Article by APRÈS – Le réseau de l’économie sociale et solidaire, Geneva, Switzerland
On Thursday 29 April, APRÈS celebrated the laying of the first beam in its new premises. Indeed, the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) network is moving to the heart of the Jonction eco-district.
Active since 2004 in Geneva, “La Chambre de l’économie sociale et solidaire – APRÈS-GE” was renamed “APRÈS – Le réseau de l’économie sociale et solidaire” in October 2020. This new name is part of a repositioning of the umbrella organisation as an innovative, impactful and dynamic network of inspiring pioneers for the Geneva economy. This new positioning has been completed by a new visual identity, as well as a new arcade at the Jonction, which will allow APRÈS to position itself in Geneva as a key player in the ecological and social transition.
The ambitions of this 360m2 arcade are :
- To be an accessible and efficient tool for the network members to help them develop their business models,
- to position and promote the SSE network with a modern and inspiring image,
- to encourage collaboration and collective intelligence to contribute to and spread the SSE actors,
- to make the link between “SSE” and “Culture” to change the collective imagination,
- to be a pilot “third place**” in the heart of the Jonction eco-district, which can potentially be replicated in other districts.
** Third-place or Tiers-lieu in French can be defined as an open space where individuals can come together to work, to acquire knowledge and/or skills, to meet or simply to exchange informally. New places for social links, emancipation and collective initiatives, third places have developed thanks to the deployment of digital technology throughout the territory.
