See the description below and particularly article on the significance of barter markets managed by networks of women groups in Peruvian Andes. Some of this thinking and case study material may be relevant for CEESP members' work on reclaiming economics for diversity and equity.

Description of the issue

The journal issue will examine how local economies are functioning on the margins of neo liberal global capitalism specifically looking at local markets, solidarity economies and care networks as ways to empower people and encourage greater civic agency. From both a rights perspective and critical development perspective the journal issue invites activist intellectuals as well as those doing the work 'on the ground' among Hivos partners to look at how to develop different modes of production in different parts of the world. By gathering together current thinking and examples the journal issue aims to set out innovative ways to understand possible alternatives to global capitalist economies as part of the search for sustainable futures.

The key focus will be on social and solidarity economies that build on care and community and try to link local economic activities to global markets. The issue will review the experiences of the social and care economies moving from local to the global and examine what strategies are working. Some of the questions to be examined will be: how does the state support such local economies often created by civil society initiatives? What role does the private sector play? What enables local enterprises to flourish? How do these local markets feed into and work with global market? Do these point a way forward in relation to the current systemic crises? How do they confront the difficult relationship between the social and care economy and the imperatives of the global market? Is the social and care economy a possible third system? Is this a way forward for human development?

The journal line-up will be a mix of those working on the issue conceptually, those addressing policy in this area and those on the ground working with local markets, solidarity economies and nurturing care networks. The issue will also continue the lively debate begun in Development 52.3 on Beyond Economics with further articles from leading economists, business people and social scientists from the global north and south.

Michel Pimbert