Red de redes de Economía Alternativa y Solidaria (REAS)

Web sites:

www.economiasolidaria.org/

(https://mercadosocial.net/) mercadosocial.net/

[a(https://contratacionpublicaresponsable.org/]

REAS is a Network of Networks of Alternative and Solidarity Economy, a confederal network made up of 15 territorial networks and 4 sectoral networks that bring together more than 900 entities and companies, in which 260,403 people participate as members, of which more than 50,000 people are directly involved: 24,888 employees and 25,574 volunteers. Overall, it manages an annual income of more than 1,000 million euros. Legally, it is a non-profit association, with no party or religious affiliation. It is present internationally through RIPESS (Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social and Solidarity Economy).

1. Why and for what purpose REAS Red de Redes was born

The Solidarity Economy arises from the need to respond to the growing dehumanisation of the economy, the deterioration of the environment and the quality of life, as well as the lack of ethical values that produce a growing degradation in culture and education. The most obvious consequences of this dehumanisation of the economy are: the increase in poverty and social inequalities, especially affecting women, social and economic exclusion, unemployment and precarious employment. The magnitude of the problem that surrounds us generates challenges and demands responses that address so many shortcomings and deterioration.

For this reason, Reas Red de Redes has the fundamental mission of promoting the Solidarity Economy as an instrument that allows for the development of a fairer and more caring society, moving towards sustainable development and taking into account the interdependence of the economic, social, environmental and cultural spheres. That is, an economy based on the quality of life of people as actors and protagonists of their own development.

The main purpose of REAS is to make this other way of approaching and managing the economy possible, by promoting, supporting and coordinating associative, business, economic and financial initiatives that are committed to the six main principles of the Solidarity Charter that we adopted at the time.

In this sense, REAS Red de Redes works from a threefold perspective: as a critical economy approach, as a set of alternative economy practices and as a movement that seeks social transformation.

▪ From a critical and transformative economy approach, it proposes to relocate the economy by placing people and the sustainability of life at the centre and in a territorial sense, returning to the local.

▪ In addition, it brings together a set of alternative economic practices as it proposes a change in the relationships in all areas of the economic cycle (production, distribution, consumption and financing) based on justice, cooperation, reciprocity and mutual aid, and which aims, and to a large extent achieves, to meet the daily needs of the population under criteria of sustainability and social justice.

▪ It is a social movement because it questions the prevailing economic system and proposes its transformation.

2. How and when REAS was formed

Many entities with extensive experience of involvement in the social and economic field were aware of the difficulties experienced in providing real solutions to the social, economic and cultural integration of part of the population, especially the most disadvantaged. The need to strengthen links and generate different approaches that facilitate and promote possible, real and lasting alternatives was the reason for creating more and more articulations that culminated in the creation of the REAS network.

This was constituted in 1995 and in December 2000 the Statutes were modified to become a Network of Networks, which since then has brought together both territorial and sectoral networks.

In its more than 25 years of existence since its constitution in 1995, it has been modifying its structure in order to achieve its objectives: in 2000 it was set up as a Network of Networks with the function of coordinating and promoting territorial and sectorial work, and in 2014 it was set up as a confederal structure, of which all the existing territorial and sectorial networks in Spain form part.