1st Euro-MENA Social and Solidarity Economy Forum

INNOVATION AND BEST PRACTICES: COOPERATION AND EXCHANGE SYNERGIES BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE MENA REGION                        

• Languages of the forum: Spanish, Arabic, and French with simultaneous translation.

REGISTRATION. Limited spots available until reaching capacity.

Registration is open until Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at this link: https://acortar.link/xjBrzb

- Price: €10. Please make the payment to the following account: ES48 3183 1800 1910 0472 0023 - BIC: CASDESBBXXX, specifying your name and surname + ESS. Send the payment receipt to the email address: proyectos3fundea.org.

The Euro-MENA Social and Solidarity Economy Forum aims to create an open space for discussion, reflection, and the exchange on the theoretical and practical aspects related to social and solidarity economy and its applications in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa region.

Its objective is to generate synergies of cooperation and exchange among different actors in the social and solidarity economy, including institutional, business, professional, academic, and civil society sectors.

This first Euro-MENA Social and Solidarity Economy Forum will feature the participation of researchers, academics, and representatives from institutions in various countries, including Spain, Switzerland, Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia. They will present their work and reflections on social and solidarity economy in the following thematic sessions:

• First Session: Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy in the MENA Region: Bridging Theory and Action.
• Second Session: The Role of Social and Solidarity Economy in Social Justice and Equity.
• Third Session: Social and Solidarity Economy in Addressing Unemployment and Poverty.
• Fourth Session: Social Investment and Innovation in Sustainable Economic Alternatives.

This event aims to be an open space for discussion, meetings, reflection, and exchange on the theoretical and practical aspects of social and solidarity economy and its applications in Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. It also seeks to serve as a platform for networking and cooperation among professionals and stakeholders interested in the alternative economy. Concepts, theories, and foundations of SSE will be examined, and the interaction between the market, the public sector, and civil society in this alternative economy will be studied. Furthermore, the event will showcase the experiences and innovations of social economy enterprises on the ground in various countries.

PROGRAM

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

10:00 - 10:30. Opening Session

10:30 - 12:00. SESSION I

BOOSTING SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY IN THE MENA REGION: BETWEEN THEORY AND ACTION.

Speakers:

- Yousef Alhuzaim. Secretary-General of the Princess Alanood Foundation. Saudi Arabia - Social Economy: Controversies around the Concept

- Jean-Louis Laville. Lecturer at the National Conservatory of Arts and Trades (CNAM) Paris-France. Holder of the Solidarity Economy Chair at the same institution. -The current state of the social and solidarity economy. Historical and geographical perspective.

- Chantal Line Carpentier. Chair of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE). Head of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Office in New York. - Advancing the Social and Solidarity Economy in the Arab States and Beyond: The UN Perspective

Moderator: María Inmaculada Ramos Tapia. Executive Secretary of the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies.

12:00 - 12:30. Coffee Break

12:30 - 14:00. SESSION II:

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY IN SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY

Speakers:

- Paloma Bel Duran. Director of the Cooperative Studies Association (AECCOP) and Professor at the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences. Complutense University of Madrid. - Women's Entrepreneurship in Social Economy: Best Practices and Support Measures

- Mustapha Bouhaddou. Secretary-General of the Moroccan Network for Social and Solidarity Economy (RMESS). Morocco. - Retrospective on the Moroccan Experience in Social and Solidarity Economy

Moderator: Marina Checa Olivas. Professor at the Faculty of Economic and Business Sciences, Department of Applied Economics, University of Granada.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

10:00 - 11:30. SESSION III:

SOCIAL AND SOLIDARITY ECONOMY IN ADDRESSING UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY

Speakers:

- Francisco Díaz Bretones. Dean of the Faculty of Labour Relations and Human Resources, Department of Social Psychology. University of Granada Social - Economy and Self-Employment as Strategies to Address Job Precariousness in Times of Crisis

- Atef Elshabrawy. Economic Development Advisor at the World Bank and Associate Professor at several international universities. Egypt / Bahrain - Social Economy: Innovative Experiences and Solutions for Unemployment and Poverty Eradication

Moderator: Mercedes Rodríguez Molina. Director of the Institute for Regional Development Research. University of Granada

11:30 - 12:00. Coffee Break

12:00 - 13:30. SESSION IV:

SOCIAL INVESTMENT AND INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC ALTERNATIVES

Speakers:

- Sonia Bassi. Associate Professor at the National Institute of Labor and Social Studies. University of Carthage. Tunisia - Innovate, Include, Impact: Social and Solidarity Economy for a Sustainable Future

- Suliman Abdulaziz Azzabin. Managing Director of Capinnova Solutions. Saudi Arabia - Social Economy in Saudi Arabia: The Experience of Namal Impact Investment Company

Moderator: José Antonio Camacho Ballesta. Faculty of Economic and Business, University of Granada.