BUJUMBURA December 18th (ABP) – Burundian organizations engaged in the social and solidarity economy (ESS) organized, Thursday December 14, 2023, a conference-debate on the issues and challenges of the social and solidarity economy in view to promote the latter for sustainable development.
The Secretary General of Support for Integral Development and Solidarity on the Hills (ADISCO), Mr. Libère Bukobero indicated that the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) is an economic model based on human values, solidarity and the pooling of resources to generate goods, services and benefits. Those are shared according to each person’s transactions, for the improvement of the social well-being of members and the community.
He added that the ESS is focused on the credible alternative because it responds to modern challenges through its capacity to promote a balance between economic, societal and environmental profitability objectives. The ESS also contributes to reducing the societal divide in the territories through its desire to be inclusive and united. It also promotes the local economy, the energy transition, ecological awareness, the circular economy, the protection of the environment and biodiversity.
Mr. Bukobero further specified that the main objective of that conference is to raise awareness among actors, decision-makers and local media managers about the social and solidarity economy, with a view to its promotion at all levels for a sustainable society.
To avoid the challenges of the social and solidarity economy, the Secretary General of ADISCO calls for the involvement of the population in the principle of solidarity and social utility in order to achieve the vision of the President of the Republic of Burundi from an emerging country in 2040 and developed in 2060.
The director in charge of the National Agency for the Promotion and Regulation of Cooperative Societies (ANACOOP), Roger Ngabirano also indicated that to avoid the challenges and issues of the social and solidarity economy, cooperative societies in Burundi based on some advantages. It is about knowing how to generate economic activities and weave social ties in the territory, promote local jobs and contribute to sustainable development and ecological and energy transactions. According to Mr. Ngabirano, it is better to bring together companies that seek to reconcile solidarity, economic activity and social utility for sustainable development.