Susy: Promoting the social and solidarity economy

What was the project about?

This exciting collaboration shone the spotlight on innovative initiatives helping to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable livelihoods. Funded through the European Union, the project aimed to strengthen the social and solidarity economy (SSE) by highlighting and promoting best practice case studies, and enabling mutual learning.

Initiatives that fall under the SSE umbrella are vast and diverse but have in common social and environmental objectives, and principles of reciprocity and community ownership. By addressing local and global needs, and creating sustainable livelihoods, SSE can play an important role in contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key achievements 

• We distributed over 10,000 copies of our Susy-themed 2016-17 global wallplanner to schools and educators across the UK, raising young people’s awareness of the social and solidarity economy and supporting them to explore this theme through the accompanying education resource. 
• During our Fairtrade Fortnight Speakers Tour in 2017, we engaged 270 people across 7 events in London and the South East. This included visits to 3 schools, and the University of Roehampton. 
• We connected with local partners at SDG-themed events in Liverpool and Wimborne to share project outputs, as well as learn from regional global learning networks. 
• We joined project partners to advocate for the social and solidarity economy at an event in Brussels in January 2018, when the project’s policy paper “Maximising dignity through social and solidarity economy” was presented at the European Parliament. 
• We added over 500 initiatives to the online Susy map below which showcases the richness and diversity of social and solidarity initiatives across Europe and the globe.

Zoom in to focus on a particular country or region, and use the filter on the left hand side to search by your area of interest.

Further information 

• Check out the Susy project YouTube page to explore best practice case studies of the social and solidarity economy through film. 
• Read the results of research carried out into SSE good practice across Europe and the world. Download the full research report, or take a look at the the Susy brochure which provides a summary of the research findings. If you would like to print this, see the folding guidelines. 
• Our global wallplanner for 2018-19 is themed around Ethical Trade and the Sustainable Development Goals, and continues the legacy of Susy. Order your free copy, and take a look at the accompanying education resource.