essential for participating in local communities and the economy. This is why CCEDNet Manitoba members such as the Right to Housing Coalition have been advocating for policy that supports the development of affordable housing. CCEDNet Manitoba is working with the Right to Housing Coalition to understand what the 2018 Budget will mean for social and affordable housing in Winnipeg.

Poverty Reduction

Poverty reduction remains one of CCEDNet Manitoba’s key policy areas. Our central recommendation in this year’s City of Winnipeg budget submission was a call for a comprehensive Winnipeg poverty reduction strategy.

Budget 2018 includes the following with respect to poverty reduction:

  • The City will propose new and ongoing investments to build complete neighbourhoods, strengthen community amenities, and review the governance structure at City Hall including:
  • $150,000 to continue the Community Homeless Assistance Program (CHAT);
  • Fourth year of a 5 year annual commitment of $150,000 towards the United Way’s Plan to End Homelessness;
  • $12,000 increase in transfer from Housing Reserve for Homelessness Partnering Strategy.

While we appreciate these actions, alone they cannot achieve reduction or elimination of poverty in Winnipeg. CCEDNet Manitoba will continue to advocate the City of Winnipeg co-develop a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy with community stakeholders.

Neighbourhood Renewal Corporations

CCEDNet Manitoba’s membership includes community-led organizations tackling complex community challenges such as unemployment, urban and rural decline, poverty, social exclusion and environmental degradation. Much of these organization’s programming requires granted money. The 2018 Budget commits $772,000 for social grants (given to community organizations to provide a service that the City of Winnipeg would otherwise need to provide in support of safe and healthy neighbourhoods). This represents a slight decrease from the $782,000 that was allocated to social grants in the 2017 Budget.

CCEDNet Manitoba will continue to advocate that the City of Winnipeg leverage the already created 5-year plans and expertise of the Neighbourhood Renewal Corporations (NRCs) within its jurisdiction. These community-based organizations work closely with communities to address their challenges, and inherently contribute to achieving the goals in OurWinnipeg. Funding and closely consulting with NRCs could strongly support the City of Winnipeg’s in accomplishing its OurWinnipeg goals.

Food

Food security and food programming has emerged as an important issue over the last few years for several of CCEDNet Manitoba’s members, such as Food Matters Manitoba. While the City of Winnipeg has created a Winnipeg Food Council and appointed ten members to it on June 21, 2017, there is no specific mention in the 2018 Budget of a financial commitment to the council. CCEDNet Manitoba’s policy resolution focused on food councils asks the City of Winnipeg to commit $175,000 annually to operate the Winnipeg Food Council.

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Manitoba GovernmentThe Province of Manitoba is beginning its process to develop a new poverty reduction strategy in order to comply with existing legislation, The Poverty Reduction Strategy Act, which requires a review and update of the plan every five years. While they will fail to meet a legislated mandate to release a plan in 2017, a new plan will be presented next year. The Minister of Families as well as the Minister of Education & Training noted that the new strategy would feature revised indicators to measure progress on poverty reduction.

Consultations with stakeholders will begin in December, with an online survey for the general public that will be released in early 2018.

Poverty reduction remains one of CCEDNet Manitoba’s key policy areas. At our 2017 Policy Summit, which occurred on 22 November 2017, we amended our resolution on Poverty Reduction to urge the Province of Manitoba to create and implement a new strategy immediately (see our provincial policy ask below). We have supported Make Poverty History Manitoba’s campaign and continue to advocate for a poverty reduction plan that is comprehensive, created in collaboration with community members, and includes timelines and targets for reducing poverty.

CCEDNet Manitoba will be sending in a submission to the province as well as participating the consultation process.

The process will focus on the following five areas with respect to poverty reduction: everyday living, employment, education and training, health and wellbeing, and sense of belonging. We suggest you consider participating in the Province’s process as well, by sending in position papers, letters and other written submissions.

You are able to do so in the following ways:

If you’d like more information on what to include, you can visit http://www.gov.mb.ca/allaboard/
or call (204) 945-3469.

2016 – 2 Poverty Reduction Plan and Legislation Amended Policy Ask:

Be It Resolved That: CCEDNet Manitoba urge the Province of Manitoba to respect existing legislation by revising and implementing a new poverty reduction strategy immediately, and make it more comprehensive and effective by implementing the recommendations in the renewed The View from Here and by identifying outcome based targets and timelines for measuring results.

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Third Session of the 41st Manitoba LegislatureOn Tuesday, November 21, 2017, the Government of Manitoba presented the Speech from the Throne for the Third Session of the 41st Manitoba Legislature. This speech sets the stage for what Manitobans can expect the government to focus on during its next legislative session. While Throne Speeches do not necessarily mean concrete action, or define what specific activities the government will undertake, they at least indicate what policy priorities are on the government’s radar.

This year, there are multiple CCEDNet Manitoba member priorities mentioned in the speech.

