Asian Alliance for Solidarity Economy

By Martine Theveniaut, General Manager of the Pactes Locaux

Octobre 2009

Pactes Locaux started in 1998 as an informal network of people and organisations.

- A way of thinking and being “among peers”: this involves neither evaluation not judgement of others, nor any external posturing, and enables a genuine sharing and reflection on our experience as practitioners

- Critical well-intentioned observation: to mutually help distance ourselves and others from our practice, to improve, compare, become more effective and powerful in our actions, to start afresh…

… all allow us to build a shared framework of reference for action as we go down the road.

In 2005, the Collective became an officially registered NGO.

The objective: “Develop and provide services that help to promote, consolidate, improve and link all forms of co-operation aimed a supporting change in territorial and human environment” (article 2 of the statutes of the NGO).

A pool of human resources.

- Voluntary contribution and participation.

- Different themes based on individual expertise and practical know-how: social cohesion, local development, solidarity economy, social territorial dialogue, tourism and territory, sustainable development, democracy and citizen’s participation, interculturality, evaluation.

- Permanent group dynamics and moderation

- A collaborative empowered group with no headquarters

- Regional branches or resource-people, affiliated NGOs, trusted by the other members, empowered to act.

Different configurations for co-operating:

- Based on territorial anchorage/grounding

- Based on a specific theme related to a territorial approach

⇒ Examples

1st regional preparatory meeting for Lux09: France Joubert:

A complete cycle of territorial innovation, up and running since 1985, aimed at maintaining and creating project-based employment.

- The tools: Employers groups, a “helpful” law in 1985, followed by the Planned Management of Territories and an Employment, Employer’s Group Resource Centre. This was created as a prototype in 1999, and has now been disseminated in 7 regions in France, with an uptake at European level in 2008. Contact: http://www.crge.com

- Promoting a concept: social territorial dialogue opened a 4th level of negotiation and gained official recognition in a report by the Economic Social and Environmental Council (an official French Institution), in July 2009.

- “Crossroads for Social Innovation and Employment”, is a unique regional tool in France: it is an association bringing together both trade union and employers’ representatives for social dialogue before negotiations on key questions like aging work force, seasonal jobs etc. Although officially part of the Regional Governmental and Territorial Plan since 1999, there is still resistance to changing traditional institutional habits…handing over power is a difficult step.

“ The joint development of tools that enable people to work together on the same subjects is a 20-year journey, with markers along the way. Our ideas are clearer today: the pact is a contract and the local is the territory. This is the level where it is possible to regulate employment. When we scale up, we are talking to the same people, but their attitude has changed. The problem of exclusion is too serious. The elected representatives have stepped down from their pedestal. They need other people. Obstacles havebeen removed, and globalisation is the name of the game.”

France Joubert, 1st regional preparatory meeting for Lux09, Poitiers, December 2007

Languedoc-Roussillon (South of France), the BASE Sud-Audois, created as an independent initiative of local civil society in 2000

The Office for Solidarity Action in the South Audois Area contributes to local economic development by a strategy of solidarity and sharing of experience.

- They operate with a mandate conferred by a Public/Private Local Authority-related management structure of the Haute Vallée de l’Aude District.

- A demographic survey: Human Resources and New Residents in the District (2003).

Directory of Solidarity Initiatives (2005).

- A local Forum: exchange of experiences: « Nothing to sell, our currency is exchange

»: brought together 32 self-employed people and collectives who had stands to exchange on their respective learning journeys (June 2007)

- An interactive web site created in 2008, (www.base-sud-audois) informs, invites people to contribute, and encourages people to get together. 350 different visitors per month (2009).

- Regional branch of the Pactes Locaux since 2008.

- Peter Wollny (President) and Martina Wollny (general secretary).

- Contact: pw@base-sud-audois.fr

Lower Normandy: Géraldine Lechevalier: How to maintain the elderly in their home environment and within the framework of their local relationships. Age is not an illness or a commodity.

- President of «Myosotis» an NGO (created in 1997) providing services to people

- Diploma in caring for the sick and elderly (Accreditation of experience…).

- Collaborative research-action on how to change attitudes and professional practice

Regional branch – Contact: geraldine.lechevalier@wanadoo.fr

Midi-Pyrénées: Judith Hitchman, international conference interpreter, committed to “cross-cultural communication in the service of peace”

- Practical knowledge of peasant agriculture and food sovereignty and “language of alternatives” (Social Fora, Via Campesina, URGENCI…)

- Involved in the Collective for the International Solidarity Week in Tarbes

- Resource person – Contact: hitchman@club-internet.fr

2nd regional meeting in Auvergne: responsible tourism, a laboratory for greater solidarity, co-operation and culture in territorial economy. Alain Laurent

This meeting was organised by Alain Laurent of Beira-CFP and the Pactes Locaux. It was hosted by Jean-Claude Mairal, Vice-President of the Regional Government for the Auvergne region. It took place in May 2008.

- It catalysed 20 years of reflection and action.

- It created a space for dialogue and new forms of relationships between stakeholders in the tourist sector, the region as well as international co-operation networks and structures.

- It enabled all the actors the consider the issues of inhabitants and territory (publication of a collective work entitled “Responsible Tourism, the key to sustainable territorial development”, published by Chronique Sociale, 2009)

- In the following months (2009), it contributed to defining a French governmental strategy for co-operation with developing countries (ex-colonies in particular) under the heading “Responsible Tourism and Territories”.

Principles have provided a framework that validates or prepare an across-the-board, interministerial public action.

Constitution of TERritoires_RESponsables in 2009.

