· Social and solidarity economy demonstrably high on the agenda
· Selected papers to be presented at an international symposium in May 2013
UNRISD has received more than 370 responses to the recent Call for Papers for the project, Potential and Limits of Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). The Call, which ran from 1 October to 15 November, invited submissions exploring alternative forms of production and exchange. Peter Utting, research coordinator and UNRISD Deputy Director, said, “such a response from academia and experts in the field demonstrates that these questions are highly relevant to people’s concerns. They now need to be more prominent on the policy agenda”. Interest in the project came from all parts of the world, with a large number of submissions from Argentina, Brazil, India, Mexico and Nigeria, as well as Canada, France, Spain and the United States.
The Call sought proposals from researchers exploring four thematic areas: the conceptualization of SSE; expanding SSE through market relations; enabling SSE through public policy and the state; and the politics of change. Selected submissions will be presented at an international symposium at the United Nations in Geneva next year, with a number of publications on the theme to follow. While there is a great deal of interest in, and research around, some of the topics highlighted in the project, there has so far been very little dialogue at the international level on how SSE can be brought into policy. Its unique role within the United Nations system positions UNRISD well to bring perspectives from researchers around the world into the international arena.
The response has been positive not only in terms of quantity but also of quality. “We have received papers from academics and experts with a wide range of backgrounds, covering all the suggested key themes and defining new directions for research that UNRISD is keen to take further“, said Utting.
Peter Utting announcing the launch of the Call for Papers in October 2012
The Call was launched at an event as part of the UN Human Rights Council's 2012 Social Forum in October 2012. To listen to an audio recording of that event, click
here.