As the article “The process of confluence of the Barcelona 2020 WSF of Transformative Economies begins” explains, the Barcelona WSF will be focused on transformative economies.

But what do we mean by “transformative economies”? If we want to answer from the SSE perspective, a quick look at socioeco.org is in order. A simple search in the search engine indicates that we can find about 700 documents that use the word “transformation” in different languages. To refine the search, we can use the keyword: New paradigm of transformation, which groups together those of interest to us and which we present here, used in the sense of social and political change. In the words of Ruben Suriñac, in his book Economias transformadoras de Barcelona, “the movements and phenomena of the transforming economy are all proposals for socio-economic reorganization that introduce a critique of the dominant economic model and formulate proposals for socio-economic change (both in theory and in practice) that, to varying degrees, attempt to transform this model or, at least, to prevent or mitigate its negative effects“. For Barcelona, he cites the movements of degrowth, the economy of the common good, the commons, the feminist and care economy, the social economy, the SSE. And the phenomena of the collaborative economy, community, responsible consumption, the circular economy, social entrepreneurship, social innovation and societal responsibility.

Here are some examples of documents that you can consult in 3  languages:

In Spanish

we find, in addition to the book mentioned above, the documents related to the Transformative Economies Forum itself and often to REAS and XES:

• Alternativas Economicas n°57 – Dossier : Economias transformadoras – 2018
• Declaración por una Economía Social Solidaria transformadora – Bilbao, GSEF 2018

but also

• La economia solidaria: Concepto y potencial transformador , 2012 – Leire Uriarte Zabala, Miren ZUFIAURRE, Eneritz Pagalday Tricio (Pais Vasco)

Describe el concepto de ES desde dos perspectivas -europea y latinoamericana, con especial relevancia sobre el potencial transformador de ésta y su vinculación con los nuevos movimientos sociales.

• Los mercados sociales. La economía solidaria en acción transformadora , 2014 – Blanca Crespo Arnold, Fernando Sabín Galán

Si las experiencias basadas en la ES lograran conectarse e intercooperar entre ellas dentro del modelo del consumo responsable, serian capaces de alterar las condiciones perversas del mercado actual.

• Transformando Euskal Herria (también) desde la Economía Social y Solidaria , 2018 – Carlos Askunze Elizaga En el pais vasco, ha existido una tradición de construcción de experiencias socioeconómicas alternativas y transformadoras ante la hegemonía y las fatales consecuencias del modelo de desarrollo capitalista.

In Latin America, the documents refer to social transformation, action for transformation, the paradigm of transformative change or as a form of resistance to capitalism.

• Una transformación social posible desde el Trabajo Social: la necesidad de un enfoque socioeconómico para las políticas sociales , 2002 – José Luis Coraggio , Argentina

Plantea que es el sentido de la transformación deseada, y desde esa definición amplia, qué política social o socioeconómica contribuyen a esa transformación.

• La economia como motor de los cambios, o una nueva estructura de la acción transformadora , 2007 – Luis Razeto Migliaro, Chile

Plantea la posibilidad de construir una economía no capitalista basada en relaciones y valores de justicia y solidaridad, que fuera –además- eficiente y económicamente racional.

• Solidaridad económica y potencialidades de transformación en América Latina. Una perspectiva descolonial, 2012 – Boris Marañón Pimentel, Brasil

Si no hay una ruptura epistemológica con el eurocentrismo, si no se da cuenta de la especificidad de las sociedades latinoamericanas, las posibilidades de construcción de la otra economía y de la otra sociedad son limitadas.

• Carta das mulheres da economia solidaria : MULHERES TRANSFORMANDO A AMÉRICA LATINA , Porto Alegre, 14 sept.2012

Plantea la necesidad de un nuevo modelo de desarrollo que posibilite el reconocimiento de las mujeres como sujeto politico y sus reivindicaciones.

and let’s not forget the slogan of the last WSF :

• Resistir es crear, resistir es transformar

In English

we find the concept of “transformational or transformative change”, in particular used by UNRISD:

• Policy Innovations for Transformative Change. Implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development , UNRISD Flagship Report 2016).

