One year draws to a close, and another begins. This is always the moment for evaluating and putting things into perspective.
In 2014, following the decision taken at the beginning of the year, the Coordination Committee meetings were linked to a meeting with the members of the structures that were hosting the meetings. Thus, the meeting that was held in Athens in September 2014 provided the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the situation in Greece and the crisis there. In November, it was REAS who hosted RIPESS for their International Meeting on SSE. This was held in Saragossa from the 26th to the 29th of November last. Food sovereignty and how it can be implemented at local level show how we can achieve genuine solidarity economy, especially including Community Supported Agriculture and other forms of solidarity. Some of the committee members also took part in meetings in Bulgaria and Portugal. Increased contacts allows us to expand our network and implement the project of the Panorama of SSE in Europe, based on the questionnaire that is now ready to be sent out in 5 languages.
In 2015 RIPESS will therefore be charged with collecting this data; and presenting the results of the analysis at the Congress that will be held in Berlin from the 16th – 19th of September next. This congress will be held back-to-back with a meeting of the Germany SSE network (insert name) and UNRISD. In March, the Coordination Committee will be travelling to Berlin to draft the final version of the programme for the congress. All your suggestions are more than welcome!
RIPESS also plans to be present at the World Social Forum, to explore initiatives grounded in a more just and fraternal economy and that try to contribute to improved connections between initiatives and genuine scaling up at global level.
2015 began in France with the massacre that took place in the satirical newspaper, Charlie Hebdo. The paper’s caricatures make fun of all religions, as well as politicians of the whole world and are not the object of consensus, particularly among radicalised Muslims. We are including the text that was published by the MES (French solidarity economy movement), on the day that followed the attack.
Our world is facing a genuine crisis of civilisation that opposes the supporters of equality and those whose greed has become unsustainable. We wish all our members, and indeed all the inhabitants of our planet a year of construction of a more just, respectful global system for all humankind, and one that will generate peace.
