The Intercontinental Network for the promotion of Social Solidarity Economy, RIPESS LAC, is a collective and global response from social and solidarity economy networks and movements to the economic, social, and ecological inequalities of the dominant capitalist system. Social Protection includes public policies such as cash transfers, subsidies, employment programs, access to education and health, housing, and social security itself, which contribute to improving the quality of life and reducing social and economic gaps.

Social Protection is aimed at specific vulnerable groups (children, the elderly, persons with disabilities, etc.), as well as broader universal coverage. Social security is a right and a fundamental pillar to ensure a dignified life and social justice.

In a global context of deepening inequalities, weakening public systems, and advancing neoliberal policies that commodify life, the Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS LAC) raises its voice to demand Social Protection that emerges from the people, from solidarity and justice, and is universal.

Social Protection cannot be seen as a privilege or a market commodity; it is a fundamental human right, essential for guaranteeing dignified living conditions for all. However, millions still live without access to healthcare, pensions, education, housing, basic income, or care, especially in the Global South, rural areas, and marginalized territories.

From social solidarity economy, we propose another way of understanding and constructing social protection: from the ground up, from organized communities, cooperatives, mutual aid groups, care networks, and feminist economies.

We propose:

  • The universalization of social protection as an inalienable right, without exclusion based on employment status, age, or migration status.
  • The recognition of unpaid and community work, especially that carried out by women and diverse groups in spaces of care and life-sustaining activities.
  • The need for fair financing, based on wealth redistribution rather than precarization of labor or privatization of rights.
  • The participatory and democratic management of social protection systems, with the active involvement of social movements, Indigenous peoples, and organized territories.

Faced with the collapse of the model based on accumulation and disposability, we affirm that social security is not an expense: it is an investment in a dignified life, collective resilience, social peace, and planetary sustainability.

From the Social Protection Commission of RIPESS LAC, we call on states, international organizations, and social economy networks to build together a new global solidarity pact. Because another economy is possible, and so is another form of social security—one that cares, includes, and empowers.

Regional Steering Council – CDR
Social Protection Commission
RIPESS LAC