Spain
We are collecting here messages, articles, stories and references of Solidarity economy initiatives in response to the Covid19 pandemic crisis and its consequences all over Europe, to share and exchange experiences and efforts from member networks and other organisations. If you wish to contribute, please write to : info@ripess.eu
A Social Solidarity Toolkit to confront COVID19
By Genoveva López and Carlos Rey (REAS Red de Redes, 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.
Article from the Saltodiario “Is there a vaccine for capital’s pandemic?”
“In the face of the various crises unleashed by COVID’19, we read the situation in terms of the Solidarity Economy from our Charter of Principles. This text is the introductory framework for a Guide to Solidarity Economy Initiatives that REAS Network of networks is promoting, to show those experiences of denunciation, resistance and construction of alternatives that are taking place in the face of the current health, economic and social crisis.
We are facing a convulsive moment full of uncertainty, in a sort of dystopia taken from a movie script. Faced with this current state of alarm, we are trying to find clues that will help us understand the situation that citizens and the planet are going through; the coronavirus does not understand borders and is more globalised than ever. It is therefore urgent to identify the causes that have led us to this point, to establish the necessary measures and to lay the foundations to get out of this crisis – health, but also economic and social – and not to get bogged down in its curve again”.
