The Social solidarity economy Fair returns for the 4th edition and offers to the citizens of Madrid all kinds of alternatives for consumption such as sustainable fashion, natural cosmetics, furniture, decoration, tableware and drugstore, ethical finance, solidarity insurance, education and training, renewable energy, construction and eco-efficiency, cleaning and gardening, sustainable transport, agro-ecological food healthy and proximity, entities engaged in free culture, that make design and graphic arts with free software or media as the La Marea, Diagonal and the Salmón Contracorriente.
IV edition of the Solidarity Economy Fair in Catalogne
On October 23, 24 and 25 the fourth edition of the Solidarity Economy Fair of Catalonia (FESC) will take place at the former Fabra i Coats factory in Barcelona. It is an annual event that brings together the rich tapestry of experiences and practices of solidarity economy of the country. Today, 171 organisations and enterprises are already registered to participate in the fair, representing 94% occupancy of the devoted space of Fabra i Coats in this event.
These organizations are mainly cooperatives, but also associations, foundations, consumer groups and employment agencies, among others. These 171 projects and initiatives of solidarity economy are divided into 33 municipalities throughout Catalonia, an example of the broad territorial scope of social solidarity economy in this territory. The FESC has tripled the number of exhibitors from the rest of the Spain with respect to last year, with the presence of companies from Bilbao, Almeria, Madrid, Pamplona, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca. Another point to note is that 30% of the registered organizations participate in the fair for first time.
By sector, the organizations that are active in the area of service delivery to individuals and other groups and the mains supply and foods are the majority, with 23% and 16% of the total respectively. The sectors of communication, education and culture (11% each), housing (10%), textiles and finance (6% each), entertainment (4%), and care (2%) follow. The FESC demonstrates again that most of the necessities and needs of our daily lives may be filled with products and services offered by the cooperative, social and solidarity economy.
Also to be noted is the presence of experiences of solidarity economy of Kurdistan, which will be the guest nation this year. The area was chosen for its model of inspiration in the cooperative economy and their ecological and egalitarian, community principles despite being a stateless nation. The crucial role that women play in the economic process, something unique in the Middle East, is also highlighted.
There is also the presence of other countries, such as France, Italy and Portugal. Last year, the fair has been consolidated with a total of 17,000 visitors and nearly 100 activities in the program. In addition, 30,000 ECOSOL, a unique and alternative currency for fair transactions have been distributed in the fair.
On November 14 and 15, 2014 the first Fair of Feminist Economy will take place in the self-managed neighborhood space of Can Batlló, in the District of Sants in Barcelona. The fair wants to be a space to share, discuss and create new feminist economic relations.
The Fair sees the economy in a wider context, as all those relationships that we establish among us and with the goal to achieve a decent life that is worth living. Forms of production, distribution and consumption that are based on needs and desires; labour relations that escape inequality and power relations, based on reciprocity, solidarity and mutual support.
In the framework of the Fair, there will be lectures, workshops, discussions, presentations of experiences and collective exhibitors, all aimed at rethinking and transforming economic relationships from the feminist perspective. The presentation of the Fair, starting on November 14 at 19 h, will be attended by Amaia Pérez Orozco, one of the leaders of feminist economics and author of the book Feminist Subversion of the economy (Traficantes de sueños, 2014).
On October 9-12th 2014, twenty years after its first edition, the MANIFesta – Assembly, Fair and Festival for Local Development and Solidarity Economy – returns to Santarem (Portugal), the city where it originated. The ANIMAR network is promoting this Special Edition together with the local organizations APRODER e a ADSCS, under the motto “New and old challenges for Local development”.
A (re) meeting space for people and civic solidarity entities for rural and urban Local development, the MANIFesta facilitates the sharing and exchange of experiences and ideas on the present and future of Local development and of Social and solidarity economy, in the current Community framework for 2014-2020-priorities, perspectives and opportunities, on themes such as the future of family farming, as well as a showcase of products, services and initiatives made from the creative capacities of individuals, communities and organizations of Portugal and other Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, in particular in Latin America.
