The Intercontinental Network for the Promotion of the Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) will be present at the 103rd Social Week organised by the Mouvement Ouvrier Chrétien (MOC), which will take place on 16 and 17 April in Charleroi (Belgium).

Sandra Moreno, Executive Secretary of RIPESS, will take part in this important forum for reflection, offering an intercontinental perspective on the social and solidarity economy (SSE).

What is the MOC?

The MOC is a historic social movement in Belgium that brings together trade unions, mutual societies, educational bodies and associations, including the Mutualité Chrétienne (MC), the Confédération des Syndicats Chrétiens (CSC) and the Centre d’Information et d’Éducation Populaire (CIEP), alongside numerous regional networks.

Its mission is to build a collective response that reaffirms the principles of equality, justice and democracy, the fundamental pillars of the social movement, based on local roots and the real needs expressed by citizens.

Rethinking the economy in the face of the crisis of capitalism

The Social Week is organised under a clear premise: neoliberal capitalism, focused exclusively on profit, continues to generate a devastating dynamic of overexploitation of resources, human labour and all living things. In its cultural dimension, moreover, it seeks to colonise the imagination and reduce horizons to a consumerist and technocratic logic devoid of meaning.

Despite the accumulation of crises, GDP growth remains the dominant indicator, rendering other ways of measuring well-being invisible. In this context, a critical reflection emerges: the more capitalism weakens, the more aggressive it becomes.

The social and solidarity economy as a real alternative

Against this backdrop, the social and solidarity economy presents itself as a concrete, historical and already existing alternative. Driven largely by the labour movement, it has enabled a response to the needs of the working classes from an emancipatory perspective.

In Belgium, the SSE accounts for around 12% of employment and mobilises more than one million volunteers, establishing itself as a key pillar of economic and social life. Internationally, its role is increasingly recognised as a driving force for solidarity, equity and sustainability.

A space to build post-capitalist horizons

This 103rd edition, the third part of a trilogy launched in 2024, invites us to reflect collectively on a central question:

how can we develop the social economy as a desirable alternative to the capitalist model, from the grassroots and with the public, from an emancipatory, solidarity-based, egalitarian and ecologically sustainable perspective?

The event follows on from the 2023 MOC Congress, which aimed to open up a post-capitalist, internationalist and avant-garde path.

Programme

The 103rd Social Week offers a rich and diverse programme combining theoretical analysis, the sharing of concrete experiences and participatory sessions. Over two days, the event will address the transformations of capitalism, the historical role of the social and solidarity economy, as well as existing territorial and sectoral alternatives.

RIPESS, represented by Sandra Moreno, Executive Secretary of RIPESS, will participate in the session:

“The social and solidarity economy from an intercontinental perspective”

🗓 16 April | 3.30pm – 4.00pm

Her presentation will address the importance of networking, both nationally and internationally, as a fundamental strategy for strengthening the social and solidarity economy. This approach facilitates the exchange of good practices, capacity building and the development of coordinated advocacy actions, aimed at achieving regulatory progress and favourable frameworks for the SSE.

Furthermore, Sandra Moreno will emphasise the importance of defending and promoting multilateralism in a global context marked by multiple crises, highlighting the role of international networks in building collective responses.

The programme also includes:

  • Conferences on capitalism, post-capitalism and the social economy
  • International experiences (Argentina, the United Kingdom, among others)
  • Thematic workshops (gender, food, housing, self-management, financing, decent work, alternative indicators)
  • Panels on the role of the state and new perspectives such as ‘care’
  • Spaces for exchange between social, academic and local actors

Practical information

The event will take place at the CEME (Charleroi Espace Meeting Européen) – Rue des Français 147, 6020 Charleroi

Official event website: https://www.moc.be/evenements/leconomie-sociale-pour-depasser-le-capitalisme/