Social Economy Today

Social Economy Today is a public lecture jointly hosted by the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health (Glasgow Caledonian University) and Social Enterprise Scotland. We recognise the value in sharing academic and sector expertise to support a social economy that can contribute to fair and inclusive economies, the reduction of inequalities and action on climate crisis.

This annual public lecture invites members of the Scotland’s third sector to share their insight and perspective on current opportunities, challenges and future prospects of Scotland’s social economy. The lecture aims to provoke discussion on these themes as part of GCU’s ambition to be Glasgow’s leading civic university and initiate productive debate on shared ambitions and how to achieve them.

As the Third Action Plan is launched for Scotland’s Social Enterprise Strategy (2016-2026), this year’s speaker will reflect on how to take forward ambitions for democratic business models within Scotland’s social economy. Our speaker, Neil McInroy, is Chair of the Economic Development Association of Scotland (EDAS) and Global lead for CWB at the Democracy Collaborative – a USA based think tank and research organization. As part of his work Neil has been taking part in the Scottish Government’s Inclusive Business Models review, and the title for the lecture is:

An economy that genuinely works for people and planet? How social and democratic business models must become the norm

For many years the social economy has been perceived as a small, sometimes peripheral part of the main economy. However, in a context of growing economic, social and ecological crisis, the social economy must increasingly move from the margins to the mainstream. As the old fossil-fuelled economy stumbles through its last days, climate change, poverty and inequality lie in its wake. To hasten the change and to build a more just, sustainable and fairer economy, we must advance the social economy at pace. In this lecture Neil will convey the key economic transition and inflexion point we are in, and why we must hasten the end of the old economy. In this he will show how inclusive and democratic business models are -and must increasingly be- ready and waiting to take on a bigger and more central role in the new economy. Using examples and case studies he will highlight why and how the social economy must rise to challenge by thinking bigger and acting stonger.

Speaker: Neil McInroy, Chair of the Economic Development Association of Scotland (EDAS) and Global lead for CWB at the Democracy Collaborative – a USA based think tank and research organisation

Host or Publisher Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health