- Our Mission
- Our Story
- Who We Are
The mission of the U.S. Solidarity Economy Network is to connect a diverse array of individuals, organizations, businesses and projects in the shared work of building and strengthening regional, national and international movements for a solidarity economy. Through publications, a website, mailing list, and face-to-face gatherings, the network will facilitate: ongoing communication and dialog relating to the development of solidarity economy ideas, values and practices; the sharing of experiences, models and skills; and the creation of collaborative, movement-building projects between network members.
The USSEN Coordinating Committee was formed out of the Solidarity Economy Caucus meetings held at the U.S. Social Forum (Atlanta, GA) in June 2007. The SEN Board and four Working Groups were established in the spring of 2009, following a decision made at the first national Forum on the Solidarity Economy, held at the Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst from March 19-22, 2009.
The SEN Board currently includes the following members:
- Center for Community and Labor Research
- Highlander Research and Education Center
- Center for Popular Economics
- US Federation of Community Development Credit Unions
- NASCO (N. American Students of Cooperation)
- National Community Land Trust Network
- Grassroots Economic Organizing
- Community Services Unlimited
- U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives
- Rural Coalition
- Jobs with Justice
- Solidarity Research Center
What is Solidarity Economy?
The solidarity economy constitutes an alternative development framework.
Solidarity economy is grounded in practice and the following principles:
- solidarity, mutualism, and cooperation
- equity in all dimensions: race/ethnicity/nationality, class, gender, LGBTQ
- the primacy of social welfare over profits and the unfettered rule of the market
- sustainability
- social and economic democracy
- pluralism and organic approach, allowing for different forms in different contexts, and open to continual change driven from the bottom up
Resources
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Join us if you share our values, visions, and practices