About the site

Why a resource site?

Information on the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) is spread across many different websites in various languages. Researchers have not reached a consensus on definitions, and terms are used differently depending on which continent you are on, ranging from popular economy and solidarity economy to social economy and social and solidarity economy (the term we will use on this site). Realities and practices differ. Our aim is to provide a degree of coherence by bringing together as many documents as possible on this site, including case studies, analyses, interviews, accounts of initiatives and proposals, in French, English, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian (and some documents in German with the option of adding other languages), from all four corners of the world.

In addition to the ideas and concepts that traverse the broad field of the SSE, we also want to highlight the projects and actors that make the sector a real instrument of social transformation throughout the world. By creating a collective resource site with an international reach, we will be demonstrating the comprehensive nature and relevance of the economic paradigm promoted by the SSE.

What sort of resources?

This is a document-based resource site designed to give citizens, researchers, journalists and local councillors easier access to information on the SSE. It will also demonstrate the SSE’s potential to change our development practices. The site will not try to blur contributing sites’ individual identities, but rather to train the spotlight on the plurality of SSE approaches and to pool document-based resources.

Different ways to access documents

The site is designed to provide a whole series of entry points for accessing the documents.

In addition to providing a range of documents, the site also aims to highlight concrete SSE initiatives from around the world:

  • the SSE publications sectionthat gathers those by publishing year :
  • the SSE sites
  • a page on SSE legislations in the different countries and regions
  • a Thesissection with postgraduate thesis on the diverse thematics linked to research on SSE. A well of information often presented as case studies there are available also on the "map".
  • the trainings available worldwide classified by languages (here)

And mappings

Socioeco.org has developed mappings

  • the map fo the SSE solutions" gathering initiatives around the world
  • The map of public policies in favour of SSE gathers the public policies that at different territorial scales work in favour of SSE:
  • The "Journalism of Solutions" map of independent and co-operative media includes both a fact sheet by media around the world and their articles related to SSE;
  • SSE for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) includes the solutions map but classified by SDGs:
  • SSE policies for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) shows the map of public policies but classified by SDGs:
  • SSE Pedagogical Tools map includes textbooks, guides, educational games, etc. to raise awareness on SSE:

Socioeco’s cartographies do not pretend to be exhaustive, nor do they have any statistical or analytical purpose. Rather, they collect stories told by journalists, researchers and the initiatives themselves. Their purpose is to show that the SSE offers concrete solutions to many of the elements that constitute the social field. The geographical presentation shows that the SSE is present in all countries of the world and can be of interest for what is happening in the country where one lives. Some of these initiatives no longer exist but they have the merit of having existed and can still serve as inspiration today.

The page also includes maps developed by other organisations for a country (France) or a region/city of SSE-related initiatives.

To find what you want easily , just click on "What are you looking for on SSE" on the top of the main page, it will drive you directly to the differents elements of the website.

The idea is to offer site users the chance to see who the different SSE actors are, provide them with content, definitions and proposals for a deeper exploration of SSE issues, a calendar to help get involved and share ideas with other people, descriptions of innovative projects that they may or may not wish to recreate, and a map of initiatives so they can apply the SSE to their daily lives.