Social Innovation is a contested concept which has gained international attention over the last two decades.
The main contestation between the two opposing approaches regarding the social change involved in the social innovation (SI). One school proposes a more utilitarian, or outcome-oriented, perspective focuses narrowly on social change as marginal improvements to quality or quantity of life, while ignoring the processes that lead to such change”. Another school defends a more transformational perspective where SI is seen as a “(democratic) process entailing the empowerment of disadvantaged groups and the restructuring of (societal) power relations”. Both approaches are present in the numerous examples of SI coming from Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE).
Thus, we witness the incremental use of this concept in relation to the SSE during the 1990s. However, it must be noted that an SSE entity itself is not a Social Innovation, but a social innovation matrix. This must be seen in relation to the above-mentioned feature of the SSE as a social transformation-seeking actor, as also signalled by the United Nation’s Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy’s (UNTFSSE) position paper. In this sense, the definition provided by the Quebec’s Network of Social Innovation (RISQ) declares that:
“A social innovation is a new idea, approach or intervention, a new service, a new product or a new law, a new type of organisation that responds more adequately and sustainably than existing solutions to a well-defined social need, a solution that has found acceptance within an institution, organisation or community and that produces a measurable benefit for the community and not just for some individuals. The scope of a social innovation is transformative and systemic. It constitutes, in its inherent creativity, a break with existing practices.
This definition emerges after a long story that has witnessed different waves of social innovation. They have always existed but it is during the 1960s a series of factor facilitated their identification. This is partly due to the “contra-culture movement”. Initially the SIs took place mostly in the field of work, due to the crisis of the Fordist model, while in the 90’s it changes focus and addresses service of general interest and the role of citizens (aiming at universal and free access to services but in exchange of empowering such citizens).
The last three decades has witnessed a strong connection of SSE, other Social Movements and friendlier local, national and international ecosystems. This set the conditions for a series of strong and radical social innovations during this decades and the following ones: new services, new tools (especially in the area of social finance) and new actors.
We propose a series of cases and speakers (speakers to be confirmed pending availability of French-English-Spanish simultaneous interpretation):
Michael Toye- Chairperson of the Social innovation Advisory Council of Canada and Executive Director of CCEDNET Canada, or Marie Bouchard, member of the Government of Canada’s Co-Creation Steering Group on Social Innovation and Social Finance and member of the Scientific Committee and Board of TIESS (Territoires innovants en économie sociale et solidaire or Innovative territories in social and solidarity economy in English). One of them will present the case of the Social Innovation Strategy in Canada as well as the best-case example of TIESS. This organisation identifies, inventories, clarifies and systematizes the innovations experienced by social and solidarity economy companies and organizations in order to promote their dissemination and appropriation.
Samuel Barco-Senior expert on SSE ecosystem by DIESIS Network. This SSE network has a long record of Social Innovation project, including the BENISI project aimed to build a Europe-wide network of networks of incubators or social innovation. He will also present the MEDTOWN project financed by the EU and being implemented in 6 countries: Portugal, Spain, Greece, Tunisia, Palestine and Jordan, promoting Social Innovation through the co-production of Social Services with the SSE in this region.
Kanika Verma-Programme Director, Sustainable Business Solutions-Development Alternatives Group (India). Development Alternatives is an SSE group based in India (New Delhi) but with a presence and activities across Asia, Africa and Latin America. With the ability to work across local, subnational, national, and global levels, the DA Group designs systemic solutions to the global challenges of poverty and environment, and applies at scale locally, through multi-stakeholder partnerships.
Gianluca Salvatori- Secretary General of Euricse - European Research Institute on Cooperatives and Social Enterprises.
Dr. Maria de la O Barroso- Director of the Santa María de La Rábida campus of International University of Andalusia-Huelva. She will present the experience of the initiatives and projects of the Schools of Governance across Latin America as innovation and democracy laboratories.
A representative of the Guediawaye Artisanal Tanners cooperative in Senegal that is advancing women informal own-account workers livelihoods, in improving occupational health and safety, protecting the environment, and doing so as a partnership of the National Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Senegal (UNSAS).