‘Guest of honour’ at EU conference on social economy, Ukraine asks to join bloc’s flagship plan | The social enterprise magazine
Petro Darmoris, board member of the Ukrainian Social Academy, was greeted with a standing ovation at the The social economy, the future of Europe conference on Thursday, when he called on the European Union to include Ukraine in its social economy development plan.
He was speaking at the opening plenary session of the two-day conference organized by the French EU Presidency in Strasbourg, France, the day after the announcement that the Ukrainian Social Academy – a training organization and support for social entrepreneurs – had officially joined Europe of the social economya network of social economy organizations working with European institutions.
We have a lot to share, as we know how social enterprises can play a role in wartime and post-war recovery
Darmoris called for Ukraine to be included in the European Social Economy Action Plan, a major EU initiative launched in December 2021 to grow the movement. He called on the European community to invest and support the Ukrainian social economy and social enterprises, in particular to help Ukrainians who are currently displaced within their own country.
He said, “We particularly ask for support for our activities in local communities where we are making efforts to create jobs for displaced people through the development of existing and new social enterprises. This will reduce migration and contribute to the well-being of Ukrainians in Ukraine.
Darmoris (pictured) highlighted the long history of the social economy in Ukraine, which already had 15,000 cooperatives more than a century ago, he said, in areas such as forestry, agriculture and the bank, all working “for social purposes of preservation”. and develop culture, education [and] inclusion”.
While this “baggage of socially oriented entrepreneurship” had been “ruthlessly destroyed by the Soviet regime”, he continues, the movement reappeared after the country’s independence in 1991, and even more so after the Maidan revolution of 2014. , with many initiatives growing, from civil society organizations and charitable foundations to social enterprises.
He said that war “hurts, but it does not destroy [this movement] – as he did not destroy [it] 100 years ago”.
“We have a lot to share, as we know how social enterprises can play a role in wartime and post-war recovery. At the same time, we are counting on support with different investments, and investments of time, investments of expertise, of your experience, and also of financial resources.
“Today we are all and we are personally open to any concrete action we can take together, any investment or donation you would like to make, any strategic partnership we can establish for the future of European Ukraine , for the future of all of Europe.
Part of the “European family”
Christa Schweng, President of the European Economic and Social Committeespeaking at the event via video link, said she was welcoming “guest of honor ‘Darmoris’ as part of our European family”.
Darmoris was joined on stage by Alina Bocharnikova, coordinator of the social entrepreneurship program of the Ukrainian NGO Future Development Agency.
The social economy is also the economy of peace. It builds bridges and cooperation
Introducing Darmoris and Bocharnikova, Mayor of Strasbourg Jeanne Barseghian (pictured) said: “The social economy is also the economy of peace. It builds bridges and cooperation. It is also a message of hope for young people in search of meaning for their future. We already knew that. But this takes on all the more meaning as the tragedy of history has returned, with its horrors, to our continent.
She continued: “In the face of the tragedy facing Ukraine, its people and its land, we reiterated our solidarity and our commitment to help them, of course, today, right away, to face humanitarian emergency, but also tomorrow, when this deadly war is over, when peace returns, to rebuild their country, especially the most affected areas.
“This must be a priority for the future of Europe, for its economy, for all of us. This is why we insisted that Ukraine be honored today.
Correction 05/06/22: An earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Petro Darmoris as the director.
Top photo: from left to right, Alina Bocharnikova, Petro Darmoris, Mayor of Strasbourg Jeanne Barseghian at the conference on the future of Europe. Photo of Jeanne Barseghian by Claude Truong Ngoc
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