What do we mean by a solidarity economy?
The Solidarity Economy (SE) is an organizational framework for those who want to create a systemic commitment and practice interdependence and collective liberation in economic activities that meet our material needs. The solidarity economy is based on our shared values: cooperation, democracy, social and racial justice, environmental sustainability, and reciprocity. Interdependence and respect are central.
Solidarity economies are transformative – they redistribute power and resources to those most affected by white supremacy, settler colonialism, patriarchy, ability, and capitalism – and meet immediate material needs in the community. They are not symbolic, but actually provide the shelter, food, education, culture, and other needs that people need to thrive. They challenge the power of systems based on individualism, profit, and private property.
Solidarity economies emerge from movements and combine three general strategies for social change: personal transformation, building alternative institutions, and fighting dominant institutions. Building solidarity economy movements requires building networks, federations, and coalitions that are consistent with SE principles and practices. This is where we become truly powerful.
True embodiment of SE values means transforming our social, economic and political relations and institutions. Too often we see our organizations – from individual cooperatives to international federations – copying colonial and capitalist relations and values. Perhaps the most challenging part of our work is maintaining a balance between what is realistic and what is too idealistic, and where we must compromise to keep our communities alive in the present even as we build a path to future liberation. Naming and honoring these tensions, striving to embody SE values and collective action in decolonial and anti-capitalist formations are central to the practices and principles proposed here. These are the germs of a solidarity economy and greater freedom for all of us.