<Another attempt to react to this economic crisis: holding the first workshop of social economic activation strategy based on reciprocity and solidarity>

<Another attempt to react to this economic crisis: holding the first workshop of social economic activation strategy based on reciprocity and solidarity>  

On April 21, 2009, the KWWA hosted the 1st workshop of social economic activation strategy research based on reciprocity and solidarity.  The workshop was to check our social economic activities by section, including social jobs, social enterprises, National Cooperative of House Managers (NCHM), community coin activities, and to search for future directions of our social economy.

The first topic for discussion was ‘the labor movement and green community economy’, which was presented by Park Seung-ok, ex-chairperson of the Citizen Power.  As soon as his lecture started, he made aware of the importance of saving energy, asking us to turn the light at the back of the lecture room. The speaker stressed that we have limited usable energy, because energy is generated mostly by atomic power and fossil fuel such as atomic power, petroleum, coal, and gas.  Especially, in a near future, petroleum will be exhausted; and even though alternative energy is developed, it is not sustainable because it is generated from the nature.  Since it is evitable for energy to bring about the food crisis (Think about the production of a variety of agricultural machines, and petroleum used in diverse agricultural production), the current economy exhausting energy from the nature is not sustainable. Accordingly, he claimed on the importance of local community, especially community-based economy and green economy, based on but reciprocity and cooperation on not profitability.

The second topic for discussion was ‘norms of social economy and movement tasks’ delivered by Jang Won-bong, an adjunct professor of SungKongHoe University.  The instructor asked us a question if a social enterprise is a choice, although it should be an alternative for others if a social enterprise can be alternative economies. Social enterprises should be run based on the 3rd sector of the civil society such as reciprocity and cooperation, but currently social enterprises focus on the 2nd sector including the creation of better income structure and the reinforcement of market competition, due to the pressure from the market.  Therefore, in order to boost up social economy such as social enterprises and cooperatives and to find a way toward the civil society, he emphasized the necessity of studies and rehabilitation training in order not to follow systematic assimilation to the market in conformity with the government’s measures.

The social economic activation strategy study team completed the 1st workshop, deciding to carry out studies and discussions side by side in the next meeting after completing regional concerns for social economy and making a list of topics for discussion.