Solidary Economy as a way to overcome inequalities and construct social-economical-cultural alternatives: a Brazilian experience

The term called Solidary Economy designates in Brazil a social movement which has been growing for the last 15 years and includes a large and diverse set of social actors. It mainly focuses the needs of people socially disadvantaged or at social risk and aims, however, not only generation of income and economic changes but social and cultural changes toward a more egalitarian and solidary society. This study objectives were to examine and systematize composition, characteristics, strengths and weaknesses of this movement considering the guiding principles of the Solidarity Economy in Brazil, basing on experiences of an university incubator of solidarity entrepreneurships which has done activities relevant to knowledge production (teaching, research and processing knowledge through direct assistance to people who set up solidary entrepreneurships) since 1998. “Mapping of Solidary Economy in Brazil” being result of articulated effort of several actors which compose the movement, as well as activities records of that incubator for a 10 year period, were used as database. The results have characterized the main types of actors involved, their roles and contributions, such as population that organizes itself for collective work building self-managed economic initiatives (of various types, with different productive activities, public administrators at various levels (municipal, regional and national), agents and agencies that promote this kind of initiative (organizations, research funding agencies and universities, among others) as well as instances of political articulation (such as forums for Solidarity Economy municipal, regional and national) and different types of initiatives in the field of Solidary Economy, towards solidarity finances, marketing and consumption. Furthermore it was possible to identify promoting and non-promoting conditions to creation, consolidation and articulation of initiatives and entrepreneurships in Solidary Economy from the existing legislation, implemented public policies, economic conditions (e.g. for credit), as well as cultural, emotional and personal relevant aspects which may contribute to a better understanding of this process and be a tool to promote alternatives of income generation socially preferable to those that has shown social inequality generation and environmental degradation in growing levels, even planetary levels.

Bibliography SINGER, P. (2002) Introdução a Economia Solidária. São Paulo: Editora Perseu Abramo. CORTEGOSO, A. L.; CIA, F.; LUCAS, M. G. Economia Solidária: O que é e como se relaciona com a Psicologia. In Cortegoso, A. L.; Lucas, M. G. (Org), Psicologia e economia solidária – Interfaces e Perspectivas. São Paulo: Casa do Psicólogo, 2008, pp 25-37.