Transnational Social Missions
Brussels, 21st of June 2023
The BREED (Building community REsiliEnce and sustainable Development through social economy) project is proud to announce the successful implementation of its capacity building program aimed at fostering entrepreneurial skills and promoting sustainable development in local communities. This groundbreaking initiative, funded by the European Commission under the SMP program, has been instrumental in equipping individuals, from the public and private sectors, with the necessary tools and knowledge to drive positive change and create economic opportunities within their communities.
The capacity building program, which forms a core component of the BREED project, focuses on empowering participants in the field of social economy in order to boost their capacity to address the challenges faced by local communities. Through a series of interactive workshops, training sessions, and study visits, participants have been provided with the skills and support to contribute to the growth and resilience of their communities through public-private partnerships, innovation and social generativity. The BREED project has actively engaged a diverse range of participants, including social entrepreneurs, local community members, and individuals passionate about social and economic development. By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, the project has created a supportive network that encourages social innovation and cooperation.
The successful implementation of the capacity building program is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of the project consortium, including:
- Fondazione Comunitaria di Agrigento e Trapani (coordinator), Italy
- European Network of Social Integration Enterprises (ENSIE), Belgium
- Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta, Spain
- Municipality of Katerini, Greece
- Municipality of Paredes, Portugal
- Municipality of Alcamo, Italy
Together, they have leveraged their expertise and resources to make a lasting impact on the entrepreneurial ecosystem and drive positive social change at local and regional level.
About the BREED Project
The BREED (Building Resilience through Entrepreneurial Education) project aims to empower local communities through entrepreneurship and sustainable development. By providing capacity building programs, mentorship, and resources, the project supports individuals in developing entrepreneurial skills, fostering innovation, and driving positive change within their communities
For further information and to stay updated on the progress of the BREED project, please visit project social media or webpage
Alcamo - Italy
As part of the Breed project, the city of Alcamo hosted, from November 8 to 10, European partners to address social economy issues in the project's first social mission; During the days, the opportunities and criticalities that the Alcamo territory presents for adopting a sustainable model of Social Economy were discussed.
On Tuesday, November 8, the protagonist theme was social inclusion, with a focus on the initiatives carried out by the municipality, through an analysis of the Italian model of Citizenship Income as a social inclusion measure, comparing it with the models adopted in other European countries to understand similarities and differences.
On Wednesday, November 9, in the morning, the topic covered was the social economy in the agribusiness sector, a visit was organized to the local reality of Rosso Sera (SS 113), where the Alcamese project that combines agriculture and social inclusion, through "social farm" and garden therapy, was illustrated. In the afternoon, at the Citadel, a workshop where the Fa Bene Sicilia project was presented by the Agrigento and Trapani Community Foundation, with a discussion on the existence of opportunities to be seized in the social agribusiness sector.
The last day, Thursday, Nov. 10, is the turn of social enterprise. Several case studies were illustrated to provide insight into a growing sector such as the Social Economy. From 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. a real workshop took place with artisans and the transnational team of Co.Art. In the afternoon, however, the workshop entitled "How to combine entrepreneurship and social inclusion?" by the Agrigento and Trapani Community Foundation.
The mission was an opportunity for an exchange of best practices and networking with social organizations, associative and entrepreneurial realities that actively defend fundamental values such as equality, justice and sustainability, seeking to innovate their approach and closely following the social evolution of our territory.
Paredes - Portugal
Social Economy in action in Paredes. The Social Mission of Paredes occurs from 2/11/22 to 1/12/22. As the topic was lifelong learning, education & sport as means to foster employment & social inclusion partners have the opportunity to visit institutions related to the theme: School of Paredes; CLDS - Paredes Integra+; ALord; Paredes Golfe Club; Cespu, and the reinsertion project “Risk to Success''. All people involved had the opportunity to do a reflection about the Social Economy that all agree is very important to the development of the communities.
Katerini - Greece
The third Transnational Social Mission of BREED took place in Katerini from 23-27 January, focusing on green and digital inclusion for employment, equality, and citizen inclusion.
The actions being taken both by the Municipality and by private businesses and organizations to promote Katerini as a tourist destination accessible to all were presented. The goal is through business partnerships to develop the local economy and at the same time to highlight the natural beauty of the area and the general development of the community. The Deputy Mayor of Tourism welcomed delegations and highlighted the municipality's efforts to promote the region's tourism. The award-winning SEATRAC installation ensures coastal accessibility for people with disabilities, and won the Gold Award in the Tourism Awards 2022 competition.
The municipality presented projects related to biowaste processing that helps in the development of the circular economy, as well as the creation of reliable digital services in the public sector through Disruptive technologies. The presentation of the work of various social cooperatives and associations and the actions for the integration of vulnerable social groups by the municipality's services and independent bodies show that there is interest in the development of the social economy and sustainable development.
Alzira - Spain
The Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta hosted the Breed project from March 7th to 9th, 2023. The main topics discussed were Social Protection, Housing and Health from the point of view of Social Economy. During the mission in Spain, there were some presentations, teamwork, talks, workshops and study visits to different locations such as The Mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta Headquarters in Alzira (Valencia).
Some personalities from public and private entities and Social Economy Associations collaborated and participated in the project to publicize their work within this field of action, such as: Novaterra Foundation, Servihabitat, Intelligent Conflict Management, EVAP, UGT, Museu de la Festa d'Algemesí, Pacte Territorial per a l'Ocupació, Oficina Comarcal d'Habitatge, and Xaloc Ribera Alta.
The participants received some information on the EU action plan and worked on implementing some proposals at local level, favouring the exchange of good practices between the different countries. In addition, they were able to learn about the culture and traditions in the area and how they can contribute to create a more resilient and sustainable society.
Breed has been a rewarding experience that has provided the opportunity to collaborate with other countries, learn from each other and work towards a better future.
Brussels - Belgium
The last transnational social mission, hosted by ENSIE in Brussels from 17 to 20 April 2023, represented both the closing of the first phase of the BREED project and the opening of the next one. The Conference A Local Strategy for the Social Economy Action Plan, organized by the FCAT, opened the mission with the participation of a variety of organizations from different sectors of activity such as academia, philanthropy, European institutions, European network and non-profit associations. Then, the translational social mission continued with different brainstorming sessions and workshops and study visits in Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs) based in Brussels working actively for the professional and social integration of vulnerable groups. The activities implemented during this programme aimed at the design of shared guidelines for the development of social action plans at local and regional level that will be carried out in the coming months by all actors involved in each community.
