The Territory and its Actors in the Social and Solidarity Economy (Phase 1)

This project focuses on analyzing and promoting local development in Ecuador, grounded in the principles of the social and solidarity economy established by the 2008 Constitution. The main challenge involves integrating paradigm shifts with ancestral and contemporary solidarity economy practices, necessitating a new collaborative academic research approach. The initiative aims to build knowledge tailored to local realities, involving academia and key organizations such as the Pichincha Prefecture Higher Technological Institute and the Pedro Moncayo Mayor's Office. The methodology includes a National Encounter featuring keynote speeches, academic workshops, and a knowledge festival, structured around crucial thematic axes: Solidarity Employment and Enterprise (including economic circuits and associativity), Social Conditions (health, education, housing), Environment (sustainable production), Governance (public policy construction and deliberative democracy), and Technology and Social Innovation. The ultimate goal is to foster synergies between researchers, public institutions, and solidarity economic actors to generate plural and sustainable economic development, addressing cross-cutting themes like gender and inclusion.<br/><br/><b>Goal</b>: <br/>To identify the social, economic, cultural, political, and market conditions arising within the territory, as well as the relationships among actors in the solidarity economy, with the primary goal of promoting local development in Ecuador, aligned with the Buen Vivir/Sumak Kawsay paradigm.<br/><br/><b>Research lines</b>: <br/>Inter-ethnic relations