One outcome of this meeting, the NGO TER_RES brings together committed experienced individuals, as well as representatives of different families of actors, businesses, consumers, citizens, and organised local inhabitants

- The project is managed and co-ordinated by Alain Laurent, initiator of the approach, supported by the University of Toulouse. The first UNI_TERRES (Open University project on Responsible Territories) is scheduled to be held in autumn 2010.

- It proposes a bespoke and holistic approach to methodological project management.

- There is an international referential that takes the reality and rhythm of each territoryinto account.

- It aims to provide an accreditation for quality and territorial responsibility through a System of Collective Guarantees. (Collective Guarantee System)

- It is based on the choice of a dominant theme: responsible tourism (sustainable, solidarity, eco- cultural…)

- Contact: territoiresresponsables@orange.fr

- There is a particularly strong partnership between TER_RES and the Pactes Locaux

« Ultimately, making a pact…is a declaration of collective ability to do things…it involves organising to find solutions to needs. It is also realising that united we stand in strength when we undertake an action. Finally the Pactes Locaux are the premises of a collective approach to work for today’s and tomorrow’s society ».

Contacts for the Pactes Locaux: France Joubert, President: + 33 (0)6 70 00 14 67

francejoubert@wanadoo.fr

Martine Theveniaut, General Manager Telephone + 33 (0)4 68 69 92 88

martine.theveniaut4@orange.fr

Address: 5 rue de Cadène, F- 11580 Alet-les-Bains

English translation: Judith Hitchman.

by: Yvon Poirier,  Silent March of The Invisible Force, Sarvodaya Action Research Centre, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, September 2008, 248 p

In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Association for Serva Seva Farms (ASSEFA) of India published a collection of various articles about its activities in a book with a revealing title: Silent March of the Invisible Force.

In March 2008, this Gandhian inspired movement was composed of 9,766 villages in 8 different states of India. Altogether there are 803,000 families, over 3.5 million people, who benefit from the many activities of ASSEFA. By 2010, it is expected that over 1 million families will be involved in the movement.

In this article it is not possible to describe in detail all the activities ASSEFA. We are presenting a set of elements that give an idea of the work which has been accomplished since 2002, when Yvon Poirier first conducted a site visit. We wish to invite readers to consult Newsletters #4 and 12 to get a better idea what has been achieved in the past 7 years.

Vision: A Holistic Approach

At the beginning in 1968, the purpose was to help the landless to create villages on land obtained by the Gandhi movement. In the beginning, ASSEFA worked for the villagers. In the next step ASSEFA worked with everyone, including the poor. For the past 15 years, it is more appropriate to speak of development by the people, in which the association is involved with planning and support. This approach is holistic and aims to create self-sufficient and sustainable villages.

The concept of trustee is at the heart of the principles that prevail. « Everyone should live on this Mother Earth as a Trustee with all that he has and acquires for the benefit of the community in which he lives.” Therefore, ASSEFA puts its trust in the community and the villagers. They are free to organize themselves, manage money and material resources in order to obtain mutual benefit, and if possible to benefit the nearby villages.

Micro-finance: an empowerment tool for women

The organization of villages rests largely on women’s self-help groups (SHGs). In March 2008, there were 32,000 SHGs bringing together 500,000 women in 113 Sarvodoya Mutual Benefit Trusts (SMBT). In 1996, SMBT became owners of Sarvodaya Nano Finance Limited, a financial institution recognized by the Bank of India. Therefore, micro-finance has been the property of women since 1998. It is managed by them, with the help from ASSEFA professionals. In 2008, there were 172,000 women who received loans. The repayment rate was 99.66%!

In this holistic approach, ASSEFA ensures that villages can meet their needs: health, education, housing, income-generating activities (such as milk production, small businesses, direct sales of agricultural products in markets, etc.).

Building social cohesion

A major emphasis is the building of peace in the communities. As we stated in 2005, ASSEFA with the contributions of organizations in Europe and the support of various Nobel Peace Prize recipients, including the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Mairead Corrigan Maguire of Ireland and Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar, has obtained that the UN General Assembly declare “2001-2010 International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World.” This training is integrated into the ASSEFA school curriculum.

Community weddings are another important activity that has been introduced in recent years. In India, marriage remains an important institution. Beyond the two people, it is a sacred rite that unites two families. However, most marriages are arranged. Although this is a festive event, for many poor families it is a financial disaster. Even if bringing a dowry has been illegal since 1961 in India, it remains the norm. Therefore community marriages, which simultaneously unite Hindu, Muslim and Christian couples do not just promote respect among religions but also strengthen the community and the fight against poverty. With the assistance of WSHGs organizing such marriages reduces the cost to concerned families by 50%. In January and February, 2006 in 7 villages of Tamil Nadu (a state in southern India), 340 couples were married and 49,000 people attended the celebrations. Involving the villagers puts in place the conditions to help the newlyweds, if needed. « In short, the community wedding becomes a potent tool to build social cohesion and self-help villages.”

Prospects for the next 40 years

The priority remains to achieve social and economic justice, and create prosperous villages. Even if the “empowerment of the most vulnerable is a «work in progress» in every society, while sustainability is no longer just a matter of the survival of projects and organisations but must be a global concern; and our ability to understand the implication of inter-dependence may be the key factor in determining whether humanity survives the next century”.

Globalization worsens the gap between rich and poor worldwide and within each country. “The post-petroleum economy opens new opportunities but will create dislocations and real pain for many people. Without effective means to manage the global economy and ensure that people’s basic needs are met, including adjusting to changes in our environment, a secure future for humanity is at risk.”