Article by Ripess Europe
June is the month of the 2024 European elections. They will decide the policies that will be implemented in the next five years and will deeply affect our lives.
Since the last elections, many things have happened that have led us to an even more negative reality, such as wars, a pandemic, housing problems, energy poverty, extreme weather events due to climate change and a generally negative economic situation (even if the global finance is thriving from all these crises).
Now is, again, the time to raise our voices and demand change towards a better and fairer reality for all. Large European networks drew up manifestos with proposals for changes in many areas, like social economy, cooperatives as the heart of inclusive innovation, Europe’s energy transition and a Fossil-Free, Socially Just, and Climate-Neutral Union. Campaigns like the Time for Collective Action Advocacy campaign, run by Ecolise and co-promoted by RIPESS Europe, to strengthen citizen-led initiatives for a strong European Green Deal, the European Manifesto to Lead the Way out of the Housing Crisis, run by Housing Europe, presenting an integrated approach towards tackling both the social exclusion and the need to significantly reduce the carbon footprint in the European residential stock and the Restore Nature campaign to demand from politicians to approve the Nature Restoration Law and vote for those who do.
Meanwhile, social movements in Europe have taken action to inform citizens about important issues that concern them and are meeting in many events to strategize together. RIPESS Europe, as a network and through its members, is present and contributing to these processes.
While farmers and agro-industry protest throughout Europe, in opposition to a Green Deal and transition, agroecological movements are going to meet for the Nyeleni forum preparation in Turkey. In Istanbul there will also be a conference on “Prosumer economy” where RIPESS will be present. Democratic and independent associations and networks are meeting in Marseille at the end of April for the European Common Space for Alternatives. Universities promoting SSE will meet at the annual RIUESS conference in Metz, this year on SSE and political spaces beyond the law. “Culture and solidarity: the urgency of acting together!” – this is the central theme of POP MIND 2024, an event organized by UFISC, in Rennes, France. The Degrowth movement is meeting at Pontevedra in Spain in June, together with the European Society for Ecological Economics. In the Netherlands, we will be participating in the European conference of the Economy for the Common Good. And from the UK, “The Solidarity Economy: a visual guide”, a visual introduction to the solidarity economy by the Solidarity Economy Association has just been published, a must-read for all.
In this journey of the struggle for change, we have had many fellow travelers over the years. One of them is Francoise Wautiez, who is retiring and saying goodbye to us after many years of active contribution. Francoise has been a valued member of the network since the very beginning. Member of the communication team, present at all major meetings of the network, creator of socioeco.org, responsible for the creation of this great source of knowledge on the social solidarity economy. Thank you Francoise, for all you have offered and we wish you the best of luck in whatever you do.
