This blog has been created to support the conference exchange funded by the British Academy and organised by Dr Peter North at Liverpool University, Professor Marcelo Lopes de Souza, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Professor Molly Scott Cato of Roehampton University.
A key issue for the future prosperity of both Global North and South is the
challenge of reconciling a right to human development with the need to avoid
dangerous climate change and the unsustainable depletion of resources. Key to
this is the development of resilient and sustainable livelihoods and economic
opportunities in economies in which communities and ecosystems can thrive.
These seminars will facilitate a North/South discussion about how to develop
sustainable livelihood options through a consideration of the experiences of
conceptions of the ‘Big Society’ and of low carbon community action in the Global
North, and conceptions of the ‘solidarity economy’ and of low carbon development
in Latin America. Actors in the global North and South have conceptualised
alternatives to economic growth at the cost of human wellbeing and the resilience
of ecosystems, and both propose optimistic and creative livelihood options. Both
can learn from each other.
The first conference was held in Liverpool between 12th and 14th March 2012. Leading Latin American academics visited the UK to share their knowledge of solidarity economy developments. We will be making their presentations and other resources available here soon.
Solidarity Economy North and South
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Share Inspiration from Latin America
On the first day of the conference, Wednesday 14th March, we learned about the exciting developments in the solidarity economy in Latin America. Jose Luis Coraggio from the Buenos Aires University School of Economic Sciences set the scene, framing developments in terms of an emancipatory approach to economic life. Heloisa Primavera, a Brazilian local currency activist now living in Argentina shared the perspective from Latin American NGOs, and then Dario Azzellini explored the relationship between the state and workers' organisations in Venezuela.
In the afternoon UK social and economic activists reflected on solidarity economy developments here. John Barry, from Queen's University Belfast gave a theoretical grounding to political economy in an age of vulnerability, including a critical attack on neoclassical economics in the academuy. This session we also enjoyed the insights from practice, shared by Paul Chatteron of Leeds University who explored what it means to be a Zapatista in Leeds. Andy Cumbers from Glasgow University shared his research into mutually owned windfarms in Denmarket, and finally, Adrian Smith gave the practitioner view by sharing his experiences in developing renewable energy co-operatives.
In the afternoon UK social and economic activists reflected on solidarity economy developments here. John Barry, from Queen's University Belfast gave a theoretical grounding to political economy in an age of vulnerability, including a critical attack on neoclassical economics in the academuy. This session we also enjoyed the insights from practice, shared by Paul Chatteron of Leeds University who explored what it means to be a Zapatista in Leeds. Andy Cumbers from Glasgow University shared his research into mutually owned windfarms in Denmarket, and finally, Adrian Smith gave the practitioner view by sharing his experiences in developing renewable energy co-operatives.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Conference Organisers



Saturday, 7 January 2012
Conference Outline
The first of the two conferences will be held in Liverpool between 13th and 15th March 2012. The following Latin American experts in the social economy have confirmed their attendance:
Professor Marcelo Lopes de Souza, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (expert on urban social movements and informal economies in cities – co organiser)
Professor Jose Luis Coraggio, University of General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires, and co-ordinator of the Latin American Research Network on the solidarity economy
Professor Heloisa Primavera, University of Buenos Aires and co-ordinator of the Solidarity Barter Network in Argentina: engaged academic with grounded experience of a range of solidarity economy initiatitives in Latin America
Day One: 14th March 2012, Foresight Centre, University of Liverpool.
1 Brownlow St Liverpool L69 3GL
9.00 – 9.30 Arrival, registration, tea and coffee
9-30-10.00 Introduction and aims of the seminar: Peter North,
10.00-11.00 Jose Luis Coraggio, University of General Sarmiento, Argentina: The Solidarity Economy: Conceptual Overview
11.00-11.15 morning coffee
11.15-12.15 Heloisa Primavera, University of Buenos Aires: The Solidarity Economy: the view from Civil Society
12.15-1.15 Dario Azzellini (University of Linz) and Diana Raby (University of Liverpool). Lessons and experiences from Venezuela’s solidarity economy.
