Solidarity Oxford. Mapping the Solidarity Economy in Oxford
Pilot Project Report
June 2019
To download : PDF (3.2 MiB)
Summary :
This short summary report is part of the result of a pilot project focusing on Oxfordshire’s Solidarity Economy (SE), undertaken between October 2018 and June 2019.
The pilot project was undertaken by the Solidarity Economy Association, as part of our aim to support and grow a solidarity economy in the UK. It sits under our strategic objective to map ‘solidarity economy initiatives’ (SEIs) across the UK, in order to make them more visible, and therefore able to be supported by more people, and to empower collaboration between SEIs across sectors, resulting in a deeper collective transformation of our communities and economy.
In addition to this report, a bespoke website called SolidarityOxford (oxford.solidarityeconomy.coop/) was created, including a digital map and directory, and some short case studies.
The aim of this report is primarily to give an overview of how the pilot project was undertaken, including strengths and weaknesses of the approach, so that it might be useful to others wishing to do something similar in their area, with the ultimate aim of growing the solidarity economy movement in the UK. The report also gives some information about the context in which SEIs are operating in Oxfordshire and suggests some sectors that present particular opportunities for solidarity economy solutions.
The results from this pilot project suggest that many SEIs in Oxfordshire recognise the need for change in our economic system, and some see themselves – and are actively involved in – creating this transformation towards an economy that values co-operation, economic democracy, social justice, ecological sustainability and solidarity above profit and growth. However, the project identifies that more work is needed to support SEIs to come together across sectors, to foster collaboration and networking activity, and to undertake much broader education work about the need of and potential for a solidarity economy.
This report is aimed at people already involved in, or supportive of, SEIs. It is our hope that this report and website will make a helpful contribution to the growing amount of research and grassroots activity taking place around the world into mapping and supporting solidarity economy movements.