The Basque and Spanish governments, co-ops and academics have come together to launch a new social economy think-tank.
Announced at the Global Conference, the Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank (Asett) is named after Mondragon founder José María Arizmendiarrieta, a Catholic priest who promoted social justice and solidarity, whose example it intends to follow.
“It’s called a think-tank, but it’s more a do-tank,” Iñigo Albizuri Landazabal, global head of public affairs at Mondragon and ICA board member, told a session discussing the think tank.
Asett will focus on researching the role of social economy enterprises in reducing inequalities and providing equal work opportunities, he said, and will put ideas into practice and connect universities, enterprises and institutions in Spain and around the world.
Organisations involved include the Spanish social economy confederation (Cepes). “It’s a co-operative project to create a global centre to teach about and show the social economy’s impact to build a better world together,” said Cepes vice-president, Leire Muguerza.
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The Basque Cooperative High Council is another project partner. “Today is a great day because there is another entity created with these characteristics, co-ops must lead the social economy because a better world is possible,” said the council’s president, Patxi Olabarria.
Co-ops will play a key role in driving the project, said Luis Miguel Jurado, president of Coceta, Spain’s worker co-op federation.
“We cannot speak of a space of knowledge for the social economy, or of Arizmendiarrieta, and not mention worker co-ops,” he added.
“The Basque Country is a world reference when it comes to worker co-ops and the social economy,” said Jokin Diaz, social economy director, Basque government.
Asett is funded by the Spanish government, with a €1.5m contribution, and will work closely with academic institutions, such as Saint Mary’s University in Canada.
“The co-operative movement lost the battle of ideas in the 20th century, it’s time to shift that around,” said Sonja Novkovic, professor of economics and academic co-director in the Co-operative Management Education programme at the Saint Mary’s.
Novkovic warned that the project is “long overdue”, adding: “We have academics that are close to the ground and are ready to embrace this project, many people who are looking for alternatives. We do not have enough adequate knowledge and theories to support practice.”
Carlos Zarco, president of the International Health Cooperative Organisation (IHCO), agreed, adding that Spanish health co-operatives are already working closely with universities.
“Asset will aim to conduct research for the sector and from the sector,” said Saioa Arando, from Mondragon University. Researchers can be too theoretical and disconnected from reality, she warned. “Doing research starting from the real business is the great strength of Asett.”
Arando thinks Asett’s role will also involve trying to understand the key factors of success and big challenges faced by social economy actors, which it will share to help scale good practices to internationally.
Asett also wants to help strengthen the social economy in countries where it is not prominent, such as Japan. Osamu Nakano, director of international relations and board member at the Japan Workers’ Co-operative Union, a national federation of worker co-operatives, said he looked forward to sharing his country’s co-operative experience and learning about the wider social and solidarity economy. He added that Asett’s work could help provide an alternative to neoliberal doctrine.
Asett will be officially launched on 16 January by Yolanda Díaz Pérez, Spain’s second deputy prime minister.
