On March 5, the Comparte Network held its first online Assembly of the year, with over 30 participants from social centers across 11 countries in Latin America and the Basque Country. The meeting aimed to share the main achievements of the 2023 Operational Plan and the financial closure, as well as to delve into the 2024 Operational Plan and budget.
The Assembly began with a video produced by the Gender Group of the network for International Women’s Day (March 8), where members from Comparte organizations reflected on the day’s significance and highlighted their contributions to the solidarity economy.
The presentation then reviewed 2023, noting three key milestones: a) the collective reflection and construction of the new strategic plan for Comparte from 2024-2027, b) a change in network coordination to Erminsu Ivan David Pabón, director of IMCA and Suyusama social centers in Colombia, and c) advancements in Comparte’s Social and Environmental Audit System (SASA).
SASA is a tool that assesses compliance with the 7 traits promoted by Comparte in economic-productive initiatives (EPIs). Additionally, it serves as a self-evaluation and improvement exercise. In 2023, 22 EPIs completed the SASA assessment, with information analyzed to create accountability reports, including two initiative-level reports (mirror and radar) and one general report for the network.
Following the 2023 review, participants divided into groups to examine the 2024 Operational Plan (POA), based on the seven changes the network aims to implement from 2024 to 2027:
- C1. Expand and deepen partnerships with other actors.
- C2. Improve self-management and autonomy capacities of producer organizations.
- C3. Strengthen the network’s methodologies and tools in social centers.
- C4. Increase responsible consumption and marketing.
- C5. Raise visibility of Comparte’s alternative proposals.
- C6. Strengthen the network’s cohesion and common identity.
- C7. Cultivate a culture of monitoring and evaluation for continuous improvement.
The next Assembly and in-person meeting will be held in El Salvador from September 23 to 27, hosted by Comparte’s social center
s CVX Solidarity.
The day concluded with a prayer for Mother Earth, emphasizing the importance of caring for our Common Home as a fundamental part of Comparte’s identity and actions.
With information from desarrollo-alternativo.org