Schear, Boone

There is a huge overlap between the Solidarity Economy and the Commons. We look forward to exploring commonalities and differences, co-developing a shared language/analysis, and strengthening real world connections between these movements. The Solidarity Economy (SE) is a global movement to build an economy and world that centers the well being of people and planet. It is a framework that connects solidarity economy practices that align with its values of solidarity, participatory democracy, equity in all dimensions, sustainability and pluralism (many paths), to express and realize a post-capitalist vision. SE Practices exist in all sectors of the economy, with practices that are old (even ancient) and new, alternative and mainstream. SE embraces the commons, as well as include worker co-ops, mutual aid, unpaid care work, peer lending, credit unions, public banking, community land trusts, co-op housing, food co-ops, social currencies, and participatory budgeting. The solidarity economy provides a framework to connect up these currently siloed practices so that we begin to perceive them as a system rather than nice, but isolated, experiments. There’s a huge foundation to build on—and the Commons is a critical, core backbone. This session will be a panel discussion following a "fishbowl" process.