Early Learning & Child Care

early child learningOur members have long acknowledged and advocated the importance of accessible child care for the healthy development of local communities and economies. The throne speech made a commitment to “launching a new Early Learning and Childcare Strategy with initiatives to create new childcare spaces, reduce wait times, and foster better outcomes for families with young children.” Part of this was outlined in the speech, including:

  • New incentives for private investment in childcare;
  • Legislation to reduce red tape for Early Childhood Educators;
  • An Early Years education strategy focused on achieving better education outcomes by supporting enhanced Early Childcare Educator training and securing greater alignment with a ‘cradles to careers approach.

CCEDNet Manitoba continues to call upon the government to develop not-for-profit early learning and child care spaces, and to set target and timelines for addressing the childcare backlog facing our communities.

Housing

right to housingSafe and affordable housing is essential for participating in local communities and the economy. This is why CCEDNet Manitoba members such as the Right to Housing Coalition have been advocating for policy that supports the development of affordable housing. The speech included the following:

  • Introduce a new provincial housing strategy for affordable and social housing, working in partnership with non-profit groups, the private sector and government to deliver affordable housing solutions for Manitobans.

Community Development

gatheringCCEDNet Manitoba’s membership includes community-led organizations tackling complex community challenges such as unemployment, urban and rural decline, poverty, social exclusion and environmental degradation. The speech included the following:

  • Integrating existing resources to support the growth of innovative, community-driven prevention and early intervention.
  • Empowering individuals, grassroots organizations, communities, businesses and social entrepreneurs who wish to contribute their time and resources to help tackle persistent social problems through new models for delivering services, including social enterprise, impact investing, and pay-for-performance.

Streamlined and stable multi-year funding greatly increases an organization’s efficiency and effectiveness by improving long-term planning and acting, attracting and retaining quality staff, and overall organizational capacity. It would appear that “integrating existing resources” means there will not be increased investments into the challenges facing our communities, CCEDNet Manitoba will continue to advocate to government the value of stable multi-year funding in community development.

Social Enterprise & Social Procurement

BSC Summit 17 - Social ProcurementNon-profits engaging in market activity to further their organizational goal is a practice that CCEDNet Manitoba has promoted to its members for year. Since 2015, CCEDNet Manitoba has been partnered with the Province of Manitoba to co-develop and co-implement the Manitoba Social Enterprise Strategy. One key piece of this strategy is the promotion of social procurement, which is when governments target their existing and ongoing spending to create job and training opportunities for individuals facing barriers to employment or other community impacts. The throne speech touches says the following:

  • The Healthy Child Strategy, Social Enterprise Strategy, the Non-Profit Strategy, and the Social Impact Procurement Strategy will be streamlined to make better use of research, promote best practices, engage community ownership and planning, fund outcomes and get better results for our children.

We are pleased to see these strategies noted, as they all work towards healthier and more resilient communities. CCEDNet-Manitoba will continue to communicate the valuable results these strategies create and urge subsequent initiatives to continue that progress.

What’s Missing?

There are some noticeable absences from the speech, including a poverty reduction plan with target and timelines. According to the 2011 Poverty Reduction Strategy Act, a new and revised strategy was required to be released in 2017. Consultations for developing the plan have been announced, however it is not clear if there will be a commitment to targets and timelines for addressing poverty in Manitoba.

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The Canadian CED Network and the New Brunswick Environmental Network are pleased to announce that EconoUs2018 is coming to Moncton, New Brunswick, September 24-26, 2018!

EconoUs2018 will feature leading speakers, engaging sessions and tailored networking opportunities about People (inclusive communities); Planet (sustainable environments); and Economy (local prosperity) and how these things, together, create an economy that works for all.

One of our goals is to create an interactive experience, which starts at the beginning of the planning process. We would like to have panels based on stories and offer workshops about storytelling. We want to hear your suggestions for speakers, sponsors and workshops in the short survey below.

Thanks for your participation.

Fill out this short survey

Have a look at our EconoUs2017 video.

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Catherine Scott, David LePage and Roselyne Mavungu The federal government’s social innovation and social finance strategy is the biggest policy opportunity for community economic developers in a generation. 

Let me tell you why. 

The practices described by the term ‘social innovation’ may not be new – public schools, hospitals, co-operatives, credit unions, labour unions and even community economic development itself are historic social innovations.  But the ‘social innovation’ label itself is relatively new. 

What is also new, is the way the federal government is approaching the topic.  A Co-Creation Steering Group of people from across the country has been appointed to help develop the strategy.  That might not seem like much, but to bring in community partners at the beginning of a policy development process is a major step for the federal government, and one that many departments are watching.  It reflects an approach to policy called ‘co-construction‘ in Québec, and it’s a partnership-based model that is vital to the philosophy of CED.

