Transnational Institute of Social Ecology

The Social Economy as a Commons of all of Society

On December 11 in Athens (Greece) an event was held, entitled “The Social Economy as a Commons of all of Society”, organized by TRISE. It took place at the cooperative coffe-shop Perimpanou in the Athenian neighborhood of Ano Patissia, where many people came to join the event and participate in the dialogue. Cooperatively owned and democratically managed by group of women, the place couldn’t be more suitable to host such talk.

Main speakers were the writers Makis Korakianitis, Giorgos Kolempas and Orestis Varkarolis. Mr. Korakianitis began by presented generally the views of Murray Bookchin regarding the economic sphere. Then Mr. Kolempas talked about the radical economy emerging nowadays in Rojava, Northern Syria. The final talk was given by Orestis Varkarolis, who presented the Greek reality and the social economy with its problems and perspectives in a time of deep economic and political crisis. The presentations were followed by long discussion with the public on the theoretical forms that one direct-democratic economy can take as well as strategies for its practical implementation.