On November 13 and 14, 2023, the Spanish Ministry of Labor and Social Economy organized in Donostia-San Sebastian -Spanish Capital of the Social Economy 2023- the European Conference Social Economy: People, Planet, Action.
This conference brought together over 500 participants in two plenary sessions, featuring the national, EU and international institutional representatives, focusing on the significant advances that have been made in recent years in the social economy, in particular following efforts of many social economy actors and public authorities, including the previous and current presidencies of the council.
The conference aimed to debate the development of the latest important resolutions on the social economy adopted at the international level and to follow up on the application of the European Action Plan for the Social Economy, as well as promoting policies.
The conference also highlighted the commitment that aligns the social economy with the progress of the European project and the overcoming of crises. Important conclusions were reached on strategic axes such as building and securing a highly-skilled workforce, contributing to the green and digital transitions, access to financing and markets, attracting young people and making the social economy more visible and with the active participation of institutions, the industry and the general public.
As an outcome, representatives of European institutions and 19 countries of the European Union (EU) signed the San Sebastian Manifesto on the Social Economy, which seeks to reinforce at the European level the policies that advance the sector in all EU countries.
It is evident that the social economy is reaching key milestones and paving the way for future implementations. Taking account of what was discussed during this conference, our Communications and Project Officer, Tamara Bilbija who was present in the conference, gathered these thoughts about what the contribute of EMES in the years to come:
- Focusing on knowledge creation: as a leading research network in the SE field (social and solidarity economy, social enterprises, social innovation, social entrepreneurship) started in 1996 with the pioneer research project on emerging social enterprise in Europe, our emphasis is on research, critical thinking and peer exchange. During the conference in San Sebastian, it was discussed the need to increase the visibility of the social economy by collecting and organizing statistical (but also qualitative) data. This was seen as a way of contributing to visibility and the importance of this sector in the economy and society.
- Joining practitioners, researchers and policymakers: EMES organizes bi-annual conferences aiming at deepening the understanding about innovative research on SE: we involve practitioners (through our Transdisciplinary Fora, now in its 6th edition) and engage all-level policymakers to stimulate the exchanges between different agents and foster collaboration and development within the SE ecosystem. Moreover, EMES conferences contribute to the current momentum around the SE field and enrich political debates around strengthening SE ecosystems worldwide.
- International and interdisciplinary exchange: Our network have grown significantly over the last 20 years, bringing together 15 research institutions and more than 300 researchers. We are committed to nurturing and supporting the next generation of SE scholars through targeted training, education and networking activities for late MA students, PhD candidates and early career researchers. The network brings together research communities from around the world using different empirical approaches and a variety of theoretical lenses and perspectives.
- Emphasis on outreach and communication: according to the president of Social Economy Europe, Juan Antonio Pedreño, during the San Sebastian conference, “The visibility of social economy is the fundamental topic. We must communicate towards the rest of society, which is our main challenge.” Our network works regularly to intercommunicate each other’s interests ( academic, public and professional spheres of the SE) and promote publications and related information while exchanging opportunities for joint publications and research initiatives.
Wish to become part of EMES? Reach out to us at members_at_emes.net or browse through our website to learn more about our members and activities.