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 facilitates ongoing communication and dialogue 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 first national Forum on the Solidarity Economy happened next at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst from March 19-22, 2009. The SEN Board and four Working Groups were established after that national forum.
The SEN Board currently members from the following organizations:
- Agaric Coop
- California Community Land Trust Network
- California Public Banking Alliance
- Cooperative Economics Alliance of New York City (CEANYC)
- Cooperation Jackson
- Kola Nut Collaborative
- Massachusetts SEN
- May First Movement Technology
- New Economy Coalition
- Participatory Budgeting Project
- People’s Network for Land & Liberation
- Solidarity Research Center
- US Federation of Worker Cooperatives
- Virginia SEN
- Wellspring Cooperative
- Worcester Roots
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
- 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
