Invitation to participate in the Campaign for a Global Curriculum of Social Solidarity Economy
In the framework of the implementation of Agenda 2030 and whereas the basis for the realization of all Sustainable Development Goals (ODS) or Objectives World is Quality Education (Goal 4), starting with the criticism of the current model of predatory economy and unsustainable patterns of production and consumption (Target 12), a collective of organizations of Solidarity Economy took the initiative to propose a campaign for a Global Curriculum in Social Solidarity Economy (1).
The campaign proposes a Global Curriculum based on a core of socio-economic principles and sustainable practices that are relevant worldwide and that each national curriculum can adapt to the different needs that arise in the territories with diversity of cultures and existing practices. A curriculum that lays the foundation for solidarity processes in a fair and equitable economy able to eradicate the material and spiritual poverty as evidenced by thousands of experiences in the world of food sovereignty, with production without pesticides in addition to a healthy and responsible power generating links with the respect of nature, the ecosystem in general and climate change in particular.
From education as a pillar of life, the Global Curriculum in Social Solidarity Economy ensures learnings based on ethical consumption practices and on ways of organizing work through shared and democratic decisions with equal distribution of results. It promotes awareness of renewable energy, values gender equality at the center of the economy and the development of cities and communities from the economic downturn. It is a curriculum that recognizes that all knowledge systems in the world are sciences and the wisdom of rural native indigenous nations is endogenous science, with its own epistemology or theoretical framework, which implies that the way knowledge is organized, its logic, theoretical components, paradigms, epistemology and ontology are differents.
This initiative assumes the vision of complex thought for an inclusive, fair and quality education and promotes learning opportunities throughout life (ODS 4) that will actually existing if we strengthen and spread that another economy is possible, the Social Solidarity Economy.
Finally, we know that changing the dominant model of economic development humanity can achieve peace we so desire (ODS 16) and stop the damage caused by climate change (ODS 13). A new economic model, supportive and sustainable that will achieve, among others, these Sustainable Development Goals:
1- To end poverty in all its forms throughout the world.
2- To end hunger, achieving food security and improving nutrition and sustainable agriculture.
3- To ensure public health, a healthy lifestyle and promote wellness for everyone at all ages.
5- To achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
7- To guarantee access to affordable, safe, sustainable and modern energy for all.
8- To promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
12- To ensure sustainable patterns of consumption and production.
We are not starting from scratch and there is yet a long way run by countries and important initiatives, many of them recognized and supported by UNESCO in the context of Education for Global Citizenship as the “Global Curriculum” (2010-2012), project aimed by three European organizations, one Brazilian and one of Benin, which brought together educators from Austria, Benin, Brazil, the Czech Republic and the United Kingdom in the preparation of five manuals on Global Curriculum (2) – one for each country. In the same direction, between 2013 and 2015, the “World Class Teacher” project was developed by organizations from seven European countries and expert consultants from Brazil and Benin. Elsewhere in Europe, the young leaders of Scouting have been guiding their actions by the principles of citizenship and global sustainability. In Latin America stand out, among many other initiatives, the Paulo Freire Institute in Brazil which implements the approach of ecopedagogy schools ; the Popular Images Creation Center (CECIP), representing in Brazil the Curriculum Global Project and disseminating the concept of education for Global Citizenship in Brasil ; the international Network for education and Social Solidarity Economy made up by organizations and members of Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Cuba, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, France, Spain, Nicaragua and Argentina. In Africa, we highlight the experiences of Busi-Com in Benin and Amani Kibera in Kenya. In Asia, Oceania and in the Middle East, educational actions are taken to overcome the economic model that produces social and environmental disasters at a global scale.
Undoubtedly, the World Social Forum whose first edition took place in 2001, presents a counter-hegemonic scenario to the neoliberal policies and remains a landmark in the struggle for “Another World is Possible”. In this context, the Campaign for a Global Curriculum in Social Solidarity Economy challenges the dominant capitalist economic system and faces a thought whose practices assume economic activity as lucrative activities, where the only production of goods and services recognized as economic is transactions involving the monetized market and buying power. This thought naturalizing a market economy that reduces all exchanges exclusively to commercial relations and a market society that reduces all interest to material and individual interests.
Therefore, the Campaign for a Global Curriculum in Social Solidarity Economy poses a decolonizing, intercultural education. It redeems the fundamentals of popular education and promotes a dialogue of knowledges between a scientific and humanistic knowledge and traditional, popular, provincial, urban and rural knowledges based in the territories.
The campaign for a Global Curriculum in Social Solidarity Economy should be implemented by a multi-coordination of educators, researchers and activists from different countries. We are inviting professionals from the following list to take the responsibility to promote and give visibility to the exchange processes for discussion of public policies in education and social and solidarity economy.
On November 30, 2016, the first virtual communication was made on the Skype platform Notes. The second meeting was on February 16, 2017 in the Spanish language on webinar Notes and February 17, 2017 in the English language. The physic meeting will be 2 days in Rio de Janeiro, at the headquarters of CECIP, The Popular Images Creation Center, on March 17-18, 2017 with the objective of discussing future strategies.
On 22 August 2017 will be the Campaign for a Global Curriculum for Solidarity Social Economy at the First International Congress on Cooperativism and Social and Solidarity Economy, and the IXth Meeting of the National Network of Researchers and Educators in Cooperativism and Solidarity Economy (Redcoop) which was included in the activities of CLACSO and whose 50th anniversary will be in the Faculty of Economics BUAP in Puebla, Mexico.Redcoop
(1) The logo of this campaign was jointly given us by Dir. of CECIP Claudius Ceccon and represented the symbol of the Global Curriculum for Sustainability project in Brazil.
(2) See for example, el Manual do Curriculo Global- Formando Cidadãos Planetários em Escolas Brasileiras”, edited by the CECIP (Popular Images Creation Center), in http://www.cecip.org.br, representing Brazil in the project of Global Curriculum and disseminating the concept of Education for Global citizenship in Brazil.