Social Solidarity Economy (SSE)

Uniqueness of the congress is aimed at bridge the gap between economic self help initiatives and the more politically oriented activists from other social movements. An interactive learning and sharing experience createsStronger social commitment.

A Paddy field ready for Harvest, managed by Collective farming By small farmers

Different names given on SSE in the Indian context..

• Self Help Groups

• Self Affinity Groups

• women empowerment groups

• income generation groups

• micro credit groups

• micro finance groups

• Community Business Development Initiative etc.

In practice all these words brings same meaning and similar approaches.

Red chillies on the field

Social Solidarity Economic Development implies change leading to improvement or progress. what constitutes “real” development is a normative or “value-laden" issue.

Socially positive economic development is similarly value-laden. It clearly involves change or transformations applied and Experienced by the community at large.

Social Solidarity Activities of any sort demands accountability, transparencyand value added democratic practices. It invites bottom up process rather than top down process

Social Solidarity Economy’s goal: Socially committed economic development is to achieve a set of social goals, which may change over time and which therefore make" economic development” a moving target to some extent.

(1)An advance in the “utility” which the individuals in society experience.Utility here simply means “satisfaction” or “well-being” a majorcontributing factor to advances in well being is higher income per capita.

(2) Preservation of existing freedoms and advances in freedoms where existing ones are inadequate.

The freedoms relate to freedom from ignorance, from poverty and from squalor.

Positively, social solidarity economic development involves advances in knowledge, capability, choice, and decision-making and poverty alleviations.

(3) Self-esteem, self-respect, collective bargain in economic, social and political power sectors.

READ has assisted Minority communities to form 900 Self Help Groups with 18000 women members. 45 community business groups that hasBenefited 1200 people.

That a developing society is one in which a sense of independence is growing in solidarity. READ works in two states among 1million Population (900 villages) who are Dalits and other minorities in south India

Independence from money lenders, dominant class and power mongers. Independence brings collective consensus that is pro poor.READ has 4 federation of women’s Self Help Groups (3200 members)50 Clusters of Self Help Groups (14800 members)Have a share of 53% in rural banking institutions in 2 states (KarnatakaAnd Tamilnadu) with a total Rs.200 million savings by 900 groups.

To build an alternative strategy for SSE

To ensure that social solidarity economic growth is measured “properly” on the basis of historical experience, environmental protection has been comparatively" cheap” in terms of forgone economic growth.

Economy and environment needs to be looked as united forces for the holistic development that are replicable, adaptable andViable in by all means.

Our highest responsibility to work as a socially committed solidarity community to save environment and increase economic sustainability into the Global stage.

Youth leaders at a check dam constructed by their members

Most relevant economic movement of self help or resistance basis of solidarity in the Indian context

In seventies Oxfam supported community based organisations in India organized rural communities to form saving & thrift groups. To improve their economic status. Earlier Gandhian groups had formed “ Sarvodhya” Movement.

Causes: illiteracy, caste discrimination untouchability, Migration, Gender discrimination, unemployment, drought. Rational, atheist, anti Brahmin movements came into existence. Dalits, Tribals and minorities organized to protect their interest against the powerful and the high castes.

In eighties many CBOs & NGOs started Self Help Groups (SHGs) SHGs have become more Popular. India has more than 1.5 million self help groups (approx)

Since 7 years Community Business Development Initiative (CBDIs) Started by READ centre in south and few others north India with the support Of Community Business Scotland Network (CBSN) have become model forSocial Solidarity Economy.

Emergence, main objectives and target groups

To counter Challenge the oppressive economic & social Distribution Systems the poor were forced to organize themselves. They wanted to prove that they are credit Worthy and they too have equal right in the social economy of India.

Objective: build solidarity group that will bring new forms of Socially controlled and managed systems to protect and enhance the poor from Indebtedness, exploitation in all forms, social exclusion and prevent External forces that are anti- poor. To capacitate the community in Economic, social, environmental and political empowerment and self governance

Women of Self Help Group at their monthly meeting

Their solidarity in supporting, training, engendering socially committed groups in the rural and urban areas where majority community live on a hand to mouth living condition.

Farmers at a community built water tank for the livestock

A women owns this pettyShop as part of SSE

India’s response by the term “solidarity – based Economy”

India as a diversified subcontinent has a long history of social solidarity through its social - religious – cultural activities that were influencing local communities to work for the improvement of their local economy.

The poor and marginalised have greater role in enhancing new economic front through collective approaches in the name of “community banks, rural women banking, community business groups, akshaya foundation, Dr. Ambedkar Bank for Dalits, and Self Help or Self Affinity Groups” which can build the national economy up gradation.

An young girl leads her sheepfor grazing

India’s aim is to fulfill the common objective of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that are time bound, definitive that the state and central governments are forced to commit to achieve, but these should not be seen as the ultimate indicators for development. As against the rights based Minimum Development Goals and there is need for MDGs plus.

Future perspectives of the “solidarity based Economy” in India

Capacity building is a basic component that needs to be built into each and every programme, so that people are aware of their rights and are able to negotiate for a life with dignity and equity.

Poor should have access to the basic resources that they need; be empowered to prioritize their concerns and they can dojustice in combating poverty and hunger by themselves.

Integrate action with NGO, community and private sector partnerships with innovative ideas promoting sustainable rational approaches. Linkingpeople centered economic groups with local banks national financial institutions that they stand for value based democratic self good governance and human dignity.

Need for empowerment of local stakeholders and this includes Minorities, Women and disadvantaged groups.

Enabling all stakeholders with information and knowledge systems that break existing patterns of discrimination and deprivation will help to change the situation.

Social mobilization among communities in order to build Social Solidaritygroups in conservation of natural resources and in sanitation. Strengthen basic community for Political reform, the heart of all intervention.

we can meet our obligations to be fair to the next generation by leaving them an inheritance of wealth no less than we inherited.

Each generation “looks after” the one that follows. On the face of it, this solves one otherwise intractable problem of deciding how far into the future one needs to look in order to decide how “sustainable” development can go hand in hand through Social Solidarity Economic enhancements.

Presented by: Mr. Sam Chelladurai, Anekal Rehabilitation Education And Development (READ) Centre

Bangalore. India. Email: readcentre@yahoo.com

Thank you all.Long live Global Social Solidarity

Small Farmers Association After their regular meeting