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Groupe SOS, one of EU’s key frontrunners of social entrepreneurship, is actively involved in local initiatives and European projects aimed at boosting social economy. On this 9^th of May, symbolically commemorating Robert Schuman’s Declaration which laid the groundwork for the European Union’s construction, Groupe SOS wishes to reaffirm its engagement for a more ambitious EU social policy. 

Social economy, an essential component of the European project 

Groupe SOS is convinced that social economy must be placed at the heart of the European project. At a time when many citizens’ movements are claiming for a fairer, greener and more social society, we believe that social entrepreneurship will be key in meeting the social and ecological challenges the EU is facing.

In fact, the difficulties we face in France are similar to the ones of our European neighbors, be it regarding the fight against inequalities, the adaptation to climate change, the education and training of the youth and unemployed people or, more recently, the growing necessity to bridge the digital divide. With almost 40 years of experience, Groupe SOS confidently assures that by cooperating with their European counterparts and engaging in a common effort to bring their strengths and expertise together, actors of the social economy can successfully tackle the EU’s current major challenges.

Let’s make the EU the world’s epicenter of social economy!

Beyond its daily work on the field, operated by its 700 associations and organisations, Groupe SOS has been vocal on the political scene to defend its vision of a stronger European social economy. In October 2022, Groupe SOS wrote an article calling for an ambitious European policy aiming at making Europe the world epicenter of the social and solidarity economy (article in French or in German). This article was supported and co-signed by 33 European organisations from 16 European Member States, and puts forward three levers to accelerate and amplify the development of social economy in Europe:

“Groupe SOS [urges to] make Europe the global epicenter of social economy. This goal can only be achieved by conducting a number of improvements: firstly, the status of the social economy must officially be recognised by European and international institutions; secondly, ambitious financing tools which consider the specificities of social economy enterprises must be developed; finally, integration schemes must be generalised in the 27 EU Member States”. Jean-Marc Borello – Chairman of Groupe SOS Executive Board.

Groupe SOS will continue to defend its vision of a European Union that works for the most vulnerable populations, for future generations as well as for the sustainability and liveliness of our common territories! Such a EU social policy would meet Groupe SOS’ main purpose, which is to combat all forms of exclusion, whether it is about decently welcoming refugees, taking better care of people with disabilities or implementing cultural activities for and by all.

 

Directly stemming from its successful initiatives, like educational projects countering social and gender inequalities or solutions supporting the socio-professional integration of the youth through social entrepreneurship, Groupe SOS will make concrete proposals to the European Commission in the upcoming years.

A promising European and international context for the development of social economy

On 18 April 2023, during its plenary meeting, the UN adopted a resolution “Promoting the Social and Solidarity Economy for Sustainable Development”. Groupe SOS warmly welcomes this resolution, for which it actively participated by chairing the permanent Secretariat of the Pact for Impact Alliance. This text comes two years after the publishing by the European Commission of its Social Economy Action Plan, issued at the end of 2021, which aims to stimulate the social economy and generate jobs in this sector.

Last week, between the 1^st and the 6^th of May 2023, the sixth edition of the Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF) was held in Dakar. This event came as the appropriate time for Groupe SOS to communicate on its latest undertaking: to make the social economy a pillar of the partnership between the African and European continents.

In this renewed European and international context, and on Europe Day, Groupe SOS reasserts its willingness to further contribute to developing social economy in the world. Determined to make social economy the future of our continent, it will continue to act on the field to offer innovative solutions taking up the EU’s social and environmental challenges.

 

Focus: Groupe SOS, a European-minded actor

 

Since 2015, Groupe SOS has positioned itself as a proactive European actor and has participated in more than forty different innovative European projects, with over  85 organisations from 19 EU Member States.

In addition to its on-field activities within Member States, Groupe SOS is conducting advocacy towards EU institutions. On 31 May 2022, it organised an event, which gathered around a hundred of participants among which important stakeholders of the European social economy such as the European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE), the OECD’s Social Economy and Innovation Unit, the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ) and France’s former Minister of European Affairs, Mr. Clément Beaune. During this high-quality event, Groupe SOS publicly supported the EU’s Social Economy Action Plan and put forward a series of concrete recommendations for its efficient implementation, like the creation of a funding program dedicated to financing impactful social entrepreneurial projects, especially during their launching phase.

