# Building Capacity for Transformative Solidarity Economics

I'm using this space initially to explore my learning from the several books that came out in the last couple of years that all feature the concept of 'solidarity'.

Building on that, I want to dive into earlier literature around the 'solidarity economy'and if/how to connects this notion to the broader discourse around the need for transformative acts of solidarity.

I'm also interested in the question of how we 'build capacity for collective participation', so my exploration will be filtered through that lens to.

## Solidarity as a contested concept

There are multiple sets of associations that have accrued around the concept of 'solidarity' over time, including accounts of solidarity as:
- a material basis of our interconnectedness, and what we owe each other (often positioned as a relationships between equals in ways that can obscure differences in power);
- social cohesion used as an engine of change (building power with those with whom we share a particular experience of oppression; note that this form of solidarity risks undermining the necessary conditions for common life by cultivating domination and exclusion);
- **the act of working towards a common vision by engaging constructively in the conflicts that emerge across our differences**

## Transformative Solidarity

> "what is solidarity if not the choice to bump up against other people, figuratively, if not literally, and allow oneself to be changed by the impact" [Mie Inouye, 2023 p.20](https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/from-the-editors-on-solidarity/)

In their book ['Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-changing Idea'](https://commonslibrary.org/solidarity-the-past-present-and-future-of-a-world-changing-idea/) Astra Taylor and Leah Hunt-Hendrix offer a detailed analysis of the history and current uses of the concept of solidarity.

They articulate a concept of 'transformative solidarity' that emphasises the importance of relating across difference to build the realtionships that ensure that our acts of solidarity' contribute to transforming society by building collective power.

One of the values of articulating the concept of 'transformative solidarity', is to differentate it from 'reactionary' forms of solidarity that call for unity/cohesion around a singular perspective/experience/identity.

>" Reactionary solidarity draws hard boundaries, creating an “other” towards which it can be hostile, aggressive, or violent. Transformative solidarity has porous boundaries, it’s aimed at inclusion and expands people’s identities to build a bigger “we.” This project can ultimately change not only people’s idea of themselves but larger social and political arrangements. It’s important not to be romantic about it; it’s not something that just exists in the world—it’s made." [Astra Taylor, 2024](https://nonprofitquarterly.org/solidarity-challenges-the-status-quo-a-conversation-with-leah-hunt-hendrix-and-astra-taylor/)

When those who benefit from the dominant systems act in solidarity with those most oppressed by these systmes, this notion of transormation is critical; without it systems of power reproduce themselves.

> Solidarity offers "a model of organising that embrases conflict as a form of political education and personal transformation... What seems crucial to this effort is not that everyone involved in today’s movements share the same motivations or even the same objective interests but that everyone have something at stake that they feel viscerally" [Mie Inouye, 2023](https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/from-the-editors-on-solidarity/)

>"[As Fred Morton puts it] 'The coalition emerges out of your recognition that it’s fucked up for you, in the same way that we’ve already recognized that it’s fucked up for us. I don’t need your help. I just need you to recognize that this shit is killing you, too, however much more softly, you stupid motherfucker, you know?'... Moten’s emphasis is on shared 'recognition', not shared conditions of domination or oppression. In other words, the sameness he describes applies to the process of realization, not to the interests of the people involved. The promise of coalition is that we can work together across difference to change the prevailing social arrangement without fully transcending the ways that it differentiates us and even pits us against each other." [Mie Inouye, 2023](https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/from-the-editors-on-solidarity/)

>"...solidarity becomes possible when we embrase organizing as a mechanism of political education, a way of being transformed, for everyone involved - dominated and dominator" [Mie Inouye, 2023 pp.23-24](https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/from-the-editors-on-solidarity/)

The need for acts of solidarity to be transformative also features in Sarah Schulman's 2025 account of [*The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity*](https://vpl.overdrive.com/media/11291397)

>"...seeing the conditions of other people's lives as relevant to our own creates ongoing insight and revelation, bringing us closer to reality. Solidarity is a transformative vision of the real" [Sarah Schulman 2025 p.41](https://vpl.overdrive.com/media/11291397)

Acting in solidarity requires authentic relationships that position us to hear what those most impacted by systems of oppresssion choose to share and learn to intervene by taking responsibility for acting (by deciding the most effective point of leverage within a sphere of influence that might help change the systems, rather then demanding extractive labour by deferentialy waiting to be told what to do, or paternalistically acting 'for' others rather than with them)

>"...the courage to intervene involves changing the way we see ourselves, chaning what is important to us and what ... we are willing to endure in order to do what we know is right" [Sarah Schulman 2025 pp.47-48](https://vpl.overdrive.com/media/11291397)

> "Solidarity with Palestine does not mean doing what you are told, but rather it requires individuals and communities to be conceptual, conscientious, and interpretive - which can be effective only if there is some deep listening involved" [Sarah Schulman 2025 pp.51](https://vpl.overdrive.com/media/11291397)

It is also important to be able to "offer and recieve solidarity simultanously" [Sarah Schulman 2025 pp.71](https://vpl.overdrive.com/media/11291397).