1.15-1.45 Lunch
1.45-2.15 Paul Chatterton (University of Leeds): Latin American influences on UK academic and activist practise
2.15-3.15 John Barry (Queen’s University Belfast): Political Economy of Climate Change.
3.15-3.30 Tea and Coffee
3.30-4.45 Adrian Smith (University of Sussex) and Andy Cumbers (University of Glasgow). Civil Society engagement in renewable energy.
4.45-5.30 Response: Panel of our Latin American Visitors, followed by discussion led by team
5.30pm Close
Day Two: 15th March 2012, Blackburne House, Liverpool.
Blackburne Place, Liverpool, Merseyside L8 7PE
9.00 – 9.15 Arrival, registration, tea and coffee
9-15-9.30 Welcome: Rosie Jolly, Socail Enterprise Network
Introduction and aims of day two: Molly Scott Cato (University of Roehampton)
9.30:9.50 Robbie Davison – Can Cook Films
A visual presentation of Merseyside social enterprises
9.50-10.20 Short presentations from social enterprises (2),
10.20-11.30 Andrew Simms, New Economic Foundation
The Big Society, the new mutualism: opportunities and threats in the UK
11.00-11.15 Response from our visitors
11.15-11.30 Tea and coffee
11.30-11.40 Cllr Patrick Hurley – Liverpool City Council
Co-operative councils
11.40-12.30 Colin Crooks – CEO Green Works UK practice overview
Response (5 mins) from our visitors
12.30-1.30 Lunch and networking
1.30-1.45 Introduction to the afternoon: Pete North, Molly Scott Cato
1.45-3.30 World Café Section- – tea and coffee available
3.30-4.00 Marcelo, Dario and Heloisa – response from Latin America: SEN response: (5-10 min each), what are the issues?
4.00-5.00 participatory process/discussion led by Pete, Molly and Marcelo: where are we going from here?
5.00pm Close
Professor Marcelo Lopes de Souza, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (expert on urban social movements and informal economies in cities – co organiser)
Professor Jose Luis Coraggio, University of General Sarmiento, Buenos Aires, and co-ordinator of the Latin American Research Network on the solidarity economy
Professor Heloisa Primavera, University of Buenos Aires and co-ordinator of the Solidarity Barter Network in Argentina: engaged academic with grounded experience of a range of solidarity economy initiatitives in Latin America
Day One: 14th March 2012, Foresight Centre, University of Liverpool.
1 Brownlow St Liverpool L69 3GL
9.00 – 9.30 Arrival, registration, tea and coffee
9-30-10.00 Introduction and aims of the seminar: Peter North,
10.00-11.00 Jose Luis Coraggio, University of General Sarmiento, Argentina: The Solidarity Economy: Conceptual Overview
11.00-11.15 morning coffee
11.15-12.15 Heloisa Primavera, University of Buenos Aires: The Solidarity Economy: the view from Civil Society
12.15-1.15 Dario Azzellini (University of Linz) and Diana Raby (University of Liverpool). Lessons and experiences from Venezuela’s solidarity economy.
1.15-1.45 Lunch
1.45-2.15 Paul Chatterton (University of Leeds): Latin American influences on UK academic and activist practise
2.15-3.15 John Barry (Queen’s University Belfast): Political Economy of Climate Change.
3.15-3.30 Tea and Coffee
3.30-4.45 Adrian Smith (University of Sussex) and Andy Cumbers (University of Glasgow). Civil Society engagement in renewable energy.
4.45-5.30 Response: Panel of our Latin American Visitors, followed by discussion led by team
5.30pm Close
Day Two: 15th March 2012, Blackburne House, Liverpool.