The co-creation steering group was first convened in June and had a very intense summer before beginning public consultations and engagement this fall.  We had a very valuable consultation session at EconoUs2017, and there have been many others across the country.

social innovation canadaAn online engagement platform has also been created, asking for your stories of social innovation and feedback on the themes addressed by the strategy to date.  Many CCEDNet members have posted excellent contributions, including CCEDNet Board member Laurie Cook from Nova Scotia, who makes the case for community visioning and organizing, and Eden Yesh from Kootenay Employment Services in BC, who describes their innovative work on community investment co-ops.  You can also find stories about social enterprises for people with disabilities, a social innovation centre, and even community economic development! 

Social innovation’s focus on collaboration across sectors, and its co-construction approach that recognizes the complexity of persistent social challenges, is entirely aligned with community economic development.  A strong social innovation and social finance strategy that is grounded in the powerful work being done by community leaders across the country could chart a course for profound changes to the policy and funding environment. 

So now is the moment to show our support for the strategy, and illustrate how it can scale up the impacts of innovative work you are already doing. 

Please post your own stories, like and comment on the ones there, and participate!  

Also, be sure to mention the social innovation and social finance strategy to your MP, and encourage her/his party to support a strong investment in the federal budget. 

The online platform will close at the end of December, so add your feedback now.  

Go to the online platform >>

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Praia ManifestoThe major international networks of Social and Solidarity Economy and Finance (SSEF) have commited to an Inclusive, Resilient, Low Carbon and Sustainable Local Economic Development (LED).

Meeting in Praia, Cabo Verde, on the occasion of the 4th World Forum for Local Economic Development, the SSE International Forum, the Global Fund for Cities Development-FMDV, the Global Social Economy Forum-GSEF, the International Association of Investors in the Social Economy-INAISE, the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social and Solidarity Economy-RIPESS, and their regional and local interlocutors, the African Network of the Social and Solidarity Economy-RAESS, and Citi-Habitat, commit to a transformative agenda for local economic development (LED) in our territories.

The joint motto: for Inclusive, Resilient, Low Carbon and Sustainable Local Economic Development (LED), Let’s implement a Social and Solidarity Economy and Finance (EFSS) now!

For the first time, through a common text, the international networks are committed to proactive collaboration around a joint agenda, which will bring powerful actions until 2019.

“Jointly and separately, they have relays in many different countries and key sectors, and are thus in a position to propose methodologies and tools that are specific to SSEF, as well as engaging in and implementing actions to support national or local strategies of sustainable, responsible Local Economic Development in partnership with their allies and local actors.”

The Praia Manifesto takes stock of the historical cultural, institutional and legal advances that the SSEF has experienced in recent years. Economic and financial crises, climate change, new international “transformative” agreements, laws and public policies deployed by many countries, cities and regions, citizen mobilizations, the advent of new technologies, revalorization of disruptive and resilient SSEF innovations: so many factors today to achieve the metamorphosis of our systems of consumption, production, capitalization, investment, redistribution, cooperation, and thus to ‘build a society’ by and for all.

The signatory networks are taking the measure of the historic turning point that the SSEF initiatives have designed: the transition made necessary to a “macro” SSEF, able to propose a project of society, institutions, mechanisms and implementation modalities, adapted to    meet the challenges posed to humanity, while maintaining the basis of its principles which constitute its absolute value.

“Responsible LED can therefore have the effect of multiplying impacts and contribute to strengthening the systemic, integrated dimension of SSEF in a sustainable, resilient, inclusive model of LED, where the wealth that is locally created remains within the territory, and benefits the whole local community.”

“Sustainable LED and SSEF are therefore vectors of stabilisation and strengthening of the natural, social, and human capital at local level, as well as providing territorial cohesion and resilience to the cycles of the global economy.”

Through the Praia Manifesto, these networks, together, make an appointment with history and invite their local, national and international interlocutors to join them around key dates of both the international agenda and dedicated events constituting the basis of this macro-SSEF:

  • the High Level Political Forum of July 2018, in New York, around the United Nations’ review of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
  • the World Forum for the Social and Solidarity Economy of Bilbao, in October 2018, supported by all the networks of the EFSS and the networks of local and regional authorities, the International Conference on the Financing of the Social and Solidarity Economy, planned for the end of 2018 / beginning of 2019, led by the International SSE Pilot Group; The 5th World Forum for Local Economic Development of 2019.

Committed to the decentralization, localization and pragmatism of their actions, and considering the organization of the LED Forum for the first time in Africa, the signatory networks pledge to support the steps being taken to integrate the EFSS on the African continent, through support for the work of the RAESS- African Network for SSE, as well as the Cabo Verde government, the country’s SSEF organizations, and its economic and financial players, in their approaches to institutional and programmatic convergence and operationalization of the SDGs at the national level via the SSEF.

Through the Praia Manifesto, invitation is made to all public and private, local and international actors, to engage in this partnership for change, and around a common agenda that will make the SSEF the reference economy and finance for a shared, accountable, resilient and inclusive prosperity for all.

CCEDNet is an active member of RIPESS, the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy, and Board Secretary Yvon Poirier from Québec City helped plan the Forum and draft the Manifesto.  

You will find the text of the manifesto and its executive summary here.

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