On December 12th, FEBEA became a full member of the Global Social Economy Forum (GSEF).

Dominique Lesaffre, currently an Advisor to the Board at FEBEA, has served as FEBEA’s correspondent at GSEF for the past few years, culminating in the organization’s official membership.

But… what is the GSEF?

The Global Forum for Social and Solidarity Economy (GSEF) is an international network fostering collaboration between social economy organizations and local governments to promote inclusive, equitable, and sustainable development. Established after the Seoul Declaration in 2013, GSEF facilitates knowledge-sharing and partnerships through its global forums and initiatives.

Key milestones include the inaugural GSEF2014 in Seoul, which formalized the organization through the adoption of the GSEF Charter, and subsequent forums in Montreal (2016) and Bilbao (2018). These events focused on building cooperation between local governments and social economy actors for sustainable development.

GSEF’s mission is to create quality jobs, advance grassroots democracy, and support sustainable growth based on human dignity and ecological balance. It promotes global solidarity, sharing resources, and supporting developing countries while fostering public-private-community partnerships to expand the social economy worldwide.