Blackburne Place, Liverpool, Merseyside L8 7PE
9.00 – 9.15 Arrival, registration, tea and coffee
9-15-9.30 Welcome: Rosie Jolly, Socail Enterprise Network
Introduction and aims of day two: Molly Scott Cato (University of Roehampton)
9.30:9.50 Robbie Davison – Can Cook Films
A visual presentation of Merseyside social enterprises
9.50-10.20 Short presentations from social enterprises (2),
10.20-11.30 Andrew Simms, New Economic Foundation
The Big Society, the new mutualism: opportunities and threats in the UK
11.00-11.15 Response from our visitors
11.15-11.30 Tea and coffee
11.30-11.40 Cllr Patrick Hurley – Liverpool City Council
Co-operative councils
11.40-12.30 Colin Crooks – CEO Green Works UK practice overview
Response (5 mins) from our visitors
12.30-1.30 Lunch and networking
1.30-1.45 Introduction to the afternoon: Pete North, Molly Scott Cato
1.45-3.30 World Café Section- – tea and coffee available
3.30-4.00 Marcelo, Dario and Heloisa – response from Latin America: SEN response: (5-10 min each), what are the issues?
4.00-5.00 participatory process/discussion led by Pete, Molly and Marcelo: where are we going from here?
5.00pm Close
Monday, 7 November 2011
Questions, questions
• How we can create enjoyable, socially-inclusive, democratically managed jobs, enterprises, co-operatives and other forms of formal and informal economic organisation in a climate and resource constrained world?
• How do we define what it means to live the sort of life we want to live, while understanding that climate change and resource constraint issues need to be recognised?
• How do we identify what we need and what we should produce?
• What is enjoyable, convivial, democratically-controlled work, as opposed to exploitative useless toil?
• How do we maintain and enable to flourish that which we hold in common and all depend on: wider ecosystems, social services, civic life, community?
• What does it mean to create wealth, to be entrepreneurial? How can we develop new, social and collective understandings of wealth creation?
• Are markets always capitalist, always illogical, prone to crisis and unequal rewards – or good allocation mechanisms? Can we reconfigure markets so they work to different rhythms?
• Can we change the world without taking power? What are the possibilities and limits of grassroots action? Is this a naïve suggestion?
• What is the role of the state? Can the state facilitate, rather than co-opt, grassroots action? Should we change the world by taking power? Do social democratic models in Scandinavian countries get the ballence beween civil society and a supportive state, underpin by public spending, right?
• Are social democratic governments better or worse at working with civil society, without co-opting them? Paradoxically, are there more opportunities for grassroots change under neoliberal governments where citizens are expected to fend for themselves more? Or in the latter case, is this just a cover for privatisation, with social/solidarity economy organisations being set up to fail?
• What are the best conceptual and theoretical tools for thinking these issues through?
• How do we define what it means to live the sort of life we want to live, while understanding that climate change and resource constraint issues need to be recognised?
• How do we identify what we need and what we should produce?
• What is enjoyable, convivial, democratically-controlled work, as opposed to exploitative useless toil?
• How do we maintain and enable to flourish that which we hold in common and all depend on: wider ecosystems, social services, civic life, community?
• What does it mean to create wealth, to be entrepreneurial? How can we develop new, social and collective understandings of wealth creation?
• Are markets always capitalist, always illogical, prone to crisis and unequal rewards – or good allocation mechanisms? Can we reconfigure markets so they work to different rhythms?
• Can we change the world without taking power? What are the possibilities and limits of grassroots action? Is this a naïve suggestion?
• What is the role of the state? Can the state facilitate, rather than co-opt, grassroots action? Should we change the world by taking power? Do social democratic models in Scandinavian countries get the ballence beween civil society and a supportive state, underpin by public spending, right?
• Are social democratic governments better or worse at working with civil society, without co-opting them? Paradoxically, are there more opportunities for grassroots change under neoliberal governments where citizens are expected to fend for themselves more? Or in the latter case, is this just a cover for privatisation, with social/solidarity economy organisations being set up to fail?
• What are the best conceptual and theoretical tools for thinking these issues through?
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Jose Luis Coraggio

Heloisa Primavera

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