A workshop on the sustainability aspect of the solidarity economy was held at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) on April 22, 2024, in Budapest. The Culture Club @ ELTE TáTK organized the workshop to increase awareness and understanding of sustainability among college, master’s, and PhD students. CzechGlobe’s Elif Tugba Simsek had the opportunity to participate as a discussant.
The ELTE Culture Club’s workshop began with a discussion on the meaning and various aspects of the solidarity economy. The solidarity economy has multiple definitions, reflecting the diversity of local experiences, cultures, and political and economic realities. RIPESS defines the solidarity economy as an alternative system that encompasses not only economic but also socio-political and cultural aspects. It places life-sustaining processes at the center of socio-economic activities, prioritizing people, communities, and the environment over capital accumulation. This system is founded on the principles of cooperation, reciprocity, and self-management, and it opposes unequal relations and exclusion based on gender, sexual orientation, identity, age, or origin.
The solidarity economy is grounded in locally rooted, globally networked initiatives, aiming to create a solidarity economy ecosystem. Indeed, over the past thirty years, there has been a significant rise in solidarity-based economic practices worldwide. These economic practices include, though are not limited to, cooperatives, commons, community-based organizations, community forest management, fair trade activities, and other forms of joint ownership and management.
The increase in solidarity-based economic practices can be attributed to several factors, including the growing number of individuals affected by worsening living conditions and increased poverty. Additionally, the destructive environmental impact of an extractive, intensive, and linear economic model has led to widespread pollution and climate change, prompting many to seek alternative economic solutions.
Based on this foundation, the workshop continued by exploring the sustainability aspect of the solidarity economy in more detail.
Sustainability in the solidarity economy is emphasized as integrating environmental, social, and economic considerations into all decision-making processes. This holistic approach ensures that economic activities are sustainable both environmentally and socially, and economically viable in the long term. It involves implementing methods that encourage the preservation of resources, ensure fairness among members of society, and foster a community’s ability to adapt and withstand challenges.
Thus, the workshop first discussed how solidarity economy organizations can reduce ecological impact and promote conservation by emphasizing their social and environmental goals over profit maximization, which makes them better suited to achieve these objectives.
Then, the social sustainability aspect of the solidarity economy was emphasized in the workshop. Social sustainability in the solidarity economy addresses social injustices, empowers communities, and fosters inclusivity. Collective ownership and decision-making are standard ways for solidarity economy organizations to achieve this. For instance, worker-owned cooperatives and community-controlled enterprises encourage members to make decisions and have democratic control of their organizations. Solidarity economy initiatives also actively involve local communities in decision-making and support community-driven projects and services.
Lastly, economic sustainability strategies within the solidarity economy were discussed in the workshop. Economic sustainability ensures long-term economic viability rather than short-term profit gains while prioritizing social and environmental outcomes in the solidarity economy. Examples include fair trade practices, cooperative ownership models, and ethical materials sourcing. Some of these strategies promote economic democracy, prioritizing equitable distribution of profits, reducing income inequality, and fostering local economic resilience.
The workshop concluded with more detailed examples of the solidarity economy practices and a Q&A section.
SustainableCZ 
Leave a comment