I. VISION

An alternative, compassionate economy built up through solidarity and cooperation by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) who are motivated by the social responsibility of achieving the common goal of sustainable development rather than by perverse competition for self-gain and aggrandizement.

CSRSME Asia’s vision is to create an economy different from the traditional economy we have today where profit and personal gain are the primary motivations. This alternative economy will build on the Filipino value of “bayanihan” or “solidarity”, by forging synergistic relationships among socially responsible enterprises, investors and consumers. Social responsibility is the key motivator for this alternative economy, with its triple bottom line of people (social development), planet (environmental justice), and profit (economic sustainability and self-sufficiency) as development goals.

II. MISSION

} To offer a multi-stakeholder process that will increase the benefits of socially responsible consumption and promote market uptake of the products and services of socially responsible SMEs.

In order to achieve its vision, CSRSME Asia offers a process or methodology that will allow the various stakeholders of the economy to come together through dialogue and cooperation. The end result of this process is the co-creation by stakeholders of a supply (value) chain wherein enterprises, investors, consumers collaborate in pursuing not only socially responsible or ethical production, but also ethical consumption and investment, among others.

III. CORE VALUES

CSRSME Asia’s core values are:

  1. Good governance and stewardship – social responsibility begins with good stewardship and governance of the resources (human, material, natural) GOD has entrusted to us as HIS designated managers of the earth. Good governance and stewardship of resources are the result of victorious living of Christians on earth as well as a necessary condition for advancing God’s kingdom on earth.
  2. Socially responsible consumption and investment – socially responsible investment brings about socially responsible production, and together with socially responsible consumption, these three elements constitute a socially responsible or ethical supply chain. Working together in solidarity or “bayanihan”, stakeholders in this supply chain find mutually beneficial solutions or answers to their common goals and aspirations.
  3. Self-reliance – empowering people by promoting financial stewardships among communities and organizations, through instilling in them the habit of saving to generate investment in socially responsible enterprises.

IV. BETWEEN REALITY AND VISION: WHERE ARE WE AT PRESENT?

Incorporated in September 2004, CSRSME Asia forcefully promoted the concept of solidarity economy among its immediate sphere of influence, but the concept was not quite understood initially. Bringing the concept closer to the Filipino culture, CSRSME Asia began in 2005 to use the term “bayanihan compassionate economy” in lieu of “solidarity economy” which meant the same thing only that the former takes on a more local flavour and mingles well with the Philippine psyche. From then on CSRSME Asia organized various learning journeys, conferences and forums aimed at building a national network of stakeholders that could translate the enormous vision into implementable tasks.

Little did it dawn on the CSRSME Asia founders that theirs was a pioneering initiative, the first of its kind that systematically promotes “solidarity economy” in the Philippines. International organizations working on solidarity economy in other continents gradually assimilated CSRSME Asia into their fold. In 2005, CSRSME Asia became involved with the Workgroup on Social Solidarity Economy (WSSE) in Paris, the Ethical Certification and Labelling (ECL) in Switzerland, and the Solidarity Finance Workgroup in Paris.

This trend continued in subsequent years. CSRSME Asia became a member of the UNIDO Small and Medium Enterprise Working Group (SME-WG) in Vienna, the International Association of Investors in Solidarity Economy (INAISE) in Belgium, the Global Social Performance Task Force (SPTF) in Washington DC, USA., the International Association for the Promotion of Social Solidarity Economy (RIPESS) in Peru, the Alliance for a Responsible Plural and Solidarity Economy (ALOE) in Paris, and the Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) in the Philippines.

In short, CSRSME Asia’s attention got sidetracked from the immediate task of establishing a national network of solidarity economy or BCE stakeholders. In 2006, CSRSME Asia once more renewed efforts towards building the national network by launching the monthly Bayanihan Learning Journey with local partner organizations. But these efforts were soon overcome by a compelling demand for an international gathering of solidarity economy stakeholders in Asia.

In October 2007, CSRSME Asia organized the Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy, the first event of its kind in Asia. This gave CSRSME Asia the status of being the first to promote solidarity economy formally and systematically in continental Asia. Inevitably, tension built up between CSRSME Asia’s commitment locally (i.e building a national network of practitioners) and its growing role as a think tank in continental Asia

During the first Regional Workshop on Social Finance for SMEs with CSR Agenda in Bangkok, Thailand in October 2008, CSRSME Asia and its international partners reached the consensus to co-create the Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy (AASE). AASE was mulled to be based in Malaysia at the second Regional Workshop on Social Finance for SMEs with CSR Agenda held in Kuala Lumpur in March 2009. This consensus sealed the fate of CSRSME Asia as the think tank group on solidarity economy in continental Asia, while AASE represents the practitioners network that will continue the liaison work with international partner organizations.

