Theme

CENTRAL theme

The central theme of the GSEF2016 is the collaboration between local governments and organizations of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) for the development of cities.

Around the world, SSE initiatives contribute to addressing major challenges faced by the public administrations of cities and of the communities living there: how to promote inclusive and sustainable development; ensure social cohesion; improve the quality of life of residents; and enable a wide variety of stakeholders to address these challenges.

Valuable lessons can be learned from the collaborations taking place between local governments and SSE actors on every continent. Starting from the principle that city governments are responsible for meeting their communities’ basic needs with regards to infrastructure and security and fostering residents’ wellbeing, the GSEF2016 will present best practices in these areas. These include processes, tools, and other innovative results of co-constructed public policies designed to create decent jobs, ensure local services, and other initiatives that support the development of smarter cities, i.e. ones that are more equitable and sustainable. The Forum will also be a space to consider questions such as prior conditions, challenges, and procedures for local governments and SSE organizations to co-construct public policy on local development.

See the Complete Guide of the Themes and Sub-themes.

THEME AND SUB-THEMES

Enterprise and Job Creation

The creation of social and solidarity enterprises has a major impact on the economic development of their territories. By creating non-relocatable jobs and responding to the needs of local communities, they make residents more resilient. To enable the creation and development of these enterprises and reinforce their economic impact, local governments must ensure their access to adequate support, financing and markets, starting with local public procurement. Governments are also called upon to recognize and support different and innovative forms of SSE entrepreneurship, sometimes in partnership with the informal sector or the private sectors, to facilitate plural economic development to which all local stakeholders can contribute.

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Quality of Life

Quality of life and the living environment have an impact, not only on individual and collective well-being, but also on a territory’s long-term economic and social development. People’s feelings of belonging to a city, and their desire to live there, do creative work, and be active participants are all factors that propel the development of dynamic communities and increase their attractiveness to new residents, tourists and entrepreneurs. The SSE operates in fields that are essential when it comes to a decent living environment: it facilitates access to housing and provides local services that answer the needs and aspirations of communities; it generates solutions to make local resources accessible (physically, geographically, financially, etc.); and it creates opportunities for residents to become involved in the planning and management of the “Commons” in its broadest sense, not just known and recognized public spaces. By joining their efforts with local governments, the SSE’s capacity to improve residents’ well-being is enhanced, which in turn has a direct impact on the economic and social development of the city.

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Social Cohesion

The myriad forms of community involvement positively influence cities’ economic and social sustainable development, and social cohesion facilitates the participation of all actors in this development. The SSE, due to its roots in the community, promotes civic engagement and identifies and works on issues related to social cohesion that are specific to each city, helping to make them more inclusive economically, socially, culturally, technologically, etc. In this respect, partnerships with city governments can take different forms to foster the integration of all residents and communities, thereby reinforcing and enriching the social fabric.

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Governance

Smart forms of governance gather communities’ ideas, efforts, data, and resources in an optimal and equitable way to meet community needs. To this end, the SSE is often a source of major social innovations that local governments would be wise to recognize and develop. Moreover, collective management, a hallmark of the SSE, is the best guarantee of these initiatives’ sustainability and appropriateness to local needs, whether economic, social, environmental or cultural.

SEE THE SUB-THEMES

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