Social Movements, Solidarity Economy and Common Goods

Since the end of the 20th century, in the context of the demise of the socialist block, the rise of neoliberalism, and the growth of global inequalities and exclusion, there is a lively conversation about alternative forms of production. Ideas and practices of self-management, rebuilding commons, solidarity and popular economies, and cooperativism are brought forward by mobilized civil society and social movement that struggle for work, for democratizing production, and for a dignified life. Can these ideas and practices become the core of an alternative to neoliberal capitalism? How can they consolidate and grow? This session intends to discuss these ideas and experiences addressing the following issues:
• Movements and struggles for the commons.
• Innovations in solidarity economies.
• New social class formations.
• Factors that promote the consolidation and expansion of commons, self-management, and cooperatives.
• Achievements, limits and challenges of alternative economy experiences.