By Georgia Karavangeli, REAS – Spain
The Network of Networks of Alternative and Solidarity Economy (REAS) was born in 1995 to develop the Solidarity Economy in the Spanish State. Our activity is based on the principles and the values of the Charter of Principles of the Solidarity Economy and we aim to promote an inclusive, sustainable and collaborative model of economy that places people and their needs in the core of the economic activity. REAS counts with 944 entities that participate in 15 territorial networks and 4 sectorial networks.
This toolkit was developed by REAS RED during its 25th anniversary that coincided with the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. The main purpose of this toolkit is to demonstrate that SSE can respond better to the COVID19 crisis because it is coming out form the territories and is based on the solidaridad of its networks, which is activated in difficult times. This collaborative toolkit is fruit of these special economic, social and personal relationships that showcases a variety of initiatives from the Spanish territories in different sectors such as the environment, the consumption, the care sector, the culture, the education, the ethical finance, the legal support, the work environment or the production. The aim of the SSE Toolkit is to demonstrate that SSE is more resilient in the COVID19 pandemic and can be the best vaccine against the pandemic of the capitalist system because it promotes equity, decent works, cooperation and sustainable development models.
Una guía de economía social y solidaria necesaria en tiempos de pandemia
In the SSE Toolkit we find campaigns and initiatives of social and solidarity economy that have arisen in Spain and in other European countries to combat some of the challenges brought by the COVID 19 pandemic and changed our daily life. The mapping includes more than 120 SSE initiatives in the sectors of local consumption, care economy, culture and art, ethical finance and social security, and hence offers wide range of alternatives to respond to the crisis with a fairer and sustainable manner based on solidarity and social inclusion for the most deprived and vulnerable people that were affected more by the crisis of the capitalist system and the COVID19 pandemic.
The beneficiaries of the project count with members of the Network of networks of the Alternative and Solidarity Economy and the wide public (local communities and economies, citizens, SSE practisioners, policy makers, researchers, etc). This project has allowed us to map 121 initiatives driven by the SSE in order to live with COVID19 in a fairer way, that can be inspire other actors and improve people’s quality of life.