Groupe SOS has also greatly seized the momentum of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union between January 2022 and the 30^th of June 2022 to promote five of its initiatives aimed at developing social entrepreneurship:

 

Women are most affected by territorial disparities. As a result, they face obstacles in finding employment, and in accessing healthcare, rights and transportation. On March 8, the International Women’s Rights Day, Groupe SOS reaffirms its commitment to fighting all kinds of exclusion, and takes a step forward gender equality across all regions.

1 in 3 French women lives in rural areas, which means 11 million French women. There, gender inequalities are more prevalent than elsewhere in the country. As women are more likely to be vulnerable to insecurity, violence, and social inequality in healthcare and employment, Groupe SOS, the leading social and solidarity economy NGO, is committed to launching a wide range of measures, to provide appropriate solutions and programmes in priority neighbourhoods and rural areas.

Groupe SOS’ actions include:

YSOS : the non-profit organisation provides support in rural areas to women who are victims of violence and excluded, helping them rebuild themselves in a safe environment while developing their future projects. It runs Van Plurielles, a touring organisation which raises awareness and educates vulnerable groups on gender equality and fighting gender-based violence.

Pulse : many women are still kept out of the entrepreneurial world, as they are often excluded from financing and restricted by many obstacles – both imposed on them and self-imposed. Therefore, PULSE is working to integrate a stronger gender focus into its programmes. Now, 66% of those supported by the non-profit organisation are women. Thanks to #EllesEnsemble programme, PULSE is supporting female entrepreneurs in carrying out their projects in Seine-Saint-Denis and in Marseille.

Creatis : the non-profit organisation provides support to all those involved in media and cultural transition throughout the various stages of  their projects. Through the Source programme, it supports female entrepreneurs excluded from media and culture ecosystems to develop new ways to express themselves and end inequality in this sector.

Groupe SOS Santé : the growing doctor exodus from rural areas is particularly affecting gynaecological care. To address this challenge, Groupe SOS Santé has set up private non-profit hospitals and works every day to improve women’s healthcare. In its non-profit hospitals in Saône-et-Loire and Meurthe-et-Moselle, Groupe SOS has set up centres offering expertise in endometriosis to end the patient’s medical errancy by ensuring them a proper diagnosis and support.

 

Wimoov : mobility plays a key role in tackling all the problems related to isolation in rural areas. Working to promote women’s mobility means providing every woman with greater access to employment, healthcare and leisure opportunities, helping to prevent women’s exclusion. Thanks to training, financial and material assistance, the non-profit organisation seeks to find personalised and adapted solutions for every woman’s situation.

The situation is urgent. We see it every day at Groupe SOS through our actions to accelerate the ecological transition and with the most vulnerable people. In a worrying inflationary context, we need to respond to needs we concretely see every day, in France, and in the 40 countries in which we operate. The scientific, associative, and militant voices, as well as the youth, are alerting us to adopt effective decisions so that we collectively build the solutions of tomorrow. They exist, they work and we need to deploy them.

At Groupe SOS we believe in a systemic logic, with the conviction that the ecological, social, and economic impact becomes the compass of any organization (profit-making or not) to preserve the planet and its inhabitants. We consider socio-economic realities to the extent of the climate emergency because this fight cannot be done at the expense of the population. In Europe, associations and companies are committed to achieving neutrality while helping to build an exemplary and exportable regenerative economy. The path to a more virtuous model, economically viable, socially just, and ecologically respectful, certainly requires a strong commitment from everyone, but for the benefit of a desirable horizon.

We expect COP27 to serve the fight against climate change, not to be a climate compromise. Nothing can be settled at the local level without a structuring international solidarity, capable of financing concrete actions for the climate.

