Editorial by Josette Combes, Ripess Europe
In January we make good resolutions. So we started the year with our ritual strategic meeting, you will find here a succinct and yet detailed report .
In this newsletter, we have chosen to present the communication tools that the team has developed over the past years. It is one of the major missions of RIPESS Europe to develop the means to circulate information, between members in the first place, but also beyond, for anyone interested in the solidarity economy and the transformation of society. We have therefore begun a process of creating an information ecosystem composed of different tools that are presented in this newsletter. The newsletter is a central element that preceded all others except socioeco.org which has a longer history. First published irregularly (5 in 2018, for example), they begin to appear every month from January 2020, thanks to the strengthening of the team and its organization around this objective. They are systematically translated into the three languages used at RIPESS Europe: French, English and Spanish. One out of two is thematic. Some are more generalist (beginning of the year, summer). The others evoke the reality of a country thanks to the contributions of our members. Thus Poland (in honor of the holding of the GA in Wroclaw) and France (in reference to the month of the SSE in November) have already been published. From May 2019 to December 2022, nearly 200 articles contributed to the richness of these newsletters, the full details of which can be found here. And here.
The implementation of our approach is made possible thanks to the partnership established with Dunia for RIPESS and Exemole for socioeco.org. I would like to thank them for that.
We naturally work in a cooperative approach. Thus we participate in the adventure of the Transiscope, a digital common good that provides access to an interactive map of initiatives from several sources and networks. The video of the month is the interview with Simon Louvet, one of its initiators.
Two recent creations are particularly important to us: the Moodle (the exchange of knowledge platform of Ripess Europe) which should make it possible to disseminate online trainings “For a critical and combative education » and Solecopedia an interactive encyclopedia dedicated to the SSE that we wish to feed thanks to the contribution of all those who have expertise on the proposed themes.
Finally, the Swiss network APRES GE is pursuing the creation of Smarketplace which should advantageously replace Amazon and others, at least for those who do not use this mode of exchange because of ethical incompatibility.
Apart from the file dedicated to digital tools, news from the network: Coopter held its last meeting, the REAS informs us
about housing cooperatives and the agenda is very full (Women’s day March 8, the GSEF forum in Dakar, the ILO discussion and action plan, …) without forgetting the Resources section.
Thank you for sending us your comments to advance the collective reflection. RIPESS Europe tools belong to all those who participate in them. Let’s do so that the encyclopedia reflects the variety and richness of a living network!
PS: This month marks the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with all its terrible consequences and contradictions. We stand in solidarity with the people who are suffering in this war as in all wars – declared or not – that are taking place today, as well as with the anti-authoritarian struggles all over the world and especially in Syria, Iran and Afghanistan. In solidarity also with the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. We welcome the invitation from our members (such as Solidarity Economy Association UK) to support solidarity efforts in continued cooperation.