The report explores what transformative change really means for societies and individuals. It provides guidance on how to turn the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs into concrete actions.

• Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Social and Solidarity Economy: Incremental versus Transformative Change , Knowledge Hub Working Paper Series 2018 – Peter Utting

The paper considers whether the uptake of the SSE agenda by governments can scale up and enable SSE in ways conducive to realizing the ‘transformational vision’ of the SDGs.

But also the following documents associated with the comons and degrowth  :

• Commoning as a Transformative Social Paradigm , 2016 – David Bollier (USA)

Brisk overview of the commons, commoning, and their great potential in helping build a new society. becoming stewards of natural systems, and mutualizing the benefits of shared resources.

• Initiatives, Chains and Networking for Transformation , Degrowth in movement(s): Solidarity Economy (Germany) – 2017 – Dagmar Embshoff, Clarita Müller-Plantenberg,, Giuliana Giorgi How is the relation between the degrowth movement and other social movements and perspectives?

In French

the authors discuss the transformative potential of the collaborative economy, social innovations, degrowth, commons or the transformation of capitalism:

• La transformation sociale envisagée par la perspective a-croissante permet-elle de penser l’innovation sociale ? , RIUESS 2012 – Fabienne Dourson

Il s’agit de rechercher dans quelle mesure l’innovation sociale est révélatrice d’un changement de paradigme dans l’organisation socio-économique de nos sociétés.

• La transformation sociale par l’innovation sociale, 4°Colloque International du Crises, 3 et 4 avril 2014

Ce colloque traite de la reconstruction sociale en cours à travers l’émergence d’expériences socialement innovantes visant à redéfinir la société sur des bases plus solidaires et équitables.

• Economie sociale et solidaire, des acteurs au coeur de la transition écologique, L’Atelier Ile-de France, mars 2016

Les principes que recouvre la transition écologique concordent avec les valeurs défendues par l’économie sociale et solidaire : démocratie, citoyenneté, solidarité, plus-value sociale et/ou écologique et favorisent la diffusion de nouveaux modes de consommation, de production.

• Pôles Territoiraux de coopération économique : L’Entrepreneuriat territorial au risque de la transformation sociale et de l’alternative économique? , RIUESS 2015, Myriam Matray, Jacques Poisat

Les Pôles territoriaux de coopération économique visent à organiser la coopération en vue de produire de la richesse territoriale au profit des citoyens, tout en s’inscrivant dans les politiques publiques de développement.

• Communs et transformations sociales : Expériences européennes sous un regard pluriel, Cahier de Recherche Chaire ESS-UPEM 2016

Est-il possible de concevoir certaines des réalités de l’économie sociale et solidaire comme des modèles de communs ?

The INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF TRANSFORMING ECONOMIES will take place on 6 and 7 December in Cordoba.

The III Solidarity Economy Congress announced for these dates has become an open appointment to experiences from other countries thanks to the willingness of the promoters to give this space a larger dimension, encompassing international references and relating to transforming economies with a transnational perspective.

Organized by REAS Andalusia and the University of Cordoba, the meeting will focus on analyzing, disseminating and relating transformative economic practices that are not only possible and alternatives but for many are already in the process of realization and able to demonstrate the validity of proposals that place people at the center of their development as protagonists of the economy. Related to each other because we share values and a common ethic that prevails over the intention of profit, the transforming economies will meet in Cordoba at the end of the year to become entangled with agents of SSE, public administrations, NGOs and with developing sectors, entrepreneurship, culture, education and people interested in making the economy a motor of social change towards more human coexistence, a fairer distribution and a transformed world from the sustainability of the environment and the care for life.

More info at:
Área de Cooperación y Solidaridad – Universidad de Córdoba
formacion.desarrollo@uco.es – (+34) 957 21 20 29
www.economiasolidaria.org/encuentro2018

Within the framework of the GSEF2018 (Global Social Economy Forum) in Bilbao on the 2nd of October 2018, RIPESS and REAS Euskadi have launched the Declaration for a Transformative Social and Solidarity Economy. The statement comes when it is the thenth anniversary since the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, the trigger that ignited the biggest financial crisis even known.

