Solidarity Socio-Economy

Charter of Principles of the Brazilian Network for a Solidarity Socio-Economy (RBSES)

The Brazilian Network for a Solidarity Socio-Economy (RBSES) met in Guarapari, Brazil in 2004 to create their Charter of Principles. Their principles are almost entirely compatible with PROUT principles. Point 1 declares RBSES as a framework for self-managed enterprises and indivdiuals engaged in promoting practices for the exchange of goods, services, information, knowledge, affection and mutual support among members. They work to construct an economy based on the values of democracy, cooperation, reciprocity, respect for diversity, ecological sustainability, social justice, equity, complementarity, solidaray and amorosity. RBSES seeks, as does PROUT, to promote culture and socio-economy of solidarity as a new way of organising human economy and society, from the local to the global level. And as does PROUT, the RBSES seeks to abolish all forms of oppression, domination, prejudice and exclusion. PROUT says we need to abolish all forms of oppression, suppression and repression - most notably of women - who comprise 50 percent of humanity!

The 2nd National Assembly of the Brazilian Network for a Solidarity Socio-Economy (RBSES), held in Guarapari, Brazil, from May 30 to June 6, 2004, was a great success. We all left it with our hearts brimful of enthusiasm, determination and fondness. We are grateful to all the individuals and organisations who made it possible for us to hold the 2nd Assembly. We will shortly be circulating the Letter from Guarapari and the documents we produced there.

During the Assembly, the 150 participants discussed and approved the RBSES Charter of Principles, which follows below.

CHARTER OF PRINCIPLES

1. The Brazilian Network for a Solidarity Socio-Economy is a framework for interlinking among organisations and self-managed enterprises and individuals engaged in promoting association-building practices for the solidarity exchange of goods, services, information, knowledge, affection and mutual support among their members.

2. The Network identifies itself as an autonomous, solidarity agent among the various actors that are working to construct an economy based on the values of democracy, cooperation, reciprocity, respect for diversity, ecological sustainability, social justice, equity, complementarity, solidarity and amorosity.

3. The Network seeks to promote Culture and Socio-Economy of Solidarity as a new way of organising human economy and society, from the local to the global level. All forms of organization of Solidarity Socio-Economy should preserve their autonomy from party politics and religious organisations.

4. The Network underlines the central role that women and men have to play in solidarity socioeconomy systems, enjoying the same rights of participation, decision-making and implementation, composing in solidarity the diversity that constitutes us as humankind, abolishing all forms of oppression, domination, prejudice and exclusion, especially those that have subjugated women throughout history.

5. The Network conceives human work, knowledge, ethical sensitivity and creativity as the central values of society and seeks to foster practical means of living and working that incorporate human time and energy towards fulfilling all human potentials freely and ethically.

6. The Network acts to promote social, political, cultural and environmental rights, particularly the economic rights of working people. The Network's economic activities are directed to enabling all to share in solidarity in owning, controlling and managing productive goods and resources, knowledge, technology and the benefits generated by the action of producing, trading and consuming.

7. The Network identifies itself as a framework for promoting the restoration and valorisation of the cultures, traditions and wisdoms of traditional peoples, and of their solidarity, reciprocal economies.

8. The Network understands economic and technological development not as an end, but as merely a means at the service of human, social, ethical and environmentally sustainable development.

9. The Network understands Society, particularly the dimension of work, production and consumption in solidarity, as the leading agent of its own development. The State and multilateral governance organizations should be subsidiary actors of development self-managed by Society. It is the mandate of the State, serving Society, to assure that the democratically formulated development project is carried out harmoniously, and to implement public policies that guarantee access for all to productive and reproductive goods and resources and the just distribution of income and wealth.

10. The Network asserts that working women and men are also consumers. The way we consume defines the type of society we have. The first step towards constructing a Solidarity Socio-Economy is for us to consume ethically, responsibly and in solidarity. Once the needs and wishes of individuals and communities are defined, that provides the basis for planning what is to be produced, with what technology, in what quantity and with what quality, while maintaining ecosystems in balance and promoting ethically exercised public, personal and social freedoms.

11. The Network seeks to interlink, among diverse modes of organisation, at least seven fields of socio-economic activity:

i. Ethical consumption in solidarity;
ii. Self-managed, eco-sustainable production in solidarity;
iii. Ethical fair trade in solidarity;
iv. Solidarity finances and social currencies;
v. Sharing of knowledge and technology;
vi. Cooperative education and culture; and
vii. Communication in plural dialogue.

12. The criteria for participation in the Network include at least:
i. The ethical and political commitment to participatory, self-managed democracy in solidarity;
ii. The promotion of equal rights, with no discrimination as to gender, ethnicity, religion, generation and sexual orientation;
iii. The commitment to adopting practices conducive to maintaining ecosystems in balance, reducing waste and promoting ecologically sustainable consumption, reuse and recycling;
iv. The absence of practices in which human work is exploited;
v. The defence of common assets (water, land, air and biodiversity) as assets that cannot be privatised, nor commodified; and
vi. The practice and promotion of education in the values of self-management and solidarity.

Participants in the 2nd Assembly of the
Brazilian Network for a Solidarity Socio-Economy