 

Groupe SOS advocates for 3 LEVERS of action

1. Ecology as a lever for inclusion
2. A globally shared green taxonomy
3. Localization of global solutions

Groupe SOS at COP27

• Agriculture and food will have a prominent place at COP27. With its experience in the field, Groupe SOS supports several convictions and priority actions for agriculture and food.
• Groupe SOS is present on the African continent with teams from 5 NGOs and 2 consulting and research firms in 15 countries. 
• Marie-Christina Kolo, Regional Director for the Indian Ocean of People Power Inclusion (PPI), an association of Groupe SOS, will be the ambassador of Groupe SOS at COP 27.

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Discover all the actions and proposals of Groupe SOS related to COP27: Groupe SOS at COP27—ENG

There are now nearly 89.3 million displaced people in the world. Of these, 27.1 million are refugees, and more than half of them are under the age of 18.  

Continue reading →

The association Action Emploi Réfugiés (AERé) of Groupe SOS promotes the integration of refugees in the French labor market, by supporting refugees, but also companies. Today, let’s meet Marilisa Fantacci, who discusses the association’s missions and the challenges of integrating refugees in France.  Continue reading →

Since the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the need for aid is now greater than ever. If the initial needs of the refugees from Ukraine arriving in Romania were related to housing and food, they now need a job to ensure their daily living. At the end of August, more than 55,000 refugees were registered in Romania trying to resume their lives in the country.

Ateliere Fără Frontiere (AFF), an association of Groupe SOS, has been among the first organizations that have opened its doors for the employment of refugees from Ukraine since March. At first, AFF provided a  dozen refugees with employment services through its workshops, counseling sessions, and vocational guidance, but also information and mediation services on the labor market. 

Since August 2022, in order to continue this mission and to bring help to even more refugees, AFF has started the project “Support to the self-reliance of vulnerable refugees from Ukraine” supported by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), that aims to enable the self-support and integration of people from Ukraine alongside vulnerable host population in Romania.  

The project consists in helping the Ukrainian refugees to find stability by guiding them in their process of entering the Romanian job market through counseling and integration. AFF also took it upon to help them in finding other needed tools and services such as: 

• free Romanian language courses,  
• legal assistance, 
• knowing how to obtain healthcare,
• housing,  
• childcare,  
• where to find out about community events  
• etc.  

Therefore, in its first 6-month pilot phase, the project aims to support 75 Ukrainian refugees in finding the right job opportunities for them, while supporting their families. 

Every aspect of the project will be documented and based on statistical evidence in order to test and scale up the successes for a follow-up phase after the 6-month pilot. A good practice guide for social enterprises working in the job integration sector is to be developed for advocacy purposes, both targeting political will and legislative actions for easing the career pathways of marginalized and excluded people in Romania. 

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UNHCR, is the United Nations organization for refugees that leads various international actions to protect those who are forced to flee their home countries, mostly affected by conflicts and wars. Therefore, the UNHCR’s mission is to offer the main basic necessities to people such as clean and warm shelters, food, and water as well as to ensure refugees’ fundamental human rights and develop solutions that ensure people have a safe place to call home where they can build a better future.   AFF is a non-profit, Romanian organization, affiliated with Groupe SOS. Founded in 2008, AFF’s mission is to support the most marginalized and excluded groups of people. AFF creates workshops and programs to integrate these people into the job market, and offers social and professional support, guidance, and hope to all.    The UNHCR / AFF partnership is complementary in ensuring a medium to long-term integration of vulnerable populations in Romania, starting with current refugees fleeing Ukraine. Whether Ukrainian will want to stay in Romania or will be able to go back to their home country; the project’s mission is to support them in their journey by listening to their needs and trusting their skills and projects.

We, actors of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) in Europe, call for an ambitious European policy aiming at making Europe the world epicenter of the SSE. 

The challenges facing Europe today – be they political, geopolitical, economic, ecological or social – oblige us to rethink our economy in favor of a system that is more respectful of people and nature.

The European Union cannot tolerate 72 million people living below the poverty line and 15% of young people aged 15 to 29 without job nor training. These are alarming numbers, aggravated by the cumulative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the climate crisis. These figures also contrast with record-breaking economic growth.

Economic performance and common good can no longer be opposed. They meet in the social and solidarity economy, which is composed of social enterprises, cooperatives, associations (including charities) and foundations. They all maximize their social and environmental impact rather than their financial profit.

