Reflections on a Project in Progress:

1. Reflections on a Project in Progress: The Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships by Ian MacPherson (Co-Director and Principal Investigator) And Aliez Kay (Researcher) National Hub, Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships University of Victoria Victoria, British Columbia www.socialeconomyhub,.ca cluny1@uvic.ca 1

2. The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council • The Community University Research Alliance programme • 107 CURAs since 1999 • Typically $1,000,000 each • “Alliances between community organizations and postsecondary institutions which, through a process of ongoing collaboration and mutual learning, will foster innovative research, training and the creation of new knowledge in areas of importance for the social, cultural or economic development of Canadian communities.” 2

3. The Canadian Social Economy Research Partnerships • Six nodes (Atlantic Canada, Québec, Southern Ontario, Saskatchewan-Manitoba- Northern Ontario, British Columbia/Alberta, North • National Hub • 5 years, $12,000,000 • People from over 70 universities involved • International involvement 3

4. Immediate Origins • Roles of le Chantier de l’économie sociale and the Canadian Community Economic Development Network • Social and economic challenges confronting Canada • Political reactions: volunteering • Political change: Paul Martin Liberals to Stephen Harper Conservatives • Challenge of the term “Social Economy” 4

5. The Groundwork for the Social Economy in Canada (1) • Decentralized political system • Importance of Québec identity, Indigenous issues and sense of identities, differences within “English-speaking Canada” • Historical commitments to community-based activism, social and economic • The Social Economy traditions on Canada • Interest in Québec from 1960s onward (the Quiet Revolution, the changing role of the church, “one of the most active and innovative states in the North Atlantic world”) 5

6. The Groundwork for the Social Economy in Canada (2) • CIRIEC Canada 1967 • The Québec co-operative movement • Expansion of interest in Québec from the 1990s onward • The divergences of English-Canada • The long history of “SE-like” activities • The significance of American influences 6

7. The Groundwork for the Social Economy in Canada (3) • The co-operative movements of English-Canada • Canadian Association for the Study of Co-operation (1984) • The academy and the Social Economy traditions 7

8. The Structure of CSERP • The nature of SSHRC competitions • 7 separate competitions • Variations in the nodes; backgrounds, interests, networks • Roles of the Hub • The challenges of cohesion and busy lives • Matters of definition and co-ordination 8

9. Important Contributions • Contributions of directors and managers • Development of networks • Recognition of diverse forms the SE takes in different contexts • “Variety can be as important and valuable as consistency and universality.” • Working at bridging university, community and SE institutional interests 9

10. Deepening Partnerships • Interested parties: academy, SE organisations, communities, governments, international • Transcending ideological hegemonies and recognizing value of difference • Involvement of practitioners in developing research questions, deciding on method and undertaking research • Challenge of involving practitioners because of institutional priorities, perceptions, and SSHRC funding rules • Differing needs of partners • Differing modes of communication 10

11. Communications • Central importance • Use of workshops, telelearning, newsletters, fact sheets, conference participation • Value of channels used by SE organisations 11

12. Understanding the Community/University Relationship • Value in reflecting on our diverse experiences • Role of structures • Role in research • Role in communications and in sustaining research into action • Contributions to knowledge: the importance of mutual validation 12

13. The participants • 60 universities • 30 disciplines • 300 researchers • Regional and local organisations • Communities 13

14. The range of research activities • Most projects have both academic and non- academic researchers • 260+ projects • 52 have significant public policy focus • 47 mapping/portraiture • 33 evaluation/measuring • 25 co-ops • 25 social enterprise • 19 food security • 18 Indigenous • 17 governance 14

15. Themes, continued • 13 capacity building • 11 rural/agricultural • 10 women’s issues • 9 funding • 7 theory • 6 Local Economic Growth, Natural Resources, Youth, Immigration, Curricula • 5 English-French relations 15

16. Others • 4 - Fair trade, Forestry, Workplace • 3 - Culture, Housing, Communication, Francophones outside Québec • 2 - Knowledge Mobilisation, Development, Urban Revitalisation, Environment, Procurement, Adult Education, Employment • 1 - Seniors, Tourism,Family, Greening, Mutuals, Community/University Relationships, Families, Religious Organisations, Poverty, Parks, Mining, Crises, Volunteering, Mining, Natural Resource Management 16

17. Some Current National Priorities • Importance of public policy research • Public Policy Committee (Rupert Downing, Jorge Sousa) • Crystal Tremblay, Public Policy and Instruments supporting the Social Economy: International Experiences • Crystal Tremblay, Social Economy Policy Trends • + 3rd by Rupert Downing • Canadian Perspectives on the Meaning of the Social Economy • Reaching an understanding of the ways in which the Social Economy traditions have influenced the development of Canada 17

18. The engagement of youth • Importance in the SSHRC world • Student/youth employment • Cadres of youth within the nodes and the Hub • Roles in research • Social Economy Student Network • Conferences • 250 registered • The future? 18

19. The communication of knowledge • The centrality of knowledge that is consistent, cumulative, reliable, updated, applied • Value of knowledge systems of SE organisations (Imagine Canada, CCA,CCCM, etc.) • Importance of expanding the impact within the academy • Publications • International contacts • The scatterings and transience of knowledge • Creation of ANSER • Journal 19

20. The challenges of the Canadian, American and global situations • The continuing if troubled dominance of market paradigms • The charity/economic development dichotomy • Shifts in the United States -- reality or illusion? Significance for Canada. • Political uncertainty in Canada • Understanding the nature and extent of economic and social changes and relating to them: slow food, slow money, local economies, financial issues, etc. • The challenges of the academy 20

21. The wind-up events • Regional dialogues • SUMMIT 30 May-1 June, Ottawa • Congress in Montréal: ANSER 2-4 June, CASC 1-4 (?) June • Node wind-up events • International? • Other? 21

22. Some issues 1. Continue work on understanding the total sector 2. Sustaining the contacts that have been made. 3. Ensuring further SSHRC support. 4. Coping with the climate of opinion that privileges the market economy. 5. The nature of SE knowledge 6. Continue the process of creating portraitures of the Social Economy across Canada. 7. Knowledge mobilisation. 8. Influencing public policy. 9. Helping young researchers/practitioners advance their careers in the academy, SE organisations, government. 22

23. Thank you!!! cluny1@uvic.ca 23