Transcript A Policy Framework For CED - The Canadian Social Economy Hub

Building a People-Centered
Economy
World Social Forum
Belem, Amazonia, Brazil
“Another
World is Possible, Another
Economy is Necessary”
Over 100 workshops on Building a
Solidarity Economy, 100,000
participants.
Major focus on social economy as
alternative model of development.
National Hub Research
 Advancing the Social Economy for Socio-
economic Development (2009) Tremblay
• Public Policy Trends and Instruments (2010),
Tremblay
• Public Policy Research Facilitating Committee
• Draft analysis of next steps to strengthen the
policy environment in Canada
Social Economy
Research
• Engagement with stakeholders on how to
strengthen the movement and the public
policy environment nationally and in regions
• Report to Summit on People Centered
Economy to provide evidence-based input to
mapping a common policy agenda
• Next steps to be determined
Social Economy
Research
Mixed economy in Canada has always
included private, state and “social economy”
(non profit, credit union, coop, social
enterprises, CED) production of goods and
services for human and community benefit.
Social economy represents over 12% of
GDP and an even larger contribution to
sustainable livelihoods and employment.
Social Economy
Research
Economic downturn, social challenges and
climate change have spurred interest in
both reforming economic regulation
generally and need for alternative models of
development that integrate social,
economic, environmental and human needs,
using the social economy…a people-centred
approach.
Findings
 Importance of SE in producing unique
socio-economic outcomes
 Comparative strength of those outcomes
when united movement exists
 Movement of SE into policy and discourse
mainstream where united movements
exist
 Importance of intra-sectoral collaboration
to building effective infrastructure, inputs
and outputs
Findings
“the level of development that the sector
achieves is directly correlated to the nature
of the supportive environment, the strength
of the sector infrastructure, and government
commitment toward enabling the
development of this environment and
infrastructure through policy, programming,
and funding.” p. 35 from Adeler, 2009.
Findings
Major initiatives globally
• Social Economy Europe
• US White House Office of Social Innovation, $50 m
Fund, CED financing from Stimulus
• UK Third Sector initiative
• Latin American “Economia Solidaria” initiatives
• Asian Solidarity Economy Network, including Social
Enterprise initiative in China
• African SE initiatives (Mali, Senegal, S. Africa)
International Trends
• Growing government recognition of role of SE in
socio-economic development
• Cross government (horizontal and vertical) policies
to support the SE with legislative, regulatory and
program measures
• Unified structures of the SE by stakeholders to
advance common development and policy interests
• Promotion of role of SE in integrated solutions to
inter-related social, economic and environmental
issues
International Trends
• Enabling measures for access to finance for SEs
• Inclusion of SEs in SME program eligibility
• Tax, charitable and regulatory recognition (e.g.
CICs UK, LC3s US)
• Procurement advantages
• Support for enterprise development
• Support for role of SEs in sustainable development,
poverty reduction-social inclusion, community and
regional development
Canada
• Lagging behind other jurisdictions since
cancellation of Federal SE Initiative
• Stimulus/economic action plans making little use of
SE/CED sector – deficit reduction impacts now
• Charitable and regulatory barriers
• Major gaps in access to finances
• Lack of recognition of SE in economic and social
policies
• An invisible sector contributing more to GDP and
employment than e.g. mining or autos
Canada: Issues
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Citizen engagement and support
Fragmentation
Knowledge gaps
Economic inefficiencies
Policy influence
Finance and development capacity
Common identity
Movement building as a common agenda
Canada
BUT
• Growth in Social Enterprise and Coop Development
• Food sovereignty and fair trade movements
• Provincial linkages to poverty reduction
• Quebec and Manitoba govt. strategies
• Tax credit and financial investment programs
• Municipal strategies (Montreal, Edmonton)
• Renewable energy initiatives (Ontario)
Canada
• Formal democratic network in Quebec (le chantier
de l’economie sociale)
• CED Network with informal cross sector coalition in
Manitoba
• Emerging networks in other regions (Nunavut,
Atlantic Canada, Ontario)
• National and provincial cooperative development
advances
• Provincial non profit social enterprise initiatives
Lessons for Our Work
• Higher end advances linked to united movement of
SE actors (“Big Tent”)
• Key components in building that unity:
• Building identity and self recognition based on
shared values
• Credible public face related to public interest (not
self interest) – “valeurs ajoutees”
• Purposeful inclusion of indigenous peoples, labour,
social and environmental movements
• Dialogue with governments on the outcomes that
can be achieved, co-construction of policy
Lessons for Our Work
• Key components in building that unity:
• Democratic structure with networking
opportunities
• Stakeholder led learning and research functions
• Democratically controlled finance and
development (technical assistance) functions
• Active market development activities (e.g.
procurement)
• Linkages to reform of state (e.g. social welfare,
taxation) and private sector
Recommendations
• National and Provincial Roundtables
• Communication/Engagement Strategy
• Space for Grass Roots Participation
• Stakeholder-led Research and Learning
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Initiatives
Government Outreach and Policy
Development
Sector-owned Finance and Development
Models
Market Development Initiatives
More information on our
activities:
www.ccednet-rcdec.ca
www.socialeconomyhub.ca