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Global social and solidarity economy forum has become a major international event. Every two years, the GSEF entrusts its organisation to a host city. In 2025, after Seoul, Montreal, Bilbao, Mexico City and Dakar, the French city of Bordeaux will host the 7th edition of the Forum from 29 to 31 October.
Each edition of this Forum :
- pursues a political objective by bringing together elected representatives and leaders from all over the world, international experts, development agencies, networks and players in the field who are committed to promoting this economy centred on people and respect for the environment. A final declaration sets out the political commitments made and translates them into a roadmap for the next two years.
- encourages exchanges of experience and expertise across all continents. Successful innovations led by local governments and all players involved in the SSE are highlighted through a dense, co-constructed programme.
In addition to the presentations and discussions, the Forum will extend over time and space, thanks to regional itineraries, as well as a cultural programme and a showcase for the SSE for all, participants and the general public alike.
The scientific committee, made up of national and international researchers and players, has defined a general theme opening the door to various sub-themes, the content of which will be fed by contributions from all over the world.
GENERAL THEME:
“The SSE, a precondition for a just transition towards resilient territories1 and the well-being of their inhabitants“
The Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) has a major role to play in the just transition to strengthen the resilience of territories and the well-being of their inhabitants. tHIS is the main lesson from the Covid-19 crisis, in which the SSE demonstrated its ability to maintain social cohesion and provide essential services, as well as the contribution recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in its resolution of 18 April 2023 on the promotion of the SSE towards sustainable development.
This economy is characterized by the primacy of people and social or environmental objectives over profit, by democratic or participative governance, and by the principles of cooperation and mutual aid. This makes it particularly well adapted to the ecological and social transformations of our systems, redefining wealth and building sustainable, democratic and inclusive societies. To achieve these ambitious goals, it needs to mobilize citizens more broadly, receive greater support and be at the core of major coalitions between private and public players, social classes and countries in both southern and northern countries.
The Global Social and Solidarity Economy Forum, to be held in Bordeaux from 29 to 31 October 2025, will be an important step on the path towards achieving the sustainable development goals.
With 5 years to go before the 2030 Agenda, the Forum should enable us to bring together civil society and territories to move forward, address decision-makers and accelerate the transition.
This is especially crucial given the many threats facing the world today: wars, authoritarian regimes, economic disorder, social conflict, ecological disasters and so on. We need to show that another world is possible and already exists. The SSE carries a new narrative that belongs to citizens to write through their initiatives.
Contributions should be particularly attentive to :
- integrate an international dimension, in particular North/South dialogue
- mobilize young people, who are one of the main forces for change
- strengthen democracy and empowerment in our economies and societies
The deadline for submissions is 20 December, and they must relate to one of the themes below.
- Territory: a space which can be on different scales, covering various dimensions such as economic, political, cultural, geographic and demographic. ↩︎
SUB-THEMES
PART 1
ACTING FOR THE TERRITORIES
1. Just transition
- Commons, conflicts and democratic governance
- Ecological transition, nature based solutions and SSE sectors
- Agri-food systems, transition and sovereignty
- Energy transition equity
- Digital commons and data collection
2. Financing
- The blended finance of SSE (sponsorship, CSR, private sector/SSE partnerships, etc.)
- The role of public and local authorities in financing the SSE (subsidies, public procurement…)
- Sustainable finance and SSE (solidarity finance, impact finance, ethical finance, inclusive finance, etc.)
3. Co-construction and innovations of public policies
- Public sector/SSE partnerships, development of networks and public policies from local to international level
- Territorial Responsibility of Enterprises and place-based strategies
- International partnerships, NGOs and capacity-building
PART 2
ACTING FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS
4. Inclusive prosperity
- Solidarity, social justice and fight against inequalities
- Health, social protection and care services
- Dialogue construction, peace and migrations
5. Decent work
- The job guarantee and creating decent jobs
- From informal economies to SSE
- Workplace democracy
6. Empowerment
- Education, training and economic citizenship
- Gender and SSE
- Knowledge and capacities of vulnerable people
- Collective empowerment of young people
PART 3 (transversal)
FORESIGHT
7. Foresight and research
- Social innovations and participatory research
- Socio-environmental indicators, measuring and monitoring social impact and SSE
- Post-growth scenarios, utopias and SSE narratives
