Announcement
- GSEF 2016 ‘Call for Proposals’
- GSEF website, 'Knowledge Hub'

Latest News
- Participation in the 10th Anniversary of Mont-Blanc Meetings
- 2015 Wiki Seoul
- UNTFSSE Special Meeting

Organisation Introduction
- The Mont-Blanc Meetings

Upcoming Events
- European Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy (EFSSE)

The City of Montreal and the Chantier de l’économie sociale co-organize the next Global Social Economy Forum -GSEF2016, to be held 7-9 September 2016 and which will focus on the collaboration between local governments and the social and solidarity economy (SSE) organizations for the development of cities.

The call for proposals for the Forum is now open until January 3rd, 2016. GSEF 2016 will receive submissions of initiatives to be presented at the Montreal Meeting.
The Forum will showcase existing projects, from all continents, who will represent the best practices of collaboration between public authorities and social economy organizations for the development of cities. Also, projects by other types of organizations (citizen's initiatives, private and hybrid enterprises, universities ...) in collaboration with the SSE and/or local governments will be considered.

If you are you aware of innovative initiatives that have had an impact on the development of your city, please invite these actors to submit them to GSEF2016!

In order to ensure that the greatest variety of best practices is presented at the Forum, We also invite you to transfer the information regarding the Forum and its call for proposals to members of your network.

For this purpose, please find the GSEF2016 promotional kit and share with us any suggestions you may have regarding other key actors, events or publications that could help in spreading the word about the GSEF2016.

If you would like to share your organisation /city’s latest activities, initiatives, research and best practices in promoting the social economy with a larger community, please send us materials. Submitted information will be shared through the GSEF Newsletter and our website http://www.gsef-net.org

By the early January 2016, users will be able to access SSE knowledge hub / e-forum / SSE related news, events / and organisational introductions of members. Particularly, the ‘knowledge hub’ for the SSE will enable users access best practices of SSE in different countries by categories (fair trade, social enterprise, cooperatives, social investment etc).

Please send us your best practices of promoting the social economy to gsef@gsef-net.org

The 7th edition of the Mont-Blanc Meetings was held in Chamonix, France at the end of this November. The GSEF secretariat was invited to the meeting with the Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG), Ms. Yeon Sook EOM, who is the Director-General of the Employment Planning Bureau in SMG as well as serves as the Secretary General of the GSEF Secretariat temporally, gave a presentation about Seoul SSE experiences on the 1st day plenary session. The participants of the meetings showed great interests in the establishment and the role of the Seoul Social Economy Centre and in fostering special social economic zones in Seoul.

Along with participating in diverse SSE seminars and workshops, the GSEF had a series of meetings with the MBM representatives and the City of Montreal’s authorities to discuss strategic partnership and cooperation opportunities to promote global SSE initiatives and the GSEF 2016. Throughout the meaningful meetings, the GSEF and the MBM reached a consensus of building mutual cooperation using each entity’s strengths and experiences. The Secretariat will propose detailed partnership plans to the MBM after gaining feedback from the minutes of the meeting among GSEF Steering Committee.

Co-hosted by Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Social Economy Center, Wiki Seoul case sharing conference was held at Seoul City Hall. The conference showcased 47 innovative social economy ideas that changed the life of seoulites. Wiki Seoul established in 2012 with the aim of improving the life of citizens through innovative social economy ideas. Ever since, more than 1000 ideas from citizens have submitted proposals and 43 social economy agendas such as youth, housing and vitalisation of traditional markets have established.

For further information: http://wikiseoul.sehub.net/ (available only in Korean)

The GSEF secretariat and GSEF 2016 have participated in the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy Special Meeting through conference calls on 24 Nov.

UN agencies including UNRISD, FAO, ILO, UNDESA and UNDP and other social economy organizations such as RIPESS, GSEF, ICA and MBM (as observers) discussed strategies of achieving social development through the SSE. Observers had a chance to introduce their initiatives and freely exchanged opinions in shaping the workplan of UNTFSSE. Montreal introduced the GSEF 2016 meeting to a larger community and the Secretariat also had a chance to introduce its recent partnership with RIPESS and MBM.

*See GSEF’s organisational introduction on the UNTFSSE website

The Mont-Blanc Meeting is the International Forum of Social and Solidarity Economy Entrepreneurs. Since 2004, the Mont Blanc Meetings have been bringing together social and solidarity economy entrepreneurs from every continent to enhance the social economy’s international profile and recognition. The Meetings aims at demonstrate that there is another way of doing business, reconciling social, civic, environmental and economic efficiency.

The Mont Blanc Meetings are:

1. an international network of leaders from the social and solidarity economy
2. a sounding board for the social and solidarity economy
3. a factory for ideas and debates
4. a place for incubating projects
5. thematic international conferences

The Meetings bring together leaders and decision-makers from:

1. every continent / sector
2. across the social and solidarity economy, i.e. cooperatives, mutuals, nonprofits organizations, foundations, community groups, etc.

The Meetings invite:

1. representatives from unions and workers organizations, and political movements
2. researchers and academics
3. officials from International Organizations

For further information: http://www.rencontres-montblanc.coop/en

The forum will be held as one-day event on 28th January 2016 in Brussels. The forum consists of 4 conferences and plenary sessions / 9 workshops / 11 side activities and will cover various aspects of SSE in the context of Europe.

The forum initiated as part of the RIPESS EU – Solidarity Economy Europe strategy for the promotion of SSE. There has been the engagement with those political processes and dialogue with political forces who are explicitly supportive of the SSE at the European level.

Through the series of preparatory meetings and discussions, European parliamentary group has set as one of its main goals for 2016; the organisation of the First European Forum of Social and Solidarity Economy (EFSSE), aiming at promoting an exchange of experiences among the different initiatives of the SSE in Europe.

For further information: http://efsse.org/