Transcript A Policy Framework For CED

Community-Led
Research to Strengthen
the Social Economy
Canadian CED Network
National, non-profit association of
community organizations
working to enhance the social,
economic, and environmental
conditions of their communities.
WHAT WE DO:
– Capacity-building, information sharing, and
networking.
– Research and development re: new models,
tools and strategies
– Evidence-based policy development
– Promote community economic development
and social-solidarity economy as an
alternative model to respond to social,
economic and environmental challenges
What is Community
Economic Development?
Action by people locally to
create economic
opportunities and enhance
the social and
environmental conditions
of their communities,
particularly with those
most marginalised, on a
sustainable and inclusive
basis.
Community Resources
for Community Benefit
CED, a multi-faceted approach,
conceived and directed locally, for
revitalizing and renewing
economies by managing and
strengthening community
resources for community benefit.
Building Local Economies
CED, an alternative to conventional
approaches to economic
development, is founded on the
belief that problems facing
communities – unemployment,
poverty, job loss, environmental
degradation and loss of community
control – can best be addressed by
a community-led, grassroots,
integrated approach.
Building a Social Economy
Growing collectively owned organizations
and enterprises for public community
benefit
Social assets (housing, child care, etc.)
Social enterprises and cooperatives
Community investment funds and credit
unions (capital)
Non profit organizations, community
development groups and social movements
using social and economic tools for change
What Do We Know ?
The Global Economy is in Melt-Down.
As Jim Stanford, Economist at the CAW predicted
in 1999 (Paper Boom: Why Real Prosperity
Requires a New Approach to Canada’s Economy,
CCPA) the “Casino” economy has collapsed. Some
sources at the World Bank are suggesting that the
paper value of the global economy is inflated by
300 times its actual value in productive capacity
because of derivatives and speculation.
What Do We Know ?
The Global Climate is in Crisis.
We are in the era of Peak Oil, even with short term
variations in oil prices non-renewable energy
resources are declining.
Climate-change is having a fundamental impact on
global and Canadian communities NOW. Permafrost melt in Nunavut, water temperatures in the
Pacific, weather fluctuations on the Prairies are
having costs that require sustainable eco-system
wide responses.
What Do We Know ?
Social Inequality is Growing.
Child poverty has been increasing in many
communities…the targets for poverty reduction set
by Parliament have not been met. Inequality of
income and social security is growing. Several
provinces have created poverty-reduction strategies
in the last year to respond…but not the federal
government. There are predictions that global
inequality and poverty will see a major rise…the
UN’s Millennium Development Goals are failing.
What Do We Know ?
The Social and Solidarity Economy is the solution
many around the globe are creating.
Social Economy Europe
Economia Solidaria Brazil, Peru, Bolivia
Inter-Continental Network for the Social and
Solidarity Economy (RIPESS)
Canadian Community Economic Development
Network
North American Network for the Social Economy
What Do We Know ?
Research is now being undertaken on how to
strengthen the Social Economy in Canada, in
collaboration with colleagues in networks around
the world.
Check out:
 www.ccednet-rcdec.ca
 www.socialeconomyhub.ca
National Social Economy Research
Program, developed by CCEDNet and
Chantier de l’economie sociale Quebec
involving representatives of
practitioner and university
organizations – national centre and 6
regional centres.
Part of broader “social economy
initiative”
Funded by Social Sciences
Research Council of Canada, over
350 university and community
based researchers, student
network for the social economy.
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Objectives:
Create knowledge for action by actors
in SE to strengthen/scale up sector
Create evidence of outcomes and
impacts of SE to strengthen support
Map sector and its metrics/ Strengthen
identity
Improve public policy environment
Promote knowledge sharing for
international solidarity
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Structure:
National Board of regional centres and
national partners (CED, Women, Coops,
Non Profit Sector) community –
university alliance
Portraiture – mapping committee
Public policy committee
Knowledge mobilization program (telelearning, workshops, government
dialogues, publications, website)
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Thematics:
Food sovereignty
Sustainable resource managementenergy
Coop and social enterprise development
Financing
Social and cooperative housing
Indigenous forms of social economy
Community (urban, rural, northern)
revitalization
Democratic governance
Inclusion
Policy Research
 International and National Literature
Reviews, building on: Social
Economy and Community
Economic Development in
Canada: Next Steps for Public
Policy; Mandell, Neamtan and
Downing, September 2005.
Policy Research
• Global analysis of key policy
developments and instruments
relevant to the social economy.
• Assessment of current public policy
environment (regulations, legislation,
policies, programs) in Canada: Federal;
provincial-territorial; local/regional,
and; indigenous forms of government.
Policy Research
• Assessment of Current and Potential
Role of Social Economy Sector in CoCreation of Public Policy (building on
existing analysis e.g. Vaillancourt and
Loxley).
• Engagement of actors in developing
recommendations for policy, and
holding of “Summit” 2010 to agree
next steps.
Policy Subjects (from Intl. Review)
• Organization of sector and its economic
tools
• Outreach to social movements
• Mapping/identity building
• Research on outcomes/potential
• Evidence-based policy
development/advocacy
• Public education/engagement
Policy Subjects (from Intl. Review)
• Government legislation and regulation
advantaging the social economy (policy
frameworks, political representation,
mandated rights, legality)
• Access to funding programs, subsidies,
procurement opportunities, tax credits
• Support for sector infrastructure
• Access to capital
Policy Subjects (from Intl. Review)
• Education
• Requirements on state agencies
• Requirements on private sector
recipients of state benefits
• Inclusion in specific policy domains
(regional and local development,
economic stimulus, housing,
agriculture/food, energy, environment,
housing, equity, poverty elimination)
At Global Level
• Reform of international trade and
finance agencies and regime (fair
trade, debt forgiveness)
• Regulation/abolition of speculation and
international capital markets
• Regional investment funds
• Global solidarity economy networks
and resources built by civil society
• Reform of higher education
Lessons Learned
• Practitioner leadership of all aspects of
research (resources, definition,
methodology, knowledge mobilization)
• Challenging institutional environment
in universities
• Progressive potential of organized
student engagement
Lessons Learned
• Role of indigenous and community
knowledge and scholarship
• Importance of social movement
engagement
• Attention to time and resource
requirements for civil society
participation/movement building
International Research
Proposal
RIPESS (Inter Continental Network for
Social and Solidarity Economy)
Mapping of social and solidarity economy globally
(qualitative and quantitative)
Engagement of networks and actors in describing
activities and characteristics
Dialogue on approaches
Analysis of outcomes
Global Alliance for
Community Engaged
Research
Civil Society and University Alliance to
Strengthen Community Engagement for
Sustainable Development.
Declaration May 2008, Victoria, Canada.
Regional Institutes Canada, Senegal, India,
Malaysia….
Policy Paper and Case Studies to UNESCO
World Conference on Higher Education, July
2009.
International meeting at Living Knowledge
Conference, Belfast, August 2009.
www.communityresearchcanada.ca
More information on our
activities:
www.ccednet-rcdec.ca
www.socialeconomyhub.ca
http://www.ccednet-rcdec.ca/?q=en/node/5684
http://www.ccednetrcdec.ca/?q=en/our_work/socialeconomy/research