The Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium in Donostia-San Sebastián will host the First International Forum of the Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank (ASETT), the Vanguard Hub for Social Economy. The event will take place on May 29 and 30, organized by the Spanish Business Confederation of Social Economy (CEPES) with the support of the Spanish Ministry of Labour and Social Economy. This inaugural ASETT Forum will give voice to successful experiences and promote Social Economy as an advanced, innovative, and inclusive sector.
As the first and most significant event to date of the ASETT Vanguard Hub, the forum is expected to gather around 100 speakers and global leaders from 30 countries. A total of 37 success stories will be presented, grouped under what have been identified as 11 social challenges. Also participating will be the 15 newly appointed members of the ASETT Advisory Board, which includes representatives from leading institutions and organizations such as the ILO, the United Nations, the OECD, and the European Parliament, as well as government officials from various countries.
The forum aims to combine plenary sessions, debate spaces, academic and cultural activities, as well as business visits and institutional meetings. Plenary sessions and roundtables will cover core topics, focusing on social innovation, inclusion, culture, gender, housing, impact measurement, visibility, care, health, food, and technology, among others. Other roundtables will address current international political and economic issues.
Expected participants include prominent figures such as Simel Esim, Head of the Cooperatives Unit at the ILO; Ilcheon Yi, Senior Research Coordinator at UNRISD; Irene Tinagli, Member of the European Parliament; and Inmaculada Carrasco, President of OIBESCOOP and member of CIRIEC-Spain’s Scientific Committee.
A wide institutional presence is anticipated, with government representatives from Spain, France, Romania, the Palestinian Authority, Brazil, and Senegal. Spain’s Second Vice President and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, Yolanda Díaz, is scheduled to deliver the conclusions and close the Forum on May 30 at 1:00 p.m.
With this first edition, ASETT aims to promote a people-centered economic model focused on social cohesion, positioning itself as an international hub for development, visibility, and applied research in the Social Economy.
First International Forum of the Arizmendiarrieta Social Economy Think Tank (ASETT)
