NEWSLETTER - May 2020
Inter-connect SSE in Europe
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After the pandemic, no going back to the “abnormal”

What is a pandemic? An epidemic that is highly dangerous and is developing on a global scale. The coronavirus has indeed spread throughout the world and has thus highlighted the dangers of unregulated globalisation, based on the lowest wages, which encourages companies to relocate their production to low-wage countries. In addition to the indignity of the process, as consequence there is the risk of severe restrictions as soon as the flow of goods is interrupted, while threatening localised industries. The abrupt halt of tourism highlights by contrast the damage it does to ecological balances.

Confinement has forced populations, by reducing their mobility, to buy goods at a local level, even if, with the help of the Internet, the multinational distribution companies have consolidated their supremacy. But this halt to previous forms of consumption and production has shown that many of them were not essential or even useful, and this beyond the circle of convinced activists. It also highlighted the importance of food sovereignty and the quality of agricultural products The pandemic has paradoxically revealed our interdependence by forcing the closure of borders to preserve each nation from a worsening of the pandemic. The shutdown of economies due to the lockdown heralds an unprecedented economic crisis if governments (political and economic) want to “make up for lost time” and restore profit levels, or even further deregulate working conditions.

However, since the beginning of the pandemic, chains of solidarity have been set up and virtual meetings have abounded to lead a collective reflection on the “post-Covid19” period. Internationally, RIPESS Intercontinental has promoted a series of webinars  in three languages organized by its members and published a text reminding us that the globalization of solidarity is the response we need now.

 

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WSFTE going Vir(tu)al from 25th June to 1st of July

 

The World Social Forum for Transforming Economies, originally scheduled for the end of June 2020 in Barcelona, had to be cancelled following the explosion of the current health crisis. 

After several weeks of reflection, the WSFTE Coordination committee took the decision to adapt the event to the current situation by proposing a VIRTUAL WSFTE. The online event will take place from the 25th of June to the 1st of July 2020.

You may participate in many ways:

1) Register on: join.transformadora.org 
You may then propose online activities for the Virtual Forum, promote your organisation and initiative

2) Take part in one of the online convergence spaces on forum.transformadora.org or in the contribution spaces of the WSFTE to bring your ideas and suggestions to organise the Virtual Forum.

3) Answer the Public Policy Working Group survey (see article below).

WSFTE: Working Group on Public Policies
In April 2019, the WSFTE 2019 convergence meeting was held in the city of Barcelona. This meeting allowed more than 300 people from 46 countries, coming from different movements, to…
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Extended Open Call for the Transformative Cities Award 2020
EXTENDED DEADLINE: 14th June at 11:59pm CET (GMT+1) Since 2017, the Transformative Cities initiative has been celebrating collectives around the world that have transformed their community in systematic ways with the…
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Let’s cooperate together
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Transformative Economies Lab
Transformative Economies Lab is a collaborative investigation exploring, mapping, and articulating a practical, sustainable, equitable economy as it unfolds around the globe. The aim of the lab is to use an existing platform (Real…

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SmartketPlace: Members' survey!
Initiated in Geneva by [Après-Ge] and , with the collaboration of RIPESS Europe (validated during our last General Assembly), the SmartketPlace project was conceived during Hack-Covid19. It had become obvious…

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Teaching SSE in Vocational Education and Training (VET)
In the framework of the European programme Erasmus + ESEVET2 , seven members of RIPESS Europe are cooperating to ensure that SSE is integrated into all VET programmes in Europe.…

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Launch of the "Social Impact and Social Utility" group
After several months of discussing this subject with RIPESS Europe’s Coordination Committee members, the confinement had the positive effect of leading to the first meeting between the members on this…

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Talking about the SSE...
Independant media talk about SSE
Independent media are close to the SSE, often by their status and especially by the values they defend. But how do they approach it? Here is a selection of independent…
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News from the network
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A Potato Revolt begins in Sweden in response to covid-19
On the 11th April 2020, a handful of local citizens in the north Swedish town of Söderhamn marched to the city hall demanding…

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RIPESS EU's online Extraordinary General Assembly
April 23, 2020: an special online General Assembly of RIPESS Europe was held, bringing together some thirty members from all over Europe (link to the list of members). Several…

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Crowdfunding: Water for Rojava
In the region of North-East Syria, also known by its Kurdish name Rojava, a democratic self-administration system has been built…

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What if the coronavirus helps spread the solidarity economy?
Diego Moratti (Italian Solidarity Economy Network): the lockdown imposed a rethinking of habits. Many are approaching the world of critical consumerism. An opportunity to be…

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Campaign: For an economy without virus
This new crisis, which once again makes visible the shortcomings and failures of the current economic system, once again puts into…

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3.1M EUR in Funding Announced by Fairtrade International
On World Fair Trade Day, Fairtrade International announces the launch of a “Fairtrade Producer Relief Fund” and establishment of a “Fairtrade Producer Resilience…

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Cresaçor celebrates its 20 years!
20 years Promoting Ideas, Realising Wishes, Building the Future. Years of challenges, of innovation and social entrepreneurship, with many initiatives and projects that sowed seeds, clung to the earth, blossomed…

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In Greece: a campaign to unite producers & consumers on local level!
The Hellenic Network for Agroecology, Food Sovereignty & Access To Land Greece is experiencing low corona-related mortality rates, but the measures imposed…

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APRES Manifesto
What if the “return to normality” was accompanied by real changes for the environment, the Human being and society? The Manifesto of Après-Ge regroups proposals for political and concrete actions…

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Agenda
For more information
May 2020 resources (in collaboration with socioeco.org)
In these troubled times, and as we did last month, Coronavirus obliges, we invite you to read the documents with the keyword #COVID-19 with analytical articles on the world after…
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