Agenda

1. Canadian Social Economy Research PartnershipsCentre canadien de recherche partenariale en économie sociale

2. Agenda • Welcome by Rupert Downing, co-director • Brief overview of the CSERP • Research, benefits and challenges • Description of the work of the 6 nodes • Questions and Answers

3. Vision • To build collaboration between researchers and practitioners to better understand and encourage initiatives at the local, provincial and national levels so that the Social Economy and its related approaches will be more widely understood and applied in Canada. • To encourage the creation of an enabling environment for the Social Economy to thrive.

4. The Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships Consists of: • Six research centers • National Hub • Affiliated with 79 universities (Canadian and International). • Researchers come from 15 academic disciplines. • Over 140 partnering organizations.

5. The National Social Economy Hub Is co-managed by: • Dr. Ian MacPherson from the BC Institute for Co-operative Studies (BCICS) located at the University of Victoria. • Rupert Downing, Executive Director of the Canadian Community Development Network (CCEDNet), a national practitioner organization

6. Regional Research Centers • Atlantic/Mount Saint Vincent University • Québec/UQUAM • Southern Ontario/U of Toronto • Prairies and Northern Ontario/U of Sask • BC/Alberta/Center for Community Enterprise • Northern/Yukon College

7. Funded by • The Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council is providing funding over five years for the Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships. • The funding was part of the 2004 budget announcement in support of the Social Economy. • The universities and their community partners are also providing funds and in kind donations.

8. CSEHub Organisation

9. Applied Social Science Anthropology History Economics Education Community and Economic Development Environmental Studies Sociology Business Human Resource Management Psychology Public Administration Philosophy Nursing Natural Resource management Social Work Geography For example: Social Economy Researchers Belong to Many Academic Disciplines

10. Collaborators • Imagine Canada • University of Saskatchewan • Yukon College • Center for Community Enterprise • Carleton University CEDTap Program • Canadian Co-operative Council • University of Toronto • Council for the advancement of Native Development Officers • Canadian Co-operative Association • Conseil canadien de la coopération • National Research Chair on the Social Economy • Centre International de Recherches sur L’economie Collectives CIRIEC • Université de Québec á Montréal • Mount St. Vincent University • Canadian Women’s CED Council • L’alliance de recherche universités-communautés en economie sociale (ARUC-ES) • Le Chantier de l’ économie sociale

11. Community/University Research Partnership • A co-management model with practitioners and researchers working together to set research topics and make decisions on how the research will be conducted. • A focus on research that leads to public policy change to support Social Economy organisations, promotes innovation and provides tools for practitioners.

12. Activities • Research on topics not covered by the regional centers ie. Mutuals, K-12 curriculum, • Web based bibliography on the Social Economy. • Social Economy Student Network • Telelearning sessions for practitioners on Social Economy research. • Regular e-bulletins to inform practitioners, governments and researchers on SE developments. • Portraiture facilitating committee - exploring common survey instruments • Public policy facilitating committee - establishing research priority for public policy input • Occasional Papers and publications on the research

13. First World CIRIEC Research Conference on the Social Economy Strengthening and Building Communities: The Social Economy in a Changing World Organized jointly by the Canadian Social Economy Hub, CIRIEC International and CIRIEC Canada. October 22-25, 2007 • Themes: • The Social Economy in Communities: An International View • The Social Economy Facing Globalization • The Social Economy and Governance • The Social Economy Facing the Reconfiguration of the State

14. For More Information Visit: • www.socialeconomyhub.ca • www.centreeconomiesociale.ca

15. What is the Social Economy “The Social Economy consists of association-based economic initiatives founded on values of: • Service to members of community rather than generating profits. • Autonomous management (not government or market controlled); • Democratic decision making; • Primacy of persons and work over capital; • Based on principles of participation, empowerment.

16. SE Organizations are usually defined by these indicators. 1. formal voluntary association of people or collective bodies 2. carrying on an economic activity 3. social rules prohibiting or limiting distribution of surpluses among members 4. democratic governance process 5. Empowerement of members, participants

17. Main research themes across the Research Partnerships • Mapping/portrait of the Social Economy. • Building Capacity and Developing the Social Economy. • Public Policy and Governance. • Innovation. • Communication and Demonstrating Value. • The impact of Social Economy Organizations. • Management. • Other themes based from faith based projects to food security, housing, corporate behavior etc.

18. Benefits of the research • Opportunity to highlight the contribution of the Social Economy organisations to local economic development. • Strengthening of identity among Social Economy organisations. • Public policy formulation to support Social Economy organisations. • Awareness of the role that values and mission have in economic activity beyond social economy organisations

19. The Social Economy and Innovation • Models of Social Accounting, Environmental Accounting and non-Financial Performance Measurement. • The value of Social Economy organisations at the local, regional, national level including their impact in rural development. • Financing for Social Economy organisations.

20. Challenges: • Definition of the Social Economy • Who is in and who is out of the definition • Terminology: l’économie sociale et solidaire, Solidarity economy, social enterprise and community economic development • Involvement of practitioners in research

21. Translating research to public policy and best practice for practitioners/acteurs. • The Social Economy and rural revitalization. • The Social Economy facing globalization. • Relating current public policy discussions on: sustainability, poverty reduction, fair trade, ethical purchasing and environmental awareness.

22. Question • How can we secure public interest in the Social Economy and its contributions?