The social economy, the future of Europe

The SSE is the future of Europe; it’s also its roots. As early as 1957, the Treaty of Rome mentions « economic and social progress » as an objective. In 2007, the Treaty of Lisbon made the « social market economy » a reference combining economic prosperity, social justice and environmental protection. This triptych is also at the heart of the Green Pact for Europe of 2020, as well as the Action Plan for the Social Economy of 2021. We salute the acceleration of this movement.

The social economy already represents more than 13 million employees across Europe, spread over nearly 3 million structures. It accounts for 25% of the continent’s new business creations. This is just the beginning, and the world is watching. Our European SSE genius inspires major international organizations. The SSE is on the agenda of the 110^th session of the International Labour Conference, as well as on the agenda of the UN, which is already preparing a resolution for worldwide recognition of the SSE.

Based on our experience in the field and the expertise we have acquired over the years, we are proposing three levers of action to amplify this dynamic.

1. Recognizing the social and solidarity economy in national, European and international law

The development of the social economy is currently slowed down by the absence of a clearly defined European legal framework. National legislations are heterogeneous, and sometimes non-existent. It is urgent to recognize the specificity of SSE organizations at the European level in order to encourage their financing and their internationalization. The leadership of the EU must also be strengthened at the global level. This is why EU Member-States must stand together behind the project of the UN resolution of recognition of SSE.

We also need to define common tools and standards for measuring social and environmental impact – the same way that we share accounting and financial standards which, for the moment, are only oriented towards financial performance.

2. Strengthening financing tools dedicated to SSE organizations

Existing financing tools do not always match the specificities of SSE organizations. It is harder for them to get access to equity and loans. As for projects financed by European funds, they require significant administrative resources, with long delays.

We advocate for a strong development of capital and debt funding tools dedicated to social innovation, for example by allocating a part of employee savings funds. Access to these funds should be open to early-stage startups, and to all types of organizations, including associations and cooperatives. It is also necessary to simplify the application processes for European funds, so that small structures can apply.

3. Generalizing work-integration programs in the 27 countries of the EU

Work Integration Social Enterprises give both a salary and a training to people who are far from the labour market. They rely on public funding covering a part of the employment costs, with significant leverage effects: they unlock self-confidence in finding a job, they fight unemployment, they help reduce informal economy, territorial fractures and inequalities. Yet this type of public support is absent from many European countries.

We ask for a strong political will at the European level, to encourage all Member-States to adopt ambitious policies of inclusion through employment, in particular through the local financing of work-integration programs dedicated to the most vulnerable people.

The social economy, the economy of peace

SSE is an economy of peace, redistribution of wealth and inclusion of all social and environmental impacts. It has the potential to make Europe the greatest social and ecological economic power. This is why we, European actors of the SSE, call on our European leaders to seize our proposals to make Europe the world epicenter of the social and solidarity economy.

Signed by 33 Social and Solidarity Economy players from 16 European countries:

Belgium: EVPA, Bantani Education, Pour la Solidarité

Croatia: Uni. of Zagreb’s Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology

Denmark: Sociale Entreprenører i Danmark

Estonia: Sotsiaalsete Ettevõtete Võrgustik (Social Enterprise Estonia)

France: Groupe SOS, FAIR, Impact Tank, Pulse, Impact Business Angels

Germany: Pleistocene&Permafrost Foundation, Uni. Heidelberg Germany and Cancer research center, Higher Order Strategy, Cabinet Collective, Broadcast.org Media Foundation

Ireland: The Wheel

Italy: Venezia Autentica and Overtourism Solution

Latvia: Latvijas Sociālās uzņēmējdarbības asociācija

Netherlands: Catalyst2030, Designathon Works, Circular investment

Northern Ireland: Alison

Portugal: i3L – Social Impact Investments, Girl Move Academy, Action for Systemic Impact

Romania: Ateliere Fără Frontiere

Slovenia: Foundation BiT Planota

Spain: Grupo5, Efecto Colibri, Uni. Pontificia Comillas, ICI Network

Sweden: Forum for Social Innovation Sweden

For more information please consult the Euractiv website.