By Jason Nardi, Ripess Europe
These are Hard Times. If we were just to observe the situation we are living in today and how many areas of relative “progress” we have had in the recent decades – at least in Europe – that are now falling to pieces, we could easily despair. Wars with no end in sight, visible climate change, growing discrimination against migrants, authoritarian governments and securitarian policies, more controlled media and less and less space for democratic debate and citizens-led autonomous initiatives. And yet, we maintain hope and a vision for a better society and a solidarity based economy, grounded in our mutualistic,cooperative and fundamental rights principles. A vision we are constantly translating into practices and trying to inter-connect and network. Empowering communities to be better organised, resilient and creative, both to resist and to build the better future we desire.
In this newsletter we are looking at a few of the many initiatives that are taking place in Central and Eastern Europe in particular, as on February 22-24 the SSE Forum Budapest 2024 Knowledge Sharing and Networking Event will take place, celebrating the activities led by some of RIPESS Europe’s members in the region through the HATI-SOS (Hard Times – Soft Skills) Erasmus+ project in the last 2 years. The main topic of the Forum is why it is important for SSE to develop soft skills at all different levels: interpersonal skills in the workplace – methods and techniques related to non-violent communication, participatory decision-making, the facilitation and moderation of debates, care, as well as the organization of large-scale public events, with a specific emphasis on democratic and inclusive methodologies. Part of this also has to do with self-care and how a group and community build the culture of care and mutual support that is necessary for all the rest. Other news and initiatives from this territory are the Polish view of CSAs, a description of how the CSA concept was and is implemented in Poland and the concerns and difficulties that they are facing. A Community energy inintiative in the Czech Republic, REScoop.eu, presents the success story of the cooperative Hnutí DUHA, the first energy cooperative in the Czech Republic. A project about creating resilient communities against the threat of wildfires from Greece, targeting in a transformative shift in disaster management, built on inclusivity, collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to the community. Local gastronomic heritage under the spotlight of sustainability from Romania, a project promoting environmental sustainability and a healthy life style by stimulating responsible consumption and a better use of the city as a public space, by promoting regional products, mobility and green energy.
The next European parliamentary elections will be crucial for our future. As Solidarity Economy Europe network we are well aware that what has been done until now – as for instance the European Commission’s action plan for Social Economy – can be undone and we need to raise our voices to make sure that it does not happen. But as funds are being distracted from welfare to warfare, we need to work more collectively both in reclaiming public funding for the real needs of our communities and in finding more ways to finance and support the initiatives that address them. An example of public policy improvements that are very close to the Social Solidarity Economy values and practices from Croatia in Central Eastern Europe. This collective effort is part of our movement building strategy – we will address it in the next newsletter… stay tuned!
Credits: cover photo by Ole Pedersen
