Social and Solidarity Economy

What is the Social and Solidarity Economy?

According to the United Nations, the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) “refers to forms of economic activities and relations that prioritize social and often environmental objectives over profit motives. It involves citizens acting collectively and in solidarity for democratization of economy and society, including producers, workers, and consumers.”

The International Labour Conference considered it a viable solution to re-balancing economic, social and environmental objectives, according to a Resolution passed in June 2022. In 2023, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on “Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy for Sustainable Development”.

StreetNet identified the potential of the Social and Solidarity Economy for the empowerment of workers as early as 2009, through Resolution 19 and we re-affirmed our commitment at the 7th International Congress in Rwanda through Resolution 46.

Cooperatives are a tool for liberation. The members of a cooperative have a commitment to always improve because they are investing their resources. It is also a democratic tool, because everyone participates and holds each other accountable.

Alberto Santana, Vice-President of StreetNet

Our Social and Solidarity Economy Toolkit

StreetNet and WIEGO jointly created the first ever social and solidarity economy toolkit aimed specifically at street and market vendors. This innovative pedagogical material is the result of a two-year participatory research process that took inspiration from the best practices of social and solidarity economy units from India, Nigeria, Colombia and Rwanda. This is a toolkit built by workers for workers, based on solidarity, sharing of experiences and a shared vision for economic justice.

It includes a manual to help our members start their journey in setting up Savings and Credit Groups and also a comic book that provides a general overview of the solidarity and collective actions that have been undertaken to address the most common problems faced by street vendors and market traders, which are drawn from various real-life experiences of StreetNet member organizations around the world.

Its objective is to raise awareness of the principles and values of the SSE and to highlight the possible range of actions in which the SSE and its principles improve productivity, representation, and access to social benefits for its members.