The outbreak of the financial crisis in September 2008 placed capitalism at the centre of all citizen’s criticism. However, in these ten years the much-awaited and necessary changes have not occurred. Quite the contrary: the processes of financialization of the economy have increased, its speculative character has strengthened and, above all, the poverty and inequality rates on the planet have grown significantly.

Therefore, the statement wants to “raise the voice to denounce capitalism that commodifies and threatens our lives and our planet. It is a hetero-patriarcal capitalism that promotes discrimination against women and excludes diversity “.

In this way, the people, organizations and networks of SEE present at GSEF 2018 commit themselves through this declaration to “working together with other social movements for the transformation of the economy through alternative and social initiatives in the areas of finance, production, marketing and consumption. By transforming the economy, we transform territories and communities and thus promote a new cultural, social and political model”.

With this initiative, a commitment is made to a transforming social and solidarity-based economy at the service of a New World that is more just, respectful, democratic and sustainable. It is now a question of joining forces, and all existing practices, to build and impose an Inclusive Global Agenda from the Local to the International, and show that we have answers and proposals to overcome today’s huge global challenges.

In the act of launching the declaration, the World Social Forum of the Transformative Economies that will be held in Barcelona in 2020 has also been presented to the people attending the GSEF 2018.

You can consult the Declaration for a transforming Social and Solidarity Economy here.

Last July we officially presented the World Social Forum of Transformative Economies in Barcelona and ever since we have been working starting with the networks of social solidarity economy promoting this initiative: XES, Catalan solidarity economy network; REAS, Network of networks of Spanish alternative and solidarity economies, and RIPESS, Intercontinental network of social solidarity economy.

The Forum aims to be a process of confluence between the local and the international spheres of different alter-economic approaches, which we call Transformative economies. As you may read in the first Call, some local movements have already begun their meetings to establish priorities, agendas and objectives, mapping of organizations and confluences at local and international level. In parallel, RIPESS has promoted the process through the different membersin all the continents, and we are working with many other international networks and movements through the different approaches to disseminate and articulate the process.

In the last few weeks, we have designed a governance model that will organize the confluences both locally and internationally, in which the different ways of participation and co-promotion are defined. We want this structure to be drawn from the social base of the transformative economies, and that the confluence process will be based on the thematic axes.

We are also working on shared online working tools that will facilitate the confluence at all levels, as well as material and dissemination tools, such us the Forum website and graphic materials, that we will share with you as soon as possible, together with the next steps explaining how to participate in the process that we are just starting. In the meanwhile, do not hesitate to contact us with any doubt, idea or suggestion at forum2020@ripess.org.

Finally, we are happy to present you the new operational team that will be supporting the Forum throughout the process.Itisbasedin Barcelona and composed as of now by 3 people, who facilitate the following working areas:

Coordination: Júlia Granell
International facilitation: Iris Aviñoa
Comunications: Laie Vidiella 

Many thanks and let’s converge!

WSF of Transformative Economies Team

A two-year process of convergence to build an Inclusive World Agenda from networked local nodes!

As shared in the World Social Forum of Salvador de Bahia (read March 2018 article), RIPESS Intercontinental , RIPESS Europe, XES (Catalan Solidarity Economy Network) and REAS (Spanish SE Network) are happy to announce the commitment to a Thematic World Social Forum of Convergence of Transformative Economies, from local to international levels, by 2020 :

The objective is to start a process of convergence between all initiatives, practices, movements and ways of understanding the economy that share the common goal of transforming the existing economic system, beyond Social and Solidarity Economy. Some of these processes of convergence have already been taking place for a long time :

Another World already exists. We now need to bring together our strengh, the common solutions and practices both locally and internationally, to build an inclusive world agenda, and jointly face today’s main challenges!

See the First International Call inviting all interested movements and networks to express their interest in participating and/or in becoming co-promoters of the initiative.

It is essential to ensure that the construction process reflects the proposals, challenges and opportunities of all continents, movements and networks.

To this end, different committees will facilitate the co-definition of the contents by various networks and movements and will ensure the articulation between local and global levels.

Read more