The social economy cocreation game

Being at the launch of the Transition Pathway for the Proximity and Social Economy in the ritzy surroundings of the Résidence Palace two weeks ago made me feel my age. It reminded me of the thought I had midway through my life about generations. What we did in the 70s new younger people redo every 15 years or so since – and I should be grateful for that. Good luck to you!

Nevertheless some aspects of the event grated on my aging senses. There was the “game show” atmosphere, with audience participation in the form of yelps of delight – it’s most unBritish. Sedate dignity is out. Long speeches were banished in favour of an “interview” format – and I think I sensed Commissioner Thierry Breton’s slight bemusement. To some of us in the room it felt artificial – but I can imagine that for the greater number of people (300) watching on their screens at home, the speedy format was as unputdownable as television tries to be. But have our attention spans really shrunk so much?

The terms of engagement between the movement and the powers that be have changed radically. We are now invited to take part in a process of “co-creation” – and what does this mean? We have the ideas and the energy and the public authorities have the power and the money. It’s an uneven partnership, as we all recognise. But that doesn’t mean a new “game” can’t emerge which can be productive. In this case, on the one hand the social economy vaunts is achievements. In response, the Commission asks the movement to put its time and money where its mouth is and make “pledges” as to what it is actually going to do about it. So the rhetorical stage is set. Hey presto – pledges did indeed emerge (a nice bit of stage management, this). You can make your own pledge here

What we have is the Commission using its “power of convening” to focus attention on what the social economy can do for the world. Plenty of people want to be part of this, and the Commission  has the means and reach to multiply our efforts. Bravo.

Beware dilution

Our Transition Pathway is probably the most dynamic of the 14 under construction. It contains 14 action points – 7 green and 7 digital. The thinking is based on ‘solid business cases’ and collaboration with conventional enterprises, which is recipe for dilution and needs watching. The two most significant are probably:

• local green deals to bring the social economy into partnership on the ground; and
• support for platform co-operatives, which will do a lot for workers’ and citizens’ rights in the gig economy.

But not everything changes: even the 30-year saga of the European associations statute is to be revived!