## How do we leverage collective actions of transformative solidarity?

I am particularly interested in what it looks like *build our collective capacity to participate* in transformative acts of solidarity.

As a starting point, I think that we need to be finding ways to:
* reflect on the implications of recognising that our liberation is bound up with the liberation of all
* examine the ways that default systems both benefit and oppress us so that we can organise within our sphere of influence to act-with (rather than attempting to 'act-for') those whose experiences of oppression we don't share.
* allow ourselves to be transformed by the process of relating across differences, so we can contribute to building broader forms of collective power

## Solidarity Economies
*Solidarity economy is a framework that connects practices that align with a post-capitalist vision within an international movement driven by shared values of: solidarity, participatory democracy; equity in all dimensions; sustainability, and pluralism.*

> "... global economic transformation is built and led by regional solidarity economy ecosystems. A solidarity economy ecosystem is an environment where all of the things a community needs are controlled and governed by everyday people: like housing, schools, farms and food production, local governance structures, art and culture, healthcare and healing, and transportation." [New Economy Coalition, 2025](https://neweconomy.net/solidarity-economy/)

> "The solidarity economy is an interconnected worldwide tapestry of people, organisations, economic initiatives, projects and activity all committed to building a better world together. It’s both a means of self defence for surviving and sustaining our communities through the onslaught of neoliberalism and wider economic uncertainty, as well as a framework and set of tools and examples people across the world are using to create transformative and liberatory change – a new world in the shell of the old..." [Solidarity Economy Association, 2024](https://www.solidarityeconomy.coop/what-is-solidarity-economy)

Uses of this solidarity economy concept help draw attention to the political dimensions of the transformative action of experimeting with different ways of self-organising to collectively produce and distribute our everyday resources within *an ecosystem of local and international solidarity economies* (only some of which may be using the term solidarity economy).

>"Solidarity economies are transformative — they redistribute power and resources to those who have been most harmed by white supremacy, settler colonialism, patriarchy, ableism, and capitalism — and meet an immediate material need for a community. They are not symbolic, but actually delivering the housing, food, education, culture, and other needs humans require to thrive. They challenge the power of systems based on individualism, profit, and private property."[Solidarity Economy Principles Project, 2023](Solidarity Economy Principles](https://solidarityeconomyprinciples.org/what-do-we-mean-by-solidarity-economy/)

>"All social movements that have brought about change have used the solidarity economy to some degree, even if the vast majority don't call it that. Building up the power and capacity of society to self-organise and operate autonomously from the state and capitalism is how movements can win" [The Solidarity Economy - a Visual Guide, 2024](https://www.dogsection.org/product/solidarity-economy)

There are many different local contexts and stratergies where we can be experimenting with collectivising resources. These include local-scale 'non-monetary' efforts (e.g., mutual aid networks and neighbourhood assemblies) all the way up to larger-scale efforts to offer alternative 'livelihoods' (e.g., worker cooperatives and alternative currencies).

None of these strategies will transform society in and of themselves, and, if acting in isolation, they "can become reformist, managing the worst excesses of capitalism rather than building a world beyond it" ([Solidarity Economy Association, 2024](https://www.solidarityeconomy.coop/what-is-solidarity-economy)). To avoid this, each local strategy must maintain connection to the broader networks of international solidarity and build our collective capacity to participate in the process of creating a better world for everyone.

### Differentiating the Solidaity Economy from overlapping concepts

There are many concepts for different approaches to producing and distributing goods and services that are outside of both the public and private domains. Each of these concepts have emerged within specific cultural, economic, technical, and social conditions ([LEED Papers, 2023](https://www.serni.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/What-is-the-social-and-solidarity-economy-A-review-of-concepts-OECD-2023.pdf)). The uses of each concept have, in turn, been structured by different goals (e.g, practical implementation, regulatory compliance, or academic analysis.

Rather than attempt a comphrensive overview, the following examples are intended to illustrate the broader conceptual landscape we expect to encounter while exploring efforts to implement solidarity economies in practice.

#### The Social and Solidarity Economy

>The social and solidarity economy (SSE) is “made up of a set of organisations such as associations, cooperatives, mutual organisations, foundations, and, more recently, social enterprises. In some cases, community-based, grassroots and
spontaneous initiatives are part of the social economy in addition to non-profit organisations …. The activity of these entities is typically driven by societal objectives, values of solidarity, the primacy of people over capital and, in most cases, by democratic and participative governance” [OECD, 2022](https://www.serni.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/What-is-the-social-and-solidarity-economy-A-review-of-concepts-OECD-2023.pdf)

While itself a contested concept, the SEE has functioned to help formalise and legislate a shift towards less-extractive economic practices. In this context, the concept of a solidarity economy has become tied to the overlapping concept of the 'social economy'.

Along the way, this broader concept has been used to inventivise industry-level efforts to prioritise social and environmental well-being over profit and build solidarity within specific context yet don't necerssarily build solidarity with broader movements for justice.

