In Africa, young people can be found “in all segments” of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) to embody innovations.
The preparatory activities for the fifth edition of the Global Social and Solidarity Economy Forum (GSEF) were launched in Dakar on Monday, May 1. The Senegalese capital, which will host this event scheduled until May 6, yesterday offered a platform to young Africans who came to listen to the many “opportunities” they can get from the social economy (SSE).
“The SSE is a crucial challenge for Africa because it can help address the many economic, social and environmental challenges facing the continent. In Africa, SSE can be a powerful tool to promote local economic development that is both inclusive and sustainable,” said Barthélémy Dias, Mayor of the City of Dakar, which is organizing the GSEF, noting that this tool can contribute to the creation of sustainable jobs and the reduction of poverty and social exclusion “by promoting cooperation between the various development actors.”
He therefore welcomed “the commitment of the State of Senegal” for making this issue “a fundamental priority that contributes to the creation of added value in the formal and informal sectors.”
“My ambition as Mayor of the City of Dakar is that, at the end of this Forum, we all commit ourselves to urgent and concerted action. I am committed to the launch of the platform: DK 20 – 23 – 30, a platform to create 20 million opportunities for training, education, employability and access to finance for youth and women. A commitment made today, May 1, 2023 and whose deadline will coincide with the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2030,” said Dias.
The Minister of Microfinance and Social Economy, Victorine Ndeye, who came to preside over the ceremony, expressed her “enthusiasm” to see her country host “this historic moment,” which expects “more than 3000 participants,” a few days after the vote of the United Nations resolution, on April 18, 2023, on the promotion of the social and solidarity economy for sustainable development.
According to her, this resolution “is a continuation of seven previous resolutions and reference texts” of the international organization. These include how to “transform our world” in light of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda of the Third International Conference on Financing for Development, and on cooperatives in social development.
Addressing the youth, the Minister suggested that they “find themselves in all segments of the SSE, embody innovation, commit themselves in solidarity, democratize entrepreneurship, show that creating wealth while pursuing social and environmental goals means turning one’s back on elitism, make society and remain the force of hope on the path of societies that are united, enterprising and committed to social and economic justice.”
ODL/ac/lb/abj/APA