V. THE WAY AHEAD: WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

The Think Tank Group ….

First, CSRSME Asia has to consolidate its resources to effectively carry out its think tank role. Capitalizing on its core competencies, CSRSME Asia positions itself to build up the following components of its services in support of its think tank role:

Ø IT services, includes web hosting, portal development and e-commerce;

Ø eForum, for online exchange of ideas and experience sharing among local and international partners; and

Ø the Social Entrepreneurship Development Program (SEDP), which will develop a professional team of trainers and consultants who will facilitate the conduct of the SEDP and its 3 modules: Building Shared Vision, Fundamentals of Financial Stewardship, and Supply Chain Management.

In order to carry out this role, CSRSME Asia has to set up a think tank group that will develop new/ innovative concepts, ideas, designs and business models of solidarity economy. The SEDP is both the recruitment field as well as deployment area for trainers and consultants. The eForum is the larger field for deployment of the think tank group. And the IT services are the tools with which CSRSME Asia engages the world.

And the BCE Practitioners Network …

The second front of CSRSME Asia thrust is the continuation of its initial effort of consolidating the national partner organizations into a practitioners network. The practitioners network will serve as the implementer of the concepts, designs and business models formulated by the Think Tank Group. The practitioners network is expected to implement the supply chain management system, the concept of which is included in the SEDP.

CSRSME Asia as the Think Tank Group and the Practitioners’ Network share the same vision, that of building up solidarity economy. While CSRSME Asia positions itself as the think tank group for continental Asia, the Philippine Practitioners’ Network will represent the Philippines in the Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy.

On April 3, 2009 the long-time Philippine partner organizations of CSRSME Asia met and arrived at a consensus to develop an organizational machinery that will take concrete measures to realize Bayanihan Compassionate Economy (BCE). A follow up meeting in May 8, 2009 took the step further of establishing the Bayani-Juan Multi Purpose Cooperative to serve as the national BCE practitioners network.

CSRSME Asia and the Bayani-Juan Multi-Purpose Cooperative will work in synergy on 4 areas:

  1. Systems/Programs – CSRSME will design the programs and systems, while BJMPC will implement them.
  2. Supply Chain Management – CSRSME will test and qualify possible products and the enterprises that produce them, while BJMPC will mobilize the funds needed for investment and the consumer base for the products.
  3. Human Resource Development (HRD) – CSRSME will train and evaluate trainers and prospective stakeholders, while BJMPC will hire people and elect officers that have been trained by CSRSME to ensure that everybody shares the same vision.
  4. Organizational Development (OD) – CSRSME will continuously expand its network of partners, while BJMPC will be responsible for the expansion of the cooperative’s membership.

Quo Vadis: Two Choices for SEDP Trainees

Essentially, therefore, SEDP trainees will have opportunities for serving both in the Think Tank Group (CSRSME Asia) and the BCE practitioners network (Bayani-Juan MPC), or specialize in one of them. It normally takes a year for a trainee to determine which role is most suitable for him/her.

Our Logo

The three circles in our logo represent a tri-dimensional perspective. The first perspective portrays three people, seen from above, working together in solidarity.

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Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy Web Portal

The global/long term objective of the AA4SE Portal is to amplify policies and programs that support the advancement of solidarity economy in Asia.  Solidarity economy is a people and eco-centered approach to governance of the processes of production, financing, and distribution of goods and services.

More specifically, the AA4SE Web Portal seeks to:

1. Encourage a systematic documentation of solidarity economy (SE) initiatives in Asia in order to and in articulating a uniquely asian SE perspectives based on an analysis of current realities of the Asian socio-economics contexts. This involves a mapping of SE initiatives and proponents in Asian countries in order to establish a base from which to build both knowledge and best practices and an advocacy and resource network.

2. Facilitate/promote cooperation among solidarity economy in Asia, and between them and the supportive international community. The AA4SE portal is a means for sustaining the dialogue among SE stakeholders initiated through the Asian Forum for Solidarity Economy. It serves as the focal point for achieving continuity in and of information exchange and experience sharing on solidarity economy in Asia.

3. Promote and sustain networking and alliance building among various organizations and networks involved in the dynamics of solidarity economy. The AA4SE portal is a means for facilitating the development of SE supply chains and other forms of socio-economic and the Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy (AA4SE) Portal will offer eRegistration, Member Verification (Member profile), social networking (blogs, foums), eBulletin, Call for Proposals (information on available funding for relevant projects), among other eservices. Over time, more eServices will be added to that roster, giving users the option to transact with AA4SE at their own convenience.