> "The social and solidarity economy certainly seems to be a stepping-stone towards more socially just and environmentally sound world but, in order to get there, greater solidarity is needed not only across supply chains and between SSE actors, not only between the social and solidarity economy movement and those working in the area of sustainable consumption and production, but also greater solidarity between regions in a highly unequal world" [Marlyne D. Sahakian, 2013](https://www.unrisd.org/en/library/publications/conceptualizing-sse-towards-sustainable-consumption-transitions-learning-across-contexts-and-culture)

#### The Wellbeing Economy
> "Wellbeing economy refers to economic systems designed with the wellbeing of people and planet as a starting point" ([Lisa Hough-Stewart and Amanda Janoo, 2023](https://utppublishing.com/doi/full/10.3138/jccpe-2023-0008)).

One of the similarities of the concept of a Wellbeing Economy with that of the Solidiarty Economy is the emphasis on removing the division between 'economic' activities and the broader set of activities within which we act to look after each other and our environments.

However, the Wellbeing Economy tends to be used to nudge specific geopolitical structures (such as cities and states) to support movements towards more sustainable economic systems. This contrasts with the Solidarity Economy concept as a tool for connecting bottom-up efforts transform ourselves as we experiment with different ways to participate in post-capitalist economies.

>"A wellbeing economy considers immediate economic gains, and also the long-term health and general welfare of our community and the environment we rely on. It’s about finding a balance where economic activity supports our wellbeing today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. In this approach, the economy isn’t seen as separate from our wellbeing, but as a tool to enhance it. By aligning economic activities with the goal of improving overall quality of life and understanding the economic resilience needed to withstand climate change-induced extreme weather, we can create a more sustainable and resilient society." ([Wellbeing Economy Project, 2024](https://www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/v/2/files/3.-council/council-information/polices-publications-amp-strategies/council-plans-amp-stategies/economic-development-strategy.pdf))

#### The popular and informal economies

>"The popular economy and the solidarity economy are not equivalent, but they may align to some extent, as evidenced for example by lending circles, community kitchens and other mutual aid and insurance practices (Réseau intercontinental de promotion de l’économie sociale solidaire, 2015[56]). Likewise, the notion of informal economy is also sometimes linked to the one of SSE, even if these notions are not equivalent. Informal economy refers to a wide range of unregistered, unprotected and unregulated economic activities and transactions that are sufficiently hidden so that they are unmeasured or untaxed (OECD/International Labour Organization, 2019[57]; Andrews, Caldera Sánchez and Johansson, 2011[58])." [LEEDS Paper, 2023](https://www.serni.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/What-is-the-social-and-solidarity-economy-A-review-of-concepts-OECD-2023.pdf)

#### The Sharing Economy
While focused on the sharing of access to goods and services, the sharing economy is now strongly associated with extractive power-dynamics. This is most obvious in the ways that technology to support sharing surplus resources became another way for the wealthy to add to their passive incomes (e.g., airbnb, carshare).

## Resource-list
### Solidarity
* ['The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity' 2025](https://vpl.overdrive.com/media/11291397)
* ['Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-changing Idea' 2024](https://commonslibrary.org/solidarity-the-past-present-and-future-of-a-world-changing-idea/)
* ['On Solidarity' 2023](https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/from-the-editors-on-solidarity/)

### The concept of Solidarity Economies
* [*The Solidarity Economy - a Visual Guide*](https://www.dogsection.org/product/solidarity-economy)
* [*Solidarity Economy* Documentary](https://www.upstreampodcast.org/solidarityeconomy) by Upstream Podcast (2017)
* [*The History and Future of the Solidarity Economy*](https://www.shareable.net/response/podcast-cheyenna-weber-on-the-history-and-future-of-the-solidarity-economy/) with Cheyenna Weber (2017)
* [STIR magazine - *Solidarity Economy*, Issue 16, 2017](https://www.socioeco.org/bdf_fiche-publication-1483_en.html)

#### Studies on Solidarity Economics
* [Collective Governance x Solidarity Economies: Lessons from Rojava](https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b1f5d0db46e144daa8f95af531a4f720)
* [*How do we transform societal structures and pave the way to economic democracy?*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTSMDGZB3nM by Jessica Gordon Nembhard, 2023 - a video lecture on the history of cooperatives and the potential of solidarity economics as pathways towards economic democracy and justice.)
* [*The Solidarity Economy: A Way Forward for Our De-Futured World*](https://digitalcommons.csbsju.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1201&context=social_encounters) by Julie Matthae and Matthew Slaats 2023

#### Examples of projects supporting solidarity economics
* [Solidarity Economy Principles Project](Solidarity Economy Principles](https://solidarityeconomyprinciples.org/what-do-we-mean-by-solidarity-economy/)
* [The Spokes in the Wheel: Building a Regional Solidarity Economy in the DC Area](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCKQUhEkJT8)

---
###### tags: `concept-summary`

Date created: Aug 2025
Version: 1.0
Created for: personal use
Attribution: created by [E. T. Smith](https://hackmd.io/@Teq/Bio) on unceded lands of the [Wurundjeri people](https://www.wurundjeri.com.au/).
<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-sa/4.0/88x31.png" /></a> [CC BY-NC-SA](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)

{%hackmd /E20qKLmUSK2xloQxRNbdYw %}