On Tuesday, April 17, the 1st was held at the Madiana Convention Centerre Martinique Regional Conference on the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE). Organized by the French government and the Martinique Regional Authority (CTM), the conference—which was open to the public—drew more than 300 people.
Conference Schedule
Following the official remarks by Mr. Carole, Councilor for Social Affairs, Health, and Solidarity at the CTM, and Mr. Amoussou-Adeble, Secretary General of the Prefecture, who spoke about the importance of developing the social and solidarity economy, Mr. Duclos, Director at the CNCress took the floor to cite some statistics on the social and solidarity economy in Martinique.
Ms. Lidar, who oversees the social and solidarity economy (SSE) at the DIECCTE, and Ms. Madin, deputy director of the CTM, continued to facilitate the conference by explaining the preparatory work that had been done and presenting the local challenges that had been identified. Before concluding the morning session with a discussion, the audience heard testimonials from people working in the social and solidarity economy in Martinique.
In the afternoon, a session for the key players involved in supporting and funding the social and solidarity economy to meet and exchange ideas gave participants the opportunity to ask questions of the various organizations.
A Brief Look Back at the Concept of the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE)
The Social and Solidarity Economy represents a different vision of the world, the economy, and humanity.
In an interview with Martinique2030 about the social and solidarity economy (SSE), Ms. Monique Grimaldi, director of the DIECCTE in Martinique, explains that «l’The social and solidarity economy places the recognition of human beings at the heart of development. Capital is not the primary concern. Unlike in the market economy, everyone gets their share. In the social and solidarity economy, capital is a common good shared by all those who participate in the enterprise. This includes cooperatives and SCOPs, mutual insurance companies, or associations. With mutual insurance companies, you benefit from a pooled servicefor example, health insurance cooperatives, but each members has a say. There is involvement in decision-making.»
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The 2014 Act
Although the social and solidarity economy (SSE) has long been a natural part of life in Martinique, the 2014 law provided a framework for this concept. Before 2014, no legislation defined the SSE, which made it difficult to develop. Then, in July 2014, an initial law helped structure and revitalize this form of economy.
The legal framework stipulates that a regional conference must be held at least once every two years to present the guidelines, resources, and results of local policies on this issue.
The Social and Solidarity Economy in Martinique
Martinique comes in 8the A presence in all 23 regions of France, with the social and solidarity economy (ESS) accounting for 15.2% of local private-sector employment.
In Martinique, the social and solidarity economy (SSE) employs 12,248 people (72 % of whom are women), with a gross annual payroll of 320 million euros and 1,175 establishments. Among them, more than 1,000 associations alone account for 85 % of the social and solidarity economy’s employees.
4,300 retirements are expected over the next 8 years, which could present a great opportunity for youth employment.
Sports, recreation, and social services are the most significant sectors of activity and account for more than half of the workforce in jobs that fall under the social and solidarity economy.
Why hold a conference on the social and solidarity economy?
The conference provides a framework for discussion on the social and solidarity economy (SSE), brings together stakeholders, and helps convey the message that the SSE is not a “sub-economy,” but rather a sustainable economic sector. It is intended to facilitate the continued development of the 2018–2019 roadmap.
Overall, the ESS conference has a rrole as the governing body of the Regional Strategy for the Social and Solidarity Economy (SRESS) and as a representative body for the diverse range of SSE stakeholders. Its purpose is to mmission to propose guidelines and courses of action and conduct a comprehensive assessment of the concept in Martinique. To achieve this, collaborative development, stakeholder engagement, and the promotion of the social and solidarity economy are the method which was chosen.
The consultation process
In the lead-up to this conference, significant consultation efforts were carried out among local stakeholders. During a series of workshop-style conferences held from November 21 to 23, 2017, 120 participants came together to address five locally identified issues, in addition to one cross-cutting issue:
1- Support the growth of businesses and jobs in the social and solidarity economy;
2- Boost the Martinique region through the development of the social and solidarity economy;
3- Support social innovation, sustainable development, and initiatives that address local challenges;
4- Encourage volunteer participation and the development of social impact;
5- Identify and clarify the funding mechanisms for the social and solidarity economy;
Cross-cutting issue: Promoting equality, diversity, and gender parity.
Mariska Desmarquis
